how to setup new sli rig

derbyjake · 2 May 2006 at 18:42

How do i build / setup a new sli rig,

do i just install both cards and the sli bridge the install windows as usual

or do i need to do something special >?

Joe42 · 2 May 2006 at 18:54

You need:
-A pair of identical Nvidia sli capable cards
-An Nforce4 sli or Nforce4 slix16 motherboard
-An sli bridge connector (usually included with the board)
-A psu that can power two video cards if they are high end models
-The latest driver from the nvidia website.

Sli is not worth having unless the latest high end cards aren't good enough for you and you want to run at insane resolutions with an expensive lcd. The only other reason to go sli is if you see a 2nd video card thats the same as your current one going cheap.

Looking at your sig you will need a new board, new pair of cards, new cpu to prevent bottlenecking, probably a new monitor, possibly a new psu if the cards are very high end, probably more ram to prevent bottlenecking... i.e a new £2000+ pc.

derbyjake · 2 May 2006 at 18:59

oh yeah its not for me its for a customer where i work,

Joe42 · 2 May 2006 at 19:01

derbyjake said:
oh yeah its not for me its for a customer where i work,

Ahh ok.
Do they want to overclock?
Whats their budget?

Cyanide · 2 May 2006 at 19:01

You just stick 'em both in during normal setup and let windows sort out the drivers etc, you don't need to mess around with putting one in, installing windows then adding the other.

pastymuncher · 2 May 2006 at 19:34

Which cards is he going with in the end?

Flick the switch between the pci-e slots to the correct position.

Put both cards in, connect the bridge.

Install Nvidia drivers, 84.21 is latest.

Nvidia drivers should detect two cards and ask if you want to enable Sli. Tick yes and then reboot and you should be greeted with the Sli enabled message.

Joe42 · 2 May 2006 at 19:36

Its slightly different with digital sli or slix16 because theres no switch and no reboot required. Just a tick box to enable/disable.

pastymuncher · 2 May 2006 at 19:49

It's a Gigabyte K8N Sli if i remember rightly from yesterday. That has the switch thingy.

derbyjake · 2 May 2006 at 20:26

2 x 7600GT's 256MB XT i think Cheers

FrankJH · 2 May 2006 at 20:50

Unless he already has them there is no point going SLI with two 7600GT's when you can get one 7900GT for £50 less. I know it isnt SLI but he will get much better performance from the single 7900GT than he would from the pair of 7600's

He could always add a 7900 later if ne needed extra zip

Also I thought that it was possible to use non identical cards in an SLI now due to better drivers?

derbyjake · 2 May 2006 at 20:58

Maybe so,

but the customer is adament he has to have sli !, even tho tho i pointed it the pros n cons versus a single card,

at the end of day the customer can have what he wants lol

Cyanide · 2 May 2006 at 21:00

FrankJH said:
Also I thought that it was possible to use non identical cards in an SLI now due to better drivers?

You can use cards from different manufacturers, but the core still has to be the same.

eg. you can use a BFG 7900GT and a Gainward 7900GT but you couldn't use a 7900GT with a 7900GTX or a 256mb card with a 512mb etc.

dazza121 · 2 May 2006 at 21:06

Why do people keep saying that SLI isnt worth it - have you even tried an sli machine ?

2X7600GT's in sli will outperform 1X7900gt (admitidly not by a lot but it will outperform) and if SLI is so much of waste of time why do you all keep quoting get the faster card now and you can add a second 1 later ????

If you can afford it no - go for it

I know the 7900gt is a great card and very overclockable but then so is the 7600gt

Joe42 · 2 May 2006 at 21:08

Sli has been overmarketed to the point where non-techie customers like this one will ask for it despite being advised otherwise by a professional. Not disimilar to the old Ghz headache(and even that still surfaces from time to time).

As you say, in the end the customer will get sli if thats all they'll have. Its their money wasted.
As long as you've tried to convince them otherwise and explained the reality that all you can do.

derbyjake · 2 May 2006 at 21:31

yer ive poinyed out to him

im not to up on sli so thats why i asked here cause i knew u all would,

many thanks

will do some benchmarks when its built anyway

FrankJH · 3 May 2006 at 04:28

dazza121 said:
Why do people keep saying that SLI isnt worth it - have you even tried an sli machine ?

2X7600GT's in sli will outperform 1X7900gt (admitidly not by a lot but it will outperform) and if SLI is so much of waste of time why do you all keep quoting get the faster card now and you can add a second 1 later ????

If you can afford it no - go for it

I know the 7900gt is a great card and very overclockable but then so is the 7600gt

That is all true ......... however not only will you be spending more on lesser cards, there is no upgrade available without getting rid of BOTH cards. To my mind one 7900GT is worth more with the £50 or so saved (to be put towards 2nd 7900GT) than wasting yoru money on the little advantage of having two 7600GT's in SLI with little performance advantage

Take a snapshot now, maybe two 7600GT's perform reasonably well at good resolution and AA etc, but what will they be like in a year's time? I would hazzard a guess at struggling pretty badly. Now quite possibly a single 7900GT would be struggling also, however add a second ( 2nd hand 7900GT this time next year likely to cost £150 maybe less??) and you have got a fabulous rig again - all for spending £100 more than if you bought the two 7600's initially and your rig lasts longer

It just doesnt make sense to go SLI with lesser cards