Every gamer wants a high performance machine. However, building one can be wildly expensive. As the graphics card often dictates the in game performance of your computer, a high end GPU is considered a must for a serious gamer. The newest graphics cards can be very expensive and also tend to become obsolete over time.
However, with the emergence of multi GPU technology, a user can combine multiple cards to achieve better performance. This could allow you to purchase less expensive graphics cards for use with your gaming system. As your needs increase, you can purchase another card to take some of the load off of your current hardware. This will give you a quality experience with even the newest games that was previously only available on a high end gaming card.
Nvidia s SLI and ATI s CrossFire technologies offer multiple card support. If you are interested in put together a system around this strategy, you should be careful to get the correct components. If you want multi GPU support, you will need a motherboard that allows for it. Most newer gaming motherboards will offer this. Also, you will need a massive power supply to pump out the voltages necessary to run multiple cards. These SLI ready power supplies are not necessarily expensive. However, you don t want to have to buy a new power supply when you get a new card.
When you use this strategy to build your gaming system, you can purchase decent graphics cards that are a few months behind the newest releases. In a market where parts are difficult to move off the shelves after a year or less, you can see why these are much cheaper cards. However, the addition of future cards will give you a similar boost in performance to one of the top of the line, pricey cards. You can save up money for these improvements at your leisure without having to throw out old parts.
Remember to plan your purchases around the current limitations of multi GPU technology. For example, an Nvidia SLI rig will require you to use only cards of the same chip set. If you intend to use a GeForce 9800 GT, for example, you will need to buy the same card when you add a second. ATI s CrossFire technology allows you to use different cards from the same series. These are hardly limitations, but it s frustrating to have issues later on down the line if you didn t do the research upfront.
If you play massively multiplayer online games, such as World of Warcraft and other popular MMOPRGs you may want to think about purchasing one powerful card instead. These games are often very processor intensive, and there are frequently support issues for multi GPU setups. However, for games that really work your graphics card, multiple cards can vastly improve your performance.
High end graphics really display the awesome power of the desktop PC. Gaming does not require the massive budgets of the past. If you choose a smart system, you can get smooth frame rates on the latest games at a reasonable price. Multi GPU technology allows you to upgrade your machine on your terms.
Author Resource:
Gregg Housh holds the position of Technician Manager at Geek Choice. At http://twitter.com/Geekchoice Geek Choice we solve computer problems such as: http://www.geekchoice.com Slow computer, http://www.geekchoice.com/virus-and-spyware-cleanup.php Virus Removal, Spyware Removal, Computer startup problems, and much more.
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