Will i bottleneck? help please!!!

Help!!! im in the market for some new vidcards, and i know that many will bash me for wanting SLI when a better single card is the same price, right? but what is better than the bragging rights? not much, eh? anyway will i bottle neck my AMD 6400+ OC @ 3.445ghz with an SLI of GTX 260 core 216's? would i have to upgrade to a Ph. II 940, mind you if it would be better i would go for it (thus tacking on another 2 months, but good things come to those who wait...) my specs are as follows:
AMD 6400+ OC-3,445
ASRock tri-SLI mobo:K10N780SLIX3-WiFi
4 gigs of no-name DDR2 800 @ stock
2 8600GTS in SLI
please help, my GTS's are dying (they are OC, but thats not the point) and i fear i may have less than three months before i go MAD!!!!:biggun:
so please help...?

 

Yeh there will be a big bottleneck i do suggest getting a Phenom II.

but i mean one 8800GT is faster than 8600GTS SLI so maby just grab a GTS250 it would be a massive leap from what you have now.

 

thnx kyle, methinks it would work for me too, because of this change in spending planning, i think ill put off the SLI for a month or so so i dont go stark raving mad and then just add it (prices might drop alittle by then, who knows?)


"can i have some more sir?" "MORE!?!?!?!?:idea:

 

btw this in no way closes the thread, like to have more than one opinion before i go and plunk down $300+ yaknow?:nerd:

 

right now, pick up a GTX 260 if you want more graphics performance.

if you want to SLI, get a phenom II chip and a 980a motherboard(rebranded AMD 780i)

 

Seconded.

 

Do not forget about the most over looked part, you will need a better PSU if you upgrade you GPU and go SLi. Also I did have an AMD rig, with a 3600x2 OC to 2.8ghz I ran a set of 9600GT's in SLi. I would say my FPS in all the games I played were good. I even ran a set of 9800gtx+'s that I have now on the 3600x2, then I upgraded to a 3100+ OC to 3.4ghz and I did notice a small gain w/ the 9600gt's and a bigger gain going to the 3100 w/ the 9800gtx+'s. It comes down to what you consider a bottle neck. If you go by bench runs then an Intel CPU is the only way to get the scores up. But if you look at GPU scores my E8400@4.750ghz still showed an increase in GPU scores on bench runs. What I would do is look at the games you play then say I want this many FPS while playing. Buy the GPU/s that fit the bill then upgrade the rest of the system to support the new parts.

~John

 

thirded

 

Thanks

thanks for all the helpful reviews guys, i've decided that i will jump to an X4, as well as upgrade my PSU (was already planning on it), and that the SLI'd GTX 260's will be necessary b-cause i just hit something of a jackpot and will also be upgrading my monitor from the puny 15.4" monitor that i run now (yes i know) to a 24" widescreen at 1900x1200 instead of a 19" monitor at a smaller res.

i have another question, but seeing as how it does not belong in this thread, i will post it in the AMD cpu's section

 

1920x1200 is more of a GPU res vice a CPU. See my test results below.

 

I think more point would be to get HD4870X2... It should be cheaper and is the same as 2XGTX260.

 

I had 2 core 216 in sli on a E8500 @3.6 on a 19´1440 x 900 resolution at it was COMPLETELY USELESS!! I sold them both for 550$ and got me a GTS250 and im actually happier.i consume less power,generate less heat and the dual core runs this single card alot better,plus, SLi gets buggy from time to time.forget about Sli it kinda SUX IMO.if youre running higher resolutions,consider a 275 or 285 if u gots the guap .I reccomend the gts250 but a single core 216 is a great option also.

 

Yes you will bottleneck. Grab a GTX275 that video card is just pure awsome! Getting me one after I get my laptop and Speaker system.

 

I would say get a GTX 275 or a 4890, I really don't think u need 2 gtx 260s in SLI and I don't feel with that processor u would see much gain over 1(I had 4890+4870 xfire but only saw marginal improvement over a 4890 OC with my CPU) , I suggest getting a single GPU card, and going Xfire or SLI after u get ur CPU upgrade, just my 0.02

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

Thanks all!!!

thanks everyone for the great helpful comments, i was out of town so i couldn't check the forums, and my final decision is that i will be getting the AM3 X4 955, the SLI'd GTX 260core 216's, a new CM 900 watt PSU with the HAF 932 case, the CM V8 cooler with a 150cfm fan already have the AS5 so don't need any more, 4 Gigs of DDR2 1066 at 5-5-5-15 and a brand spankin' new beautiful 24" Acer HD 1080p high-res stuck to my wall with a mount... all in all a nice upgrade from what i had. thanks all, you have made me a permanent member of Guru3D's forums, and i know where to go if i need comp advice from now on!!!
the specs are (if anyone is interested):

Acer H243Hbmid 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
Item #: N82E16824009167
Return Policy: LCD Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

Protect Your Investment (expand for options24-009-167|hide options24-009-167)

Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan

The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info24-009-167.0.18)

* 1 year: $29.99
* 2 year: $49.99

-$30.00 Instant


$279.99
$249.99

. .


PNY VCGGTX260CXPB GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

PNY VCGGTX260CXPB GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814133270
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

Protect Your Investment (expand for options14-133-270S1693|hide options14-133-270S1693)

Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan

The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info14-133-270.0.18)

* 1 year: $19.99
* 2 year: $35.99

-$49.99 Saving


$359.98
$260.00
($130.00each)

2

Nvidia Gift Call of duty - World at war - OEM

Nvidia Gift Call of duty - World at war - OEM
Item #: N82E16800999088
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy



$99.98
($49.99each)

. .


OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2N1066SR2GK - Retail

OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2N1066SR2GK - Retail
Item #: N82E16820227181
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

-$5.00 Instant


$79.98
$69.98
($34.99each)

. .


Peerless ST630P Flat Wall Mount for Small 10"- 24" LCD Screens VESA 75 / 100 - Retail

Peerless ST630P Flat Wall Mount for Small 10"- 24" LCD Screens VESA 75 / 100 - Retail
Item #: N82E16824997928
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy



$21.99

. .


AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGIBOX - Retail

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGIBOX - Retail
Item #: N82E16819103674
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

Protect Your Investment (expand for options19-103-674|hide options19-103-674)

Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan

The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info19-103-674.0.18)

* 1 year: $29.99
* 2 year: $49.99

-$10.00 Instant


$255.00
$245.00

. .


COOLER MASTER V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail

COOLER MASTER V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail
Item #: N82E16835103055
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

Protect Your Investment (expand for options35-103-055|hide options35-103-055)

Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan

The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info35-103-055.0.18)

* 1 year: $10.99
* 2 year: $17.99



$69.99

. .

COOLER MASTER UCP RS900-AAAAA3 900W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Power Supply - Retail
COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail

*

COOLER MASTER UCP RS900-AAAAA3 900W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817171033
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

Protect Your Investment (expand for options17-171-03310|hide options17-171-03310)

Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan

The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info17-171-0331.0.18)
o 1 year: $19.99
o 2 year: $35.99

*

COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811119160
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$30.00 Instant
-$50.00 Combo
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate

$359.98
$279.98

 

btw, yes i heard you when you said get a GTX 275 or HD 4890, but IMO i think that nothing compares to the bragging rights of SLI/Xfire, as well as having seen a pair of HD 4770's almost beat a GTX 280, yeah i know, id like to keep myself in the upper area and have two cards (say hello to new cooling for cards in another month or so and some serious OC!!!)

 

It's nice to have those bragging rights, I agree. You have to keep in mind though that some games break under SLI/Crossfire ( let alone scale ), and it can be a real pain to get them to work properly. Take it from me, I have a decent Crossfire setup. You would benefit more by getting one card now and dedicating the rest of the cash towards something else. As it stands there's not a whole lot that a GTX260/GTX275 or a HD4870/HD4890 can't handle in single card config that they can in SLI/Crossfire.

 

Just get a single GTX 260 core 216 and you'll be set.

 

I second that and third it