I’m Thinking Of Going SLI
July 25th, 2022
I’ve got about �200 maybe �250 I can spend.
I’m thinking of getting two cards running in SLI together.
The things I wanna know are:
- -What cards can I get in my budget and how much will the two of them cost?
-How do I connect the two together so they work in SLI?
-Will my motherboard (Asus P5N-E SLI motherboard) take these two cards in SLI mode?
-Will a 700W PSU handle SLI?
-Will I need any extra cooling (I currently have 3 fans, 1 front, 1 back and 1 side)
-Will SLI work with my current specs?
-How do I set them up? Is it a matter of just plugging them into PCI slots, linking them together and installing the drivers?
My specs are:
Intel Quad Core Q6600 2.40Ghz x4
Geforce 8500GTS
4GB DDR2 RAM
Sound Blaster X-Fi Extreme Gamer Sound Card
1.5TB Total HDD
Please answer mah questions
I don’t know enough to recommend a card, but your motherboard supports SLI. You should have gotten a ‘bridge’ to link the two cards together with your motherboard, or you’ll get one when you buy the cards. Your PC specs seem efficient enough to run them (including PSU).
[quote=””]I don’t know enough to recommend a card, but your motherboard supports SLI. You should have gotten a ‘bridge’ to link the two cards together with your motherboard, or you’ll get one when you buy the cards. Your PC specs seem efficient enough to run them (including PSU).[/quote
Thanks, yes I did get what I’m 99% sure is a link cable for them with my mobo.
Just need the other questions answering
My PC specs are nearly the same as your’s, and I’m running a 8800GTS card with a 550W PSU without any problems.
You can get one decent graphics card for that, but not two i’m afraid. Frankly the 8500GTS is rubbish, I would just go out and buy a single 8800GT for �150, and wait until I have another �150 then get another one. If you wanted maximum performance now, I would get a single 8800GTX for �250 – but two 8800GTs in SLI beat a single GTX for only a little bit more money. (Of course in the long run, you could buy a GTX now, and wait until they are cheap and get a second one of them )
If I were you I wouldn’t even consider the 8800 Ultra, they are just slightly overclocked 8800GTXs for a lot more money, a waste I think when you can OC yourself!
EDIT: Sorry, hit wrong button, meant to edit and not quote.
I might be able to go to �300, if all my other questions are answered and I know I wanna do it.
So, would you recommend two 8800GT’s? (Not GTS’s)
And how do I go about setting them up?
I Read something about needing a PCI power supply lead or something?
Am I going to have to buy a new PSU?
go to www.tomshardware.com then go to their forums, those people will be able to assist you better than we can.
A 8800GT is better than a 8800GTS (and cheaper), trust me, I know – I bought the 8800GTS a few weeks before the 8800GT came out and i’m gutted!
Chances are your power supply comes with at least 1 PCI express power adapter, mine did. In the box of the graphics cards there is also instructions and an adapter to make a second PCI express power adapter by using some spare leads on your PSU. Also your motherboard probably came with a sli connector, mine did and I have yet to use it. The two cards have a connector on the top, and you connect them with this sli connector that comes with your motherboard (if it is indeed SLI compatible.) The one last thing you need to do is check if there are any extra you need to do to your motherboard – I have a switch to change my motherboard from “normal” to “SLI” modes. Thats pretty much it
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/248009-15-thinking
Link to my topic on Toms Hardware