How To: Enable SLI on pre-i7/i5 hardware

[tifftrip]

Well, did I say that the SLI Option only appears when I edit the Registry with "Coolbits 1F"?
Because of the shown different memory size of the Card in the Second (4x) Slot.
Perhaps there is something else, I should put into the Registry?

 

[Mussels]

Well, did I say that the SLI Option only appears when I edit the Registry with "Coolbits 1F"?
Because of the shown different memory size of the Card in the Second (4x) Slot.
Perhaps there is something else, I should put into the Registry?

at this stage, i think its really clear that your motherboard is NOT going to work in SLI.

 

[stojko]

Hey.. Me again.

I really need some help. Since I removed SLI string and patch(and one card), my other card is no longer "recognized" by my system. Vista boots up using default video driver(VGASave). I can not reinstall Nvidia drivers because there is an error saying no suitable hardware detected. If I put the second card back in, Vista detects them and automatically installs drivers. It just doesn't work with only one card. I really don't want to reinstall windows.

.. so does anyone have any idea what to do/try?

 

[Mussels]

Hey.. Me again.

I really need some help. Since I removed SLI string and patch(and one card), my other card is no longer "recognized" by my system. Vista boots up using default video driver(VGASave). I can not reinstall Nvidia drivers because there is an error saying no suitable hardware detected. If I put the second card back in, Vista detects them and automatically installs drivers. It just doesn't work with only one card. I really don't want to reinstall windows.

.. so does anyone have any idea what to do/try?

you'd have to undo the mod. If you didnt back up your original files (or if the mods dont have uninstallers, or they dont work) then a reinstall is your only option.

 

[tifftrip]

at this stage, i think its really clear that your motherboard is NOT going to work in SLI.

Hey Guys... I´ve got a Gigabyte DS3P. You know? The most advised Board of it´s time. It´s not a crap Board. It´s a Crossfire Board. And it is listed here as working. Have you had a look?
The Problem is that I have two different 8800Gts with different Board Layouts and Size.

I flashed one of them to an Jetway 9800GT. Out came a 250.
Now I could use PhsyX on the second Card.
I flashed the other one. Out came a 250 also. Now Windows has got a Problem always with the Card in Primary Slot, Device Manager says "Not working", no matter which one is in first slot. But it works. But so there is no SLI Option.

 

[Mussels]

Hey Guys... I´ve got a Gigabyte DS3P. You know? The most advised Board of it´s time. It´s not a crap Board. It´s a Crossfire Board. And it is listed here as working. Have you had a look?
The Problem is that I have two different 8800Gts with different Board Layouts and Size.

I flashed one of them to an Jetway 9800GT. Out came a 250.
Now I could use PhsyX on the second Card.
I flashed the other one. Out came a 250 also. Now Windows has got a Problem always with the Card in Primary Slot, Device Manager says "Not working", no matter which one is in first slot. But it works. But so there is no SLI Option.

just because the board works in general, doesn't mean yours isn't broken, incompatible, or somethings wrong with your cards. The very fact that your system reports the wrong ram sizes in the second slot, outright says something is totally fucked up. Until you can fix that, you wont get SLI working.

 

[stojko]

you'd have to undo the mod. If you didnt back up your original files (or if the mods dont have uninstallers, or they dont work) then a reinstall is your only option.

I used uninstaller tha came with SLIPatch 0.7 WinVista x64 alpha. Why would that not work. Is there a known issue with the uninstaller not working?

Which files are modified by this mod? Could it work if I reinstall windows only to get those files, and than replace the "broken ones" in my current system with those from fresh install? Or is there another way?

 

[Mussels]

I used uninstaller tha came with SLIPatch 0.7 WinVista x64 alpha. Why would that not work. Is there a known issue with the uninstaller not working?

Which files are modified by this mod? Could it work if I reinstall windows only to get those files, and than replace the "broken ones" in my current system with those from fresh install? Or is there another way?

i dont know. i've never ran the mod, not having any nvidia cards to test with.

You should have known going in that this could happen, a reinstall of windows is your best bet

 

[tifftrip]

What does this mean? (Taken from http://xdevs.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.30 The P965 is my chipset.)

"Q: I installed two videocards into motherboard, tried everything, but SLI don't appear
A: If you have old motherboard, based on mainstream chipsets like P965, P35, P45, P55 with lack of PCI-express lanes, you should check, which host feed PCI-Express slots for GPU's."

An here, I installed Lavalys, but don´t find this ACPI:

"Also check if SLIC certificate installed properly. To do this download latest version of Lavalys Everest diagnostic tool, and open section ACPI/DSDT there. You should have correct string in "SLI Certification". If there is "Not present" then try SLI string installer 2.0 again."

 

[superkaras]

I have a P5Q Deluxe Asus Mobo, with two GTX-260's. One is a superclock and the other is a reburbished. However they are both 216 cores. The problem I am having is I followed the instructions very thoroughly however I am not getting SLI in the control panel of Nvidia. I tried on both a windows 64 bit professional and ultimate OS. The SLIEnabled x64 does appear on the boot loader of windows. However, SLI is just not appearing. I tried doing load with unsigned drivers with F8, no luck. In addition, both cards seem to appear in my CP and GPU-z with correct specifications. There is just no SLI options or availabilty. Please help me =].

 

[tifftrip]

Hey Freaks, I did it!!! At last :-D

I flashed my Jetway 8800GT back to Original Bios, and flashed the Point of View 8800GT to an EVGA 9800GT Bios. I did this because I recognized I can use the second Card for PhysX Acceleration only, when both are not Identical, 2*8800, 2*9800 or 2*250. You understand? And also, only when they were NOT Identical the memory amount of the second card was shown right. (512MB)
And, I don´t know why I haven´t had the Idea before, but the Nvidia Control Panel allowed me to enable SLI with an 8800 and an 9800. And in this case I flashed the wrong Bios, it worked!!

(SLIPatch 0.7, Forceware 195.62)

But now, Fraps don´t work anymore. There are Solutions?

Wanted to tell you first.
Thank you all.

 

[tifftrip]

OK... Fraps is working again.

What I´m wondering about now, I´m using SLI in the New Game Drakensang - River of Time which come out today, with 4* AA and I´ve got the same performance like before without SLI and AA. But while playing I watch GPU-Z on my second Monitor and it says me the GPU Load of first GPU is always around 70% only and of the second GPU only around 10%. Even if Frames drop to 20. Why is this? I never watched CPU Load before.

Whatfor do I Overclock my GPU when it´s not used 100%???


But again I have to say, I made it! Got to work SLI on a Non-SLI Board with two defect Graphic Cards. Thank you.

 

[coolmiester]

Got myself another 295 card and tested both independently and are working fine.

Problem is when i add both to the Intel S5520SC board the system will not boot at all, not even into the BIOS.

Intel confirmed that this board does not support Sli and would only be able to with a BIOS hack.

So it looks the best i can get is to run a 295 with a 285 for PhysX :shadedshu

 

[tifftrip]

Hey Guys, I found out now, I´ve got no performance Gain with SLI... Not 1 Frame. :-(

 

[Velvet Wafer]

Hey Guys, I found out now, I´ve got no performance Gain with SLI... Not 1 Frame. :-(

there is something severly wrong with either your cards or your board. just to tell the truth:
youre alone with your error,thats why so few people are able to help you. you may want to contact anatolymik or sweetsnelda, i bet IF someone can help you,then they

 

[tifftrip]

Ok, I got no Gain in Drakensang, and all Benschmarks I tried crashed. But Call of Prypiat Benchmark ran, and now I will upload Result Screens.
First, both Cards in, SLI DISABLED
Second SLI ENABLED

As you can see the Increase is very much, even with PCI-E*4, round 50%. Only in first Case "Day" the Single GPU is much faster!?!

 

[Velvet Wafer]

Ok, I got no Gain in Drakensang, and all Benschmarks I tried crashed. But Call of Prypiat Benchmark ran, and now I will upload Result Screens.
First, both Cards in, SLI DISABLED
Second SLI ENABLED

looks much better, but its the only one showing improvements eh?

 

[tifftrip]

Well... I´m just beginnig to test, and have also other things to do. ;-) Now, I just want to increase Drakensang 2 Performance.

 

[tifftrip]

I just found out, there are so called "NVIDIA SLI Profile Update"s, actuell Version 4, to include SLI support for new Games before new Drivers come out. Perhaps I have to wait therefor to make it possible...? Hmm, Nebula 3 Engine in Drakensang 2.

Perhaps nHancer can help me?

 

[Velvet Wafer]

I just found out, there are so called "NVIDIA SLI Profile Update"s, actuell Version 4, to include SLI support for new Games before new Drivers come out. Perhaps I have to wait therefor to make it possible...? Hmm, Nebula 3 Engine in Drakensang 2.

Perhaps nHancer can help me?

try it,what can you loose?

 

[tifftrip]

Damn, everybody tells me Drakensng 2 is CPU Limited, and SLI makes no Sense.

 

[Velvet Wafer]

Damn, everybody tells me Drakensng 2 is CPU Limited, and SLI makes no Sense.

what CPU do you got?

 

[tifftrip]

Core2Duo 4300 @ 3.15 Ghz

 

[Velvet Wafer]

Core2Duo 4300 @ 3.15 Ghz

ow^^
now there you have your nice big bottleneck

 

[tifftrip]

hä? why? what?

There is no faster Computer than my one. In the known Universe, I mean.