Build a screaming GeForce 8800 GTX SLI PC — by Mad Mod Mike
You've seen the numbers. The GeForce 8800 GTX is simply the fastest graphics card on the planet - by a long shot! But what sane gamer would just stop at just one when you could have two! A dual GeForce 8800 GTX SLI PC will mop the floor, and then some, with any gaming PC on the market today. Yes, I'm telling you what you already know, so let's get down to it. Here are my top tips for building your insane SLI PC:
Buy it
The GeForce 8800 GTX is available world-wide the day of launch. Translation: you can buy them today! Simply visit this list of certified manufacturers and pick yourself up a pair.
Need an SLI-Ready motherboard or looking to upgrade your current motherboard to match your new firepower? SLI-Ready motherboards support both INTEL and AMD CPUs, including the new Core 2 and AM2 processors. My current recommendation is the new NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI motherboard supporting the new Core 2 Extreme processors (both dual and quad core). NVIDIA designed this entire motherboard, so you can guarantee that it's optimized for GeForce 8800 GTX. In fact, the graphics cards are spaced an extra slot apart to provide better cooling! Check out the entire list of SLI-Ready motherboards here.
Also, don't forget SLI-Ready memory for the best performance. SLI-Ready memory modules support Enhanced Performance Profiles (EPP), which expose advanced performance memory settings when combined with the latest NVIDIA SLI-Ready motherboards. SLI-Ready is available from the leading memory suppliers and comes in a variety of speeds and timings. Check out the complete list of SLI-Ready memory here.
Fit it & Cool it
You've got the engine, now it's time to fit it to a chassis. There are a few important things you need to consider when looking for the right PC case. First, it obviously needs to have the space to accommodate all of the components and second it needs to ensure good airflow so that all of the components can be cooled properly. Sounds easy, but this is where I have seen many friends go wrong and seriously hurt their gaming performance.
More on size: You have a lot of high-end components so don't skimp on room. I recommend that you buy a case that can fit two 12" graphics cards, a full ATX motherboard, a 1kW power supply (they can be up to 10" long!), and of course room for all of your drives. The GeForce 8800 GTX cards are only 10.5" long but you definitely don't want to get home to find out that they interfere with a drive bay.
More on cooling: Your case should have high capacity venting and fans to provide high volume airflow around the thermal solutions on the graphics cards and CPU. What does this mean? Start by looking at full sized ATX towers and follow these guidelines:
- 120 mm fans at the front and back of the case (these fans will work together in a "push and pull" configuration to force a steady flow of air through the chassis).
- Side venting/system fan near the area where the graphics cards are located.
- One inch of extra space on each side of the pair of graphics cards (this means placing other PCI or PCI-E cards more than one inch away from the graphics cards and making sure the graphics cards are more then one inch from the side of the case).
If that all sounds too daunting, don't worry, NVIDIA has just expanded SLI certification to include cases. Find out the first case to pass GeForce 8800 GTX SLI certification here.
Power it
You've got a hot rod machine, now you need to fuel it. No need for a boring lecture about voltage, wattage, rail distribution, connectors, etc., NVIDIA has again made this easy by certifying a bunch of power supplies that have been tested to work with dual GeForce 8800 GTX graphics cards. All of these supplies have enough juice on the 12V rail and have four PCI-Express 6-pin connectors (two for each graphics card). Check out the list here.
Bring it!
Now that you own, it's time to pwn! You're the expert here…have fun! |
