Ask A Geek

Q: Can I set SLI between a GTX 285 xxx edition and a normal GTX 285 without too much hassle?

A: We have seen some cases where this works and some cases where this does not. If both cards are in the same series like GTX 285 and GTX 285 xxx edition then there is a chance it will work fine. If, however, one is a GTX 285 and one is a GTX 295 then you probably wont have any luck. Read the rest of this entry »

Q: I recently installed two GPU’s in my computer running 64 bit Windows XP and was hoping to run them in SLI configuration. One is a GeForce 8600GT 512MB manufactured by KFA2 and the other is a GeForce 8600GT manufactured by Nvidia. After hooking everything up I found there were no SLI options or multi-GPU settings at all in the Nvidia control panel.

My computer has detected both GPU’s so there is no discernible hardware problem. All the latest drivers have been installed. After digging around for hours in the control panel I found the system information, which told me that my two cards have slightly different clock speeds and various other technical differences. Is this the reason I am not able to enable SLI? Is there any way around this?

A: After reviewing your link to GPU-Z data we can determine that the ram does not match in the cards. So while the card has the correct GPU for an 8600GT card it does is a 128MB card. It is a very stripped down model and is the reason you cannot enable SLI.

This should be a warning for anyone wanting to enable SLI. Make sure you double check all the information related to your graphic cards to make sure that they are identical.

Q: I recently installed two GPU’s in my computer running 64 bit XP and was hoping to run them in SLI configuration. One is a GeForce 8600GT 512MB manufactured by KFA2 and the other is a GeForce 8600GT manufactured by Nvidia. After hooking everything up I found there was no SLI options or multi-GPU settings at all in the Nvidia control panel. My computer has detected both GPU’s so there’s no hardware problem and all the latest drivers have been installed. After digging around for hours in the control panel I found the system information, which told me that my two cards have slightly different clock speeds and various other technical differences. Is this the reason I am not able to enable SLI? Is there any way around this?

Q: I am buying a new PC and my son and I game a lot. Would I see a performance difference with 2 nVidia 8800GT cards instead of just 1? We will be running Windows Vista on the new computer.

A: The nVidia 8800GT is a great video card. I’m running one myself right now, it’s a wonderful balance of price and performance for the enthusiast PC gaming market. One of these cards hooked into a nice system can run just about anything with max detail and great performance. Adding a second card will give a boost to your frames per second (FPS), however for most games you’ll probably already getting 30 to 70 FPS with just one card and you won’t be able to notice the difference.

If you’re still on the fence about getting a second card you can always add it down the road. You’ll just need to make sure that the motherboard has SLI support. If it does, you can buy an identical card (~$260 right now) add it into the computer and you’ll be all set.

Just remember as you plot for the future that video card technology moves at breakneck speed, and that very often one brand new card is dramatically faster and cheaper than two of last years video card.

Here are two nice big reviews of the nVidia 8800GT, they also include benchmarks showing the performance difference between running one or two 8800GT’s.

FiringSquad.com 8800GT Review
Guru3d 8800GT SLI Review