# Half Life@home



## TheLaughingMan (Mar 6, 2010)

I have a friend with a 9800GX2 that has just died.  Apparently the second die's memory chips have decided to move to the next life.

I was wondering if it was possible to disable the second GPU and its memory and just fold with the first GPU as it is a 9800 GTX?


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## hat (Mar 6, 2010)

IIRC they're two PCBs connected by some sort of internal SLI bridge... maybe you can dis-assemble it and use it at as one?


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## TheLaughingMan (Mar 6, 2010)

Thanks, I will look into that.  I am not sure as to what my friend Mike is going to do with the card yet, but if he is going to toss it, I will see if I can get some use out of it.


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## [Ion] (Mar 6, 2010)

If you haven't already tried this, what about RMA'ing it?


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## zithe (Mar 6, 2010)

[Ion] said:


> If you haven't already tried this, what about RMA'ing it?



Yeah, I'd look into that. Or just connecting it to whichever GPU actually works and disabling SLI and seeing how that goes.


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## TheLaughingMan (Mar 6, 2010)

Out of warranty and he has already decided replacement must be at least as powerful, so half of the current card will not cut it for him.  He is a bit of a "I need to be on the bleeding edge" kinda guy when he does decide to upgrade.


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## exodusprime1337 (Mar 6, 2010)

TheLaughingMan said:


> Out of warranty and he has already decided replacement must be at least as powerful, so half of the current card will not cut it for him.  He is a bit of a "I need to be on the bleeding edge" kinda guy when he does decide to upgrade.



you should ask him what he's doing with a 9800gx2 if he "has to be on the bleeding edge"?? 5870 should do it just fine though if he's gonna replace, or a gtx 285 if he wants someting just as fast...


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 6, 2010)

exodusprime1337 said:


> you should ask him what he's doing with a 9800gx2 if he "has to be on the bleeding edge"?? 5870 should do it just fine though if he's gonna replace, or a gtx 285 if he wants someting just as fast...



Folding with ATi would be far from bleeding edge.


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## TheLaughingMan (Mar 6, 2010)

Well actually, the ATI HD 5870 is what he is looking at purchasing to replace his currently broken card.

Please also note that he is not a fold@home user, I am.  He is just worried about pure 3D performance in games.  I am just seeing if anyone else has salvaged a broken card of this nature as, by all accounts, 1 entire 9800 GTX is still working.  I just don't want to waste the card or have it throw a hissy fit if I cut half of the card off and just use the functioning part.


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 6, 2010)

You can use half the card for folding. I have seen it done on two occasions with 9800gx2's.


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## TheLaughingMan (Mar 6, 2010)

Thanks, that is the statement I was looking for.


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 6, 2010)

TheLaughingMan said:


> Thanks, that is the statement I was looking for.



Do you want me to get you in touch with some people who have? One person I am refering to is on [H].

*Edit*

Linden knows how to. just check his latest threads for proof and send him a PM asking how to do it if you are not sure.


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