Tri SLI GTX 285 Upgrade Question.

I'm looking to upgrade to one Gtx 285, but i plan on getting two more over the summer, and i was wondering a couple things:

1-- Do you think this will be a big upgrade from what i have?

2--Do you think that my Antec 850 watt TPQ will have enough juice to power three of them?

I found this on the Guru of 3D, Three (3) GTX 280 SLI, they stated that the entire system was only using 701 watts with three GTX 280's at full load, and the GTX 285's are on 55nm GPU's, which are supposed to be more efficient. So what's your opinion?

It would be a huge upgrade, and a 850 watts? I know that for 3 Sli 280 was pushing it, but the 285 is more power efficent. SO maybe. Can the 295 sli with a 285?

Unless your gaming at huge resolutions, 2560 by 1600, SLI generally beats Tri SLI due to the massive overhead of running 3 video cards (at 1920 by 1200 and below). Or in the games it doesn't it's so close you couldn't see the difference.

Well I run two monitors, and yes one of them is a 42in 1080p LG TV. So I do need the extra power in some games. And I thought it was crazy to get three on an 850w, but if this guy ran 3 GTX 280's on one, then I don't see why I can't run three GTX 285's.

Here's the post I found: 3-Way SLI GTX 280's

Well I run two monitors, and yes one of them is a 42in 1080p LG TV. So I do need the extra power in some games. And I thought it was crazy to get three on an 850w, but if this guy ran 3 GTX 280's on one, then I don't see why I can't run three GTX 285's.

Here's the post I found: 3-Way SLI GTX 280's

wolfdogelite

1080P is 1920 by 1080, so unless your gaming on both monitors you may not need 3 GTX's. But then again it isn't always about need. :D ;)

Hmm, wonder how long it ran like that. But yes with a solid 850 you may be able to run 3 GTX285's, 2 should not be an issue. It may stress the heck out of the PSU and not run for long though. Just remember if you get goofy errors after hooking up the third card, it's more than likely your PSU struggling to keep up. The GTX285, IIRC draws close to 200 Watts so 3 at full bore would be around 600 watts. Which isn't leaving much for the rest of the system.

Well if it doesnt work and you dont upgrade your psu, I would be willing to take that gpu off your hands so then you could just run sli, at a discounted price of course.

I would just get a third GTX 260, because the GTX285 is very expensive, I don't think the upgrade in all three cards would be worth it when you have two 260s already. Based on reviews I saw a quality 850 watt PSU will handle three powerful cards.

Did you know the GTX 275 isnt much less powerful and costs a LOT less (here in the UK it does.)

Also 3 way SLI is terrible price/performance, normal SLI is preferable but only if your using high resolutions.

Did you know the GTX 275 isnt much less powerful and costs a LOT less (here in the UK it does.)

Also 3 way SLI is terrible price/performance, normal SLI is preferable but only if your using high resolutions.

Daytona_178

OK few of points, one- yes, i am using a high resolution, i think 1920 x 1080 qualifies as high, two- i know that tri sli is horrible scaling, but it sounds so cool to say you have three gtx 285's, so if i have extra money after i buy the first two, then I'll get a third,

and last,

the price difference between them is only 50$

GTX 275 $250

GTX 285 $300

if I'm spending that much on a card, I'll buy the 285. i already made the mistake of not getting the best once. :(

yea well i saw a bunch of guys (youtube) that ran 3 GTX 260's on a 850w or equivalent, but that isn't a very big upgrade. TBH, a third GTX 260 is almost pointless, it provides very little real world performance gain, it shows 3dmark vantage improvements, but the best bang for buck scenario, that i can think of, is sell these two cards, get $300 for them both (total), use that to buy one GTX 285, then buy a second when I get the money, and if I'm feeling up to it, or they greatly improve tri-sli scaling via drivers etc. then get a third, later down the road. at first i was all excited to get all three at once, but i didn't get the job i thought i would :( and now I'm gonna have to wait till i can get another jobwolfdogelite

If you want to switch cards then yes sell your 260s and pick up a GTX285. There is just something about running that one powerful card over the SLI/Crossfire. The powerful card may not get the max frames as the SLI but its more consistant and just seems a tniy bit smoother overall. But then stop there and wait for the next round because really a 285 can handle any game at that res. Crysis games may give it a little trouble but not much, and its only one game. My setup is overkill for every game except crysis. We are very close to the new cards and they will be very powerful, so hold out for that. The GTX285 is probably the best card, so one of those is enough. Put your money towards the next round. Oh yeah get an overclocked card, GTX285. Good luck with job hunting.

Aren't you already maxing everything with 2 gtx260s? why do you want to upgrade now? Wait until the 300 series or the 5000 series comes out.

OK few of points, one- yes, i am using a high resolution, i think 1920 x 1080 qualifies as high, two- i know that tri sli is horrible scaling, but it sounds so cool to say you have three gtx 285's, so if i have extra money after i buy the first two, then I'll get a third,

wolfdogelite

I can max out every game i own at 1920x1200 (including max AA and AF) with two GTX 285's. Three is pointless and has already been pointed out, the third will not add much more performance, only power consumption and heat output. Personally i think getting a third GTX 285 because "it sounds so cool to say you have three" is a pretty dreadful reason to spend that much money.

i know, i don't expect to get to that point, when i first got my GTX 260, i said the same thing. and i am almost maxing everything out with these two cards, but i love spending money on new bleeding edge stuff. at least it's better than drugs...

besides, my buddy wants to upgrade, and he would like to buy both of my cards off me. if i was going to have to hunt around for a buyer, that would suck, but i have one before I'm even ready to sell them, so it's whenever i want to upgrade.

one other question, still related, if i buy a new GTX 285 from EVGA, do you think the new 300 series cards will be out before the 90 day step-up window ends?

i guess what I'm saying is, when do you think the new GTX 300/ ATI 5xxx cards will be out?

With the 780i, you'll need to add a CPU waterblock to the chipset to see a decent performance increase. The bios contains code that artificially raises the NB latency when you use good video cards. The latency negates the extra GPU power to prevent the NB from overheating...-GeordiLaForge-

Just curious, but how does cooling down the NB help this? Is this code that activates at certain temps? Or are you talking about sending the NB voltages up?

if i was you id jsut wait GT300 instead of spend that much money to get what a +40% boost ?! over 260GTX which is near a single 295GTX if not better in some case but since you'r abou tto spend over 650$+ of Video card that up to you i hope you can at last sell ur current 260GTX for money :P

But You'r gonna run it on two 1080P monitor in order to achive 2560x1600 or some Custom resolution that some game may support but here a chart anyway
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3520&p=9

i know, i don't expect to get to that point, when i first got my GTX 260, i said the same thing. and i am almost maxing everything out with these two cards, but i love spending money on new bleeding edge stuff. at least it's better than drugs...

wolfdogelite

Then have you considered going to i7?

[QUOTE="-GeordiLaForge-"]With the 780i, you'll need to add a CPU waterblock to the chipset to see a decent performance increase. The bios contains code that artificially raises the NB latency when you use good video cards. The latency negates the extra GPU power to prevent the NB from overheating...Tufelhunden

Just curious, but how does cooling down the NB help this? Is this code that activates at certain temps? Or are you talking about sending the NB voltages up?

[QUOTE="Tufelhunden"]

[QUOTE="-GeordiLaForge-"]With the 780i, you'll need to add a CPU waterblock to the chipset to see a decent performance increase. The bios contains code that artificially raises the NB latency when you use good video cards. The latency negates the extra GPU power to prevent the NB from overheating...-GeordiLaForge-

Just curious, but how does cooling down the NB help this? Is this code that activates at certain temps? Or are you talking about sending the NB voltages up?

Thanks for the reply. Looks as if I have some reading to do. :thumbsup: Will have to find that setting and kill it I say. Lifetime warranty FTW!! ;)

[QUOTE="-GeordiLaForge-"][QUOTE="Tufelhunden"]

Just curious, but how does cooling down the NB help this? Is this code that activates at certain temps? Or are you talking about sending the NB voltages up?

Tufelhunden

Thanks for the reply. Looks as if I have some reading to do. :thumbsup: Will have to find that setting and kill it I say. Lifetime warranty FTW!! ;)

hmm, that's interesting, is this the board you got, because mine has those fatty heat sinks on the nb/sb and they stay nice and cool even when i overclock like mad (4.1ghz)and i haven't had any problems with it.

but i'm actually getting ready to start an insane overclock, starting tomorrow I'm going to start The 5Ghz Q9550 Overclock... idk if it's even possible, that fastest Q9550 is only 4.8ghz, but i figure what the hell, why not:D

i just got a swiftech cpu waterblock, and i want to see wht this thing can do.

about the i7, i have considered it, however it would be pointless, as adding up the cost of new ram, mobo, and the cpu would be so much money and then i would still be gpu bottle necked, so there is little reason to bother with it. would be cool though.

if i was you id jsut wait GT300 instead of spend that much money to get what a +40% boost ?! over 260GTX which is near a single 295GTX if not better in some case but since you'r abou tto spend over 650 of Video card that up to you i hope you can at last sell ur current 260GTX for money :P

But You'r gonna run it on two 1080P monitor in order to achive 2560x1600 or some Custom resolution that some game may support but here a chart anyway

marcthpro

that was my other point, i was wondering if the gtx 300 series was coming out soon? maybe the ati 5xxx series, but i would rather not change mobo's

GTX 295= (2) GTX 260's in SLI, and I'll prove that, most of the time. For the price, it's not worth it. My buddy is going to buy each card off me for $150. and with that $300 i can buy one GTX 285, i would have to come up with another 200 for the cheapest GTX 295, and it wouldn't even be much of an upgrade. where 2 GTX 285's will destroy a GTX 295, check out this

You'r right for Two 260 = mostly 295GTX : 295GTx will only outperform by a +5 to 10% over Sli 260GTX top But if you talk of something SLI 285GTX / incoming GTX300 / HD5870 & 5870x2 but I really Belive that ATI 5870 will be a Bomb compare to GTX300 :D Specially if they can perform the Myth Spec They Speculated one 5870 = 2.200 Gflops This is a Beast in Theory the spec. i wonder how GTX300 Will Come Back at it :D

But Anyway I really think unless you can sell ur pair of Geforce for 75% of the Original cost you bough Or That you'r A Rich Guy as hell id really not mind to switch now of GPU for a mere +20-30fps over ur Current Setup as it mostly already Overkill

id wait new Video card Lines up so then ud have something that may Durate you 2 Year According they are Beast as they say :D and before someting Double previous Gaming Power like if you compare Far cry Vs Far cry II

You'r right for Two 260 = mostly 295GTX : 295GTx will only outperform by a +5 to 10% over Sli 260GTX top But if you talk of something SLI 285GTX / incoming GTX300 / HD5870 & 5870x2 but I really Belive that ATI 5870 will be a Bomb compare to GTX300 :D Specially if they can perform the Myth Spec They Speculated one 5870 = 2.200 Gflops This is a Beast in Theory the spec. i wonder how GTX300 Will Come Back at it :D

But Anyway I really think unless you can sell ur pair of Geforce for 75% of the Original cost you bough Or That you'r A Rich Guy as hell id really not mind to switch now of GPU for a mere +20-30fps over ur Current Setup as it mostly already Overkill

id wait new Video card Lines up so then ud have something that may Durate you 2 Year According they are Beast as they say :D and before someting Double previous Gaming Power like if you compare Far cry Vs Far cry II

marcthpro

i know what you're saying, but the thing is, if i wait until the GTX 300 series is released to sell, then the value of my cards will plummet, and if i sell now and buy new soon then i have the chance to use the evga step-up program when the 300 series is out.

No it won't, i've waited for new cards to come out and i still got decent cash for my old ones, people don't stay up to date on hardware and don't really notice, well the average person buying them anyway. X360PS3AMD05