Everything must be SLI?

[famfrit007]

well im going to build a PC with a 2-way SLI config for college..the motherboard, graphics card and memory is SLI

 

 

 

I called a rep at TD and they said that in order for the SLI config to work, everything must be SLI.

 

can i still put memory and a PSU thats not SLI but still have the config to work?

 

(i mention the memory cause i wanted something faster)

 

 

 

if i missed anything i need for better understanding post about it.

 

 

 

thanks :

[das1330]

Whoever told you that has no idea what they are talking about. To create an SLI configuration, all you need is a pair of identical graphics cards and a motherboard that supports SLI - that is, any mid to high end Nvidia chipset or the new intel X58 core i7 chipset. That said, what is your computer budget, and what processor are you using? Going for an AMD setup at this time is a terrible idea with the very low price of the core 2 duos and the fact that the new core i7's will be out in a few days. If you can wait a week or two to order the parts, it may be best to go with an i7 based system; the new parts look to be much much much faster then the current generation.

[OldJoe]

@Framfrit007: I'd buy a 9850BE or 9950BE (and perhaps a bit overclock on it too) for that setup so it doesn't bottleneck. Otherwise a high clock duo, such as E84/5/600 and clock it so it doesn't bottleneck, or buy a quad core.

 

And pick something else for the motherboard, MSI are pretty known for not putting in the highest quality components.

 

And i just noticed you PSU aswell. 1600W?!!!! What are you planning on running that you aren't telling us???

 

This is something i strongly would recommend. It depends on what CPU you choose, but you'll have a bit of room for upgrading too.

 

 

 

@Snipersas: A setup for the i7 (based on the cheapest setup) comes to 670eu (cpu+mobo+ram)... If he has the money, sure nice thing. But it's not really worth the price at the moment. Sure, great for running heavy programs and converting stuff... But not for gaming. It's not worth the price for an additional 1-10fps. (i base the price from http://www.sweclockers.com).

[Arixe]

You can use non SLI RAM and PSU just fine. But for the PSU, being SLI certified is a guarantee that it can provide enough power to run an SLI setup. And some lower price non-SLI PSUs might not come with the necessary connectors (my GPU uses a 6pin molex, but some power supplies only have 1 or none at all)

 

 

 

Basically, don't skimp on your PSU. It will come back to bite you if you get a cheap one (speaking from experience)

[famfrit007]

@Framfrit007:And i just noticed you PSU aswell. 1600W?!!!! What are you planning on running that you aren't telling us???

 

 

 

.....i might upgrade to 3 of these

 

8 GB of RAM...

 

ima switch to this mobo with this CPU....

 

 

 

and btw my budget's $3000....

 

 

 

To OldJoe:

Basically, don't skimp on your PSU. It will come back to bite you if you get a cheap one (speaking from experience)

 

im preventing that -.-

[Arixe]

Wow just noticed that... Overkill much? :ohnoes:

 

You'll have to post back on how well modular connectors work, I've always wanted a PSU with one but didn't want to fork out the $$ for a PSU with em.

 

 

 

I personally have an Ultra PSU and love it, and 2 gigs of OCZ RAM. Neither have ever given me trouble (through 4 dead mobos, avoid EVGAs old mobos at ALL costs :wall: )

[Nadril]

Goddamn dude, you have no sense of money do you? You barely need half of a 1600W PSU, let alone all of it.

 

 

 

 

 

And why are you doing triple SLI on an out dated card such as the 9800GT? Spend your money on SLI GTX260 or GTX280 if anything. Also with such a high end build I would build it around the new i7 processors when they come out in a week or so.

[OldJoe]

@Framfrit007:And i just noticed you PSU aswell. 1600W?!!!! What are you planning on running that you aren't telling us???

 

 

 

.....i might upgrade to 3 of these

 

8 GB of RAM...

 

ima switch to this mobo with this CPU....

 

 

 

and btw my budget's $3000....

 

 

 

To OldJoe:

Basically, don't skimp on your PSU. It will come back to bite you if you get a cheap one (speaking from experience)

 

im preventing that -.-

 

 

 

Seriously, 1600w is overkill unless you put in a hell of alot hds...

 

You can run two gtx 280s in sli+a quad with the Corsair PSU i listed+some more stuff.

 

You should also know that three gpu's in games doesn't scale very well. If you are set on Nvidia (personally i'd choose the 4870x2...) then get two of GTX 260 - 230$ after rebate or or the newer version - 270$ after rebate

 

I doubt it, but if you like to overclock then i'd advice you getting some faster memories aswell.

 

 

 

And if you think Corsair make cheap psu's, you are dead wrong. Go and check a review of them or some forum, and you'll see how great they are. 1600w is overkill. Go for 1000w if you want to... But as for an example, the 750 i listed will be great!

[OldJoe]

Goddamn dude, you have no sense of money do you? You barely need half of a 1600W PSU, let alone all of it.

 

 

 

 

 

And why are you doing triple SLI on an out dated card such as the 9800GT? Spend your money on SLI GTX260 or GTX280 if anything. Also with such a high end build I would build it around the new i7 processors when they come out in a week or so.

 

 

 

Does he work as a lawyer or maybe someone he knows...?

 

The new i7 isn't much of an improvement in -gaming- than Core 2, but in apps&etc it's quite faster. And with his budget it might be something to think about, but i wouldn't recommend it really... It differs about 1-10fps in games with it. Where i live, the cheapest setup for i7 will cost around 670-700+ euros... That's why i don't recommend it (cause of the price), dunno what it'll cost in America tho.

[Nadril]

I didn't really look to see what the motherboards for i7's will cost. I know the cheaper i7 processor (260 IIRC) will cost around $240 while having more power than the current quad core extreme. But you are right that the mobos could easily cost a good chunk of cash. Still, it might be worth it with $3000.

[famfrit007]

Does he work as a lawyer or maybe someone he knows...?

 

 

 

lawyer >_<

 

This is a computer for college :wall:

 

(and yes...my parents are nice....they gave me $2k in the first place..but i saved up the additional $1k from work)

 

 

 

ANYWAYS

 

 

 

I was looking at the i7 wiki page and its max power usage is about 130W..with the GTX 260's X2 and..I cant determine the memory cause if the way it could support like 3 channel memory...(lets say 8GB still?) also this HDX2

 

and just say a 790i mobo, can a 1000W PSU support all this?

 

 

 

(i just want a pc that would actually last long since i dont like spending more money later on an upgrade)

 

 

 

once again, thanks

[OldJoe]

Yes, the i7 gets a performance boost out of 3 channel memories, so it would be something like 3x2048mb memories specified for that cpu. You also need to know that you should NOT buy any memories for i7 over 1.65v, since it can take damage then.

 

Just looked at Corsairs page for a setup as you mentioned, and they recommend a 1000w psu. So yes, that psu would support it. I haven't heard of that psu brand, so i can't say if they got good reputation or not.

 

And yes, if you dont want to upgrade later on, this will last for a good long time.