Mix and match brands for SLI?

I am contemplating pulling the trigger after X-Mas, and going SLI. I've
got the motherboard, and I've currently got a PNY 8800GTS 640MB.

Problem is, PNY no longer makes this card, they've gone to the 512MB
GTS. Could I SLI with dis-similar brands, as long as I stay with the
same model, and ideally, the same core chip (G80 vs G92?) and clock speed?

Looks like, at a rough guesstimate, based on near ideal conditions, I
could likely expect about a 50-75% speed boost, all other hardware
remaining the same. I'd also likely need either a beefier power supply
(only a 550w now), or a second power supply, and split the load.

Thanks
Jason A.

You can SLI different brands and different clock speeds.

You cannot SLI different GPUs. This means GTS 640 MB won't work with GTS 512
MB. I believe it also means GTS 640 MB (96 shaders) won't work with GTS
"SSC" 640 MB (112 shaders).

nVidia really screwed up the naming scheme this time. It will be even more
fun when nVidia unveils the Geforce 9800, not to be confused with the Radeon
9800...

--
"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."


"Jason A." wrote in message
...
I am contemplating pulling the trigger after X-Mas, and going SLI. I've
got the motherboard, and I've currently got a PNY 8800GTS 640MB.

Problem is, PNY no longer makes this card, they've gone to the 512MB GTS.
Could I SLI with dis-similar brands, as long as I stay with the same
model, and ideally, the same core chip (G80 vs G92?) and clock speed?

Looks like, at a rough guesstimate, based on near ideal conditions, I
could likely expect about a 50-75% speed boost, all other hardware
remaining the same. I'd also likely need either a beefier power supply
(only a 550w now), or a second power supply, and split the load.

Thanks
Jason A.

"Jason A." wrote in message
...
I am contemplating pulling the trigger after X-Mas, and going SLI. I've
got the motherboard, and I've currently got a PNY 8800GTS 640MB.

Problem is, PNY no longer makes this card, they've gone to the 512MB GTS.
Could I SLI with dis-similar brands, as long as I stay with the same
model, and ideally, the same core chip (G80 vs G92?) and clock speed?

Looks like, at a rough guesstimate, based on near ideal conditions, I
could likely expect about a 50-75% speed boost, all other hardware
remaining the same. I'd also likely need either a beefier power supply
(only a 550w now), or a second power supply, and split the load.

Thanks
Jason A.

You can use any other 8800GTS just fine, even if the memory amount is
different. I think you are expecting a bit more than you will get with SLI.
I get an increase of about 30-35% in overall performance with two 8800 GTXs
over a single GTX, slightly more in some apps and slightly less in others.
50-75% performance increase just aint gonna happen. For example, in 3D Mark
06 and one GTX I get in the 14000 overall range. In SLI, about 17500-17700.
A good jump, but not 50%.


Ed

Different manufacturers clock the GPU and the video RAM differently. You
really need to use two IDENTICAL video cards for SLI.

--
--DaveW
"Jason A." wrote in message
...
I am contemplating pulling the trigger after X-Mas, and going SLI. I've
got the motherboard, and I've currently got a PNY 8800GTS 640MB.

Problem is, PNY no longer makes this card, they've gone to the 512MB GTS.
Could I SLI with dis-similar brands, as long as I stay with the same
model, and ideally, the same core chip (G80 vs G92?) and clock speed?

Looks like, at a rough guesstimate, based on near ideal conditions, I
could likely expect about a 50-75% speed boost, all other hardware
remaining the same. I'd also likely need either a beefier power supply
(only a 550w now), or a second power supply, and split the load.

Thanks
Jason A.

"DaveW" wrote in message
...
Different manufacturers clock the GPU and the video RAM differently. You
really need to use two IDENTICAL video cards for SLI.

That's not completely true. It is partially true if you use factory
overclocked cards.
If you're talking about stock cards on stock, reference clocks, you can use
any card
you want. Most of the reviews are for single card, but there are a couple of
reviews
covering SLI as well, like these one:

http://techreport.com/articles.x/13772
http://it-review.net/index.php?optio...32&Ite mid=91

As you can see, both of these teams used cards by "different manufacturers".

Also, those are not different manufacturers - all of the cards are the same
and manufactured by NVIDIA.
Partners are just stick&stamping their stuff and selling them.

"DaveW" wrote in message

Different manufacturers clock the GPU and the video RAM differently. You
really need to use two IDENTICAL video cards for SLI.

Do you ever stop talking through your arse? Nvidia relaxed the SLI matching
requirements two years ago. Today the GPUs must be the same, not the cards.
If the cards run at different speeds the faster one will underclock to match
the slower one.

"Igor Hitrec" wrote in message


[...]

Also, those are not different manufacturers - all of the cards are
the same and manufactured by NVIDIA.
Partners are just stick&stamping their stuff and selling them.

Nvidia does not make retail cards, full stop. Their partners do indeed
manufacture the cards, sometimes copying Nvidia's reference design,
sometimes not.

"DRS" wrote in message
...
"Igor Hitrec" wrote in message


Nvidia does not make retail cards, full stop. Their partners do indeed
manufacture the cards, sometimes copying Nvidia's reference design,
sometimes not.

You are wrong, full stop. But feel free to think whatever you want - no
problem in that...

Most of the designs are reference, and by "most", I'm talking about VAST
majority -
especially when NVIDIA is launching new products. All of the reference
designs are
manufactured/assembled by NVIDIA, and NVIDIA sells them to partners.
Partners then
use their stickers, boxes, manuals, CD's and other stuff and that's all the
difference
you'll see within "reference" cards.

Non-reference designs are done by partners, sometimes by copying reference
designs, sometimes
by changing tiny bits, sometimes coolers, somethimes other things. OC'ed
designs are very often
plain old reference designs cherrypicked and OCed by partner AFTER they're
bought by partner
from NVIDIA. Perfect examples - EVGA KO/Superclocked/Black Pearl/whatnot.
Some of them
feature changed coolers (water with BP), but they're nonetheless reference
cards, bought by EVGA
from NVIDIA and then branded as EVGA. Same thing goes for motherboards.

Igor Hitrec wrote:

All of the reference designs are manufactured/assembled by NVIDIA, and NVIDIA sells them to partners.

That above statement shows you have no idea what you are talking about.

I would describe in detail the differences between fabless manufacturers
such as nvidia and ATI and actual manufacturers such as Foxconn, PC
Partner and TMSC, and how it all goes together...

But you seem to know something we all don't, Igor. So please, enlighten
us as to the specifics of the process. We could all benefit from your
unique understanding.

So, short answer seems to be that yes, I can mix brands, as long as I
stay with the same chipset, and RAM on the card.

Even better if I keep the shaders etc the same, as well.

The faster card will underclock itself to match the slower card, also.

Cool.

Jason A. wrote:
I am contemplating pulling the trigger after X-Mas, and going SLI. I've
got the motherboard, and I've currently got a PNY 8800GTS 640MB.

Problem is, PNY no longer makes this card, they've gone to the 512MB
GTS. Could I SLI with dis-similar brands, as long as I stay with the
same model, and ideally, the same core chip (G80 vs G92?) and clock speed?

Looks like, at a rough guesstimate, based on near ideal conditions, I
could likely expect about a 50-75% speed boost, all other hardware
remaining the same. I'd also likely need either a beefier power supply
(only a 550w now), or a second power supply, and split the load.

Thanks
Jason A.