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Is SLI as bad as Crossfire?

Cheddle
By Cheddle
in Graphics Cards
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Posted

I crossfired r9 290's

 

I didnt like it... many games had issues and stuttering... some games didnt support it.

 

Is SLI the same deal? is it better?

 

Whats the go. can someone who has done both offer me some input?

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less microstuttering, but about the same scaing

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There ya go

Has Anyone Really Been Far Even as Decided to Use Even Go Want to do Look More Like?

You've got to be kidding me. I've been further even more decided to use even go need to do look more as anyone can. Can you really be far even as decided half as much to use go wish for that? My guess is that when one really been far even as decided once to use even go want, it is then that he has really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like. It's just common sense.

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why tf you lookin to sli with a 980!?

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Right now I have zero issues with my SLI configuration, I did have some microstuttering while playing Battlefield 4 so I turned off fraps and it went away.

Forgive me El Guapo. I know that I, Jefe, do not have your superior intellect and education...

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If you're the kind that play many type of games, better get a single card. 

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If you're the kind that play many type of games, better get a single card. 

I guess the problem is that he is trying to drive a 4K monitor.

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Multiple GPU setups almost always have coherent issues. That's why the TITAN was so big as it was when the first one ever launched. Personally I would be waiting out on the R9 390X to show its face as sticking to a single GPU solution is the best way to go.

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This is why 4K gaming still seems to me like a really risky way to go. If you're relying on SLI/Crossfire just to get you to 60 FPS in many games, what are you going to do when SLI/Crossfire support is patchy or missing (which is often)? Play at ~30 FPS and/or low details on a several thousand dollar rig, I guess.

 

I don't know if SLI is drastically more reliable than Crossfire. Nvidia's tighter controls over SLI may result in somewhat better reliability at times, but that obviously has other downsides.

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i haven't had any issues with my sli yet

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I have SLI 980s in a small mATX case. Airflow is good but not the best. I have heat issues in that the fans spin up quite a lot because one is starved for air but not enough to throttle. I deal with that by wearing headphones for games anyway so I don't notice it. Games are getting better at scaling and the only SLI issues I have are in games where SLI scaling is the least of its problems (Thanks Ubisoft)

 

I've done crossfire back when the ATI 4xxx series were the big cards. Dual 4870s and I even had a rig with 2 4870x2s. Both rigs were nothing but headaches.

 

Both technologies have come a long way since then but all my experiences with SLI have been better than those with my early experience with crossfire. I can't speak from experience about current crossfire, I just don't know enough about it.

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Actually Crossfire, especially starting from 290's, have lower frame times and the ripple is much lower than SLI.

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I never have stutter with my SLI. But that may be just me. 

i havent had any real issues either

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thanks all who commented with no issues.

 

why tf you lookin to sli with a 980!?

 

4k monitor... 

 

I guess the problem is that he is trying to drive a 4K monitor.

 

mmm hmmm - its a PITA, but worth... about half the games I play run 50-60 fps on a single card, but others are more like 20-40 fps... I really like V-sync and at such low FPS the input lag is ruining my brain.

 

If you're the kind that play many type of games, better get a single card. 

 

I play plenty of different games... but I am thinking the ones that really push the card are the AAA titles that usually have good support for dual cards

 

Multiple GPU setups almost always have coherent issues. That's why the TITAN was so big as it was when the first one ever launched. Personally I would be waiting out on the R9 390X to show its face as sticking to a single GPU solution is the best way to go.

 

I agree... the overall experience when it comes to driver update and installation procedure really leads me to favour Nvidia over AMD, I went from 6870 to a 770 to a 290 to crossfire 290s to 980s and AMD was a problem every time. Nvidia no such issue... I really want the tech in the AMD 390x to be great, maybe ill try one... but more than likely ill just use its launch as a price crash on the 980 and buy another one at that time

 

This is why 4K gaming still seems to me like a really risky way to go. If you're relying on SLI/Crossfire just to get you to 60 FPS in many games, what are you going to do when SLI/Crossfire support is patchy or missing (which is often)? Play at ~30 FPS and/or low details on a several thousand dollar rig, I guess.

 

I don't know if SLI is drastically more reliable than Crossfire. Nvidia's tighter controls over SLI may result in somewhat better reliability at times, but that obviously has other downsides.

 

its not exactly risky, I downscale to 1440p when I cant get good frames at 4k (maybe 20% of the time) and it still looks plenty better than 1080. if I had two cards and the SLI was terrible I would have to do the same, the problem would be sinking another $800 into my rig to have a better time, half the time... wasnt worth it with the r9 290's

 

 

I have SLI 980s in a small mATX case. Airflow is good but not the best. I have heat issues in that the fans spin up quite a lot because one is starved for air but not enough to throttle. I deal with that by wearing headphones for games anyway so I don't notice it. Games are getting better at scaling and the only SLI issues I have are in games where SLI scaling is the least of its problems (Thanks Ubisoft)

 

I've done crossfire back when the ATI 4xxx series were the big cards. Dual 4870s and I even had a rig with 2 4870x2s. Both rigs were nothing but headaches.

 

Both technologies have come a long way since then but all my experiences with SLI have been better than those with my early experience with crossfire. I can't speak from experience about current crossfire, I just don't know enough about it.

 

I actually have a spare rig with 4870s in it, I have a 4850 as well, played around and your right in that crossfire from those days really sucked... crossfire r9 290s was better.

Sim Rig:  Valve Index - Acer XV273KP - 5950x - GTX 2080ti - B550 Master - 32 GB ddr4 @ 3800c14 - DG-85 - HX1200 - 360mm AIO

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Long Live VR. Pancake gaming is dead.

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They're pretty much identical

why tf you lookin to sli with a 980!?

 Why not?

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I've used both several times and have never had problems with either, sorry to hear you had problems with the 290s :/

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Only had issues in sli cuz of my stock/boost clocks on my cpu. I love sli. I always prefer two cards in my systems.

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