Final thoughts
There's no denying that at the ultra-high-end, the combination of Intel's Core i7 processor, an X58 motherboard and multiple high-end GPUs leads to what should be the best-performing gaming solution available.
It isn't quite that simple, though, or we'd all be rushing out to buy such a system. The first notable point is that although scaling is surprisingly good at 1,920x1,200, even three high-end cards are GPU-bound at 2,560x1,600.
For users running at 1,920x1,200, Core i7 and X58 combo will offer greater multi-GPU gaming performance - but let's not forget that Core 2 combined with an older chipset offers more than adequate frame rates, too.
Looking forward, as the next wave of more powerful GPUs arrive, we'd expect nothing other than to find Core i7's sheer amount of geometry throughput better able to utilise what's on offer.
At present, if you're planning on three-way SLI gaming at resolutions in excess of 1,920x1,200, you may find little benefit from a Core i7 upgrade. At 1,920x1,200 or below, the performance boost is obvious, if not overkill.
The second possible problem, which remains paramount to Core i7, is that of cost. NVIDIA has a point - a Core i7 system does get the best from three-way SLI - but it's currently only an option to the big-walleted enthusiast. The cost of three GeForce GTX 280 GPUs and an Intel Core i7 965 EE alone amounts to in excess of £1,500.
Last but not least, NVIDIA is touting Core i7 and SLI as the bees-knees combination, but AMD may have something to say with its own multi-GPU CrossFire technology. Stay tuned as we'll soon be putting Core i7 and CrossFire to the test.
