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Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory - Lighthouse (HDR), 1024 x 768
Single
Multi
14.05
23.22
60.5
.
24.93
41.16
99.61
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory - Lighthouse (HDR), 1280 x 960
Single
Multi
10.01
16.52
42.43
.
17.63
29.08
68.62
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory - Lighthouse (HDR), 1600 x 1200
Single
Multi
7.03
11.55
29.2
.
11.52
18.95
42.52

Just like in default and with AA and AF, slapping in a second card really helped the system reach that minimum 30 fps mark. The increase in performance is also pretty constant across resolutions, so it's more than likely using a pair of higher clocked or more capable cards will net the same results as well.

Unfortunately, we can't show you Serious Sam II results with this setup. The results must've got lost somewhere on our hard drives (our bad). But these results are enough to draw some general conclusions. Just as we expected: it is hopeful thinking to expect 100% increase in performance with SLI. Of the games we tested here, those who gain with SLI mostly gain 30 % or less, with Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory being the exception rather than the norm. Even then, the increase is mostly with AA and AF - increases under default settings are minimal. SLI won't help your low end graphics card at all with some newer games (Quake 4). You simply have to use a faster card such as the GeForce 6800GT or the GeForce 7 series.

Temporary Conclusion:

In no way whatsoever should you consider SLI as a replacement for a single high end (or faster) graphics card. The results taken from using SLI with the two GeForce 6600 here are nowhere close to a single GeForce 6800GT. That's why we believe SLI should be considered as a complementary solution: SLI is only worth it for those looking for better visuals. By this we mean, SLI will only be worth the money if you want to play games with the settings set to full, with AA and AF and want higher frame rates. In a way, SLI is NVIDIA's answer to the GeForce 6 and 7 series tendency to have a very high AA performance penalty.

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