GTX 570 x2 SLI + Long Gaming Sessions

[MeveM]

I'm still contenplating whether to get a 2nd 570 in a years time or so, or whether to go one big card. If I intend to SLI then I'd need a 850W PSU, if not 750W is enough for cards like 6990/590.

So my question is; how does multiple GPU's handle long gaming sessions on a daily basis? I realise some people overclock their PC's like mad and run 2-4 GPU's, now I don't think they'd spend more then 1-3 hours gaming, so I'm a bit worried regarding the extra heat the double card's produce since I spend my spare time gaming with my partner, since we share the same interest I have the luxury of not having her nagging in my ear, so instead of watching TV we enjoy eachothers company gaming together. Most days it'd be from the time I get home from work 'til we go to bed, so we're talking gaming sessions of 6-18 hours on a daily basis, day in and day out.

Due to the hours my PC would have to work through, is SLI a option for me or would it cause more problems and heat issues then it's worth or am I better off with one good card?

Another question related to this is since I'm getting the i5 2500, at what point would it start bottlenecking a new GPU? Would it handle the next series Nvidia/ATI release or would it bottleneck them? Obviously you can't really tell since they're not out yet. And as for bottlenecking, is SLI'ing just as easy to bottleneck or is it different since it's two smaller cards?

PS: I don't intend to use more then 1 monitor.

 

[MGD]

I suppose asking further question(s) would probbably be the way ahead ->

How much do you have to spend? An additonal card is an expense but if you have the money why not just change to a different rig?
The hours you spend surely you need the best - though i suppose it depends on what game you are playing?

 

[Wozza63]

you have the z68 board, im not sure how it does it but when you exit the game it switches to the integrated graphics and turns off your dedicated cards, saving power and letting them cool down for a while whilst you eat or take a short break. Perhaps also consider coolers for your graphics card

this is quite expensive although it would definetly be worth it for the amount of time you will be spending gaming
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-057-ZA&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=787

i dont think the i5 will bottleneck you at all, just make sure your system is optimized so that your games can use as much power as possible turn off unnecessary services amongst other things to use less power

 

[MeveM]

I suppose asking further question(s) would probbably be the way ahead ->

How much do you have to spend? An additonal card is an expense but if you have the money why not just change to a different rig?
The hours you spend surely you need the best - though i suppose it depends on what game you are playing?

Well my rig is £1000, and it's as seen in my signature. I'm just asking which is the better choice for future upgrades, whether to go SLI, or 1 better card.
I currently only play wow since that's all my current PC can handle, but I intend to be spending many, many and many more hours in Skyrim, Battlefield 3 and Guild Wars 2 when those 3 are released.

 

[bg92]

With two gpu's heat shouldn't be a problem in the storm sniper. Just clean your case and inside regularly especially the fans and filters don't let the dust build up, and you should be ok with sli, especially if there is a fan included on the side of the case.

I wouldn't bother with sli though unless the gtx570 is going to be very cheap when you intend to go sli, becuase you can just sell it and buy the next gen nvidia/amd gpu when they're released or whenever you will need to upgrade.

As for bottlenecking, the i5-2500 shouldn't bottleck 90% of single/dual gpu setups within the next 2 years

 

[MGD]

I agree with bg92 - best wait till the games are released. I mean Skyrim, isn't that due for release November? In which case the GFX Card prices/market will have changed quite a bit - you may even be able to get a 590 for less than a mortgage payment As an owner of a 590 i can tell you that the temp doesn't seem to get above 70C when under high load so you shouldn't have temp issues if airflow is ok.

 

[MeveM]

I'll have to order my PC next week no matter how I look at it, or I'd have to go without one. My current one us bust, I can not play any other game then WoW due to graphic bugs, and I have to tab in and out to get rid of them, it's very strange, especially since I've got a fairly new replacement GPU in the PC, my other Radeon card overheated and kept shutting down my PC, and my current card is still giving me graphic bugs even though the card is running on around 60-70C when gaming. I'm pretty sure my old GPU ruined my PC, and I'm just pushing it to its last legs before I can order my new PC, and as soon as it arrives I intend to have a barbieque ontop of this PC, and I might just put the flames out by ****ing on it. That basically sums up my feelings for my current useless PC World PC.

So ye, the PC I've got in my sig is what I'm getting, I only asked about SLI vs one of Nvidia/ATI's next gen cards for around late 2012 or there abouts. I'm confident that the GTX 570 can run Skyrim, BF3, GW2 with max or close to max ( I never play with AA ). So ye, as I said, SLI vs one big card when doing long gaming sessions. I've never used double cards before, so I think I might stick to using one card. Get the 750W PSU so it can handle cards that take as much power as the 6990 and 590 in the next series they'll release.

 

[MGD]

Choices Choices

I had a quick look at the Skyrim trailers and the graphics look awsome - now whether that requires AA is unsure but i think whatever you'll be fine with the GTX 570. What do you have at the moment, cos it sounds like the card you have is mid-lo end? If so i think you'll be in for a supprise whether you have one GTX 570 or two.
I moved from 2xGTX 285 SLI and was covinced that SLI was the only way till i had the GTX 590 - addmittedly it does have 2 GPU's though.
I think once you have your system you'll see the difference and any concerns on choices will be just a faint memory and anyway at a later date you can always add/change your card(s).

 

[MeveM]

I've currently got a Radeon 5750, and that card is basically bottlenecked by my 4 year old PC world processor, it's a intel something, can't remember but it's very slow. Duo core with something like 2.4ghz.

But yeah, the three games I've mentioned above, those are the ones I want to play at max graphic settings (Excluding AA, from my experience, whenever I put on AA, the FPS drops by 20-30 fps if not more, and I can never actually see much of a visual improvement, so I've never found it worth having on.)

I've never actually had a PC for more then about £800, and that is retail shop prices, meaning it'd be £500-600 on PCS, if not less, and now the PC I'm ordering is £1000, I'm just hoping I get some great hardware out of it. Just hope it can run the games that come out late this year at good quality, else it'd just be wasted money, but since I'm in such a horrible situation that I need to buy one now, for my budget of £1000, or go without a PC and be bored for months, I'll have to settle with what I've put together with the help of the members of this site, just want to make sure I can throw in a good card at a later date, but if it's true as bg92 said that the i5 2500 should've bottleneck the GPU's coming out in the next 2 years, then I'd be more then happy with that.

My only concern is that I'd have to replace the GTX 570 by the end of the year once the three previously mentioned games are released, but I doubt I'll have to, just horrible to have that lingering doubt at the back of your mind.

 

[mantadog]

A 570 should be able to keep up with new games on very high settings for a long time, i wouldn't be overly concerned with the card holding you back this year anyway.

You can always struggly by on medium/high graphics until you can afford the the next generation card. You probably wont have to worry about it as a 570 is a very quick card.

 

[tom_gr7]

Dude a 570 should be fine for gaming. I'm sure it will be able to play games at max! with reference to getting two in my opinion think its overkill, unless you are multi monitor gaming.

 

[MeveM]

Nah, 1 single 22 inch monitor at 1080. Won't change that, well, I'll probably get one of the iiyama screens from here on PCS, but I'll always stick to 1 monitor.
Anyway, think I'm just worrying over nothing, like I said, AA is no concern of mine, so should be able to max the rest and enjoy some visually gorgeous games to come.