GeForce 9800GT 1GB

[PwnFrnzy]

I'm planning the parts of a new computer I plan to put together soon and I want to put 2 GeForce 9800GT 1GB cards in it. But I don't know how I am to set-up the SLI.
So I have 2 questions:
1) How do I set up the SLI between these 2 cards?
2) Will I need any cables, ect. to get the SLI working?

This is the Graphics card I'm looking at:
Newegg.com - PNY VCG98GTEE1XPB GeForce 9800 GT 1GB 256-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

 

[Terronium 12]

First off you'll need an 'SLI-Ready' motherboard, and with that board comes (if everything is still the same. I haven't picked up a nVidia card since the G70/71 days) the SLI bridge. From there you just connect the two cards via said SLI bridge and you're good to go. I believe you have to enable it through ForceWare afterwards but let someone with experience clarify or deny that latter bit.

Now, a couple of questions of my own:

1. What kind of system are you putting together?
2. Why two 9800GT's? You can get one 550 Ti (1 or 2GB) that will wipe the floor clean with both of them from here to next year, and it'll be cheaper!
3. In addition to question one what kind of PSU are you eying?

 

[LuzTeTT]

First off you'll need an 'SLI-Ready' motherboard, and with that board comes (if everything is still the same. I haven't picked up a nVidia card since the G70/71 days) the SLI bridge. From there you just connect the two cards via said SLI bridge and you're good to go. I believe you have to enable it through ForceWare afterwards but let someone with experience clarify or deny that latter bit.

Now, a couple of questions of my own:

1. What kind of system are you putting together?
2. Why two 9800GT's? You can get one 550 Ti (1 or 2GB) that will wipe the floor clean with both of them from here to next year, and it'll be cheaper!
3. In addition to question one what kind of PSU are you eying?

Actually, don't worry about what motherboard you get. You can, of course, opt for an SLI-ready motherboard, but since SLI is mostly a software-based thing, there are patches to get around having to use an SLI-ready motherboard.

Though it's rare to find one that isn't, especially a modern one.

 

[cmd187]

That GPU is obsolete. I'd get a GTX 560 and forget about messing with SLI.

 

[Terronium 12]

That GPU is obsolete. I'd get a GTX 560 and forget about messing with SLI.

A 560 Ti would be considerably more expensive than the OP's apparent target price range. A 550 will do the job and then some.

 

[pparks1]

I agree with the others, that video card is old. Go with a newer high power single card and you will fare better.

 

[PwnFrnzy]

Newegg.com - EVGA 02G-P3-1559-KR GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Found that one thanks to Terronium 12 for the recommendation.
It will save me about $20 and looks to have excellent performance. GDDR5 and 2GB of video memory will run today's games smoothly and then some.

Thanks to you all for the recommendations, but one question still remains:
How do you SLUI two graphics cards? Do you need some sort of wire between the 2 cards or does the motherboard do the work for you?

 

[Terronium 12]

Newegg.com - EVGA 02G-P3-1559-KR GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Found that one thanks to Terronium 12 for the recommendation.
It will save me about $20 and looks to have excellent performance. GDDR5 and 2GB of video memory will run today's games smoothly and then some.

Thanks to you all for the recommendations, but one question still remains:
How do you SLUI two graphics cards? Do you need some sort of wire between the 2 cards or does the motherboard do the work for you?

No problem.

As for SLI you'll need a bridge (SLI bridge, don't go out and start getting estimates on actual bridges. Lol), said bridge comes with any 'SLI-Ready' mobo, you connect the two cards using that bridge and from there I believe you have to enable it through ForceWare. The motherboard still has to do all of the communications data and whatnot, but the actual scaling comes from the cards themselves. There's been the problem of SLI and Crossfire over saturating the PCI-e bandwidth, even with boards that offer the full 16 lanes on two slots. So it's gotten to the point where even if SLI and/or Crossfire has perfect scalability 150% of the time, you'd never be able to tap into the entirety of the bandwidth because it just isn't available to you.

And that's before considering any possible bottlenecks.

 

[PwnFrnzy]

I don't think that will be an issue, the motherboard I selected is SLI-Ready and has 3 PCI-E 2.0 slots for what I believe was supposed to be used for a Tri-SLI setup, but just 2 slots will work.

 

[LuzTeTT]

I don't think that will be an issue, the motherboard I selected is SLI-Ready and has 3 PCI-E 2.0 slots for what I believe was supposed to be used for a Tri-SLI setup, but just 2 slots will work.

Then you're set!

Buy the best, cheapest modern GPU out at the moment (a 550?), and when your hardware is starting to get obsolete, get yourself a cheap 550 (secondhand if preferable—as long as it's cheap compared to today's prices) and SLI!

 

[cmd187]

That GPU is obsolete. I'd get a GTX 560 and forget about messing with SLI.

A 560 Ti would be considerably more expensive than the OP's apparent target price range. A 550 will do the job and then some.

At 1080p, that card will choke up, only if the OP games @ 1680x1050 with reduced settings, is that a good choice. It you want to jack up the settings in game you need to pay more.

 

[Terronium 12]

At 1080p, that card will choke up, only if the OP games @ 1680x1050 with reduced settings, is that a good choice. It you want to jack up the settings in game you need to pay more.

The 550 is good value for the money and will allow you to play most or almost any game at 1920 x 1080 with moderate filtering. If I can do with a 4870, then the OP should be even more capable. And to be fair, and no offense toward you, unless he genuinely wants to pay the additional premium, he doesn't "need" to pay more. What might be 'cheap' or 'reasonable' to us may not be so to him.

 

[simmo]

If your motherbboard of choice is tri SLI capable they should be both a dual card bridge and a triple included with accessories...
You simply install your drivers from NV (only one driver needed) andf once that's done you will get a pop up from NV Control panel where you enable SLI and what card you want to do your Phsx..normal default is the top card..I personally enable the bottom card but whatever.

Furthermore try to get cards that have an external exhaust or you will find your top card will run considerably hotter than the bottom card..or have a side Fan fitted in the case to blow air over the cards.

And make sure also that your PSU can power the cards and is also SLI accredited...and a good one like Seasonic/Corsair/Antec etc

Cheers

 

[cmd187]

At 1080p, that card will choke up, only if the OP games @ 1680x1050 with reduced settings, is that a good choice. It you want to jack up the settings in game you need to pay more.

The 550 is good value for the money and will allow you to play most or almost any game at 1920 x 1080 with moderate filtering. If I can do with a 4870, then the OP should be even more capable. And to be fair, and no offense toward you, unless he genuinely wants to pay the additional premium, he doesn't "need" to pay more. What might be 'cheap' or 'reasonable' to us may not be so to him.

Emphasis on moderate, i.e. medium or low in modern games. And a 4870? By now, that is irrelevant.

 

[Terronium 12]

Emphasis on moderate, i.e. medium or low in modern games. And a 4870? By now, that is irrelevant.

I'd beg to differ, despite my own saying of "moderate filtering" if I can run Crysis on Very High, 1920 x 1080 and get a playable frame rate then surely a 550 Ti should do a much better job. I also fail to see how a 4870 is irrelevant; in fact the only two irrelevant things are it's lack for native DX11 support and it's 512MB memory bus. The card itself still handles everything I've thrown at it.

 

[cmd187]

Emphasis on moderate, i.e. medium or low in modern games. And a 4870? By now, that is irrelevant.

I'd beg to differ, despite my own saying of "moderate filtering" if I can run Crysis on Very High, 1920 x 1080 and get a playable frame rate then surely a 550 Ti should do a much better job. I also fail to see how a 4870 is irrelevant; in fact the only two irrelevant things are it's lack for native DX11 support and it's 512MB memory bus. The card itself still handles everything I've thrown at it.

Impossible. A 4870 @ 1080p w/ Very High would get around 25FPS, seeing as you only have a tiny 512MB, that would drop to around 20. Even my 6870 can only hit 36FPS or so which is barely playable. And what about Dragon Age 2, The Witcher 2, Crysis 2, Metro 2033, AvP? You can't play any of those with DIrectX 11 or even 9 with the settings jacked up @ 1080p with a 550. A 560 is just enough.