Should you still leave room for SLI?

[Jrhumphrey89]

Hey guys,

I don't play much AAA titles and right now my GTX770 is loud, but working fine for me. I have had my build for 3 years now and I am planning on replacing it next year. I prefer to use mini itx with a single card config, and I will do a custom loop in my next build (which means I might go full tower and sli). I know its a long way off but I am curious as to what you guys think. With the gtx 980ti almost able to run 4k, in a year from now will anyone still need SLI with a top tier graphics card? We are about to have a new model, and I will probably wait for another update before I throw down the cash to upgrade. Do you think that in 1 year SLI will still be needed for gaming at max settings/res? I welcome theory craft just wondering.

 

[TheRandomness]

A single 980Ti runs 4k at around 20-30FPS. SLI/crossfire is almost a must with 4K. If you want an mITX rig to run 4K you could get a dual GPU card (like the Fury X2 that's coming out soon^TM)

[Jrhumphrey89]

3 minutes ago, TheRandomness said:

A single 980Ti runs 4k at around 20-30FPS. SLI/crossfire is almost a must with 4K. If you want an mITX rig to run 4K you could get a dual GPU card (like the Fury X2 that's coming out soon^TM)

Do you think this will still be true in a year from now? Anyone know stats on pascal?

[Godlygamer23]

I'm not really going to comment on our need for SLI as it comes down to the individual games and user requirements. That being said though, if you see yourself possibly using SLI, it might be a good idea to get a board that supports it to use in the future.

[Weak1ings]

Question:  Why Mini-ITX?

How does it help you? 

[Jrhumphrey89]

3 minutes ago, Weak1ings said:

Question:  Why Mini-ITX?

How does it help you? 

I just like the small foot print and having a nice pc in a small package. Personal preference I guess. I started with a Haf X and ended up in a coolermaster 130 elite. 

[Godlygamer23]

1 minute ago, Jrhumphrey89 said:

I just like the small foot print and having a nice pc in a small package. Personal preference I guess. I started with a Haf X and ended up in a coolermaster 130 elite. 

Though bear in mind ITX systems do not support SLI at all unless it's a dual GPU card.

[Jrhumphrey89]

1 minute ago, Godlygamer23 said:

Though bear in mind ITX systems do not support SLI at all unless it's a dual GPU card.

Right I understand. I guess what I was getting at is are we ever going to see a time in the near future where a single top tier card is powerful enough to run a current title at near max settings/resolution. From the responses I am getting it's a no.

[Godlygamer23]

Just now, Jrhumphrey89 said:

Right I understand. I guess what I was getting at is are we ever going to see a time in the near future where a single top tier card is powerful enough to run a current title at near max settings/resolution. From the responses I am getting it's a no.

When you talk about max resolution, are you talking about the highest achievable resolution on displays for consumers?

[Jrhumphrey89]

The build I am considering would have a custom loop and similar parts to this http://pcpartpicker.com/p/VCf2Hx but with whatever current architecture is out at the time of build. 

[givegomezthegun]

Nobody can know what will come out a year from now.  I wouldn't exactly say you're safe from a situation where a single card system wouldn't be enough because I remember the crysis days :D

Personally, I like to leave as much room to upgrade as possible(current build does not reflect this).  I don't want to replace an entire pc every couple years because, frankly, I can't afford it.  I generally try to get a motherboard with more ram slots than I'm initially going to fill, pci-e to at least support the addition of at least one extra video card, and a case that will hold it all.

[Weak1ings]

4 minutes ago, Jrhumphrey89 said:

I just like the small foot print and having a nice pc in a small package. Personal preference I guess. I started with a Haf X and ended up in a coolermaster 130 elite. 

It would seem that any GPU you desire does not exist right now.
Polaris and Pascal will probably be fine at 4K,(I'm looking forward to getting 144FPS!) and I am assuming that you are waiting for them, like me.  I like the Cooler Master 130, just be aware that there are different cases like the Silverstone RVZ01 which are a more "console size" form factor.  The silverstone in particular, has a optical drive slot unlike many competitors.

[Jrhumphrey89]

1 minute ago, Weak1ings said:

It would seem that any GPU you desire does not exist right now.
Polaris and Pascal will probably be fine at 4K,(I'm looking forward to getting 144FPS!) and I am assuming that you are waiting for them, like me.  I like the Cooler Master 130, just be aware that there are different cases like the Silverstone RVZ01 which are a more "console size" form factor.  The silverstone in particular, has a optical drive slot unlike many competitors.

I really liked the RVZ01. It came out when I was making my switch to ITX. Only reason I didn't go for it is because I couldn't fit my radiator or power supply. 

[Jrhumphrey89]

6 minutes ago, givegomezthegun said:

Nobody can know what will come out a year from now.  I wouldn't exactly say you're safe from a situation where a single card system wouldn't be enough because I remember the crysis days :D

Personally, I like to leave as much room to upgrade as possible(current build does not reflect this).  I don't want to replace an entire pc every couple years because, frankly, I can't afford it.  I generally try to get a motherboard with more ram slots than I'm initially going to fill, pci-e to at least support the addition of at least one extra video card, and a case that will hold it all.

I guess this is the answer. I am ready to throw down on my next build, and if I am going to put 3K+ into it I might as well go with at least a micro atx to give myself room to grow.