Originally posted by: v8envy
Originally posted by: keysplayr2003
If it's not the worse case scenario, you must just be talking about the settings "I" used. Unfortunately my monitor only goes up to 16x12. But, "I" was talking about the game in general. There is no game that currently exists that is tougher on video cards.
Very true. But for most other games there's no need for enthusiast level video. Consumer grade cards handle those situations with aplomb. Crysis is ahead of its time, and currently there's no solution from either camp that is satisfactory. It's only a matter of time until other demanding games come out with no hardware to run them.
And as for your last sentences there, Yes, it's the ONLY single GPU enthusiast solution. But, nobody said high end has to "be" a single GPU. There is the 3870X2 and the 9800GX2.
Which happen to scale nicely in Crysis over a best single GPU card. So my friend, you are not as "optionless" as you think you are. Whether or not you approve of multi GPU cards is sort of irrelevant. They offer more performance in most games out there. Or, you can Crossfire or SLI two cards if you have a mobo that supports either.
Multi-GPU is not the answer, at least not yet. Aside from the lack of a good SLI chipset for Intel there's issues with multiple monitor support, vsync, support of 'older' (read: 2006) as well as lesser known titles, heat, noise and general software and hardware complexity. Not everyone has or wants a motherboard with support for multiple GPUs or desires the rat's nest of cables to power 2+ GPUs with 2 power connectors each. Some of us may want a smaller case that can't levitate from the dozen required fans and a micro-atx board for aesthetics and portability reasons.
The problems with sandwich cards and SLI have been hashed and rehashed a dozen times. They're great for benchmarks, not so great for minimum frame rates or higher resolutions with FSAA and aniso filtering -- exactly what's demanded from a high end GPU solution.
You're making these molehills into mountains, honestly. You say Multi-GPU is not the answer because you don't want it. For reasons that are your own. That is fine. But don't over glorify their shortcomings. All graphics cards have shortcomings and advantages. Why is multi-GPU any different? There are games where Xfire/SLI kick some serious bootay. And others where it's "meh". But not that many. Older games? Seriously. Who needs multicard to play older games? Why do you need an Intel based motherboard? Intel has awesome chipsets, but you don't need an Nvidia chipset mobo to run a GX2. And it's only a "rats nest if you are a sloppy PC builder . It can be very neat and organized with little effort.
For those with SFF systems, I will agree with you there.
I thought SLI produced higher minimum framerates? Higher levels of AA? and AF? What am I missing?
Do you remember last year, when a lot of people were complaining about the constant rising costs of video cards? The lack of affordable mid range cards, and the grotesque prices of the few top dogs? Well, now it seems a major "retooling" is, or has been underway. Performance is slightly better than last gen, but the prices are to die for.
The problem is, everyone wants everything all at once, all of the time. Well, it looks like this is a good step in the right direction for both camps. Great performance, Great pricing, Great technology. Paves a new road for the next gen parts.
EDIT: About the "I blame ATI" comment. Why do we always look for someone to blame.
Things happen. Good and bad. We deal. But nobody was asking who was to blame.[/quote]
I'm all for choice. The problem is there isn't any. There are approximately 133,700 midrange solutions from both vendors, all with equivalent performance, features and pricepoints. I understand why -- mainstream is where the $ are at. Not having any viable mainstream products was a tremendous blunder on the side of both camps last year, a mistake both companies have now rectified.
Unfortunately there are approximately 0 single GPU enthusiast solutions. Re-labeling midrange hardware as high end and saying 'well, just throw two or more of them in and ignore the problems' isn't progress.[/quote]