Low-end physx or sli?
Hi all, first post here.

I'll be finally getting a windows 7 license to play around properly with my 3DV kit I purchased earlier. I'm however currently running on a gt220 and I still have my earlier gt8600's (two of them). I've been running single card since on linux two cards aren't so well supported and because I had problems with my MB getting flaky if I had two cards. I think I've isolated that. So here's the question, should I run the system with gt220 running the display (Viewsonic fuhzion 22") with a 8600gt as a physx card or should I have the two 8600's as sli? Or should I just forget about the 8600's? I know the first answer will be 'buy a new card' and I will, but that'll take until february and since I bought a lot of older games off amazon for christmas I should be able to find something to play.

On a side note, I resisted purchasing windows for nearly a year, mostly in the hopes of there being linux support. So take this as a +1 for linux support :)
Hi all, first post here.



I'll be finally getting a windows 7 license to play around properly with my 3DV kit I purchased earlier. I'm however currently running on a gt220 and I still have my earlier gt8600's (two of them). I've been running single card since on linux two cards aren't so well supported and because I had problems with my MB getting flaky if I had two cards. I think I've isolated that. So here's the question, should I run the system with gt220 running the display (Viewsonic fuhzion 22") with a 8600gt as a physx card or should I have the two 8600's as sli? Or should I just forget about the 8600's? I know the first answer will be 'buy a new card' and I will, but that'll take until february and since I bought a lot of older games off amazon for christmas I should be able to find something to play.



On a side note, I resisted purchasing windows for nearly a year, mostly in the hopes of there being linux support. So take this as a +1 for linux support :)

#1
Posted 12/09/2010 08:33 PM   
For gaming, I think the gt220 for display and an 8600gt for physx is the way to go. I don't think you'll be doing any serious 3d gaming though just yet.

I think Nvidia has had some pretty terrific Linux support! They are FAR more Linux friendly than AMD cards. But you're right, SLI in linux is silly. It can be done in Debian distributions and some RedHat kernels, but there is no point.
For gaming, I think the gt220 for display and an 8600gt for physx is the way to go. I don't think you'll be doing any serious 3d gaming though just yet.



I think Nvidia has had some pretty terrific Linux support! They are FAR more Linux friendly than AMD cards. But you're right, SLI in linux is silly. It can be done in Debian distributions and some RedHat kernels, but there is no point.



8130p @ 5.1Ghz : GTX 570 x2 - cuda workstation



i5-2500k @ 4.4Ghz : GTX 570 - itx media pc

#2
Posted 12/09/2010 08:44 PM   
[quote name='Luke_SLI' date='09 December 2010 - 08:44 PM' timestamp='1291927462' post='1158582']
For gaming, I think the gt220 for display and an 8600gt for physx is the way to go. I don't think you'll be doing any serious 3d gaming though just yet.
[/quote]

OK, thanks, that's exactly what I wanted to know. Do you think console ports will run on this? I just bought mass effect and jade empire among others. Well, I'll know for sure soon, the estimated delivery time is for monday.

[quote]
I think Nvidia has had some pretty terrific Linux support! They are FAR more Linux friendly than AMD cards. But you're right, SLI in linux is silly. It can be done in Debian distributions and some RedHat kernels, but there is no point.
[/quote]

They sort of do, that's why I've kept buying them. But I'm a bit of a display junkie and just having two screens is a limitation. I sold my third screen when the motherboard started acting up. But anyway, I think I'll go arm soon enough for my 24/7 computation needs. Pandaboards are only 180$ and can run two screens. So two of them should do four screens nicely. :)
[quote name='Luke_SLI' date='09 December 2010 - 08:44 PM' timestamp='1291927462' post='1158582']

For gaming, I think the gt220 for display and an 8600gt for physx is the way to go. I don't think you'll be doing any serious 3d gaming though just yet.





OK, thanks, that's exactly what I wanted to know. Do you think console ports will run on this? I just bought mass effect and jade empire among others. Well, I'll know for sure soon, the estimated delivery time is for monday.





I think Nvidia has had some pretty terrific Linux support! They are FAR more Linux friendly than AMD cards. But you're right, SLI in linux is silly. It can be done in Debian distributions and some RedHat kernels, but there is no point.





They sort of do, that's why I've kept buying them. But I'm a bit of a display junkie and just having two screens is a limitation. I sold my third screen when the motherboard started acting up. But anyway, I think I'll go arm soon enough for my 24/7 computation needs. Pandaboards are only 180$ and can run two screens. So two of them should do four screens nicely. :)

#3
Posted 12/09/2010 08:51 PM   
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