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

[sveetsnelda]

Dang, I came back to 4 pages in only a few hours

I notice that the current way to get SLI working is via hacked drivers. Are we ever going to be able to get them working with just a patched BIOS or loader?

If something was written that hooks the call to check for the chipset vendor ID, chipset device ID, and chipset subsys ID - this would be possible. If that was written, you'd just need a valid SLIC in the DSDT tables.

While this is a nice clean patch, it still has its limitations. It would enable SLI on all OS's without having to patch each driver, but this could still be counter-acted by Nvidia (although it might be a little difficult). It also makes things a major PITA for anyone who wants to change out hardware. If you "overload" a SLIC file into the registry and then swap a PCI card out, it will BSOD when you boot. You'd have to remember to delete the modified DSDT table from the registry first (asl /loadtable -d).

 

[TiN]

If you "overload" a SLIC file into the registry and then swap a PCI card out, it will BSOD when you boot. You'd have to remember to delete the modified DSDT table from the registry first (asl /loadtable -d).

What do you mean by that? what PCI card? PCI-E graphics you mean?

I've just removed second 6600LE, and OS boots, but only 640x480x8colors tried 3 reboots, no change, driver works, everything works but no color.

used asl /loadtable -d DSDT.aml

will see if it help.

EDIT: Still no normal modes

EDIT2: Reinstalling driver solved issue.

 

[EGOvoruhk]

Whenever you get around to making drivers for Vista, might I suggest a new thread?

 

[TiN]

EGOvoruhk

What for?

 

[TheWolf]

DeDaL tested mod under my guide, with his Gigabyte X48 motherboard and two GTX 260's, everything worked so far.

EDIT:

03 mark done, everything is ok

E8600 @ 4GHz, Gigabyte X48T-DQ6, two 260GTX 216sp

SLI - Disabled
51627

SLI - Enabled
82421

http://xtremelabs.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6168#p6168

Looks like this answers my question above.

Q9650 @4.0Ghz, Abit Ix38QuadGT, two 260GTX 216sp

SLI is not enabled, even tho my score is a little higher than your Disabled SLI score.
My day got messed up, but I'm ready to give this another try. Be nice for W7 64b testing since I have more stuff installed than in XP.

 

[EGOvoruhk]

Because this thread is over a year old, and the project in the original post has nothing to do with what's currently going on. I just thought it would be nice to have everything in one place, especially for people coming from outside. I linked some people to the thread, and they were confused at first

 

[stangman86gt]

good then the man wont catch on for awhile

 

[TheWolf]

Because this thread is over a year old, and the project in the original post has nothing to do with what's currently going on. I just thought it would be nice to have everything in one place, especially for people coming from outside. I linked some people to the thread, and they were confused at first

I just tell people to start at page 9, post#219 & read forward.

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=60844&page=9

That way they can learn a few things b4 they get ready to try this.
If they started a new thread we lose all those helpful post.

 

[TiN]

Made some Zombie-SLI action tonight

Drilled PCI-Express x1 connector on my P5B Deluxe, to install x16 card into it .
It worked, but if chipset configured as compatible (x16+x2+x1) - SLI tab don't appear, even with two same cards.

I think it's because of PCI-Express lanes phy connection. If x16+x4+disabled active - than all lanes are from northbridge. If x16+x2+x1 - then two last took from southbridge, so no SLI. :shadedshu

Then I gave up with Zombie cheapo 3-way sli on GF 6600 cards (two are 6600LE 4pixel/4vertex and third is 6600GT 4pixel/8vertex) and took one GT and one LE together. Flashed LE BIOS on both videocards, and got SLI working without any issues.

New aquamark bench show up

heavy oced LE , 71435
LE + LE SLI , 88185
GT + LE SLI , 94377
heavy oced GT , 100343

 

[3volvedcombat]

Im going to drop my EP45-UD3P and my two 9600gso'z in there for testing. TIN YOUR FUCKIN GOD. UNDERSTAND IVE WANTED TO BLEED FOR THIS LULS!

 

[sveetsnelda]

TiN, you're stealing my spotlight. ;-) Just kidding. I'm not in it for recognition. Thanks for all of the testing you're doing and for helping others!

I modified the driver further to always show up as an ASUS board and am testing it now. This will allow people like TheWolf with non-X58 board manufacturers to run this. It also lets everyone use the same SLIC key. I'm testing it on my box now. After that, I'm going to try and get rid of the SLIC check entirely.

 

[anatolymik]

any news Sveetsnelda? I keep patching hal.dll. Now I'm trying allocate a space for our code. Actually i created a new section in end of the file, and did jump to it before procedure HalGetBusDataByOffset do ret. But yet i'm getting BSODS. As for automatic SLIC putter i think it's not complicated. I think it'll be enough to put SLIC before last bracket. I'll finish it later. i keep working.

 

[3volvedcombat]

TiN, you're stealing my spotlight. ;-) Just kidding. I'm not in it for recognition. Thanks for all of the testing you're doing and for helping others!

I modified the driver further to always show up as an ASUS board and am testing it now. This will allow people like TheWolf with non-X58 board manufacturers to run this. It also lets everyone use the same SLIC key. I'm testing it on my box now. After that, I'm going to try and get rid of the SLIC check entirely.

Dude I LOVE YOU TOOOOO, *had to read post from page 9 up* DUDE WHO EVER HELPED OUT WITH THIS GRANTS ON YOU, GRANTS ON ALL OF YOU, THIS IS GODLY. my ep45-ud3p MIGHT HAVE 2 gtx 260'S IN SLI WITH A CORSAIR PSU INSTEAD OF A P55 YAYAYAYAYAYA SAVING MONEY TO THE MAX CAPS!!!!!!!1

 

[sveetsnelda]

The driver booted and SLI was still an option (after the ASUS mod). I'll check with TheWolf and see if he can test this on his Abit board.

 

[TiN]

sveetsnelda

Great news! All the archievemt is yours, i'm just trying to make something useful in return . Too bad I have lack of videocards to play around.

 

[3volvedcombat]

I downloaded the driver + mod link from you tin and i installed it in my system and now i cant boot up without a automatic bsod :/
I dont know if i did something wrong but maybe i failed at life
Hey i was quick on the trigger shouldnt have been, its probable my own mistake which screwd me over but KEEP THE WORK going, and if you want me to test some more drivers ill install them after i clean install my win XP 32 bit again kk
got a p45 and 2 9600gso'z

*still sad that i haz to reinstall O;*

 

[sveetsnelda]

If your machine BSOD'd, it wasnt because of the driver. The patch is very clean. If you didn't compile your DSDT tables correctly, you'll get a BSOD as soon as the XP logo fades in completely. If this happens, just reboot, hit f8, and choose "use last settings that worked".

 

[Papahyooie]

Wow this is one long-ass thread to read...

Congratulations guys! I dont understand more than 10% of what has been said here but that just makes it that much more amazing to me! Great work!

If its ready I'd like to test this out on a foxconn mobo. Is TiN's post # 425 a ready-to-use driver? Can it be used on any compatible mobo or does it still require the editing? If it needs to be edited, I'll have to wait for the write-up.

 

[TheWolf]

I ran into BSOD with TiN's driver but I think the cause was me doing a upgrade install "but still XP32" over the new install of XP 32.
It was more of a test than anything to see what might happen if the DSDT tables was already in place.
I ended up having to go into safe mode uninstill the cards & boot to windows & re-install the driver of TiN's.
All is working fine again. I think the DSDT tables may have been the real cause of the BSOD with the upgrade
install being confused by the DSDT tables incert. This was more like a repair install.

 

[TheWolf]

Wow this is one long-ass thread to read...

Congratulations guys! I dont understand more than 10% of what has been said here but that just makes it that much more amazing to me! Great work!

If its ready I'd like to test this out on a foxconn mobo. Is TiN's post # 425 a ready-to-use driver? Can it be used on any compatible mobo or does it still require the editing? If it needs to be edited, I'll have to wait for the write-up.

The driver is fine to use on any board I believe. But you will still not get SLI without doing a DSDT tables mod.

 

[TiN]

Had not every single BSOD using DSDT edited tables and sveetsnelda's driver.
Only some small issues with messing cards in various slots on old chipset, but that's ok.

BTW, got idea.
What if we make dedicated web-site about unofficial SLI? I made subdomain already, for example, sli.xdevs.com, so if anybody have web-design skills - just tell me.

Because I expect quite much people asking howto and how that, about SLI and not only. And if we just answer in forums - that will be tons of pages to read, and almost zero change to get all info in one place for those who just join in.

I will host article-howto soon, in russian language, and this evehing in english, with detailed step-by-step guide now to make sli with current drivers.

Papahyooie

That driver need valid DSDT tables.

BTW let's call it mod version 0.2

 

[TheWolf]

Go test new mod driver, be back on in a little while. "boot XP"

 

[sveetsnelda]

TheWolf is testing a small change I made to the driver that forces it to think you have an ASUS board (since he couldn't get his ABIT working). I'm not going to release it unless it works (I don't want a bunch of junk code out there).

 

[TiN]

Good luck, TheWolf Hope it will work.

There was ABIT X58 board, but not released, IX58-MAX i guess...

 

[sveetsnelda]

I think I'm getting really close to getting around the SLIC check, but I need to go to bed. I only got 1 hour of sleep last night. Work was terrible

Hopefully I can get this sorted out tomorrow.