I recently picked up my third GTX 480 1.5GB (Fermi) video card for my new Tri-SLI 5760x1080 Nvidia Surround setup. This graphics card is a bit older, being from the 400 series, but still remains one of the top competitors in the GPU hardware market. Video cards are in high demand as many people or 'gamers' desire to achieve eye dropping graphics in the latest PC video games. Here is a quick review on the kind of numbers I have been getting with a few games.
Battlefield 3 - With 3 GTX 480's in TRI-SLI, I was hoping to get great number with a 3-display setup I have going. Unfortunately, I can still come nowhere near to maxing out the game. I have a mix of medium/high/ultra graphics settings, and can get about 50-60 FPS with v-sync. Not bad.
Dead Space 2 - Great numbers here. I didn't see much improvement over two cards though. Two 480's achieved over 60 FPS no problem. V-sync was off.
Star Wars: The Old Republic - This game was the best performer, which is great considering it's an MMO. I easily maintained the 60 FPS cap with v-sync on. With two 480's I had to set Anti-Aliasing to low, and Shadow Quality to OFF in order to keep 60 FPS. The extra 480 definitely sealed the deal for that game.
Mass Effect 3 Demo - This is one may be of interest to many as there are barely any articles for a 5760x1080 setup with Mass Effect 3 given that it hasn't even released yet. The demo performed flawlessly in 5760x1080 and was definitely my favorite to play, even if it was just a demo. I can't wait for the full release. FPS may change depending on the planet you're on, so do not take my word for it as far as 'perfect' performance. But on 3 monitors, the action scenes in the demo easily surpassed the desirable 60 FPS that most gamers shoot for. I am very excited for the game, as it will be my first Mass Effect game on three monitors. I'm really looking forward to it.
Future Tests - Alan Wake - I will be trying out Alan Wake when Nvidia/Remedy finally finish a proper SLI profile for the game. As many of you may know, SLI is currently broken and pretty much unplayable for me on three monitors. Applying the temporary fix someone discovered gave great FPS numbers, but horrible artifacts show up. I'll be waiting on this one.
I hope you enjoyed my quick mini reviews for games on a three monitor TRI-SLI setup with the older 400 series GTX 480. Best of luck and happy gaming!
Deals on the GTX 480 are dropping rapidly as of late. Be on the lookout for deal sites across the web, as they are sure to have the latest info on GTX 480 pricing. To prepare for a Mass Effect 3 Surround setup, the GTX 480's prove to be true winners, and are definitely a safe buy if you're looking to go that route. The video ram on the cards may cause performance issues down the road, but for now they are hard to beat price wise. Lots of deal sites frequently update their info and many include video card deals, so keep an eye out. Nvidia surround is probably the best upgrade I ever did to my computer, and was well worth it for die-hard gamers. Quite possibly the current best 'bang for your buck' at the moment.
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