I Know Computers Well

Every gamer wants a high performance system. Unfortunately, building one can be incredibly costly. As the graphics card often dictates the in-game performance of your computer, a high-end GPU is considered a must for any serious gamer. The most powerful graphics cards can be very expensive and also tend to become obsolete after several months.

However, with the emergence of multi-GPU technology, it is possible to combine multiple cards to achieve better performance. This could allow you to purchase less expensive graphics cards for use with your gaming system. As time goes on, you can purchase another card to share the workload with your current hardware. This will give you a quality experience with even the newest games that was previously only available on a prohibitively expensive graphics card.

Nvidia’s SLI and ATI’s CrossFire technologies both offer multiple card support. If you are looking to put together a system around this strategy, you should be careful to get the correct components. If you want multi-GPU support, you must have a motherboard that supports it. Most newer gaming motherboards already offer this. Also, you will need a massive power supply to pump out the electricity needed to run multiple cards. These SLI-ready power supplies are not necessarily expensive, you just don’t want to have to upgrade your power supply when you get a new card.

If you use this strategy to build your gaming PC, you are able to purchase newer graphics cards that are just a few months behind the newest releases. These are much cheaper cards. Don’t worry about the performance of your machine lagging behind, though, the addition of future cards will give you a similar boost in performance to one of the newest, expensive cards. You can save up money for extra cards as you go without having to throw out old parts.

Remember to plan your purchases around the limitations of multi-GPU technology. For example, an Nvidia SLI rig will require you to use multiple cards of the same chip set. If you plan on using 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 might want to weigh getting a single high performance card instead. These games tend to be very processor intensive, and there are frequently support issues for multi-GPU setups. However, for other games that put more pressure on your graphics card than your processor, multiple cards can greatly improve your performance.

High end graphics really show the full power of the desktop PC. Gaming does not require the huge 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 at your leisure.

As a nationwide computer repair company, Geek Choice is dedicated to helping all users keep their high performance rigs in great condition. If you are ready to deal with your slow computer or choppy graphics, consider an on-site tune up by the techs at Geek Choice. Give us a call at 1-800-GEEK HELP (433-5435).