The ever-reliable guys over at [H]ard|OCP have put Quad SLI and CrossfireX to the test, checking out whether it really offers any performance gain over just one dual-GPU video card. The answer is completely unsurprising, given SLI’s history of scaling problems in actual games. This is what I’ve been telling people all along, and it’s nice to see it vindicated in snazzy graph form: any configuration past two GPUs is a waste. Its only purpose is for benchmark nuts (a legitimate use, to be sure, but a tiny sliver of PC enthusiasts), and for people with more money than sense. If you were thinking about a three- or four-GPU setup for your next computer, why not put that cash elsewhere in the rig? Get a top-of-the-line motherboard, if you hadn’t picked one out already. Get more RAM—always a useful upgrade for heavy multitaskers and folks who work with very large files. A better or additional monitor, perhaps? I guarantee you you’ll get more value for your dollar out of having a gorgeous dual-display setup on your desk than out of having four GPUs instead of two.
Or, hell, why not drop the cash you save in a savings account? That’s a better use for it than any unneccesary upgrade. But please, don’t brag to me about your killer $1k+ video card setup unless you’re LN2-cooling them and breaking 3DMark world records.
