580M SLI vs (1) 7970m?

I think what may have been meant (and Meaker can correct me if I am off base) is the question of whether or not there are similar parts that are not on backorder, which might expedite delivery. For example, an Intel WiFi card versus a Killer WiFi, or a 3720QM versus 3820QM processor. The differences in end user experience and overall system performance between some of those components can be negligible.

Where you would not want to compromise is accepting a QM versus XM CPU or a downgrade in GPU, like dropping from 680M/7970M down to say 660M or 675M. Those would be deal breakers if having the highest performance available is of great importance.

What component(s) does your order configuration have that are on backorder?

 

Exactly, if it's just a particular memory module/wifi/HDD holding up your configuration then you can either get the machine with the lowest option and put it in yourself or go for a close match you are happy with.

As Mr. Fox pointed out compromises on the more important parts are going to be more serious.

 

Thanks for the clarification. Customer Care have advised several different components and each time I speak with them it's something different. I have been told the following have been on back order: Motherboard, LCD back cover and video card. So im kinda stuck I think..hehe

 

With thevmotherboard on backorder then you are certainly stuck for now.

 

Don't forget a single GPU that is in range of the performance of a dual GPU steup will always be best in gaming experience. What ever benchmarks will show, single GPU's will always be king!

 

Personally, I will take a multi-GPU setup over a single GPU setup any day of the week. I've owned a number of both, and SLI or CrossFire is always the superior option in my view. Comparing a newer GPU with performance comparable to a legacy multi-GPU setup is like comparing apples to oranges. But still, I would still choose a 580M SLI setup over a single 680M or 7970M even though their benchmark scores are roughly the same.

If you do an apple-to-apple comparison of the same product in single versus dual-GPU, the performance capabilities of a system equipped with just one of the same GPU are totally eclipsed. Where the benefits of NVIDIA PhysX Technology come into play, the multi-GPU performance advantage widens the gap even further compared to the single GPU alternative. A system capable of accommodating multiple GPUs also outclasses a system that is incapable of it.

When the occasional situation arises where sloppy game developers fail to produce a quality product that works well in a multi-GPU environment, that situation is almost always temporary. And, it is usually effectively addressed through software patches, GPU application profiles, updated drivers or simply running in single-GPU mode for that particular product.

 

I really want to try and hold out for my Alienware M17x R4, unfortunately I cant affoard an Alienware based SLI/Crossfire setup but I can affoard a Clevo based machine, it turns out to be over £100 less than the M17x R4 with 2 NVIDIA 670m video cards, and has 4GB extra RAM. TBH I reckon 16GB is overkill, I could probably half that to 8GB.

I just dont like the look of these things as much as Alienware but plenty of people keep saying the internal components of the Clevo based systems are better, not sure how true that is - I certainly havent seen any evidence(other than the RAM as Dell use Hynix)

XMG P722 17.3" Pro Gaming Notebook
Display
1 x 17.3" (43.9cm) Full-HD 1920x1080 Matte £0.00
Graphics Card
1 x 2x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M 1536MB GDDR5 | TDP: 2x 75W SLI £0.00
Processor
1 x Intel Core i7-3630QM Quad Core - 2.40 - 3.40GHz 6MB 45W "Ivy Bridge" £0.00
Memory
1 x 16GB (2x8192) SO-DIMM DDR3 RAM 1600MHz CORSAIR Vengeance (only with Quadcore-CPU) £70.00
Hard Drive
1 x 500GB SATA-II 7200rpm Seagate Momentus 7200.4 (ST9500423AS) £11.67
Optical Drive
1 x DVD-RW £0.00
WIFI Card
1 x Killer Wireless-N 1103 (without Bluetooth) £39.17
Keyboard
1 x Backlit Keyboard UK English £0.00
Warranty
1 x Standard Warranty : 24 Month Collect & Return (inc parts, labour, support, shipping) £0.00
Operating System
1 x No Operating System £0.00
Office Software
1 x Microsoft Office 2010 60-day trial version (only when Windows 7 or 8 is ordered) £0.00
Power Cable
1 x UK Power Cable £0.00

Inc VAT and Delivery: £1,287.75

 

I have to disagree here for several reasons:

1. Driver issues are more common especially on newer titles
2. Heat, noise and weight and cost all come in with a second card
3. Microstutter will make a SLI/crossfire setup "feel" like its performing worse than the numbers say

Unless a crossfire/SLI setup is at least 20-30% faster than a single card setup you should stick with the single card.

A GTX680M will give you a smoother, more consistent, quieter experience over a 580M SLI setup, also the newer single cards will likely improve more with drivers over time than a dual card setup.

There is also the option of grabbing a second 680M in future.

 

Just a matter of reference, my UK m17x cost me £1370 with
i7 3630QM
6GB ram
500 HDD
GTX 680M
killer wireless as well.
I think benchmarks wise the 680m beats a 670m sli.

I guess its whether you think the premium is worth it, personally I would prefer Dell support than Clevo. You should be able to get a decent price with online discount codes (10-15% off) and free delivery codes (-£40) as well and cashback of around 5% as well.

Personally I would go for best graphics card possible as its the most expensive to update compared to anything else. Ram and HDD can be changed cheaply by yourself.

 

It's fine to disagree. That's why I opened my post with the word "personally" . I think we actually agree on all points... as long as they are quantified, I agree with all of your comments. Carte blanche statements that give the impression that conditions are static or unchangeable can be misleading, especially to gaming PC newbies.

Obviously, I prefer multi-GPU over single GPU. I was responding to the comment suggesting that single GPU systems "will always be king" (also a personal opinion without any context to understand what it means, or why the person making the statement believes it is true). A few thoughts that anyone should consider that has not owned a dual-GPU system before are added above in blue text. I would hate to see anyone going shopping miss out on the clear and unmistakable performance awesomeness of SLI/CF based on generalized comments. These systems are too expensive to make regrettable purchasing decisions, and anyone interested in having the most powerful or performance capable system available will miss the boat if they purchase a system that does not at least provide hardware support for a future SLI/CF upgrade.

If the only objective is having a nice laptop that plays games well at the lowest possible cost, then a cutting edge single GPU is totally OK. We have a lot of folks that come here looking for expertise to help them make good buying decisions, so it's good to see the big picture before busting open the piggy bank. So, my reply is not a debate... merely filling in the blanks and helping to connect the dots.

 

High end dual card setups will have their place, they will be top performance dog. However it's usually much harder to justify mid range multi GPU in notebooks as notebook tax tends to make them as expensive as the high end single card setups that match their performance.

 

I agree... I find it hard to justify spending money on a mid-range GPU in a single configuration, too. As they say, go big or go home. It's can be a miserable experience for some folks to discover that by saving a few bucks they have an extremely average system with mediocre gaming performance. Satisfaction with the money saved is often fleeting under those circumstances.

580M/675M and 6990M were high end right before they became obsolete in second quarter of 2012. Neither one was designed to be a mid-range mobile GPU.

 

My new system is now at status: In Production I hope it wont be too much longer.

On a separate note, has anyone compared a Razer Naga and Logitech G600? I have the SWTOR gaming mouse from Razer but am sending it back as I do not like the feel. The G600 looks to be getting some nice write ups.

 

Please stay on topic. Neither order status nor mice are being discussed in this thread. The discussion is about 580M SLI versus single 7970M.

 

Oh sorry, my bad.

 

For a gamer there is nothing worse than sacrificing GPU speed for some extra ram or a faster CPU indeed.

I would stick with the M17X and a single card rather than having it in the M18X though unless you are an enthusiast who knows they are going to be ordering another card at some point.

Now for myself to get a dual card setup they need to make a 15.6" machine with 2 MXM slots

 

this thread is an intence read through. im quite happy i ordered xfire 7970m's. im on mr foxs side with things of the duel gpu. its nice to know you got that extra power even if its just a lil bit. i get what your saying to meaker.


imo if i hadnt ordered yet and still looking i would probly still went with sli or xfire just for future upgrades so it could be compatible with sli or xfire when you want it to be.

 

As I was saying going for a top end card in a dual configuration has it's place on top of the performance pyramid

But I would go for a top end single card over last generation dual card when we have such a difference as we saw from the 580M -> 680M.

However this generation I feel the 680M SLi is still going to be advantageous over a single 780M.

 

oh for sure if i had a choice for a single new powerful gpu vs a sli/xfire in last generation i would pick the single one
but have the motherboard that suppourts sli/xfire lol so later i can be like ok i can add another powerful gpu haha.
but i guess most confuirations your still gonna get both cards lol.

780m sli? lol

 

Well... hopefully you will not experience some of the glitches I did, and the overall experience will be a good one.

 

Who knows, maybe GK114 will be fully unlocked ala 680MX due to power efficiency tweaks, in which case (though probably still with low voltage ram), yes please!

 

How well does AMD's Optimus work compared to Nvidia's Optimus system? I heard it's full of bugs and battery life is horrible because it can't do switching well at all.

 

It's in its early days, if I was in the market now but could wait I would keep an eye on the next enduro driver release as I believe this will be a good indication of the direction the platform is heading.