[phillpower2]

The PSU is a Chinese produced Enhance brand and unfortunately not the quality US produced brand of the same name

 

What a Google search produced here the seller seemed happy with the PSU.

 

The PSU claims a maximum of 960W and has 6 X 12V rails each with a claimed 16 amps on them, this does not give the PSU an amperage rating of 96 amps but more like 72 amps which gives you more than enough for even the most demanding single add on video card.

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so, with all this information, what do you think? Do you think that PSU can handle having 3 SLI cards eventually? That is my plan, get 1 powerful card now, and later as they become cheaper and I need to upgrade, just buy another and SLI them together.

 

Cooling should not be an issue should it? This has the capability to be liquid cooled, but I have personally never done that, don't know where to take it and am afraid that if it leaks it would wreck my computer. Plus on occasion I take my PC to LAN parties and such, so moving it with liquid in it hardly seems safe

[MrPerson]

so, with all this information, what do you think? Do you think that PSU can handle having 3 SLI cards eventually? That is my plan, get 1 powerful card now, and later as they become cheaper and I need to upgrade, just buy another and SLI them together.

 

Cooling should not be an issue should it? This has the capability to be liquid cooled, but I have personally never done that, don't know where to take it and am afraid that if it leaks it would wreck my computer. Plus on occasion I take my PC to LAN parties and such, so moving it with liquid in it hardly seems safe

[phillpower2]

Honest answer is that I would not use the present PSU with anything more than a single add on video card, so little is known about the quality and reliability of the brand that it cannot be trusted, you should never use any PSU that is not at least bronze rated (minimum of 80% output efficiency rating) and unfortunately not even this can be confirmed for the present PSU, I am not trying to dampen your hopes but instead save you time, effort and cash, please see my canned text below;

 

Please note that there is one thing that is possibly worse than using a known poor quality brand of PSU and that is using one that is unheard of, for brands of PSU to trust and brands to avoid please refer to the attached links http://www.10stripe.com/featured/psu/brand.php and http://www.pcmech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=208143

 

PSU database http://www.realhardt...vos/Page541.htm

 

 

Two things that I do not recommend are liquid cooling and overclocking both of which go hand in hand, you have already identified the risks associated with liquid cooling so I will only add the following, extreme overclockers need liquid cooling due to the very high temps that are created, they are not concerned about voiding any warranties in any event so if it goes pear shaped they simply start again, effective case cooling fans, good cable management and a quality brand appropriate PSU are what you need to control internal case temps.

[MrPerson]

Hmm, well thanks for making me aware.

 

I was never a fan of the concept of overclocking. If something is not designed to go past a certain threshold, don't do it. I can't afford to overclock stuff and replace them when parts burn out, even at the small chances overclockers try to convince me of.

 

But as I asked, what do you think would be ok with my PSU and be a rather substantial upgrade from my GTX 650 (non TI or boost) that still has SLI function if I decide (against warnings) to try it, in the price range of 100-300$?

[phillpower2]

For a single card the one here

 

But if you do want to Sli the card in the future the one here

[MrPerson]

In a question at the bottom someone asked: "is it worth it to get another one to run in SLI?" Doesn't that mean it can? one of the reply's was: "The 4gb version of the GTX 760 was truly designed for SLI configurations because one by itself does not have the power to use all of its onboard memory, while 2 in SLI are able to use all 4096mb of onboard memory." This makes very little sense to me, why would a card not be able to use all of its own memory? And from what these people say, it looks like you can SLI them, (Right now that would be extreme overkill, but maybe not as much in 5 years when I may get another card) while you made it sound like it cannot be SLI

 

If its not then I am in a pickle...the fist one you mentioned has way more memory than the 2nd, but no SLI and is more expensive. The 2nd is cheaper and can do SLI and only has slightly less clock speeds, also, I noticed the 2nd one says that the slot size is dual, which means it would take up 2 of my 3 graphics card slots would it not? Hmm decisions decisions.....

 

*also, for some reason on my main pc using chrome, I am stuck on the first page, when I try to go to the 2nd page it just refreshes and takes me back to the first. I have cleared everything through the settings, but it still does it. Internet explorer worked yesterday, but now it just gives me a crash error as soon as I click it. I am typing this from a 2nd household computer*

[phillpower2]

Both cards are capable of Sli;

 

4GB spec sheet here

 

2GB spec sheet here

 

You sometimes need to read a little more into peoples opinion on things, I am not a hardcore gamer but do keep abreast of things (and will get back to Tomb Raider at some point) and to date I have not read of any game that requires a 4GB video card, games will benefit from having the VRam available but they will not use all of it, the 4GB of VRam is also beneficial when you are using multiple and larger displays.

 

In 5 years time any present video card will be obsolete and so you would not be looking to Sli either GTX 760 in any event, the 4GB card gives you the power on tap for any future demands that you may put on it whereas the 2GB card may not, why do you actually feel that you need to Sli cards in any event.

 

NB: The forum has a slight technical blip atm but it will be resolved asap.

[MrPerson]

well I wanted to be safe for now, and a few years into the future of games, the reason I wanted to have the SLI option was because if I get a powerful card now, then as it starts to have trouble running games down the line, it will be cheap, and I can just get another, to have twice the power. I know I am extremely oversimplifying, but adding another one of these 4gb cards when they are only a few years old would still make them close to as powerful as (or more) of cards from that time, for cheaper. I just like to have my options open.

 

And since those take 2 slots and my 3 are all in a row, (you probably cant tell unless I try) but if the first one covers the 2nd slot, and I decide to get another, can I just put it in the 3rd slot and the extra width can overhang? The PC's rear has more than enough room for both cards outputs to be there, its just that I have 3 cards, but both say they take up the room of 2.

 

in any case, either of those cards, especially the 4gb one, should be exponentially better than my current card, and that's all I really ask for. I can only run newer games, on med low settings at 30fps (sometimes higher) and I wish to rectify that. These new particle effects and shadows and shaders are what kill my current card the most, and I end up having to disable those options completely most of the time.

 

I wouldn't say I was a "Hardcore" gamer, but I do keep up with a lot of stuff, and play certain games a LOT. (off topic, but if you are a warhammer 40k fan, or a planetside fan, did you hear about eternal crusade? looks to be like a 3rd person planetside with horizontal progression and skill based combat-no abilities like traditional mmos. It will start with Space marines, Chaos marines, Orcs (which is the faction FTP people get, which is genius) and Eldar)

[phillpower2]

I have the 2GB version of the card using a single 24" screen and no plans on ever adding a second 2GB card as one does all that I need, the 4GB version should see you through until your next build in a few years time and having the extra 2GB of VRam will make it more likely, incidentally most decent video cards do take up two slots but as they are good cards you are less likely to need to add a second card.

 

its just that I have 3 cards, but both say they take up the room of 2.

 

 

Sorry, not sure what you mean by having 3 cards.

 

Unfortunately I havnt done any gaming for some time but will get back to it when I take a break from work.

[MrPerson]

excuse me, I meant that I have 3 slots, not cards, my bad. The MB has 3 slots for single slot graphics cards unless I am reading the MB page or looking at the picture wrong. I was asking if since both those cards say they are the width of two, if I decided to go for a 2nd (again, only IF i wanted to) would the 2nd one be safe being plugged into the 3rd slot since the first one will take up the first two slots?

[phillpower2]

No problem, the answer depends on 1: would a second card interfere with anything on the MB such as capacitors or any PCI cards that could be already in use. 2: does your case have enough back plate space.

[MrPerson]

hmm, that first one I am not entirely sure on, as I would have to open it again, so I will look at that when I get the new one and am putting it in. The 2nd, yes the entire lower half of the case is all back plate spaces.

[phillpower2]

Sounds like a plan    

 

I cant see you needing to add a second GPU but you are quite correct in covering your bases in case you do ever decide to 

[MrPerson]

what is your opinion on SLI (besides it not being needed most of the time) I hear many people actually complaining about performance loss or micro stuttering. Is that really a problem?

[phillpower2]

I can't answer your question based on personal experience but an interesting read for you here