SLI or Not???

I've been sitting on the fence, pondering whether to buy and install another 8800 card for SLI. I want to, but I just haven't seen enough benchmark data to determine if it might be worth it. There's some SLI benchmark information for the quad CPU's around, but darned if I can find anything for the E6850 CPU that I have. Justin posted some SM 2/3 scores for the E8400 in SLI that were very promising (plus 50% at 1280x1024). Although the E6850 gets about the same scores with a single card, I don't know if it would match the E8400 with two.

At a minimum I'm looking for 3DMark06 SM 2/3 scores, and Crysis Benchmark scores (average FPS, at 1920x1200, high quality) for the E6850-SLI, to compare with what I'm getting now.

If anyone has seen this information floating around, I'd appreciate it if you would point me to it. Also, it would be very helpful if some of you who have the E6850 and SLI, would post your scores here.

I doubt if many are using both the E6850 and Win XP, but Vista scores are most welcome, and I'll attempt to adjust for the difference. I know that, with a single card, XP scores about 3-4% higher in SM 2/3. I don't know what the difference is with two cards, so I'll simply use that adjustment. (If someone knows, please let me know.)

Note that, for now, I'm only interested in stock CPU/GPU clocks.

Thanks in advance....

wobble

 

Do you need more speed/power or whatever?

 

Seems me and you are in the same boat I have the E6850 also. Pretty much the same setup as you but I have Vista 64 Home Premium. I will be ordering the my second card from Sager tomorrow. When I get it in I will post my 3DMark06 scores for you.

Question what are you getting right now? I am downloading the 174.82 drivers right now and then I will run a test. My last test with 174.74 I got 9108.

There isnt much I have seen around here in regards to the E6850 but there is someone who has the SLI setup I think they scored 12105 let me take a look.

......back

here is the link: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=238130

scored 12707 with vista 64 ultimate

 

Benchmarks are a poor utility to determine how a system performs, especially at 1280x1024. A second card will net some more points in 06, but not worth the upgrade. However, you'll see a lot bigger increases at WUXGA.

 

I agree; the best benchmark is in-game performance.

 

IF its in ur budget then go for it...

 

You can never have enough horse-power:d
Get it while it`s hot

 

If you are asking this question I think you do not needed it.

 

Thanks, that would be great. The total 3DMark06 scores aren't very helpful, but your percent increase in SM 2/3 scores would be since these scores are proportional to the FPS in the four graphic sequences and more indicative of actual game performance. The Crysis score, of course, would be very helpful.

I checked the link you provided, but he (ashveratu) only provided the total 3DMark06 score. If I knew his CPU score I could compute his SM 2/3 total, but he's running Vista and I don't know what it might be. What was your CPU score? Perhaps I could use that.

My Crysis benchmark scores at 1920x1200 high quality:

TimeDemo Run 1 Finished.
Play Time: 104.91s, Average FPS: 19.06
Min FPS: 13.97 at frame 151, Max FPS: 21.99 at frame 1013
Average Tri/Sec: -17567498, Tri/Frame: -921510
Recorded/Played Tris ratio: -0.99

My 3DMark06 scores:

3DMark Score 9840 3DMarks
SM 2.0 Score 4374
SM 3.0 Score 4196
CPU Score 2694

Both benches were run with the 174.82 drivers.

Good luck with your upgrade.

 

My wife thinks you're a troublemaker trying to get me to throw "our" money away! (I think you're on the right track.)

 

Who doesn't?

If I hadn't asked the question would I need it?

What's a budget?

 

When you are not sure about it, you do not need it.

 

Well I would get the SLI if I were you and the budget allows it, you will be able to play at WUXGA resolutions longer than a single 8800m GTX.

 

I can Play all my games @ 1900x1200 for hours and hours and get 50fps.

30fps is all I need.

you can't even notice after 60fps. the human eye can't tell the diff.

Crysis is the only game I play @ 1680x1050

SLI increases the FPS to like 90-140 and makes crysis playable @1900x1200 @high x 30+fps

but realistically we just need 1 8800m to enjoy the games.

 

But you might need 2 to enjoy the "future" crysis.

 

Heck,you might need 3 soon enough.
I am addept of the X2 type SLI.

 

True Dexgo, though I do notice a difference between 30 and 60 fps in how smooth it runs, however if it can run in 30 fps without a single drop that is enough for me too, though if it runs in 60 but drops down to 40 fps it is better than having it to dip from 30 to say 23 fps But I meant SLI is more future proof than a single 8800m GTX. Now I don´t know how the Sagers SLI works and if it works good. Though SLI doesn´t boost all games but those game it does boost you can throw in more AA and AF than a single 8800m GTX.

but for the moment a single 8800m GTX is good enough for a while to come.

 

Not true. I'm out walking in the desert when I run out of water. As I keep walking, I come across a little rivulet; however, the water is a funny color, and there's a very slight funky odor in the air - I definitely need the water, but I am very unsure about whether this particular water source is what I need.