[Peptobismol165]

Hello!
I read someware that SLI isn't compatable with some games. So is this true?

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To say some games don't take advantage of SLI is correct, but those same games would also not take advantage of Crossfire either.

As to which one is better, SLI or Crossfire, that is a little more complicated. Right now, ATI's Crossfire HD5830 has the top performing setup if price is no object based on frames per second (fps), but it just beats out nVidia's SLI GTX 280 by 10to 15 FPS in games like Dragon Age Origions, Mass Effect 2, or Battlefield Bad Company 2 at high resolution and high quality settings in DX9 and DX10 games; however, nVidia's GTX 280 SLI setup edges out in a DX11 Alien versus Predator game.

In additon, the graphics cards' driver can have a great effect on how well said graphics card performs in a game.

For graphics cards and gaming, when it comes to nVidia or ATI and SLI or Crossfire, get the best setup for the money you have to spend.

Latest Graphics Cards Benchmarks from Tom's Hardware for 2010.

[MedStudent.003Hz]

To say some games don't take advantage of SLI is correct, but those same games would also not take advantage of Crossfire either.

As to which one is better, SLI or Crossfire, that is a little more complicated. Right now, ATI's Crossfire HD5830 has the top performing setup if price is no object based on frames per second (fps), but it just beats out nVidia's SLI GTX 280 by 10to 15 FPS in games like Dragon Age Origions, Mass Effect 2, or Battlefield Bad Company 2 at high resolution and high quality settings in DX9 and DX10 games; however, nVidia's GTX 280 SLI setup edges out in a DX11 Alien versus Predator game.

In additon, the graphics cards' driver can have a great effect on how well said graphics card performs in a game.

For graphics cards and gaming, when it comes to nVidia or ATI and SLI or Crossfire, get the best setup for the money you have to spend.

Latest Graphics Cards Benchmarks from Tom's Hardware for 2010.

[Peptobismol165]

Well I have a new question. I noticed all motherboards that "support" Crossfirex or SLI come with an SLI connector or a crossfirex connector. So does the motherboard support crossfirex/SLI or does it just say that because it comes with the chip?

Edited by Peptobismol165, 18 July 2010 - 09:46 AM.

[MedStudent.003Hz]

If I understand your question correctly, most motherboards will support either Crossfire or SLI, but there are more and more boards coming onto the market that support both Crossfire and SLI such as the MSI P55-GD65 LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard or GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD6 LGA 1156 or ASUS P7P55 WS SuperComputer with NF200 LGA 1156. You can still put an ATI gpu based graphics card in an SLI system and vice-a-versa, but to run two or more ATI cards or nVidia cards requires the system to support the Crossfire, SLI, or both platforms.

If you want the freedom of not being limited to just SLI or just Crossfire, then you would want to get a board that supports both.

Hope that is the answer you were wanting.

[Peptobismol165]

Yes and no.

So does a motherboard have to say "Supports SLI" of "Supports CrossfireX" in order to do that feature?

Maybe this will sound better. Lets say I have a motherboard that supports CrossfireX ONLY. If I buy 2 Nvidia graphics cards and buy a SLI connector chip will SLI work? Does that sound better?

[MedStudent.003Hz]

The motherboard has to support SLI or Crossfire. If the motherboard you are getting supports only Crossfire, then it does not support SLI, and based on what I know, even buying and using an SLI connector chip would not allow it do so.

[Peptobismol165]

Thanks for the information.