Alienware Quad-SLI Systems
Sledgehammer70
California Icrontian
Alienware partners with Calgary-based CoolIT Systems to offer a liquid cooling system for Alienware's quad-SLI Aurora ALX system. Containing four Nvidia graphics processors, these systems provide lots of graphics performance, but produce a substantial amount of heat as well.
CoolIT Systems is known for its liquid cooling systems, which are basically miniature refrigerators. Using a combination of Peltier coolers and tubes filled with glycol liquid (think anti-freeze), their coolers are able to chill components below freezing temperatures. The Aurora ALX system has tubes going to each of the four GPUs (as shown in the photo).
So, do you really need drastic measures to cool down a quad-SLI system? We do not have an final answer for this question yet; however, a quad-SLI system currently running through a battery of tests in our California labs, already indicated that cooling will be important for such computers.
While the system is not built by Alienware, preliminary power numbers from the system should be comparable to other quad-SLI computers. Our system consumes 330 watts of power just sitting idle at the Windows desktop. Tom's Hardware will publish detailed performance and power consumption numbers once the tests are completed.
Alienware is currently selling the quad-SLI Aurora ALX for about $7000 in a basic configuration.
Source: Toms Hardware Guide
CoolIT Systems is known for its liquid cooling systems, which are basically miniature refrigerators. Using a combination of Peltier coolers and tubes filled with glycol liquid (think anti-freeze), their coolers are able to chill components below freezing temperatures. The Aurora ALX system has tubes going to each of the four GPUs (as shown in the photo).
So, do you really need drastic measures to cool down a quad-SLI system? We do not have an final answer for this question yet; however, a quad-SLI system currently running through a battery of tests in our California labs, already indicated that cooling will be important for such computers.
While the system is not built by Alienware, preliminary power numbers from the system should be comparable to other quad-SLI computers. Our system consumes 330 watts of power just sitting idle at the Windows desktop. Tom's Hardware will publish detailed performance and power consumption numbers once the tests are completed.
Alienware is currently selling the quad-SLI Aurora ALX for about $7000 in a basic configuration.
Source: Toms Hardware Guide
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Comments
(Of course, it had better be for that price
Same with Oc'ing hardware in my opinion
Consoles will never compare to what a PC can offer. Even the next gen Consoles such as the XBox 360 or PS 3 can't compete with what my main rig will throw... yeah it cost more but hey games look so much better at 1980 x 1440
I fail to make the connection with the first responce. Oc'ing hardware is a very cost effective way to keep from having to always buy the top range hardware (such as we are seeing with GTX timings available with the GT). I just gbot back from an overnighter fixing a computer at one of my beach stores...so I may be misunderstanding that part of our responce =)
Now, as far as consoles go...your correct in your statement. However, if your not swimming in $$$ enough to afford quad SLI or 30 inch LCD's then your most affordable route to go for playing games is a console. It doesn't have anything to do with competing...its an affordability and lifestyle issue. My boss (The IT Director) swears by his XBOX 360, and nothing I can show him will prove to him that a rig is better for the games he plays. His responce to me is "Why do I want to go pay $800 - $1200 to do something I can do with a $499 Xbox and a 42in TV?".
Do I have a console? Hell no! My last console was a Playstation back in 1999. My rig was top of the line when 7800GTX's came out. I had 2 in SLI highly OC'd (still do) and I could whip any console graphics platform out there. At that time it ran me $1k for both those cards the first week they were released. Sure, I'll be glad to spend that kind of $$ again for 2 7900 GT's or GTX's. Realisticly though, unless your an enthusiast like us then there is no reason to go out and get those components unless your going to make full use out of them.
Shamino said something in that thread I linked to in the 7900GT post. He said "The life of the card should be treasured." and that is very true. If someone can't see it that way...I suggest they go with a console.
I still don't think it's a choice between computers and consoles. There are different kinds of games available for both, and you can afford both if you can live with a PC that isn't cutting edge. What I do is keep my main rig 2-3 years comfortably behind the curve, which is enough to run anything on medium settings, and buy a console if it has games I want to play. Which, so far, has only been the Playstation series. That means I haven't had to buy a console in 4+ years.
I don't buy games that are available for PC for my PS2. And I never buy FPS games for a console. Any FPS ported to console is going to be worse than it was on PC, not to mention you have to use a janky controller instead of keyboard/mouse. The controller issue keeps me from wanting to play original console FPS games too. That, and the fact that an FPS can only be so original compared to what I already have on PC. The main reason I never liked Halo was because I kept wanting to use a keyboard/mouse instead.
If you had the choice between going quad SLI or getting a PS3...what would you choose?
The point I'm trying to make is that quad-SLI isn't realisticly cost effective right now compaired to what you can do with a console. The majority of the people out there are not enthusiasts who care about keeping their systems on the edge of technology...and that includes you if your 2-3 years behind.
If a person isn't going to utiilize the hardware in their system to its full potential, then get a console. It's not going to make you less of a person but it is going to save yourself some $$. Ya I'd love to have a quad-SLI rig put together. I'd be a big fat lier if I said I didn't. I'm probably never going to do that though because its just to far out there for me, and I see no real benifit for what I use.
as for ps3s ill be buying 4 of them, 3 to sell on ebay to cover the cost of the one i keep:p
But since console purchases are so few and far between (like I said above, I haven't bought one in 4+ years), consoles and PC purchases don't really ever compete for funding. So the question really is, if I had $2000 to spend on computer parts, would I get Quad-SLI? Personally, no. I'd get regular SLI and a nice Athlon X2 setup and a crapload of RAM. Or maybe a sweet monitor.