GTX460 SC in SLI or new single GPU??

[StevieP]

I've been very happy with my EVGA GTX460 SC up till now but with the new raft of games coming out that seem to need some serious graphics processing power I was wondering if I'd be better going for a brand new single GPU or would I be better off getting hold of a 2nd 460 and running them in SLI?

I've never run SLI/Crossfire before so I'm unsure as to the % improvement I will get from it!?!?!

BF3 seems to need a lot of power so I'm wondering which way to go!

Thanks for any suggestions guys....

 

[Blue160]

I've been running SLI 460's for about nine months now and the performance is great at 1080p. I can max everything apart from Metro 2033.

The 460 is getting old though, and games are using more and more vRAM. If I had a single 460 now, I'd probably sell it and go for a 6950 with a view to crossfire in the future.

 

[CinderzFTW]

+1 for the 6950 idea!

I would wait until after christmas, see what deals OCUK have on in the sales and then get a 6950. That card will last you a long time.

 

[StevieP]

Not had an ATI card for a while but this seems to suggest SLI 460's would be comfortably better (assuming I can pick up a cheap 2nd hand 460!)

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/331?vs=314

Surely the majority of games benefit from SLI/Crossfire these days?

 

[numatic.nathan]

I'd go with SLI 460s, I use to have them, amazing performance, max out every game!

 

[CinderzFTW]

Not had an ATI card for a while but this seems to suggest SLI 460's would be comfortably better (assuming I can pick up a cheap 2nd hand 460!)

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/331?vs=314

Surely the majority of games benefit from SLI/Crossfire these days?

very much true, some games will benefit but then you have to think about the costs for upgrading in the future and the cons of SLI anyways.

First of all, make sure you have at least 700 watts and a decent named PSU for SLI. You need it, as the amount of power your system will use will be massive.

If you get a cheap 460 now for around £60 your laughing.

 

[Blue160]

As I said I'm very impressed with the performance of my 460's. If you can find a cheap 460 to go with the one you have you'll be very happy. People on here will keep telling you you don't have enough vRAM, and that you're suffering with microstutter though

One point if you decide to go SLI. Get a card with a good cooler. Temperatures can get pretty frightning if you don't have enough air flow.

 

[StevieP]

My PSU is a 600W Modstream Pro and I remember once checking on a website if it would support 2 460's in SLI and it told me I was OK! (And since then I've got am SSD which I understand draws less power!

Got a post in the wanted section for the same card as mine but am I right in saying I can pair any 1GB 460 to run in SLI?

 

[Blue160]

My PSU is a 600W Modstream Pro

I had the same PSU when I bought my second 460, and it struggled a bit. I may have been being paranoid, but the amount of heat it was producing led me to upgrade it.

Got a post in the wanted section for the same card as mine but am I right in saying I can pair any 1GB 460 to run in SLI?

Yes you can. They'll both run at the same speed though, so an overclocked one would be best.