GTX 1080 SLI for "retro" Windows 7 build

[ExalyThor]

With GPU prices decreasing I started thinking about building a retro Windows 7 PC and idea of a pair of 1080s came to me. The games I'm aiming to play on this system scale pretty good with SLI (Witcher 3, Dying Light, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Far Cry 5 etc) so it's not totally idiotic vs going with a 1080ti. Ik the even more extreme route would be a 1080ti sli setup but my spare 650w psu won't be enough.

[OddOod]

I don't see a question here....

[Theguywhobea]

A single 1080 or 1080Ti is probably fine for a Windows 7 PC tbh

[ExalyThor]

27 minutes ago, OddOod said:

I don't see a question here....

I'm asking for opinions.

[Moonzy]

Just now, ExalyThor said:

I'm asking for opinions.

opinion: what a waste of time, effort, and money

 

but if you feel like doing it, all the power to you

[Levent]

1 minute ago, ExalyThor said:

I'm asking for opinions.

You should specify that in your OP then. There is not a single interrogative sentence in your OP.

51 minutes ago, ExalyThor said:

With GPU prices decreasing I started thinking about building a retro Windows 7 PC and idea of a pair of 1080s came to me. The games I'm aiming to play on this system scale pretty good with SLI (Witcher 3, Dying Light, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Far Cry 5 etc) so it's not totally idiotic vs going with a 1080ti. Ik the even more extreme route would be a 1080ti sli setup but my spare 650w psu won't be enough.

Other than that, SLI and Crossfire is completely pointless, issue is not just scaling but frametimes. I would not bother with SLI at all. Experience is not gonna be great. I ran crossfire and SLI and I always had to fuck around with weird tweaks to get things working halfway right.

[OddOod]

10 minutes ago, ExalyThor said:

I'm asking for opinions.

If it makes you happy and you have the disposable time and money: Do it. If any of those are not true, don't do it.
This is a test that works in most situations

[Mick Naughty]

Id go with a pair of titans for windows 7 given that was their era. 
Ran sli for a decade and never once had an issue aside from a cpu not being able to keep up. 
Two would look better than one anyway. Or get a titan z and vertically mount it,

[YoungBlade]

If you want to do a dual GPU setup for the fun of it - as a nostalgic build to remind you of that time, or just to say you've done it because you never did it before, or as a sort of display piece PC to show off - then more power to you. Enjoy the experience! And for that purpose, I don't see much reason to step up to the 1080 Ti. Dual 1080 will be plenty.

[MrSmiles]

I’m refurbishing two gtx690.

 

Quote

“You’re a dosser, always playing with your bits instead of doing real mans work!” -my mum, every Thursday.

Sorry about that.

Such interesting tech and beautifully made cards. 

[MrSmiles]

5 minutes ago, YoungBlade said:

If you want to do a dual GPU setup for the fun of it - as a nostalgic build to remind you of that time, or just to say you've done it because you never did it before, or as a sort of display piece PC to show off - then more power to you. Enjoy the experience! And for that purpose, I don't see much reason to step up to the 1080 Ti. Dual 1080 will be plenty.

If you are thinking like that the 1070 is a good looker

[ExalyThor]

31 minutes ago, Mick Naughty said:

Id go with a pair of titans for windows 7 given that was their era. 
Ran sli for a decade and never once had an issue aside from a cpu not being able to keep up. 
Two would look better than one anyway. Or get a titan z and vertically mount it,

I started learning about pc tech in 2015 iirc so what feels nostalgic for me are haswell, skylake (but I got too fed up with it because intel had 5 iterations of it), maxwell, pascal, and polaris, with hawaii and sandy bridge holding a special place in my heart because my first gaming PC had a 2500K and an r9 290. No sentimental value for kekler and the og titans. Plus kekler sucked, the rx 200 series were great. And I used windows 7 until 2019 or even 2020 so that's why it gets the privilege of much newer hardware.

[Mick Naughty]

28 minutes ago, ExalyThor said:

I started learning about pc tech in 2015 iirc so what feels nostalgic for me are haswell, skylake (but I got too fed up with it because intel had 5 iterations of it), maxwell, pascal, and polaris, with hawaii and sandy bridge holding a special place in my heart because my first gaming PC had a 2500K and an r9 290. No sentimental value for kekler and the og titans. Plus kekler sucked, the rx 200 series were great. And I used windows 7 until 2019 or even 2020 so that's why it gets the privilege of much newer hardware.

So you just want to build an average rig then. Statistic wise with those parts anyway. Not so much retro by definition.

[ExalyThor]

1 minute ago, Mick Naughty said:

So you just want to build an average rig then. Statistic wise with those parts anyway. Not so much retro by definition.

Retro doesn't mean old with nostalgic value, not necessarily rare?

[Mick Naughty]

4 minutes ago, ExalyThor said:

Retro doesn't mean old with nostalgic value, not necessarily rare?

Everything can be subjective. If that means a couple years, why not. I assumed it being windows 7 themed, it would relate to more of the hardware relevant to the time frame. 

[Queen Chrysalis]

Don't use windows 7, and don't waste money on parts for a retro build.  You've indicated that this is already a 'spare' desktop computer....  This is how hoarding behavior starts.  Nip it in the bud and just run a VM on your main system if you NEED to use Windows 7 for something.  10 and 11 are better in literally every way, and even 8 is more resource efficient despite having a generally unliked UI.

 

If you feel some urge to make a second desktop to run 7 just go on craigslist and find some old free shitter with a core 2 or the likes and pop in a HD 6xxx for maybe like $20.  Don't waste money on new parts for something you're not going to use.

[ExalyThor]

11 hours ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

Don't use windows 7, and don't waste money on parts for a retro build.  You've indicated that this is already a 'spare' desktop computer....  This is how hoarding behavior starts.  Nip it in the bud and just run a VM on your main system if you NEED to use Windows 7 for something.  10 and 11 are better in literally every way, and even 8 is more resource efficient despite having a generally unliked UI.

 

If you feel some urge to make a second desktop to run 7 just go on craigslist and find some old free shitter with a core 2 or the likes and pop in a HD 6xxx for maybe like $20.  Don't waste money on new parts for something you're not going to use.

Any problem with 7? DX12 is literally the only reason I moved to 10.

[Queen Chrysalis]

2 hours ago, ExalyThor said:

Any problem with 7? DX12 is literally the only reason I moved to 10.

Absolutely no security (can't emphasize that point enough), less resource efficient, you will need a PS/2 kbm for setup on anything newer than haswell, and most newer software will be unusable or usability will be limited.  Driver support will also be suboptimal or unstable.  

 

It's an outdated OS, it's not worth any kind of attachment to.  Just make a Windows 7 VM and play around for a couple hours and get it over with.  This whole emotional attachment to the time when you learned how to put big boy legos together is beyond ridiculous.

[YoungBlade]

20 minutes ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

Absolutely no security (can't emphasize that point enough), less resource efficient, you will need a PS/2 kbm for setup on anything newer than haswell, and most newer software will be unusable or usability will be limited.  Driver support will also be suboptimal or unstable.  

 

It's an outdated OS, it's not worth any kind of attachment to.  Just make a Windows 7 VM and play around for a couple hours and get it over with.  This whole emotional attachment to the time when you learned how to put big boy legos together is beyond ridiculous.

Do you say the same type of thing to the people who work on old cars, or who buy arcade cabinets, or who build actual Lego sets? What's wrong with having a passion project or hobby that brings you nostalgia?

[Queen Chrysalis]

8 minutes ago, YoungBlade said:

Do you say the same type of thing to the people who work on old cars, or who buy arcade cabinets, or who build actual Lego sets? What's wrong with having a passion project or hobby that brings you nostalgia?

Those are actual projects.  Buying PC components and installing an OS is not equivalent.  And yeah, even that kinda stuff is a little wasteful, but there's at least passion or skill involved with those.

[YoungBlade]

Just now, Queen Chrysalis said:

Those are actual projects.  Buying PC components and installing an OS is not equivalent.  And yeah, even that kinda stuff is a little wasteful, but there's at least passion or skill involved with those.

How is it not equivalent? How is it not a project? And where is the skill involved in collecting arcade cabinets?

 

Your avatar is from a children's show. If someone told you that you need to grow up and spend your time investing in "real shows" that they personally deem as worthy, you'd be right if you told them off. How you choose to spend your free time is up to you, and if you get more enjoyment out of MLP than "adult" shows, then you should watch it regardless of the fact that it is a show intended for children.

[Mick Naughty]

I like my old hardware, doesnt mean I want windows 7 on it. I daily a 4790k with a 1080. Old hardware and some would even consider it "nostalgic" but I wouldnt call it retro. 

Comparing to an old car isnt the same as they are "dumb" most being carb. Maybe if you ls swap it with holley system it could be comparable. 
Building something that still has the same specs of the average users hardware and calling it retro is a niche scenario. 
 

I dont see an issue with any of it but going to 7 when the older hardware would be best suited for 10. But if they wonna use it, and I didnt make the jump to 10, I would still be on 7. Only did it for the supposed gaming benefits, nothing else what so ever. All of my hardware is old and dated and not much to gain in any other aspect for me. The interface is much better as well as looks, so thats a plus.

[Queen Chrysalis]

3 hours ago, YoungBlade said:

How is it not equivalent? How is it not a project? And where is the skill involved in collecting arcade cabinets?

 

Your avatar is from a children's show. If someone told you that you need to grow up and spend your time investing in "real shows" that they personally deem as worthy, you'd be right if you told them off. How you choose to spend your free time is up to you, and if you get more enjoyment out of MLP than "adult" shows, then you should watch it regardless of the fact that it is a show intended for children.

Sorry, I speed read the last post.  I thought you meant like vintage cabinets.  Look, its a free country but you came looking for build advice and I'm saying that when you boil this stuff down, there is SO LITTLE stimulation or satisfaction to be had from just accumulating computers as compared to other hobbies.  The satisfaction I think comes from a weird sense of arcanity derived from doing something many with no exposure see as very intricate, but that becomes trivial after an hour of reading I watched MLP as it aired but I have also engaged in volumes of wide varieties of other media during and since.  It was free and there was a lot to be gained in terms of developing a taste for story, a different take on character and world building, and an appreciation for the art of making something interesting that was strictly non-profane.

The lack of any real stimulatory, practical, or respectable sentimental value faced with how much this 'project' would cost is why I would advise against it, along with interest in doing this kind of thing being indicative of developing some worrying personality tendencies.

[ExalyThor]

15 hours ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

Absolutely no security (can't emphasize that point enough), less resource efficient, you will need a PS/2 kbm for setup on anything newer than haswell, and most newer software will be unusable or usability will be limited.  Driver support will also be suboptimal or unstable.  

 

It's an outdated OS, it's not worth any kind of attachment to.  Just make a Windows 7 VM and play around for a couple hours and get it over with.  This whole emotional attachment to the time when you learned how to put big boy legos together is beyond ridiculous.

Newer software being incompatible and lackluster driver support are valid points. But being less resource efficient is not true. And security, ahh. Like I'd leave myself at the mercy of windows defender if I cared about security.