What are the pros and cons of using crossfire and SLI?

I am new to this.What are all the advantages and disadvantages?

I am new to this.What are all the advantages and disadvantages?

Stunneronureyez

Pro: More calculation power. Edit: Forgot, it also gives you a lot of e-peen, even more than a single card of double the calculation power.

Cons: Sometimes the **** doesn't work for no apparent reason beyond being an SLI or Crossfire setup. Two graphics cards cost more than one, they also draw more power.

pros: can have the performance of the best cards on the market for about 2/3 the price

cons: power requirements are high, sometimes scaling isn't 100% depending on the game, need a really good PSU $$$

the idea is pretty simple. Say you buy two AMD 6950 1GB version for $250 each. The total comes to $500 but the performance in games is almost twice as powerful as a single 580 GTX. Thats the basic idea.

pros: can have the performance of the best cards on the market for about 2/3 the price

cons: power requirements are high, sometimes scaling isn't 100% depending on the game, need a really good PSU $$$

the idea is pretty simple. Say you buy two AMD 6950 1GB version for $250 each. The total comes to $500 but the performance in games is almost twice as powerful as a single 580 GTX. Thats the basic idea.

blaznwiipspman1

Can you recommend the PSU that I would need? Would 1kW be enough?

Secondly, what would you say about a dual 6970 setup? Would you say go for it if you have the money or is it not worth the problems it may cause?

cons outweigh pros for me definitely. the double power draw is enough for me to say no. there is also doubling in price and worst of all, performance is not doubled...it gets louder and hotter and it's just a bad experience.fishing666

Sure it may not be exactly double the performance, but it's close. Double the price? Yes, but 2 mid range cards still destroy the performance of 1 top end card for less money.

For me the only con with my 470s is the heat in SLI, but thats mainly because of my motherboards layout restricting airflow to the top card. Bottom card hits 64C in furmark which is quite cool for a 470 compared to a lot that I've heard, but the top one hits 85.

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

pros: can have the performance of the best cards on the market for about 2/3 the price

cons: power requirements are high, sometimes scaling isn't 100% depending on the game, need a really good PSU $$$

the idea is pretty simple. Say you buy two AMD 6950 1GB version for $250 each. The total comes to $500 but the performance in games is almost twice as powerful as a single 580 GTX. Thats the basic idea.

Stunneronureyez

Can you recommend the PSU that I would need? Would 1kW be enough?

Secondly, what would you say about a dual 6970 setup? Would you say go for it if you have the money or is it not worth the problems it may cause?

right now Id say the 570 in SLI is the best setup to get. But when the prices drop on the 6970 after the 1 GB version is released plus the pcb is changed, things might change. So I say wait for the 6970 1gb version to release (should be soon) then decide b/w the 6970 or the 570.

Pro: Very fast (obviously).

Cons: Huge power consumption, not compatible with every applications, usually loses to next-generation single cards for half the price, micro-stuttering (?).

Pros

• Performance boost is very nice if you have decent cards and if the game can utilize SLI/Crossfire
• Sounds cool when you say "I have SLI/Crossfire!"
• i.e. of performance boost: Dual GTX 280 in SLI; average around 50fps in Metro 2033 (DX 10, everything maxed @ 1680x1050). Compared to a single card running around 35fps with same settings

Cons

• Heat
• Power draw
• Not all games/programs utilize SLI

In the end, for me, I just like having dual cards....mostly because it makes my younger brother jealous.