Just purchased a computer from OC..

routercheck · 4 Dec 2007 at 20:29

Just bought a http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-048-OK&groupid=43&catid=967&subcat=

Want to give friend the 8800gt and put in 2 3870's into my computer. Is this possible with the computer i've just purchased, i.e. are there enough PCI-e slots? I think there are 2 PCI-e slots and that only one is in use by the 8800gt (There shouldn't be anything else in the other slot - haven't added anything) . I'm a bit of a computer dimwit when it comes to things like this.

Thanks for any help.

Routercheck.

helmutcheese · 4 Dec 2007 at 20:39

I aint sure if the Mobo supports Crossfire, you need go look at that Mobo for sale in OCUK and see.

chrissss · 4 Dec 2007 at 20:40

What resolution do you play? because 2 cards is a waste of money in most cases.

I checked the mobo, and I can't find whethere or not it is CRossfire supported.

helmutcheese · 4 Dec 2007 at 20:43

Its a £65 Mobo and does not support Crossfire, you can run 2 GPU's but only for Work and Multi Monitors.

maxtoon · 4 Dec 2007 at 20:44

Abit IP35-Pro Intel P35 will only provide x4 on the second PCI-E slot .. thus not crossfire supported ..

keep your GT ...

schumi84 · 4 Dec 2007 at 20:48

Have just a had a look around, the motherboard does support xfire, but stated above the 2nd pci-e slot will only run at 4x and so isnt advisable:

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/477

Dont think the link is a competitor.

helmutcheese · 4 Dec 2007 at 20:50

I thought it had to be specified like the SLI Chipset, lots of Mobo's have the dual 16x slots but cant do SLI.

I dont know much about Crossfire anyhow.

Ross1234 · 4 Dec 2007 at 20:50

nice pc!
Just keep your gt.
Its silly that you should have two graphics cards. You could wait for the gx2 which has two cards in one slot

schumi84 · 4 Dec 2007 at 20:52

For some reason on OCUk it doesnt state this, but on the above review it does specify this.

maxtoon · 4 Dec 2007 at 20:54

helmutcheese said:
I thought it had to be specified like the SLI Chipset.

yup,

normally would be as it's a strong selling point for any MB ..

maxtoon · 4 Dec 2007 at 20:56

Ross1234 said:
You could wait for the gx2 which has two cards in one slot

and wait and wait and wait ...

paradigm · 4 Dec 2007 at 20:59

It supports crossfire just fine, anyone who has said otherwise knows nothing about the subject.

If you are going to game at 1920x1200 or above, then two 3870's would be awesome in that system, infact, it would perform much like mine does (in sig).

routercheck · 4 Dec 2007 at 21:04

I'll be gaming at 1680x1050. What sort of performance hit will it take because of the slower secondary PCI-e slot?

What makes you say that paradigm? Just trying to find things out.

paradigm · 4 Dec 2007 at 21:06

The 4x slot give about a 5-8% hit over a 16x slot (8x slot actually gives almost zero performance hit).

The reason I say 1920x1200, is that one single card should cope just fine with any current game at any lesser resolution, bar Crysis. But seeing as Crysis doesn't work with Crossfire anyway, its a moot point.

paradigm · 4 Dec 2007 at 21:11

Removed, un-needed.

paradigm · 4 Dec 2007 at 21:14

Contrary to some neigh-sayers, P35 chipsets are "fully" crossfire compatible. You ARE taking a minor performance hit, but it is MINOR. Infact just to throw some numbers around, running one card in the 4x slot (none in the other) dropped me a whole 200 points from 3dmark06.

schumi84 · 4 Dec 2007 at 21:14

paradigm said:
The 4x slot give about a 5-8% hit over a 16x slot (8x slot actually gives almost zero performance hit).

The reason I say 1920x1200, is that one single card should cope just fine with any current game at any lesser resolution, bar Crysis. But seeing as Crysis doesn't work with Crossfire anyway, its a moot point.

Thats good to hear as will be using 2 3870s in a DS4 xfire

LoadsaMoney · 4 Dec 2007 at 21:27

Yeah its a very minor hit, Tom|Nbk was running 2x x1900's in Crossfire on a 16x/4x slot board, he said it ran fine.

Gibbo · 4 Dec 2007 at 22:00

Hi there

Just to clear it up the Intel P35 and X38 chipset do suppport Crossfire!

The performance in Crossfire is absolutely fine, when I reviewed the 3850's and 3870's a few weeks ago I was using an Abit IP35 Pro.

This is two HD 3870's in an Abit IP35 Pro system, everything aircooled and no mad modifications, basically an OcUK Ultima systems with two HD 3870's:-

HD 3850

For the 3850's the following system/settings were used:-

Q6600 @ 3.40GHz
Abit IP35 Pro
2GB Ballistix 8500 @ 1000MHz
HD 3850 256MB
Windows XP
Driver set too performance!

HD 3850 256MB GDDR3 Stock! (668MHz / 1655MHz)

HD 3850 256MB GDDR3 Overclocked (750MHz / 1850MHz)

HD 3850 Crossfire Stock! (668MHz / 1655MHz)

HD 3850 Crossfire Overclocked (725MHz / 1800Mhz)

HD 3870

For the 3870's the following system/settings were used:-

Q6600 @ 3.60GHz
Abit IP35 Pro
2GB Ballistix 8500 @ 1000MHz
HD 3870 512MB
Windows XP
Driver set too performance!

HD 3870 512MB GDDR4 Stock! (775MHz / 2250MHz)

HD 3870 512MB GDDR4 Overclocked (860MHz / 2700MHz)

HD 3870 512MB GDDR4 Crossfire Stock! (775MHz / 2250MHz)

HD 3870 512MB GDDR4 Crossfire Overclocked (855MHz / 2650MHz)

P.S. For HD 3870 Crossfire Overclock benchmark, CPU speed was increased to 3750MHz.

schumi84 · 4 Dec 2007 at 22:03

Thanks very much for that Gibbo, thought i had seen the scores somewhere, forgot u did an in depth review on them, very good.