Amazing Hardware, Huge disappointment - Please help
- Thread starter omargalea
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The usual checks - make sure everythings hooked up hardware-wise, especially the power connecters to the mobo and all thos graphics cards. Power could be the issue, especially with those 3 graphics cards.
Next make sure all the lates mobo, chipset, sound and graphics drivers are installed. This is unbelievebly important. And then as suggested above, look at updating the mobo bios. Make absolutely sure you flash the correct bios to your mobo. Read the guides, google it, research it upside down and inside out. Time consuming, but done once you'll know how to do it in the future. It can fix problems.
Best of luck dude!
Next make sure all the lates mobo, chipset, sound and graphics drivers are installed. This is unbelievebly important. And then as suggested above, look at updating the mobo bios. Make absolutely sure you flash the correct bios to your mobo. Read the guides, google it, research it upside down and inside out. Time consuming, but done once you'll know how to do it in the future. It can fix problems.
Best of luck dude!
ok i tried everything and i really mean everything.
I took the pc appart again, removed windows vista and installed xp, made all the possible updates.
Funny thing is once it was all updated i kept getting a nvidia message that the video cards are not getting enough power, I tested the Power supply (1000W) and it gives more than enough power. Anyway funny thing after all the updates it turns out windows XP does not support x3 cards.
Well again to bits and installed Windows Vista where i seen a better performance over all from XP and installed the games all over and guess what? no improvement from before.
So i started, no overclocking, 2x gb ram, 1 x 9800GTX games was a mess at low graphics
installed an other 2gb, no improvement
installed 2x 9800GTX - No improvement what so ever.
Well now i cannot be arsed to install the last card i know its not going to do anything at all.
So I believe now that its either a real motherboard scam or the graphic cards are pure crap.
If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know.
Oh btw i installed assassin's creed, i can tell you this thing worked like a bloody 486 if any of you remember them
I took the pc appart again, removed windows vista and installed xp, made all the possible updates.
Funny thing is once it was all updated i kept getting a nvidia message that the video cards are not getting enough power, I tested the Power supply (1000W) and it gives more than enough power. Anyway funny thing after all the updates it turns out windows XP does not support x3 cards.
Well again to bits and installed Windows Vista where i seen a better performance over all from XP and installed the games all over and guess what? no improvement from before.
So i started, no overclocking, 2x gb ram, 1 x 9800GTX games was a mess at low graphics
installed an other 2gb, no improvement
installed 2x 9800GTX - No improvement what so ever.
Well now i cannot be arsed to install the last card i know its not going to do anything at all.
So I believe now that its either a real motherboard scam or the graphic cards are pure crap.
If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know.
Oh btw i installed assassin's creed, i can tell you this thing worked like a bloody 486 if any of you remember them
Make sure they are all wired up with power molexes (preferrably exclusive vga/hdd ones).
+1
The only game that pushes a single GTX is Crysis, and Crysis doesn't play nicely with SLI anywho.
tri 9800GTX is utter overkill for anything that's available, or soon to be available.
If as he says his system is running carp with just one 9800gtx there must be something wrong and selling his cards and gettign one 8800gtx wont fix that.
Either its a driver issue or you have a hardware problem somewhere, I ran Assassins creed fine on my machine with soem aa and stuff and I only have the old 8800gts (320mb).
I would recommend you to to take out all but bar one card (try a different one this time) install the latest drivers for your sytem gfx, chipset, nic etc etc make sure to patch Vista fully (there is some important updates for SLi that you need patched on Vista...) make sure you don't have any rogue processes eating up all CPU cycles.
Once you done all that try and play some games if its still stuttering then it sounds like its some hardware issue.
Either its a driver issue or you have a hardware problem somewhere, I ran Assassins creed fine on my machine with soem aa and stuff and I only have the old 8800gts (320mb).
I would recommend you to to take out all but bar one card (try a different one this time) install the latest drivers for your sytem gfx, chipset, nic etc etc make sure to patch Vista fully (there is some important updates for SLi that you need patched on Vista...) make sure you don't have any rogue processes eating up all CPU cycles.
Once you done all that try and play some games if its still stuttering then it sounds like its some hardware issue.
Right there.
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why oh why did'nt you build the machine without overclocked and single gpu for starter and then went from there? thus checking the mobo and memory before you start tweeking and everything else in that matter
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Step 1: Scrap all OCs, keep 1 GFX and manually re-set mobo settings to default.
Step 2: Report Back
Edit: oops, see you already did that. Can you run 3D Mark 06 and post your scores back here?
Step 2: Report Back
Edit: oops, see you already did that. Can you run 3D Mark 06 and post your scores back here?
Does your 1000watts PSU supply enough amps to the gfx cards? Go to Nvidias website and look for their recommended PSU specs. I am guessing you will need at least 100amps on the 12volt rails for starters.
Why type of soundcard do you have? Is it onboard if so that could be a bottleneck as well.
Also, please do yourself a massive favour and sell the 3 x 9800GTX's get a single 8800GTX and keep the pocket change.
Your CPU is probably not fast enough anyway for tri-sli it really needs the fastest CPU which means something a lot faster than an overclocked Q6600 + extreme cooling and a monitor capable of higher than 1920x1200 otherwise it is a total waste of horsepower/money. If you do have the money then get a QX9770 + use LN2 to cool it. This should get to around 5Ghz and will allow the system to operate better but even then its total overkill.
I would not persist with trying to get 3 cards working unless I had a lot of time/money to burn as it needs someone who is a PC expert to determine the problems.
From what you have said so far I would say your PSU is just not up to the job and maybe your motherboard is not set to the correct bios settings for voltage.
Tell us your PSU make/model and what type of soundcard you have so we can offer further advice.
Why type of soundcard do you have? Is it onboard if so that could be a bottleneck as well.
Also, please do yourself a massive favour and sell the 3 x 9800GTX's get a single 8800GTX and keep the pocket change.
Your CPU is probably not fast enough anyway for tri-sli it really needs the fastest CPU which means something a lot faster than an overclocked Q6600 + extreme cooling and a monitor capable of higher than 1920x1200 otherwise it is a total waste of horsepower/money. If you do have the money then get a QX9770 + use LN2 to cool it. This should get to around 5Ghz and will allow the system to operate better but even then its total overkill.
I would not persist with trying to get 3 cards working unless I had a lot of time/money to burn as it needs someone who is a PC expert to determine the problems.
From what you have said so far I would say your PSU is just not up to the job and maybe your motherboard is not set to the correct bios settings for voltage.
Tell us your PSU make/model and what type of soundcard you have so we can offer further advice.
are you sure you have plugged in the extra power connector on the graphics card ? and its connected to the power supply ?
if yes to both then do yourself a favour and borrow a friends power supply and try that to rule out lack of power.
if yes to both then do yourself a favour and borrow a friends power supply and try that to rule out lack of power.
In this order :
Disconnect your PC from the internet. Install just one of the cards.
Low level format all drives, install vista from scratch.
Install latest motherboard drivers form the manufacturer website.
Install the latest nvidia driver.
Do not reconnect to the internet.
Install a single game, and see how it runs.
If it's ok, then at least you know it's not your hardware.
Disconnect your PC from the internet. Install just one of the cards.
Low level format all drives, install vista from scratch.
Install latest motherboard drivers form the manufacturer website.
Install the latest nvidia driver.
Do not reconnect to the internet.
Install a single game, and see how it runs.
If it's ok, then at least you know it's not your hardware.
Last edited:
Soldato
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power tbh, what is the PSU? i know its KAzillion WATTS but which one?
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Good advice. Try reseting bios defaulst as well and have a look to see if there is anything obvious that may be wrong.
If his psu was a problem would you not expect crashes rather thsn just poor system performance?
After that try running benchmarking software... CPU, memory, and video should give you an idea of where the problem might be.