Is dual GPU overkill?

As an avid gamer and content creator myself, I get asked often whether upgrading to a multi-GPU system is worth it. And in most cases for playing the latest games or accelerating creative software, my answer is no – investing in a single powerful graphics card is the smarter move.

According to extensive benchmarking across both generations and various games, dual GPU setups rarely provide NOTICEABLE real-world speed boosts over today‘s high-end single GPUs for the majority of gamers and creators. And they introduce potential compatibility issues that just aren‘t worth the marginal gains you might see in specialized use cases.

Diminishing Returns: Performance Isn‘t Always Scaled

Gamers chasing every last frame may think SLI or NVLink is their ticket to doubling performance. But in reality, few games scale well across multiple GPUs. Support and optimization is spotty at best.

As Hardware Unboxed testing shows below, building a dual RTX 3090 system ONLY delivered around a 20% average improvement in frame rates across a suite of games compared to a single 3090. Going from 130FPS to 150FPS likely isn‘t very noticeable, and definitely isn‘t worth the >$3000 price tag for two flagship cards:

And the trend continues with the latest generation – the RTX 4090 sees similarly mediocre scaling in SLI. Gamers Nexus testing shows low single digit performance GAINZ trying to run two 4090s. Again, not worth the incredible cost for such diminishing returns:

So while multi-GPU setups sound great on paper, real-world results are often underwhelming. And future game support could be even worse – the latest generation has already dropped official SLI support.

When Dual GPUs DO Help

For the most part, I don‘t recommend dual graphics cards for gamers or creators. But there ARE a few niche cases where going SLI/NVLink can still provide benefits:

• Simulator gaming rigs running 3-4 high resolution displays for wider fields of view.
• Future proofing if you plan to run 8K monitors down the road.
• Professional compute tasks that properly leverage both GPU resources.

So some flight/racing sim fanatics may see noticeable improvements pushing tons of pixels across an ultra-wide or multi-monitor array. And a small subset of computational workflows can effectively distribute loads across multiple cards (like neural net training).

But for general gaming and content creation, a single GPU is far less troublesome and delivers great performance for the money.

Headaches and Hassles

Besides questionable performance returns, throwing a second graphics card into your PC introduces downsides beyond just the cost:

Compatibility Problems

Not all games play nice with SLI/NVLink. You may run into flickering textures, unstable performance, crashes/lockups, or other issues. Compatibility is hit or miss.

Limited Upgrade Path

Adding a second older generation GPU already limits your next upgrade options down the road. And future multi-GPU support is declining.

Power and Heat Challenges

Two flagship GPUs requires a beastly PSU. And all that heat in your case needs serious cooling consideration.

Motherboard Space Constraints

Finding room for multiple chunky modern cards can be tricky, potentially blocking other expansion slots.

When a single GPU pushes well beyond 240Hz at 1440p or over 100 fps at 4K, chasing marginal SLI gains just isn‘t worth the cost or stability issues you might encounter. You likely won‘t even notice the difference in actual gaming responsiveness.

So I definitely DON‘T recommend most gamers or creators invest in a dual graphics card setup. The better path forward is simply owning ONE sufficiently powerful GPU for your monitor setup that plays nicely with your existing system.

Dual GPUs made sense many years back before individual cards became so powerful. But modern games and creative applications rarely reap much benefit from a multi-card configuration now.

Yet they still introduce downsides:

• Much higher cost with less performance scaling
• Compatibility and stability challenges
• Limited future upgrade options
• More heat/power/space demands on your build

For Buttery smooth 1440p or 4K gaming at over 100+ fps, a single modern GPU like Nvidia‘s RTX 4080 or 4090 fits the bill nicely without the dual-card hassle for most gamers. Creative professionals also see better stability and compatibility sticking to one card for accelerating tools like video editors, 3D software, and machine learning applications.

So are two GPUs overkill? For 99% of gamers and creators, absolutely. Today‘s graphics cards have come so far that you can achieve buttery framerates or blazing fast workflow speed without costly diminishing returns or instability from NVLink/SLI setups. Stick to one beastly GPU rather than getting distracted by marginal dual-card gains!

Let me know if you have any other questions about upgrading your gaming rig or creative workstation! I‘m always happy to share insights from real-world testing and experience.