SLI question

I'm doing a new build for a PC. Just got a SLI mo-bo, and I noticed that my 9800 is no longer being sold anywhere. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150323 - If you must know. There's only two more XFX cards like that, but they're on E-Bay or Tiger Direct. I don't trust E-Bay and I've heard bad things about Tiger Direct. Can I just get another 9800, say from EVGA, and run them like that? Or do they have to be twins?

asked May 31 '10 at 17:17

John Casper
281●1●2●8

.E, can I use any 9800? Or do they have to be of the same brand, perhaps even the same model?

(May 31 '10 at 18:35) John Casper

2 Answers:

oldest newest most voted

Generally, and for the best possible outcome, both cards should be the same. There are a few exceptions, but they are rare and you would really want to do your homework before trying it yourself. Basically they need to have the same RAM and clocks. For example, a 7800 and 9800 can't be paired because they have different clocks. However you could pair two 7800GTX512 cards from different vendors since the memory and clocks are the same. In your case, the XFX could possibly be paired with one from eVGA or BFG, or even Galaxy if you can find one. Again, however, do your homework first to make sure or you'll end up wasting money.

answered May 31 '10 at 18:53

MikeInVa
101●1●6

Thanks for the reply. So basically they have to have the same specs, ram, gpu, and mem clock? Good to know, thanks man.

(May 31 '10 at 18:55) John Casper

Remember to do research. I can't emphasize that enough. Even if specs match up, does not guarantee it will work. Do searches, check forums, etc. just to be sure.

(May 31 '10 at 19:42) MikeInVa

I fully support the answer above. Clock and RAM have to match to avoid tweaking. As for your comment on TigerDirect, I have to disagree. I buy all of my stuff from TigerDirect, and I'm not talking about a piece here or there. I'm talking about thousands of dollars in parts and pieces. I built a brand new machine and they supplied everything but the case (I already had one). They truly stand behind their products, refurbed or not.

(Jun 01 '10 at 13:33) David

First of all only the actual GPU absolutely needs to match on both cards.

Prime example would be mixing a 9800GTX+ with a GTS 250 1024MB, by modifying the coolbits registry key you can force SLI between the two cards but the better card will automatically downclock or reduce the addressable VRAM to accommodate the other card.

answered May 31 '10 at 20:11

Justin Green
206●1●3●4

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