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SOLVED CF or SLI card additions as "future proofing" (crazy or not?)

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Komrade

Registered
Joined
Dec 16, 2006
So im buying a gaming computer and im having a hard time deciding on video cards, but thats a question for a later time.

I would like to know if this is a good idea....Buy a video card for around $200-$250, then if the need arises buy the same video cards and CF or SLI it. I figure this sounds nice in pratice as its a cheap initial investment with easy upgrading (especially because that particular card will go down in price say in a year or so when I will be buying it). So then to upgrade id spend a quick $200 or less on an identical card and have doubled (theoretically) my video performance.

Does this sound like a good idea or is this theoretical wishful thinking?
 
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I would suggest buying single card solutions rather than going to multi-card setups. Crossfire and SLi both have their issues with certain games and they perform no where near 100% more than a single card.

The only reason to go SLi is if a higher card is more expensive than two in SLi and performs less or you have the fastest card out there already. By the time you whip up the money for a second card, a new series is probably already out and a single card will beat your two that you want.

And I agree with what Earthdog will say below me.
 
A lot of people do this actually. But the problem is with the actual scaling. Frankly, its never 2x (maybe one game scales 2x). More like 1.7x and could be ZERO (as rare as 2x).

Personally, I dont like the extra power consumption, noise, and cost /dollar in SLI/Crossfire but plenty dont mind. What I would do in your case is buy a$250 card now, in a year if its not working out for you, sell it (for $180?) and then spend another $200 (what you would have spent on SLI/Crossfire) and get a $380 card.



My motto is to always get the best you can afford.
 
Sounds like my idea was not as great as it sounded that the time. I guess single cards wil be cheaper in the end as my PSU will be cheaper as well.

Ill try and go with a single card solution then.

It also sounds like my SWMBO (she who must be obeyed) would need dual monitors for programming. I am not sure how this works with video cards, never had dual screens. Does one screen turn off when the game starts or does it expand to two displays?
 
You can run two monitors off of a video card as long as it has two outputs on the back. I've been doing this for a long time.

If the game is run in "full screen" mode, the cursor will be locked to the game, but you can still see everything on the second monitor. The only way it will stretch across both screens is if you have a video card/driver that will do it (has been removed from nVidia cards since driver ~172). I think they really just renamed it and re-marketed it as "NEW TECHNOLOGY" when it has been out for a long time.
 
Well that jsut about explains everything i needed, now just have to figure out AMD ir Intel and then Nvidia or ATI. How fun to have so many options.

Problem Solved.
 
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