Windows Vista To use SLI or not use SLI?

kemical

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Joined
Aug 28, 2007
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36,176
Hi it's coming to the time where I'll be upgrading my machine again. I already have a motherboard in mind (A Gigabyte GA-MA790X-DS4) and once the the quad 45nm AMDs are out, I'll be investing in one of those. (but only when they're releasing 2.8-3.00GHz chips)
The m/b comes with enough PCIe slots for SLI but when I've read posts in certain forums SLI sounds great 'if' you have a driver which actually works.. Up till now I've always been satisfied with using a single card. Now we have a glut of new members (some with great rigs) and I just wondered on other users takes on this area of pc hardware..
 
Solution
W
Just to give you an idea of SLI performance. (Vista Ultimate x64)

XFX GeForce Silent 8600GT Fatal1ty 2x SLI (Forceware 169.28)

3DMARK06 - Graphic test "Return to Proxycon"

no SLI: 1280x1024 average 23.6
SLI: 1280x1024 average 40.3

no SLI: 1280x1024 8xAA average 15.7
SLI: 1280x1024 8xAA average 27.7

Result: 70% - 76% performance increase.
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Wow your getting thru it quick... Here's the link for the mod:
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When you open the page you may get an install box for a DVix player, just cancel it. To get to the download scroll down to the bottom of the page and you'll see it placed just above links for further downloads. It would be probably be best if you ran thru the game first before you applied it but it's up to you... Have fun

Oh and just to add, it's a slow download or at least it was for me...
 
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Thanks, I'm @ work now but I'll get to it when I get home. I'm at the part now where you gotta fly that POS plane "thingy" and it is pissin' me off I keep crashin' the damn thing.
 
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Lol, you mean the 'Vtol'... Just remember it can go backwards and it's boost button is the left shift key.One more thing, don't hang around, I found the faster I moved on the better.
 
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kemical said:
Lol, you mean the 'Vtol'... Just remember it can go backwards and it's boost button is the left shift key.One more thing, don't hang around, I found the faster I moved on the better.
Click to expand...


Yeah I know it's a Vtol but it flies like a POS LOL! any way I got the download and I'll install it tomorrow. I finally got it to stop leaving me in the water out in the middle of nothing. I guess it was a glitch in the game. Then I'm on the ship's bridge and I fall in a hole and can't get out..that pissed me off. So I had to restart that save point..I finally kill the "Boss" at the end of that level and thought I was going after Prophet next thing I know the credits are rolling..WTF? It's over already? I'm gonna have to start over on a harder level.
After I take a nap LOL
 
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Yup, it's a shame it's not longer but I found there's plenty still explore by going through it again. This is the first of a trilogy but we won't be seeing the next instalment until 2010. I usually play it on 'Delta' or 'hard' (as in delta level they only speak korean. Getting the guards mad and screaming at you is at times incredibly funny and better in english, so I usually hide in the trees using cloak then pop out now and again to shoot one in the leg. Man do they get mad LOL) I also use a cfg file that bumps up the 'bumpiness' .To do this is quite easy, if you go to documents/my games/Crysis you'll see there's a cfg file already there. Copy and paste that to say your documents folder. Then rename it 'autoexec' (without the quotes) and delete the stuff it already contains as you'll be replacing it. Now copy and paste the following into the cfg file:

con_restricted = 0
r_UsePOM = 1
r_TexturesFilteringQuality = 4

Once you've saved this you then need to put the cfg file in your main Crysis folder found C:/Program files/Electronic Arts/Crytek/Crisis (don't worry it won't mess with the natural mod either,which by the way is also running below)

This is a shot without the cfg file:

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This is 'with' the cfg file, notice the bumps in the foreground..

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Any problems just give me shout..

Oh by the way, yeah your right about the POS plane lol.
 
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Hi superbill,

thanks for the link. As I thought you just can't get integrated graphics competing with standalone varieties, especially high end. Saying this though, AMDs latest offering is a massive leap forward and is even overclockable!
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It can even handle DX10 although I wouldn't try and play Crysis on it lol..
 
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Hi Kemical

Thanks for the link. I have to say I am interested in this AMD New 780G Chipset especially as the testers are claiming "is one of the best chipsets we have ever tested." It is good to see a chipset that "sets a new record for the lowest power consumption. ", something we should all embrace and support.
I was also surprised to note that on board graphics could be overclocked by as much as 90% without errors or crashes and with a performance boost of near 50% in some games. This could save shelving out on a expensive dedicated graphics card.
So the jury is still out on which way to go in the future but certainly the competition between Intel and AMD is "hotting up"
Anyone else like to add their opinion?????
 
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Hi Superbill,

yup, the above certainly looks good and if you wanted to build a media centre that runs high definition easily then that'll be the way to go.. If your into running the latest games however, then a reasonably high powered graphics card is still a must (and I think will be for some time to come).
 
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Hmm... I wonder where that games folder is? It contains things like your profile and also the settings that you've got the game at... Have you looked in the 'Public Folders'?
Yeah Delta is a blast no? You seriously have to consider what your next moves are going to be.. Awesome

If you can't find that folder.. pm your e-mail and I'll send you a copy of the autoexec
 
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HeHe, I splashed the cash on 'The Orange Box' today.. It's a while since I ran around being Gordan Freeman and Half-Life (the original) was one of my all time fav' games. I got up to Half-Life2 but haven't played the latest in the series plus the package was a real bargin, you get Half-Life2, Half-Life2 Episode One, Half-Life2 Episode Two, Portal (which apparently is amazing) and Team Fortress (multiplayer game). So you get like 5 games for the price of one...very cool

Update:
I'd thought I'd start from the very beginning again as I can't remember Half-Life2 at all. To say the game was made in 2004 the graphics are suprisingly good and I can't remember any of the puzzle's at all, which is making the game all the more enjoyable.. Anyhow, a couple of screenshots for you..
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Here's another around the same place..

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Had to include one with a headcrab or two..

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Hi superbill,

thanx for the link. Yup nice machine, especially the case (I nearly bought one). I think I'd rather have the cash to build my own though and as we've dicussed before, wait for the GT200 chip. Although the card they've got featured is very fast it's still based on the G92 chip and as the review say's, in certain instances, it's no faster than a single card. According to rumour the GT200 is 50% faster....!!!
The Phenoms are starting to show promise now and the future looks good for the 45nm node. I'm hoping that by november/December both the GT200 and 45nm Phenom will be out although I won't get the Phenom unless it's at least 2.8-3.00GHz..
Any thoughts yourself to the upgrade path?
 
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Hmm... It looks like I will wait like yourselves till later in the year to look at the GT200 and Phenom.
I wonder if I should go for a installed rig or build it myself??
What's the plus & minuses of going down the self build or is it "self destruct" road.?????
 
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Hmm. Choice I guess, you get to use the components you really want. Also building your own rig is very, very satisfieing. As long as you take your time and work 'clean' it's a lot easier than you think. Ask Fatboy he'll tell you...
 
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It's funny you say that because I went online to I "think" Falcon's site and one more place who's name I can't recall and they both had it where you could "build" your PC like you want it.
I was like cool but the only drawback is you have only a few choices (brand names and models)when it comes to your hardware like your motherboard, CPU, video card, etc. So I built one as close as I could get to the one I have now and it was about $2,000 higher than what I could buy the parts for... so I'm gonna pay someone 2 G's to put it together? I DON"T THINK SO !!!
The BEST thing about building your own is when it is all finished and your "buddy" comes over to your house to check it out and he (or) she is standing...mouth open, speechless and drooling you know ya done a good job
 
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