Bios flash can enable SLI on some X58 boards

[straxusii]

http://www.tweaktown.com/news/11708/sneaky_trick_enables_sli_on_non_sli_motherboard/index.html

 

[SlyReaper]

I thought SLI was standard on X58 boards?

 

[eyetrip]

Yeah, I thought it was being allowed to run X58 as well.

 

[J1nxy]

Nope only boards with the appropriate Bios, Nvidia certification and entry in the Nvidia drivers.

 

[eyetrip]

Still don't know how they don't realise they are losing out on sales by not opening up SLI. Hell, I would probably have 2 nvidia cards right now if they did. Idiots.

 

[Greebo]

I thought SLI was standard on X58 boards?

Standard if the manufacturer paid the SLI licence to Nvidia. Hence some X58 boards have the capability but the if the licence wasn't paid then SLI won't work but results in a cheaper board.

The article linked shows that if you flash a non SLI X58 board with a better specced bios from an SLI enabled board then you get SLI for free (well for Gigabytes UD4 board)

 

[J1nxy]

For x58 the majority of boards are SLI enabled, particularly the mid-high end ones.

 

[reflux]

Yeah, but it's good to know that all it takes is a bios flash to enable the functionality. Nvidia would have you believe it takes all manner of alchemy and black magic.

 

[Blackbadger]

Even our old P4/Core2 boards can/could do sli, it's basically a setting in the drivers which checks to see if the bios says yes or no.

Unfortunately, this wasn't easily modifiable and only a few have been able to fiddle it.

 

[Rroff]

I do wonder why they didn't open it up to more intel boards... judging from the interest they'd have made a killing from it... never mind the motherboard sales.

 

[mr griffin]

Still don't know how they don't realise they are losing out on sales by not opening up SLI. Hell, I would probably have 2 nvidia cards right now if they did. Idiots.

Agreed same as me. I wanted an Intel mobo and Nvidia gfx card but at the time Intel boards didn't run SLI, if I was able I would be slapping another 260 gtx in my pc tomorrow.