SLI 560s, or get a better card?

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the_bi99man

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#1 the_bi99man
Member since 2004 • 11465 Posts

So my roommate's new system is kicking a lot of ass, but he's already wanting to upgrade. He's got an i5 3570k 3.4 ghz, 16gb RAM, and a GTX 560ti w/ 2GB VRAM. He's thinking he wants a video card upgrade, and we'll probably overclock the CPU, as well. For a video card, I'm looking for opinions on whether we should get another 560, to SLI, or just upgrade to a better single card, like a 670 or 680. What do you guys think? How's the performance boost from SLI, typically?

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04dcarraher

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#2 04dcarraher
Member since 2004 • 23824 Posts

Go for a GTX 670, SLI does not guarantee double the performance. and a overclocked GTX 670 is 2x faster then GTX 560ti with shader heavy games.

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JigglyWiggly_

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#3 JigglyWiggly_
Member since 2009 • 24625 Posts

Go for a GTX 670, SLI does not guarantee double the performance. and a overclocked GTX 670 is nearly 2x faster then SLI GTX 560ti's. 04dcarraher

i have both, it's like 10% adv to the 670.

Get a 690 tc or a 7970

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ionusX

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#4 ionusX
Member since 2009 • 25777 Posts

[QUOTE="04dcarraher"]Go for a GTX 670, SLI does not guarantee double the performance. and a overclocked GTX 670 is nearly 2x faster then SLI GTX 560ti's. JigglyWiggly_

460 sli is about the same speed as a 670

i have both, it's like 10% adv to the 670.

Get a 690 tc or a 7970

well this is true when SLi doesnt epic facepalm as all dual card setups do

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JigglyWiggly_

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#5 JigglyWiggly_
Member since 2009 • 24625 Posts
460 sli was very stable pretty much every game worked, or that I can remember I tried 5850 sli and that was like the worst thing ever made ati can't do CF drivers at all
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04dcarraher

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#6 04dcarraher
Member since 2004 • 23824 Posts

[QUOTE="04dcarraher"]Go for a GTX 670, SLI does not guarantee double the performance. and a overclocked GTX 670 is faster then SLI GTX 560ti's with shader heavy games. JigglyWiggly_

460 sli is about the same speed as a 670

i have both

False, SLI GTX 460 are barely faster then a single GTX 580 with direct x 11 games , A GTX 670 is easily 30% faster then GTX 580 with shader heavy games.

SLI GTX 560ti even being fully used is equal to a GTX 670. But with dual gpu setup's you wont get 100% gains.

Even with my overclocked gtx 560 thats as fast as a gtx 560ti my friend's new gtx 670 gets over 2x the frame rates.

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Elann2008

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#7 Elann2008
Member since 2007 • 33028 Posts

[QUOTE="JigglyWiggly_"]

[QUOTE="04dcarraher"]Go for a GTX 670, SLI does not guarantee double the performance. and a overclocked GTX 670 is nearly 2x faster then SLI GTX 560ti's. ionusX

460 sli is about the same speed as a 670

i have both, it's like 10% adv to the 670.

Get a 690 tc or a 7970

well this is true when SLi doesnt epic facepalm as all dual card setups do

Yeah... I would avoid dual-gpu's like the plague. Better to go with sli if you are an enthusiast. Best scenario. Go with one strong GPU, and overclock it if you feel you need more power.
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deactivated-5a9b3f32ef4e9

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#8 deactivated-5a9b3f32ef4e9
Member since 2009 • 7779 Posts

670 or 7970.

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JigglyWiggly_

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#9 JigglyWiggly_
Member since 2009 • 24625 Posts

[QUOTE="JigglyWiggly_"]

[QUOTE="04dcarraher"]Go for a GTX 670, SLI does not guarantee double the performance. and a overclocked GTX 670 is faster then SLI GTX 560ti's with shader heavy games. 04dcarraher

460 sli is about the same speed as a 670

i have both

False, SLI GTX 460 are barely faster then a single GTX 580 with direct x 11 games , A GTX 670 is easily 30% faster then GTX 580 with shader heavy games.

SLI GTX 560ti even being fully used is equal to a GTX 670. But with dual gpu setup's you wont get 100% gains.

Even with my overclocked gtx 560 thats as fast as a gtx 560ti my friend's new gtx 670 gets over 2x the frame rates.

gtx 460 oc a lot

also i can't feel much difference between my oc'd 460s and my 670

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04dcarraher

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#10 04dcarraher
Member since 2004 • 23824 Posts

[QUOTE="04dcarraher"]

[QUOTE="JigglyWiggly_"] 460 sli is about the same speed as a 670

i have both

JigglyWiggly_

False, SLI GTX 460 are barely faster then a single GTX 580 with direct x 11 games , A GTX 670 is easily 30% faster then GTX 580 with shader heavy games.

SLI GTX 560ti even being fully used is equal to a GTX 670. But with dual gpu setup's you wont get 100% gains.

Even with my overclocked gtx 560 thats as fast as a gtx 560ti my friend's new gtx 670 gets over 2x the frame rates.

gtx 460 oc a lot

also i can't feel much difference between my oc'd 460s and my 670

you wouldn't since you play at 1024x768 :P

at true HD resolutions with BF3 at 1920x1200 at 4xaa your SLI 460's would only get 50ish fps while a 670 would be near 70 fps.

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JigglyWiggly_

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#11 JigglyWiggly_
Member since 2009 • 24625 Posts


i got 110+fps at 1080p on BF3 with my 460s in SLI and get around 130+ on my 670

I play at lowest/med, but the cards handle it fine. BF3 is so low poly, more games need to be like it. Low poly, good art style.


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_SKatEDiRt_

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#12 _SKatEDiRt_
Member since 2007 • 3117 Posts


i got 110+fps at 1080p on BF3 with my 460s in SLI and get around 130+ on my 670

I play at lowest/med, but the cards handle it fine. BF3 is so low poly, more games need to be like it. Low poly, good art style.


JigglyWiggly_
bf3 is the love of my life. The fun never stops
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hartsickdiscipl

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#13 hartsickdiscipl
Member since 2003 • 14787 Posts

Go for a GTX 670, SLI does not guarantee double the performance. and a overclocked GTX 670 is nearly 2x faster then SLI GTX 560ti's with shader heavy games.

04dcarraher

There's no way that a single overclocked 670 will be almost twice as fast as a pair of 560 Ti's in SLI, even in shader-heavy games.. especially when they are overclocked. A single overclocked 560 Ti is in 6970/gtx 480/570 territory.

Here is a video that shows roughly how 560 Ti's in SLI stack up to a 670-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaW5gHM8FUY

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the_bi99man

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#14 the_bi99man
Member since 2004 • 11465 Posts

Hmm. All good stuff to think about. I think we'll probably just get a 670 or 680. Maybe 690 if my roommate feels like spending the money. Another question, would we see a solid boost from overclocking that CPU to go with a new video card? It's a i5 3570k, at 3.4 ghz. We got a hyper 212 cooler on it, so I think we can safely overclock it quite a bit. What do you guys think about a 670 or 680, plus OCing the CPU to like 3.7-4.0 or so?

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Elann2008

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#15 Elann2008
Member since 2007 • 33028 Posts

Hmm. All good stuff to think about. I think we'll probably just get a 670 or 680. Maybe 690 if my roommate feels like spending the money. Another question, would we see a solid boost from overclocking that CPU to go with a new video card? It's a i5 3570k, at 3.4 ghz. We got a hyper 212 cooler on it, so I think we can safely overclock it quite a bit. What do you guys think about a 670 or 680, plus OCing the CPU to like 3.7-4.0 or so?

the_bi99man

What did I teach you kids in class yesterday? Avoid dual-gpu's. Say it with me kids. "Avoid dual-gpu's." I can't believe anyone would buy a GTX 690 even if they did have the money. Advise your friend to stick with 670, 7950, or 7970. The GTX 680 is also a waste of money, when the 670/7950/7970 are much better choices price/performance wise.

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hartsickdiscipl

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#16 hartsickdiscipl
Member since 2003 • 14787 Posts

[QUOTE="the_bi99man"]

Hmm. All good stuff to think about. I think we'll probably just get a 670 or 680. Maybe 690 if my roommate feels like spending the money. Another question, would we see a solid boost from overclocking that CPU to go with a new video card? It's a i5 3570k, at 3.4 ghz. We got a hyper 212 cooler on it, so I think we can safely overclock it quite a bit. What do you guys think about a 670 or 680, plus OCing the CPU to like 3.7-4.0 or so?

Elann2008

What did I teach you kids in class yesterday? Avoid dual-gpu's. Say it with me kids. "Avoid dual-gpu's." I can't believe anyone would buy a GTX 690 even if they did have the money. Advise your friend to stick with 670, 7950, or 7970. The GTX 680 is also a waste of money, when the 670/7950/7970 are much better choices price/performance wise.

I've had good experiences with dual-gpu setups in the past. I don't subscribe to your fear of them.

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04dcarraher

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#17 04dcarraher
Member since 2004 • 23824 Posts

[QUOTE="04dcarraher"]

Go for a GTX 670, SLI does not guarantee double the performance. and a overclocked GTX 670 is 2x faster then GTX 560ti's with shader heavy games.

hartsickdiscipl

There's no way that a single overclocked 670 will be almost twice as fast as a pair of 560 Ti's in SLI, even in shader-heavy games.. especially when they are overclocked. A single overclocked 560 Ti is in 6970/gtx 480/570 territory.

Here is a video that shows roughly how 560 Ti's in SLI stack up to a 670-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaW5gHM8FUY

lol,glitchspot didnt update my edit.

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Elann2008

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#18 Elann2008
Member since 2007 • 33028 Posts

[QUOTE="Elann2008"]

[QUOTE="the_bi99man"]

Hmm. All good stuff to think about. I think we'll probably just get a 670 or 680. Maybe 690 if my roommate feels like spending the money. Another question, would we see a solid boost from overclocking that CPU to go with a new video card? It's a i5 3570k, at 3.4 ghz. We got a hyper 212 cooler on it, so I think we can safely overclock it quite a bit. What do you guys think about a 670 or 680, plus OCing the CPU to like 3.7-4.0 or so?

hartsickdiscipl

What did I teach you kids in class yesterday? Avoid dual-gpu's. Say it with me kids. "Avoid dual-gpu's." I can't believe anyone would buy a GTX 690 even if they did have the money. Advise your friend to stick with 670, 7950, or 7970. The GTX 680 is also a waste of money, when the 670/7950/7970 are much better choices price/performance wise.

I've had good experiences with dual-gpu setups in the past. I don't subscribe to your fear of them.

So you would recommend a GTX 690 for $1000 over the other better options? That's pretty insane. And for a dual-gpu.. And no one mentioned fear. How does one fear a gpu, I don't know. It just isn't smart when compared to better options available.

Which dual-gpu's did you use? I hope you didn't think I was referring to sli/crossfire..

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04dcarraher

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#19 04dcarraher
Member since 2004 • 23824 Posts

[QUOTE="hartsickdiscipl"]

[QUOTE="Elann2008"] What did I teach you kids in class yesterday? Avoid dual-gpu's. Say it with me kids. "Avoid dual-gpu's." I can't believe anyone would buy a GTX 690 even if they did have the money. Advise your friend to stick with 670, 7950, or 7970. The GTX 680 is also a waste of money, when the 670/7950/7970 are much better choices price/performance wise.

Elann2008

I've had good experiences with dual-gpu setups in the past. I don't subscribe to your fear of them.

So you would recommend a GTX 690 for $1000 over the other better options? That's pretty insane. And for a dual-gpu.. And no one mentioned fear. How does one fear a gpu, I don't know. It just isn't smart when compared to better options available.

Which dual-gpu's did you use? I hope you didn't think I was referring to sli/crossfire..

There is one major issue with dual gpu single cards, if you encounter a game that dislikes sli/crossfire, you have no way to disable the linked gpu.
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hartsickdiscipl

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#20 hartsickdiscipl
Member since 2003 • 14787 Posts

[QUOTE="hartsickdiscipl"]

[QUOTE="Elann2008"] What did I teach you kids in class yesterday? Avoid dual-gpu's. Say it with me kids. "Avoid dual-gpu's." I can't believe anyone would buy a GTX 690 even if they did have the money. Advise your friend to stick with 670, 7950, or 7970. The GTX 680 is also a waste of money, when the 670/7950/7970 are much better choices price/performance wise.

Elann2008

I've had good experiences with dual-gpu setups in the past. I don't subscribe to your fear of them.

So you would recommend a GTX 690 for $1000 over the other better options? That's pretty insane. And for a dual-gpu.. And no one mentioned fear. How does one fear a gpu, I don't know. It just isn't smart when compared to better options available.

Which dual-gpu's did you use? I hope you didn't think I was referring to sli/crossfire..

No, I wouldn't recommend a GTX 690 for $1000. If it was $600-700, sure. I thought you were referring to any dual-gpu setup. That includes crossfire and sli. I didn't know that you were only referring to single cards with dual gpus.

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#21 _SKatEDiRt_
Member since 2007 • 3117 Posts
We all disagree so much :/ IMO the gtx 690 is overpriced unless your bill gates
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blaznwiipspman1

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#22 blaznwiipspman1
Member since 2007 • 16515 Posts

We all disagree so much :/ IMO the gtx 690 is overpriced unless your bill gates_SKatEDiRt_

there is also a 7990 for sale which I wasnt aware of. It is incredibly powerful, just looking at 3dmark11 will give you an idea. It costs the same as the 690, but it is so big that it needs a support to prop itself up in the case...the card is almost 1.2kg DAMN!!

radeon-hd-7990-radeon-hd-7970-x2-geforce

01%203DMark%20Performance.png

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JigglyWiggly_

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#23 JigglyWiggly_
Member since 2009 • 24625 Posts
lol buy that if you want absolutely no driver support
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#24 shufu7-11
Member since 2006 • 943 Posts

[QUOTE="Elann2008"]

[QUOTE="hartsickdiscipl"]

I've had good experiences with dual-gpu setups in the past. I don't subscribe to your fear of them.

04dcarraher

So you would recommend a GTX 690 for $1000 over the other better options? That's pretty insane. And for a dual-gpu.. And no one mentioned fear. How does one fear a gpu, I don't know. It just isn't smart when compared to better options available.

Which dual-gpu's did you use? I hope you didn't think I was referring to sli/crossfire..

There is one major issue with dual gpu single cards, if you encounter a game that dislikes sli/crossfire, you have no way to disable the linked gpu.

Not so my friend!. I have 2 6870's in Crossfire, and the CCC has an option to enable or disable Crossfire at any time. So if I'm about to play a game that doesn't agree with my dual-gpu setup, I just disable it and then enable it again when I'm done playing. Quite simple really!

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04dcarraher

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#25 04dcarraher
Member since 2004 • 23824 Posts

[QUOTE="04dcarraher"][QUOTE="Elann2008"]

So you would recommend a GTX 690 for $1000 over the other better options? That's pretty insane. And for a dual-gpu.. And no one mentioned fear. How does one fear a gpu, I don't know. It just isn't smart when compared to better options available.

Which dual-gpu's did you use? I hope you didn't think I was referring to sli/crossfire..

shufu7-11

There is one major issue with dual gpu single cards, if you encounter a game that dislikes sli/crossfire, you have no way to disable the linked gpu.

Not so my friend!. I have 2 6870's in Crossfire, and the CCC has an option to enable or disable Crossfire at any time. So if I'm about to play a game that doesn't agree with my dual-gpu setup, I just disable it and then enable it again when I'm done playing. Quite simple really!

key word "dual gpu single card" ie gtx 690, 7990 etc

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shufu7-11

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#26 shufu7-11
Member since 2006 • 943 Posts

[QUOTE="shufu7-11"]

[QUOTE="04dcarraher"] There is one major issue with dual gpu single cards, if you encounter a game that dislikes sli/crossfire, you have no way to disable the linked gpu. 04dcarraher

Not so my friend!. I have 2 6870's in Crossfire, and the CCC has an option to enable or disable Crossfire at any time. So if I'm about to play a game that doesn't agree with my dual-gpu setup, I just disable it and then enable it again when I'm done playing. Quite simple really!

key word "dual gpu single card" ie gtx 690, 7990 etc

Ah, I missed that part. My mistake! :)

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blaznwiipspman1

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#27 blaznwiipspman1
Member since 2007 • 16515 Posts

lol buy that if you want absolutely no driver supportJigglyWiggly_

well its not reference design thats true but most games do support this card, even if crossfire support isn't there the games will act as if its a single 7970.

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JigglyWiggly_

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#28 JigglyWiggly_
Member since 2009 • 24625 Posts

[QUOTE="JigglyWiggly_"]lol buy that if you want absolutely no driver supportblaznwiipspman1

well its not reference design thats true but most games do support this card, even if crossfire support isn't there the games will act as if its a single 7970.

wait two years suddenly all new games not working left and right
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deactivated-5a9b3f32ef4e9

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#29 deactivated-5a9b3f32ef4e9
Member since 2009 • 7779 Posts

Yeah personally I wouldn't recommend the 7990.

Or even the 690.

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blaznwiipspman1

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#30 blaznwiipspman1
Member since 2007 • 16515 Posts

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

[QUOTE="JigglyWiggly_"]lol buy that if you want absolutely no driver supportJigglyWiggly_

well its not reference design thats true but most games do support this card, even if crossfire support isn't there the games will act as if its a single 7970.

wait two years suddenly all new games not working left and right

yeah I wouldnt buy it either, its better to just get 2X 7970. Still, the 7990 (Devils 13) is a monster of a card, probably the most ridiculous dual card ive seen so far.