2 quick and easy SLI questions

I am assuming that you can only run 2 cards SLI with PCI Express... correct?
I'm building a computer for a friend of a friend that has already has a
6800GT AGP card. He's not going to like having to get a new video card if
that's the case...

Also would an Antec TruePower 2.0 TP-II 430 480W Power Supply be enough to
power the system with 2 6800GT's (providing he can get two new cards), 1 WD
74gig Raptor, Asus A8nSLI Deluxe, & a DVD-Rom drive? Or shoud I step up to a
480 (or possibly higher).

--

1 Correct. yoou will need 2x PCI express cards

2 480w psu should do the job, but why not try for 600w if you can. I have an
OCZ Powerstream 600w psu. Expensive, but the SLI connectors are all shielded
and voltage supply can be "tuned"

"Carl" wrote in message
...
1 Correct. yoou will need 2x PCI express cards

Thanks! That's what I was afraid of...

2 480w psu should do the job, but why not try for 600w if you can. I have
an OCZ Powerstream 600w psu. Expensive, but the SLI connectors are all
shielded and voltage supply can be "tuned"
Budget mainly... I'm way over it at the moment and looking for ways to cut
it down a bit (even though I've built to his specs)

get 2 6600gt's instead?

Carl wrote:
get 2 6600gt's instead?


Forget the 2x6600GT SLI setup,its more expensive and less effective than
a single 6800Gt which will be working with full power in all games,not
just those that support SLI,this isnt the old 3Dfx SLI which would work
with all games and applications!

Cheers,
Thomas

"Matt" wrote in message
...
I am assuming that you can only run 2 cards SLI with PCI Express...
correct?

Yes, and only on a motherboard with the nVidia nForce4 chipset (though
that'll change with a newly-announced Intel chipset).

I'm building a computer for a friend of a friend that has already has a
6800GT AGP card. He's not going to like having to get a new video card if
that's the case...

Simple. Sell the 6800GT on eBay. It will actually fetch a decent price
compared to the cost of a new one today.

Also would an Antec TruePower 2.0 TP-II 430 480W Power Supply be enough to
power the system with 2 6800GT's (providing he can get two new cards), 1
WD 74gig Raptor, Asus A8nSLI Deluxe, & a DVD-Rom drive? Or shoud I step up
to a 480 (or possibly higher).

The 430 should be able to handle it. Antec PSUs are solid. Keep it unless
you see problems like repeated crashing at boot or during a game.

--
"War is the continuation of politics by other means.
It can therefore be said that politics is war without
bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed."

"First of One" wrote in message
...
"Matt" wrote in message
...
I am assuming that you can only run 2 cards SLI with PCI Express...
correct?

Yes, and only on a motherboard with the nVidia nForce4 chipset (though
that'll change with a newly-announced Intel chipset).

I'm building a computer for a friend of a friend that has already has a
6800GT AGP card. He's not going to like having to get a new video card if
that's the case...

Simple. Sell the 6800GT on eBay. It will actually fetch a decent price
compared to the cost of a new one today.

Also would an Antec TruePower 2.0 TP-II 430 480W Power Supply be enough
to power the system with 2 6800GT's (providing he can get two new cards),
1 WD 74gig Raptor, Asus A8nSLI Deluxe, & a DVD-Rom drive? Or shoud I step
up to a 480 (or possibly higher).

The 430 should be able to handle it. Antec PSUs are solid. Keep it unless
you see problems like repeated crashing at boot or during a game.

Thanks!

There are some newer motherboards out now that will support AGP and PCIx.
Seems to me Anandtech or Tomshardware reviewed one or two. At least that way
your friend could still use his older video card until he wanted to upgrade
to the PCIx form factor. Not sure if these boards do SLI though...


"Matt" wrote in message
...
I am assuming that you can only run 2 cards SLI with PCI Express...
correct? I'm building a computer for a friend of a friend that has already
has a 6800GT AGP card. He's not going to like having to get a new video
card if that's the case...

Also would an Antec TruePower 2.0 TP-II 430 480W Power Supply be enough to
power the system with 2 6800GT's (providing he can get two new cards), 1
WD 74gig Raptor, Asus A8nSLI Deluxe, & a DVD-Rom drive? Or shoud I step up
to a 480 (or possibly higher).

--

Tom Dauphin wrote:
There are some newer motherboards out now that will support AGP and PCIx.
Seems to me Anandtech or Tomshardware reviewed one or two. At least that way
your friend could still use his older video card until he wanted to upgrade
to the PCIx form factor. Not sure if these boards do SLI though...

I believe there was one ULi chipset that actually did this reasonably.
The rest attach the AGP slot through the PCI bus resulting in horrible
AGP performance.

--
Robert Hancock Saskatoon, SK, Canada
To email, remove "nospam" from
Home Page: http://www.roberthancock.com/