4-way SLI Rig Setup Core i7 980X 4x GTX 480 eVGA Classified Silverstone 1500W One Linus Tech Tips
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Description
This is one monster rig. It consumes 300W of power from the wall at IDLE. I can't wait to see what it does under load!
This video documents Linus Tech Tips’ exploration of a high-end four-way SLI PC build centered around a Core i7 980X and four GTX 480 GPUs. The host discusses the practical realities of running a four-GPU configuration, noting that four-way SLI is primarily intended for world-record level performance and requires non-standard power and cooling solutions. Before loading benchmarks, they install the GeForce driver to enable four-way SLI support on the GTX 480, then explain that the system uses a 1500W power supply and features aggressive cooling considerations due to the elevated heat output. At idle, the rig reportedly draws roughly 300W from the wall on an 80 Plus Silver PSU, highlighting the significant power demands that emerge under load. The video blends excitement with a measured assessment of constraints, promising to reveal performance numbers and to evaluate whether the cooling and power setup can sustain such an extreme configuration and what this implies for consumer versus enthusiast use. In sum, the episode frames the build as a showcase of extreme hardware capabilities, with caveats about practical viability for typical users and hints at the kind of results one might expect from pushing a multi-GPU system to the edge.
Topics · technology · hardware · pc-build · enthusiast-computing
Questions answered
- What is the primary purpose of a four-way SLI setup with GTX 480 GPUs in this video?
- The four-way SLI setup is presented as a high-end, world-record style configuration intended to achieve maximum graphics performance, not typical consumer use, and it requires specialized power and cooling solutions.
- How much power does the rig draw at idle, and what does that imply for load scenarios?
- At idle, the rig draws about 300 watts from the wall with an 80 Plus Silver PSU, implying substantially higher draw under load and highlighting power supply and cooling considerations.
- What driver and software steps are shown to enable four-way SLI in this build?
- The host demonstrates installing the GeForce driver that enables four-way SLI support for the GTX 480, emphasizing that such support is necessary to unlock multi-GPU performance.