Your PC Gaming Rig Specifics

Do you guys know if games have to explicitly support SLI? I read the single-card dual GPU solution from AMD, the 4870 X2, can only be utilized if a game supports Crossfire. I take it that dual card SLI does not require this?

Also, I read that nVidia cards can perform ‘signal zooming’ on LCD monitors, where a non-native resolution (but one that is still the same aspect ratio as the native resolution o the display) can be used with black bars cropping the sides, so that there is no stretching of the image.

Can AMD/ATI cards do this as well?

Goddamnit, I want 1920x1200 resolution but I want the option of running a lower resolution if I don’t want to sacrifice frame rate at the higher res…

I can’t wait for SSD to become affordable. I’m going to RAID 0 the shit outta them.

Games don’t have to expressly support sli or crossfire.

With that being said, a lot of titles have sli/crossfire exclusive “features” (read: bugs) that you’ll have to deal with if you want a dual gpu setup. I won’t use sli – just get a more powerful single card solution for the time being.

And you, sir, clearly want a CRT so you can run multiple resolutions in peace. www.accurateit.com is your friend. I’ve tried to use nvidia’s fixed aspect ratio scaling (or whatever it’s called) and black bars will DRIVE YOU INSANE. Just suck it up and shell out for a refurb or overstock crt. Everyone but the environment will thank you.

I would get a 22" Mitsubishi DiamondMax (?) 22" monitor. Those were the Ferrari of CRT technology.

However, if I can find an LCD that pushes 1920x1200, is LED backlit, S-IPS (or even H-IPS) panel, and NOT glossy (goddamn you, Apple!)…I’ll consider human trafficking to pay for it :slight_smile:

I mean, I’d even get a 27" 1080p LCD HDTV on Black Friday so I can output my laptop AND a PS3/360 to it in the near future, but goddamnit, why 1920x1080 instead of x1200 like NORMAL LCD monitors?

Where my 120 extra pixels at, bitch?

SLI has been a fucking nightmare for me…

Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale @ 4Ghz
ASUS Striker II Formula 780i
2xSLI EVGA GeForce 9800 GTX
CORSAIR XMS2 DHX 4GB DDR2 800
1TB Barracuda + 150GB Raptor
PC Power & Cooling PPCT860 860W
COOLER MASTER Stacker 830 Evolution

[quote]machiajelly wrote:
SLI has been a fucking nightmare for me…
[/quote]

Why? Drivers? Overheating?

Guys, is the 9800 GTX the best value right now?

Actually the Radeon HD4850 is quite a bit faster and better for the cost… but the 9800GTX performs well anyways

For example, with WoW on my buddies monitor at like 1600x1900 or whatever resolution it was I was getting 300fps. Really, do you need more than that??

I meant the HD4870^

[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
machiajelly wrote:
SLI has been a fucking nightmare for me…

Why? Drivers? Overheating?

Guys, is the 9800 GTX the best value right now?

[/quote]

100% Drivers. They actually run really nice and cool; I have them clocked @ 800 MHz and could probably push them even a little more. The drivers however, constantly crash the shit out of my system.

[quote]HangerBaby wrote:
I meant the HD4870[1]

you were’nt wrong in the first instance
4850 is faster than the 9800GTX and on par if not a little better than the 9800GTX+

im using the 4870 its sits between the GTX260 and GTX280

ive put together a 2x 280 rigs, that card is so huge and powerful its fucking silly

we have the GTX270 and GTX290 reboots coming soon also


  1. /quote ↩︎

[quote]machiajelly wrote:
PonceDeLeon wrote:
machiajelly wrote:
SLI has been a fucking nightmare for me…

Why? Drivers? Overheating?

Guys, is the 9800 GTX the best value right now?

100% Drivers. They actually run really nice and cool; I have them clocked @ 800 MHz and could probably push them even a little more. The drivers however, constantly crash the shit out of my system.[/quote]

XP/Vista/Other?

[quote]RSGZ wrote:
machiajelly wrote:
PonceDeLeon wrote:
machiajelly wrote:
SLI has been a fucking nightmare for me…

Why? Drivers? Overheating?

Guys, is the 9800 GTX the best value right now?

100% Drivers. They actually run really nice and cool; I have them clocked @ 800 MHz and could probably push them even a little more. The drivers however, constantly crash the shit out of my system.

XP/Vista/Other?[/quote]

Vista x64