Two GTX280 in SLI > Quad SLI with 9800GX2?

[seanmcgpa]

A friend has offered to buy my 9800GX2 cards (I have two in SLI for Quad SLI).

I run World of Warcraft with everything maxed in 2560x1600x32 with 8x multisampling. Although I get amazing framerates and everything looks great, I sufffer from the "microstutter" problem that many people have noted with the 9800GX2s. It's quite annoying.

Would two GTX280's in SLI give me a better experience? (especially with Wrath of the Lich King, which uses a much more gpu muscle with realtime shadows, higher polys, etc).

Opinions, please.

[Lfctony]

There should be noticeably less MS, since the communication is between 2 cards and not 4...

[mythy]

yea get rid of the X2's

[ChrisRay]

There should be noticeably less MS, since the communication is between 2 cards and not 4...

It will have Less latency. The more GPUs. The less likely you'll percieve microstuttering actually due to smaller frame-delays between the GPUS.

[Toss3]

It will have Less latency. The more GPUs. The less likely you'll percieve microstuttering actually due to smaller frame-delays between the GPUS.

Care to explain why? My logic at least tells me that four cards would have higher latencies than two(I know you are probably right, but I want to know why).. :o And wasn't microstuttering pretty much eliminated with the GTX 280 due to the larger frame buffer?

[XxDeadlyxX]

Definitely get the GTX 280s, no doubt about it. The 9800GX2 was, IMO, a mistake from Nvidia. It made people think they could max out things like Crysis with Quad-SLI and run like butter... yet it was always limited by 512MB frame buffer.

GTX 280s in SLI have made 9800GX2s redundant, and would be a huge upgrade.

[Digital_Trans]

Yes, get the 280's I have two EVGA 280's FTW Edition in SLI and it's by far better. NVIDIA never got Quad SLI to work and this is their second try at such an Epic Failure. That also accounts for nvidia's 7950 GX2 in Quad SLI. Even ATI can do something right at least with their 4870 X2 cards in Crossfire. NVIDIA and Quad SLI never could meet the hype! 280's in SLI running at 2560x1600 will be bliss! Good luck!

[Digital_Trans]

Definitely get the GTX 280s, no doubt about it. The 9800GX2 was, IMO, a mistake from Nvidia. It made people think they could max out things like Crysis with Quad-SLI and run like butter... yet it was always limited by 512MB frame buffer.

GTX 280s in SLI have made 9800GX2s redundant, and would be a huge upgrade.

Yeap, I sent my XFX 9800 GX2 Black Edition for QUAD SLI back to the supplier. The 280's are alot better! :D

[hell_of_doom227]

Get GTX280 SLI and you will not have any MS. Get Evga with Stock Speed 602Mhz. All you need is Nvidia Drivers. Don't install any third party utility. Evga Precision is fine for fan adjustment.

[ChrisRay]

Care to explain why? My logic at least tells me that four cards would have higher latencies than two(I know you are probably right, but I want to know why).. :o And wasn't microstuttering pretty much eliminated with the GTX 280 due to the larger frame buffer?

With 4 GPUs, AFR will render as fast as possible. So each frame will be calculated faster than 2 GPUS rendering as fast as possible. MS delays from each frame drop down too about 12-15 per frame. But are still not totally in sync. But the latency from keyboard/input to Display will be increased by having 4 GPUS. Memory is only related to microstuttering if your out of framebuffer.

[john19055]

Since you are gameing at 2560x1600 then I would get two GTX 280's and run them is SLI ,you should see a good increase in most games at that resolution 2560x1600,plus your minimum frame rate should also see a increase because of the 1gig of memory and the wider buss.