Worth adding 2nd RTX 2080 Ti with NVlink?

Working on building a new machine using the Aventum X case and 9920X CPU, 32GB of RAM and I've decided on a single RTX 2080 Ti for gaming but would it be worth spending the money to add a second 2080 Ti and NVlink to get higher frames?

I know not all games support SLI but looking at nvidias site where they list the SLI supported games, there are a good amount. Some of the games I'd be playing would be Overwatch, COD Black Ops 4, CSGO, Battlefield and a bunch more on that list.

I also know there are some games where the framerate is actually worse with SLI and taking that into consideration.

I read that SLI is dead as many game creators aren't supporting it but see the number of SLI supported games on nvidias site, so I'm not sure what to do.

Or, since i know there are issues with 2080 ti's, maybe get 2 x RTX 2080's (non-TI's) with NVlink instead?

Edited by lsimon305 - 25 Apr 2019 at 8:35am

Originally posted by hoserator If you are going for one of those 4K gaming monitors and budget is secondary, why not? If you are going to be gaming on a 1440 then not needed at all but it sure fills up that cavernous case nicely.  I like SLI and never have had an issue. Keep us posted. Note: my understanding was that the issues were related to cooling and the initial runs of 2080s and 2080Ti FEs were affected. Supposedly fixed.

Thanks for the quick reply and yes I'll be gaming with 4K monitor.

Also, would any other programs that encode (handbrake) utilize the dual cards or just the CPU?

Let's say I do run into games that either do not support SLI or poorly, couldn't I just go into the Nvidia Control Panel and disable SLI temporarily, and play the game with a single 2080 Ti. Then, when I'm back to playing games that support SLI re-enable SLI?

Edited by lsimon305 - 25 Apr 2019 at 9:11am

Good you are considering NVLink (SLI) if you are considering the Aventum as that’s what Aventum was designed for.   Like Hose said, I too have run SLI for many years and like it.    Yes you can disable SLI in your NVidia Video Settings if desired, but there won’t be a need to do so.   Either it helps or it doesn’t, but I haven’t seen it cause any problems.    

Keep in mind that the extra gaming performance you are getting for adding a 2nd way expensive video card in a more expensive better cooling case is probably limited to +10-15% performance in SLI compliant titles and perhaps a couple degrees lower C in cooling.

The RTX 2080 Ti is the top rated video card for gaming and for consumer video work, but NVLink/SLI will not do anything extra for you in video encoding work or Handbrake.   You could accomplish your goals with one card or two, and water cooled SLI will work in Lumos or Aventum just fine.   That said, any of us here on the forum would love to be able to have two of the best video cards out there in SLI on water...so if it doesn’t hurt your bankroll then have at it and enjoy!

Edited by HockeyBuck - 25 Apr 2019 at 12:17pm

Originally posted by thedemoncowboy I have literally met NO ONE that thinks SLI is worth it... but thats just my opinion.

Actually, not. It's your opinion and that of those you have discussed it with as well!


@Isimon305: Perhaps before you go $1300+ on something you know is only sometimes and marginally beneficial, you should research if two less expensive cards will get you the performance you're looking for. Just a thought.

Originally posted by Cretae Originally posted by thedemoncowboy I have literally met NO ONE that thinks SLI is worth it... but thats just my opinion. Actually, not. It's your opinion and that of those you have discussed it with as well! @Isimon305: Perhaps before you go $1300+ on something you know is only sometimes and marginally beneficial, you should research if two less expensive cards will get you the performance you're looking for. Just a thought.

Not really that funny ... I have never met once person and I’m not talking about bandwagon bias, or convenience bias. Legitimately no one has said the $1300 extra proved beneficial for the 5-10% more performance on “some” applicable games