Mixed Nvidia GPU Performance

We mixed and matched a few Nvidia graphics cards to see the performance difference against two identical cards. We also compared using two different graphics cards to just single cards, in order to show any performance advantage.





When mixing two difference Nvidia cards the outcome is pretty consistent - only in one situation is it actually faster than a single card. Two GTX 260s in Hydra in Fallout 3 is a paltry 4fps quicker than one card. While the Hydra 'wins' one test, we'd really expect more given the expense of a whole other graphics card though.

For three of the four games, mixing two cards is too much for Hydra though and the minimum frame rates dip. Fallout 3 again does have an appreciably high average - the same as the single card, but there's just no benefit to adding that GTX 280 in there. The same can be said for the GTX 260 and GTS 250 mix that's slower than the single GTX 260.

As for Call of Duty 4, we again suffered from microstuttering that sent the framerate dropping faster than UK temperatures have done recently.

Team Fortress 2 is somewhat positive though, with the GTX 275 and GTX 280 stretching out a slight lead over the GTX 260. That puts the Hydra in the right place at least, but again, given the cost of the hardware involved would you be satisfied with an additional 4fps? It's also not inspiring that a GTX 275 is actual slowed down by the addition of a GTX 280.

Again, it's all backwards: Hydra turns out slower in most cases.