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7900 SLI - Opinions

Overslop

Overslop

Overslop

Soldato
Joined
22 Oct 2005
Posts
4,013
Location
Thailand
I know a single card solution might be better but I have a good opportunity for a bargain on a system with 7900 SLIs.

I was just wondering if anybody has them and what they thought of them. I have found a few benchmarks for it but not many.

I am interested in how they would perform in the following games:

* Oblivion

* CS: S

* AOE III

* F.E.A.R.

* Far Cry

All games with maximum settings at 1280x1024, I would like to know the frame rates to be expected. If they ever drop below 60 that is not good for me, except in Oblivion I assume that is unavoidable.

I would be running on an AMD dual core 2.6 Ghz setup. The cards would be overlclocked to a maximum stable point.
 
GT or GTX?
Although having said that, I would expect them to be CPU limited at that range. Look at benchmarks for single cards and you will get VERY similar framerates but obviously be able to get away with slightly more AA/AF.
So er yeah - dont expect sky high fps.... cpu limitation will give you similar fps to a single card.
 
Yeah cos a lot of the "viable" options for sli would be 7800gts or 7900gts and tbh with only 256meg i would say no and the price to effectiveness just get a 7900gtx!

Why wont the xtx work?
 
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17552271&page=4

Ideally I would keep my X1900 X-TX and use it in my new PC but I need to sell it to fund the purchase...

I wasn't considering 7900GT SLI before but having seen a very good price on a system with these built in I am now giving it a lot of thought.

Thanks for giving your opinions guys, but let's say the 7900GT SLIs were £50 more than the 7900GTX, is it a really bad deal?

I was looking at Oblivion benchmarks from Firing Squad and a 7900GT SLI setup seems to perform better than a X1900 X-TX. It would cost me a little more to upgrade but surely if they win in the domain where nVidia struggles most, they should whip single X1900 X-TXs in most other games (is this correct? I am not a fanboy and I just want the truth). Considering they are incredible overclockers too I think it may be a good setup for the price.

Apart from the added texture memory a single 512MB card would gain, I think an SLI setup of 7900GTs would be better in every regard wouldn't it? I know quad 7900GTXs would be the ultimate, but remaining within the boundaries of reality...
 
sli 7900gt is pretty good, only downside is the 256 meg on board memory, better of with the 7900GT-E, the ones due in with 512 onboard memory. Certain games like more memory, some dont. Me personally would go for a single card solution for now, and keep the extra to see what comes out next. I tell you now, the 7900GT, 256 memory clocks so well, i dont see a need for 2, unless you got more money than sense. Money no option, then you go for the best you can get, its that simple.
 
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At that res you will be cpu bound pretty much all of the time. SLI gives diminishing returns the lower the res gets.

Personally, I would prefer a single card with 512mb if running at 1280x1024.
 
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2717&p=7

For £50 extra I think the SLI is worth considering even at 1280x1024. I want all other options at maximum. It seems to have a bigger gain than X1800XT to X1900XT in a lot of games, yet is much less money extra for me.

I can understand the argument of having one 7900GT at this resolution, but if you would consider a £350 single card why not £400 for two if the performance is better?

I am still not decided, but I am fairly sure I will go for 7900GT SLI. :)
 
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I can handle that. The X1900 X-TX is supposedly a beast but it's fine by my standards. :D

Except if you want to boot up late at night, then you run the risk of waking up half your neighbourhood.
 
The graphical power of 2 7900gts would be gross and even OK value for money compared to other ways you could spend £400 or so. I don't think you'd miss having only 256mb at all. Having said that as others have mentioned you'll be CPU bound with a 4000+ running at stock speeds. Oblivion for example will be smoother in places, but you'll not get a flawless ride without a CPU that can keep up better. A friend just got a second 7800gtx for playing at 1280x1024, so is in about the same ball park as you. He found things like FEAR and DOOM3 to be utterly perfect completely maxed out as the CPU doesn't bottleneck it, but Oblivion showed a dissappointingly small improvement.

Watch this space though as I am already thinking about getting a second 7900gt. Got to test the volt mod options first to see if the stable and safe limit is as high as I hope.
 
Duel said:
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2717&p=7

For £50 extra I think the SLI is worth considering even at 1280x1024. I want all other options at maximum. It seems to have a bigger gain than X1800XT to X1900XT in a lot of games, yet is much less money extra for me.

I can understand the argument of having one 7900GT at this resolution, but if you would consider a £350 single card why not £400 for two if the performance is better?

I am still not decided, but I am fairly sure I will go for 7900GT SLI. :)
Click to expand...

Its not really £400 when you consider after market cooling for the GT's something that 99% of GT owners get due to the fact that the cards are amazing overclockers and they're quite noisey with the stock cooler.

I think you would be better getting a single GTX at 1280 x 1024 IMO.
The performance at this res will only be really noticable in benchmarks I would have thought.
 
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easyrider said:
Its not really £400 when you consider after market cooling for the GT's something that 99% of GT owners get due to the fact that the cards are amazing overclockers and they're quite noisey with the stock cooler.

I think you would be better getting a single GTX at 1280 x 1024 IMO.
The performance at this res will only be really noticable in benchmarks I would have thought.

Afterall my GTX beats two 7800 GTX in SLI
Click to expand...

Id agree wtih that, the only game my 7900GTX struggles with is oblivion, from what ive played so far anyway, it can run quake 4 at ultra detail at 1600x1200 at 60fps no problem, I havent tried FEAR, just been playing Q4, Tomb Raider Legend and GTA SA.

Great cards.
 
Yeah id keep the x1900, will run all those games above perfectly fine, and the added bonus of Oblivion having AA+HDR on at the same time, which you can't do on the 7900's. :)
 
LoadsaMoney said:
Yeah id keep the x1900, will run all those games above perfectly fine, and the added bonus of Oblivion having AA+HDR on at the same time, which you can't do on the 7900's. :)
Click to expand...

He says it doesn't work with his system hence the question ;) :)
 
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