GHoosdum
10 Jul 2006, 3:41pm
Dual graphics cards in an SLI configuration, plus a physics card. Quad-CPU cores. Seven hundred-plus watts of PSU power. Such a PC could handle anything, but it will cost you. How much is too much? When do we cross the boundary between common sense and overkill?
Two cards for graphics will cost you and a third one for physics might not be super expensive but it won't be cheap either. Of course, it all depends on what you want, as the top ATI physics chippery comes with the top ATI graphic card.
That’s why you'll need a third PCIe slot.
The Inquirer is reporting on an upcoming ATI chipset (http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32915) for Conroe that will provide 3 PCIe 16X ports. This is, of course, to accommodate two graphics cards and a dedicated Physics Processing Unit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_processing_unit). Both AMD and Intel will be releasing quad-core CPUs within the next year. The performance possibilities seem limitless... and so does the cost. All of this raw potential is going to require power, and lots of it. Dual-rail power supplies that put out upwards of 700W are a start, and your electric company will love you for it.
Yet, does it even make sense to continue to follow this technology curve to the very top? Can the average consumer afford it? Will anyone but the stereotypical power gamer even need it? When does the technological trend cross the line from a logical progression to a profit-fueled farce? And will someone please give me several thousand dollars so I can judge firsthand if these technologies are worth the price of admission?
Two cards for graphics will cost you and a third one for physics might not be super expensive but it won't be cheap either. Of course, it all depends on what you want, as the top ATI physics chippery comes with the top ATI graphic card.
That’s why you'll need a third PCIe slot.
The Inquirer is reporting on an upcoming ATI chipset (http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32915) for Conroe that will provide 3 PCIe 16X ports. This is, of course, to accommodate two graphics cards and a dedicated Physics Processing Unit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_processing_unit). Both AMD and Intel will be releasing quad-core CPUs within the next year. The performance possibilities seem limitless... and so does the cost. All of this raw potential is going to require power, and lots of it. Dual-rail power supplies that put out upwards of 700W are a start, and your electric company will love you for it.
Yet, does it even make sense to continue to follow this technology curve to the very top? Can the average consumer afford it? Will anyone but the stereotypical power gamer even need it? When does the technological trend cross the line from a logical progression to a profit-fueled farce? And will someone please give me several thousand dollars so I can judge firsthand if these technologies are worth the price of admission?