NVIDIA SLI Performance Preview with MSI's nForce4 SLI Motherboard
by Anand Lal Shimpi on October 29, 2004 5:06 AM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
Doom 3 Performance
This benchmark requires no introduction - currently the most stressful game on today's GPUs, Doom 3 performance is the perfect area to look at the benefits of SLI.
Starting at 1024 x 768 we see that despite the low resolution, the GeForce 6800GT got a nice 46% performance boost from SLI. The performance improvement is much greater on the slower 6600GT as it is more GPU limited at 1024 x 768 than the 6800GT, weighing in at just under 72%.
Here the performance of two 6600GTs is equivalent of a single GeForce 6800GT.
As the resolution goes up so does the performance benefit from SLI. The 6800GT moved up to a 68% performance improvement, while the 6600GT only inched up to a 78.2% gain. The 6800GTs in SLI configuration actually make 1280 x 1024 with 4X AA smooth as butter under Doom 3.
At 1600 x 1200 we see some huge performance gains from SLI: 75.3% and 85% from the 6800GT and the 6600GT respectively. It's clear that SLI makes even the highest resolutions with AA enabled quite playable.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
84 Comments
View All Comments
KraftyOne - Friday, October 29, 2004 - link
Thanks bob661! Anyone have any info on AGP x700's? If ATI gets them out first, they get my money... :-)HardwareD00d - Friday, October 29, 2004 - link
Those benchmarks are amazing! I wasn't going to shell out the dough for SLI, but now I'm going to reconsider.I was glad to read that the 2 PCIe slots being only 8x will not really be a performance issue. A lot of people are down on nForce4 because it won't do 2 16x slots. F***ing A nVidia Nice JOB! Now if only NF4 had soundstorm...
bob661 - Friday, October 29, 2004 - link
See http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=19340 for 6600GT AGP availability.KraftyOne - Friday, October 29, 2004 - link
Yes, this is all fine and great, but when will the x700 and/or 6600GT be available for AGP ports for those of us who can't afford all the latest and greatest?HardwareD00d - Friday, October 29, 2004 - link
I have only two words to say:Anand Rules!
Nyati13 - Friday, October 29, 2004 - link
On page one it says the SLI slots are electrically x8 slots instead of x16. That is not correct, they are x8 data slots, but will still provide the full x16 electrical power needed to the graphics card.
Jeremy
mongoosesRawesome - Friday, October 29, 2004 - link
What PSU were you using for these tests?suave3747 - Friday, October 29, 2004 - link
I would expect that a 6800 Ultra Extreme SLI setup will not be outdone by a new nVidia card until at least a year from now. And at that time, when you bought the second one, it would push you from mid-range back towards the top for much less than that new card would be at the time.This is brilliant by nVidia, because:
A. It allows you a way to buy half of the GPU setup that you want now, and half later. That's a great plan for a budget-oriented consumer. It will make GPU purchases a lot easier for parents to swallow on holidays. It allows for someone to give them $1200 for a ridiculously powerful GPU setup.
B. It will keep their high end cards of today selling well all the way into next year. The way the market is now, people want a new-gen card. They don't want a 5950 right now, they'd rather buy a 6600. This will keep 6800 series and 6600 GTs selling all the way through 2005.
Subhuman25 - Friday, October 29, 2004 - link
2 Video cards - No thanks.Price factor,heat factor,noise factor,space factor,extra & new technology factor(guinea pig)
No thanks to this avenue.
I feel sorry for the poor saps who buy into this crap and spend $800+ alone for 2 x 6800GT's only to be outperformed in a year by a newer generation single card setup.
I highly doubt this will ever become a trend.If you think so,then ask how many people have dual CPU systems.
jkostans - Friday, October 29, 2004 - link
Hmm lets see, I can get a 6800 GT for less than two 6600GTs, and the 6800GT is faster..... Let me think about this, no SLI for me! MAYBE if you want a mid-range card now, then get the 6600GT and upgrade when another 6600GT is very cheap and have the equivalent of low-end card then?. I still think it's worth dropping the extra cash on the 6800 GT. But I guess when it cam time to upgrade, I could just add another 6800 GT? I kinda doubt it.