Today we will get acquainted with the construction of SLI or CrossFireX configuration on ASUS ROG Maximus V motherboards.
In this manual we will look at an example of building an SLI and CrossFireX system based on motherboard ASUS ROG Maximus V Formula.
Install the first video card in the top red PCI-Express slot (x16).
Since we are interested in installing two video cards, the second one must be installed in the middle (also red) slot. In this case, the operating mode of each slot will be PCI-E 3.0 x8. This bandwidth will be enough (given the 3.0 standard), so there will be no loss of performance.
It remains to make sure that the latches on the slots hold the cards and that we have connected additional power. 
Installing a second video card.
The second card should be as similar as possible to the first. For NVIDIA everything is simple - you need to install two identical video cards (you need to install a second GTX 670 to the first GTX 670). In this case, the driver will synchronize the frequencies of the GPU and video memory for correct operation.
But for AMD the situation is more interesting - you can use slightly different video cards. For example, with HD 7970 you can use HD 7950. We have also prepared a special table to simplify the choice: 
Please note that you cannot install SLI or CrossFireX NVIDIA + AMD video cards.
On the Maximus V Formula board, the first and second PCI-Express slots (x16 size) are located in such a way that you can easily install even three-slot video cards, such as ASUS DirectCU II.
You should not install the video card in the lowest PCI-Express slot, as it throughput always limited to x4 mode.
Well, when we have installed two video cards, it is worth connecting them with a special bridge. Bridges for SLI are usually included with motherboards, and CrossFire bridges are included with video cards. Bridges must be installed on the same contact pad of both cards. 
When using a single monitor, it must be connected to the video output of the top card. If you have a configuration of three monitors, then, when using AMD cards, the third must be connected to the DisplayPort output, while, as is the case with NVIDIA cards you can connect all three via DVI outputs.
When we have everything connected, all that remains is to configure a few things in the BIOS and drivers.
We need the Advanced tab, then System Agent Configuration and in this menu NB PCIe Configuration. You need to change the “Auto” values to “Gen 3”. 
Now you can boot the operating system and install drivers.
When the installation is complete and the system is rebooted, we need to get to the video card control panel.
It needs to enable SLI or CrossFire, depending on our configuration. 
And we need to make sure that everything works as it should. For example, using the Unigen Heaven 3.0 benchmark.
The gain from the second GTX 670 is obvious (for different systems results may vary): 
For one and two HD 7970 respectively: 
It must be said that the increase from installing a second video card may not be in every game. This may be due to both the game itself and the drivers. Therefore, you need to monitor driver updates and the game itself (patches).
It remains only to add that high-quality and powerful block nutrition. For a dual-GPU system, we recommend a minimum 700W power supply.
This material is a free translation
Just recently we talked about a Chinese experimenter who was able to create a so-called SLI patch that allows two graphics cards to work together NVIDIA adapters when using boards on Intel based P45/X38/X48. However, time passed, and no one received the “working tool” in their hands. Moreover, testing took place in Directory Services Restore mode, not in normal mode operation of the operating system. We would like to inform you that we have managed to overcome the restriction on the operation of several NVIDIA video cards in SLI mode only with officially certified chipsets. And this time, unlike the experiments of the Chinese enthusiast, the modification is widely available to everyone. A person under the nickname Sveetsnelda on the techPowerUp forums! was able to patch the ForceWare driver and my operating system to enable SLI. After the first successes, our compatriot Ilya Tsemenko "TiN" received all the necessary files for independent modification and carried out independent testing. On at the moment The modified driver has already been successfully tested on systems with Intel P45 chipsets (ASUS Maximus II Formula and two 9800GTX+ video cards), Intel P965 (ASUS P5B Deluxe and two 6600LE accelerators), as well as thanks to the DeDaL overclocker, and on the Intel X48 platform with a pair GeForce video cards 260 GTX. But this is just the beginning, all previous chipset restrictions have been eliminated, and as enthusiasts test the number of SLI systems, the number of SLI systems will increase significantly.
All this became possible thanks to the emergence of a simplified verification procedure with the announcement of SLI support on Intel platform X58. The essence of the modification boils down to the forced return of the chipset name "Intel X58" to the video driver request, as well as the presence of the correct certificate in the ACPI system tables that are loaded from the BIOS. During practical experiments, we were able to figure out the verification procedure and the principle of constructing the correct certificates used for the Intel X58 platform. Currently, just installing a patched driver is not enough to enable SLI; you must also manually add the certificate to the ACPI configuration tables. At the moment, all certificates are associated with the name of the motherboard manufacturer and are checked by the driver for correctness. For example, for any ASUS motherboards, you can only use a certificate from Intel X58-based boards manufactured by ASUS. A detailed description of the method for enabling SLI, detailed instructions and a guide to action, as well as all the necessary tools and a modified driver have already been prepared and are publicly available to everyone via this link.
To check whether the technology works in practice, a number of traditional tests were carried out in the 3DMark and Aquamark packages. By running the test one time at a time, results were obtained using the motherboard ASUS boards P5B Deluxe (Intel P965 chipset), two GeForce 6600 LE video cards and an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 processor. For comparison, we used system test results with one extremely overclocked 6600LE video card on the same motherboard, with an Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 processor running at 4.2 GHz. This system already known from the material about Frankenstein. For clarity, the percentage increase in performance is displayed in one graph.
Work is currently underway to eliminate the certificate presence check in ACPI tables. Maybe in a few days it will be possible to simply install a modified driver without the need for modification on the part of the user. In addition, obtaining the necessary driver for the Vista/Windows 7 operating systems will now not be difficult, and enthusiasts are already working on it. Materials
Before describing the modification, we note that this method has been tested in detail on the following systems:
Intel P965 (ASUS P5B Deluxe) + 2 x GeForce 6600LE by xDevs.com
Intel P45 (ASUS MAXIMUS II Formula) + 2 x GeForce 9800GTX + by sveetsnelda
Intel X48 (Gigabyte X48T-DQ6) + 2 x GeForce GTX 260 216sp by DeDaL
Intel X48 (ASUS P5E64WS Evolution) + 2 x GeForce 7900GS by Xtremelabs.org
Intel X38 (ABIT IX38QuadGT) + 2 x GeForce GTX 260 by TheWolf
Intel P55 (ASUS MAXIMUS III Formula) + 2 x GeForce 6600LE by xDevs.com
Intel P45 (ASUS P5Q Deluxe) + 2 x GeForce GTX 285 by Death or Glory
Intel X48 (ASUS Rampage Extreme) + 2 x GeForce 6800Ultra by Turrican
Intel P45 (Gigabyte EP45-UD3P) + 2 x GeForce 8800GT (Win7 32bit)
Intel P45 (Gigabyte EP45-DS4) + 2 x GeForce GTX 260 by cxghjcqr
Intel P965 (Gigabyte P965-DQ6) + 2 x GeForce 6600LE by TiN
Intel X48 (DFI LP LT X48) + 2 x GeForce 7900GS by TiN
Intel X48 (ASUS Rampage Formula) + 2 x GeForce 9800GTX by Ghostleader
AMD 790X (Gigabyte GA-MA790X-UD4P) by akula
AMD 790X (DFI LP DK 790FXB-M2RS) + 2 x GeForce 9800GT by aGeoM
Intel P35 (Abit IP35ProXE) + 2 x GeForce GTX 260 (192sp + 216sp) by TheWolf
Intel 5520 (Supermicro X8DAH+) + 2 x Quadro FX 4800 (GT200GL) on Windows 2008 R2 by derGhostrider
AMD 790FX (ASUS Crosshair III Formula) + 2 x GeForce 9800GT by aGeoM
Despite the small (yet) list, the modification allows you to run SLI on ANY chipset, not just Intel. It's just that there are no owners of two or more NVIDIA video cards with other chipsets willing to try SLI. But technically, SLI can be enabled even on motherboards with AMD chipset, as long as there are PCI-Express slots in the right amount.
The method has been successfully tested and implemented on operating systems Oh:
Microsoft Windows XP 32 bit
Microsoft Windows Vista/7 32 bit
Microsoft Windows Vista/7 64 bit
Now combining several NVIDIA video cards in SLI mode can be done on any motherboard. This became a reality thanks to the advent of a simplified verification procedure, which is implemented to support SLI on the Intel X58 platform. The technology described below in the article and the modified driver have been successfully tested on systems with Intel P45 (ASUS Maximus II Formula + 2 x 9800GTX+, XP) and Intel P965 (ASUS P5B Deluxe + 2 x 6600LE, XP) chipsets, but there are no restrictions on chipset support, therefore, in the near future the list of tested chipsets will be expanded as they are tested by enthusiasts.
encrypted "allowed" list in the NVIDIA driver. In the case of the “outside” Intel X58, a simplified compatibility testing scheme was developed that uses text identifier strings, or otherwise SLIC certificates, for all X58 boards.
The essence of the modification is to force the NVIDIA video driver to identify the “Intel X58” chipset, regardless of what set of logic is actually used in the hardware. Having received the X58 identification, the video driver checks for the presence of the correct SLI compatibility certificate, which should be found in the ACPI system tables. Initially, table data is loaded from Computer BIOS, but in the future the entry in the Windows registry is used.
At the current stage of installation, only a corrected driver with a substituted chipset identifier is not enough to activate SLI; you also need to manually enter a suitable certificate into the ACPI configuration tables. Fortunately, to make changes it is not necessary to adjust the BIOS and put the motherboard at risk with unnecessary flashing. Let's use a simpler method, thanks to storing the DSDT table we need in the Windows registry. At the moment, all certificates are associated with the name of the motherboard manufacturer, and are checked by the driver for correctness. This means that for ASUS motherboards (any model) you can only use a certificate from X58-based motherboards manufactured by ASUS, for example Rampage III Extreme. For EVGA boards – similar to EVGA Classified.
To work you will need two utilities: Intel ASL Optimizing Compiler and Microsoft ASL 3.0
The entire procedure for adding a certificate for the Windows XP 32bit operating system looks something like this:
Procedure for adding an X58 SLI certificate for the Gigabyte P965-DQ6 board.
Step 0. We check the availability of our manufacturer's (Gigabyte) X58 board in the list of certificates below. We use the string "" in this case.
Step 1. Reading the ACPI table from Windows registry and disassemble. To do this, create a directory c:/ACPI and copy the IASL and ASL 3.0 utilities into it. On the command line, run iasl –g. If everything went well, you will see something like this:
The table we are interested in is disassembled and stored in the file dsdt_GBTUACPI.dsl. Opening this file any text editor.
Step 2. Insert the certificate into the table. The essence of editing comes down to finding a block similar to:
Scope(\_SB_)
{
Various code not of interest to us
}
And inserting a block with a certificate immediately after this block. In our example it looks like this:
Original file
Device (\_SB.PCI0.EXPL)
{
Code that doesn't interest us...
}
}
}
}
File with added certificate.
Device (\_SB.PCI0.EXPL)
{
Code that doesn't interest us...
}
Scope (\_SB.PCI0)
{
Name (SLIC, Buffer (0x9E)
{
"987134512781Genuine NVIDIA Certified SLI Ready Motherboard for GIGABYTE GA EX58-UD38432-Copyright 2008 NVIDIA Corporation All Rights Reserved-765289891023(R)"
})
Device (WMI1)
{
Name(_HID, "pnp0c14")
Name(_UID, "MXM2")
Name (_WDG, Buffer (0x14)
{
/* 0000 */ 0x3C, 0x5C, 0xCB, 0xF6, 0xAE, 0x9C, 0xBD, 0x4E,
/* 0008 */ 0xB5, 0x77, 0x93, 0x1E, 0xA3, 0x2A, 0x2C, 0xC0,
/* 0010 */ 0x4D, 0x58, 0x01, 0x02
})
Method(WMMX, 3, NotSerialized)
{
CreateDWordField(Arg2, 0x00, FUNC)
If (LEqual (FUNC, 0x41494C53))
{
Return (\_SB.PCI0.SLIC)
}
Return (0x00)
}
}
}
Save the final text file with a table and an added certificate under the name sli.dsl.
Step 3. We compile the final table into a binary file. To do this, we will use the Microsoft ASL 3.0 utility, the link to which was provided earlier.
If compilation is successful, the DSDL.aml file will appear in the folder, in which the certificate string will already be embedded. This can be seen using any file viewing utility, the string is not encrypted.
Step 4. We load the modified DSDT table into the computer registry.
Step 5. We reboot the system, and if the download is successful, install the modified driver as usual. If everything went correctly, your system will immediately report the presence of SLI support and the driver will activate the SLI control tab. If, due to some error, the system does not boot, or displays errors and blue screens, press F8 during boot and select “Load last working configuration.”
If you need to return the original state of the DSDT table, discarding all changes, use the command asl /localtable DSDT.aml -d
The principle is similar for the ASUS P5B Deluxe board. Let's just dwell on the differences.
Step 0. We use the line “987134512781Genuine NVIDIA Certified SLI Ready Motherboard for ASUS RAMPAGE II EXT 3287-Copyright 2008 NVIDIA Corporation All Rights Reserved-765289891023(R)”.
Step 1. We read the tables from the registry and disassemble using iasl –g. The resulting file name is dsdt_A0483035.dsl.
Step 2. We look for the _SB block and immediately after it insert the SLIC block.
Step 3. We compile the file using the asl command dsdt_A0483035.dsl, we get DSDT.aml
Step 4. Load asl.exe /loadtable DSDT.aml
Step 5. Reboot and install the modified driver.
Despite the apparent complexity, all these steps are completed in 5 minutes with a tea break, there is nothing complicated in the procedure, the main thing is to do everything carefully and without mistakes. Please note that these operations interact with PC hardware at a low level, so if your PC fails, data is lost, or any other negative event, the responsibility lies solely with you. All transactions are presented for informational purposes, and no one except you is responsible for possible losses.
However, on various systems We didn’t notice any problems, everything went without a single error.
And now the results after modifications and activation of SLI in popular benchmarks
P5B Deluxe (Intel 965 chipset) + two GeForce 6600LE video cards in SLI:
3D"03: one video card, QX9650 @ 4200MHz, 6600LE DDR3 660/670: 10044
3D"03: two video cards in SLI, Q6700 @ 3000MHz, 6600LE DDR3 580/522: 11087
3D"05: one video card, QX9650 @ 4213MHz, 6600LE DDR3 646/660: 3729
3D"05: two video cards in SLI, Q6700 @ 3000MHz, 6600LE DDR3 580/522: 4975
3D"06: one video card, Q6700 @ 3600MHz, 6600LE DDR3 580/585: 1510
3D"06: two video cards in SLI, Q6700 @ 3000MHz, 6600LE DDR3 580/522: 1808
Aqua: one video card, QX9650 @ 4200MHz, 6600LE DDR3 670/670: 71435
Aqua: two video cards in SLI, Q6700 @ 3000MHz, 6600LE DDR3 580/522: 88185
A detailed description of the procedure for the more popular and modern operating systems Windows 7 and Windows Vista 32 bit and 64 bit options will also be described here in the coming days.
In the meantime, screenshots confirming the functionality of the method for them:
987134512781Genuine NVIDIA Certified SLI Ready Motherboard for GIGABYTE GA EX58-UD38432-Copyright 2008 NVIDIA Corporation All Rights Reserved-765289891023(R)
987134512781Genuine NVIDIA Certified SLI Ready Motherboard for ASUS RAMPAGE II EXT 3287-Copyright 2008 NVIDIA Corporation All Rights Reserved-765289891023(R)
987134512781Genuine NVIDIA Certified SLI Ready Motherboard for ASUS P6T Deluxe 0101-Copyright 2008 NVIDIA Corporation All Rights Reserved-765289891023(R)
987134512781Genuine NVIDIA Certified SLI Ready Motherboard for GIGABYTE GA EX58-UD38432-Copyright 2008 NVIDIA Corporation All Rights Reserved-765289891023(R)
987134512781Genuine NVIDIA Certified SLI Ready Motherboard for GIGABYTE GA EX58UD4P3287-Copyright 2008 NVIDIA Corporation All Rights Reserved-765289891023(R)
987134512781Genuine NVIDIA Certified SLI Ready Motherboard for DFI LP UT X58 T3EH8 0101-Copyright 2008 NVIDIA Corporation All Rights Reserved-765289891023(R)
987134512781Genuine NVIDIA Certified SLI Ready Motherboard for MSI X58 PLATINUM 0101-Copyright 2008 NVIDIA Corporation All Rights Reserved-765289891023(R)
987134512781Genuine NVIDIA Certified SLI Ready Motherboard for FOXCONN BLOODRAGE 3287-Copyright 2008 NVIDIA Corporation All Rights Reserved-765289891023(R)
At the moment, work is underway to eliminate the check for the presence of a certificate in the ACPI tables, so perhaps in a few days this entire procedure will not be required, it will be enough to install only the corrected driver.
Updated:
It is already possible to activate SLI on original unmodified Forceware drivers of any version that support SLI on the X58. This is possible after patching the OS system library to the following versions:
The original file in the /windows/system32 directory must be replaced with the corrected one. After this, the chipset in the system will always be identified as X58, regardless of the drivers. The CPU-Z utility also reports this.
An example of using the original Forceware 185.85 WHQL driver on an XP 32-bit system, with modified HAL.dll, and a pair of GeForce 6600LE video cards.
There is still a need for an SLIC certificate in ACPI tables.
Updated:
The modified Forceware 190.62 driver (Windows XP 32 bit) is available for download:
http://www.xdevs.com/sli/Forceware_XP32_19062_SLImod.rar - 79 MB
Modified file for the Forceware 190.62 driver (Windows XP 32 bit) with forced use of the ASUS certificate:
http://www.xdevs.com/sli/nv4_mini_rev2asus.rar - 2.1 MB t - for this driver you need to use an ASUS certificate, regardless of the actual manufacturer of the motherboard. This will allow you to enable SLI even on motherboards from manufacturers that do not have X58 solutions.
A modified file for the Forceware 190.62 driver (Windows Vista/7 32 bit) is available for download:
http://www.xdevs.com/sli/nvlddmkm.rar - 2.6 MB
Modified file for Forceware 190.62 (Windows Vista/7 64 bit):
http://www.xdevs.com/sli/nvlddmkm-64bit_rev_2.rar - 3 MB
Modified HAL.DLL file for Windows XP 32 bit:
http://www.xdevs.com/sli/hal.dll - 130 KB- copy to the /%windows%/system32 folder, keeping the original.
Now that the principle is clear, finding similar sections of code and modifying them in any modern drivers, before NVIDIA releases new protection methods, is a matter of technology and time.
This material would not have been possible without the participation of:
Many experienced computer users, and especially gamers, sooner or later come across technologies to improve graphic capabilities devices. In various manufacturing variations it can be SLI or Crossfire, the only difference is in the manufacturer.
Often these methods of change graphical indicators They are used in desktop computers, but their use in laptops is also possible. Next, each of the options for using this technology and the possibility of disabling it, if necessary, will be discussed in detail.
What is SLI and Crossfire
The entire process of considering the current problem should begin with an analysis of the general concept of SLI and Crossfire technologies. They represent operating modes personal computers, which make it possible to install and operate several video cards in the device simultaneously. To activate this mode in a desktop computer, you simply need to insert two video cards into the motherboard, but there are cases in which a graphics chipset is already built into the main board. Then you just need to add another one to it using a special slot. Each of the possible options for activating the technology should be examined in more detail, and then the issue of disabling functions should be resolved.
Concept of SLI
This technology was developed by nVidia only for video cards from their production. She means simultaneous use resources of several video cards, allowing the user to combine them into one. In fact, the technology in question is a kind of adapter that connects several graphics adapters.
Crossfire concept
This technology, in principle, is absolutely similar to the previous one, the only difference is in the developers. Crossfire technology was presented to the world by representatives of the AMD campaign. Users will be interested in information about the material benefits of this technology. After all, purchasing and combining two video adapters from this campaign will cost significantly less than purchasing several video cards from nVidia. In addition, the more expensive version of the graphics adapter combination does not have the ability to be active on any motherboard. Although the process of decontamination of any version of such a bridge will be the same. First, let's look at the features of how technology works.
Specifics of connecting technologies
The main thing in carrying out this process is a suitable motherboard for it. Not all models support this feature, so you should first familiarize yourself with the capabilities of the system. The motherboard must have the appropriate markings, otherwise, even if there are several slots, the video cards will not work in pairs. The same system applies to installing discrete and integrated adapters; there is the option of using only one of them.
It should also be noted that the technology provided by nVidia allows combined operation only for video cards produced on the same chips. That is, these can be two completely identical models, or at least representatives of the same series. Other linking options simply won't work. But when using Radeon video cards, the situation changes radically. It doesn’t matter at all what configurations the graphics adapters have. Representatives of the R9 series, for example, working in pairs, give the computer the opportunity to use the maximum from games. Many users of such combinations increase the frequency of storyboards, achieving high performance.
In addition, to use the SLI bridge, you need to attach a special adapter. It may come with a video card that supports this feature, or it may be bundled with the graphics adapter itself. Without its installation, the technology will not work.
Misconceptions about Dual Graphics mode
Many beginners, without fully understanding all the intricacies of increasing productivity, thus make hasty conclusions. For some reason, users believe that if you install a bridge with two identical video cards, the performance will double, and the same, respectively, with other combination options. But in fact, the increase occurs only by twenty to thirty percent, and then based on the performance of the weakest adapter. Here is a striking example: if you install two video cards with a memory capacity of one eight gigabytes and the other two gigabytes, then in the end the user will not receive more than two gigabytes of output. A similar situation occurs with cards that have the same amount of memory. The output will be an indicator of only one of them. The same feature applies not only to memory. For example, when installing MSI and EVGA cards simultaneously, the total output frequency will be calculated based on the lowest value. In general, you should not place high hopes on such technology.
Deactivation of technologies
After a detailed review of the main functions and capabilities of SLI and Crossfire, it’s time to move directly to the subject of the article. It is clear that the whole point of disabling these modes comes down to removing one of the video cards. When working with a desktop computer, this will not be a problem. You just need to remove one graphics adapter from the slot and the problem will be solved. This method can be called mechanical and at the same time the simplest, but the question remains open if this mode of operation is active on the laptop. Modern models laptops also have the ability to install additional video adapters and, in particular, Crossfire technology. Thus, mechanically removing the video card will not work here; you need to use another method. Next, we will consider software options for solving this problem.
Disabling technology via BIOS
This method is suitable for both variants of the function. A basic data input/output system is present on any device and with its help you can solve a lot of problems. First you need to log in, this is done by pressing the button when you start the computer. Which one depends on the version of the base system, most often it is Del. After logging in, you need to go to the menu to the Advanced tab, when using a discrete adapter, and vice versa graphics adapter set the necessary settings. When using an integrated system, you need to find the Onboard or Integrated Devices tab and specify Disabled or simply Off in the parameters, it all depends, again, on the version. Of course, this option is not complicated, but if the user has problems understanding English, then he may not be able to find the necessary parameters on his own. In this case, you will have to consider another method.
device Manager
To solve the problem you can use standard means installed operating system. Windows allows the user to independently configure the use of all installed devices through the "device manager". You can find it using the “control panel” or “administration”. For advanced users, you can suggest entering command line devmgmt.msc. After opening the required window, you need to find a section in it indicating installed video cards. Now you simply select the adapter that needs to be disabled and right-click on it to open the properties menu. It has a button to turn off the device. That's all, actually. This method of disabling SLI-Crossfire mode does not even require a subsequent system reboot to activate the new settings. In addition, you can execute this command directly from the context menu.
Deactivation through standard programs
Despite the simplicity of using the above methods, the safest is still the use of “native” programs that are installed on the computer along with the drivers for the graphics adapter. Also, similar utilities can be added to the system additionally. Such programs are extremely easy to use and the user does not have to perform any additional actions to change parameters. Using this method is more efficient; in particular, it eliminates possible conflicts between equipment.
Conclusion
In general, everything possible options disabling SLI-Crossfire modes were discussed above. But after considering all the details of how such a technology works, the question becomes relevant: is such a system needed at all? There are many different opinions both in support of these regimes and against them. The fact is that you shouldn’t expect any significant performance gains, and besides, a hardware conflict may occur. Simultaneous operation of several video cards raises the temperature too much. system unit, overheating it. One downside is the increased power consumption when operating in this mode, because two cards, whatever one may say, “eat” more than one. In addition, not all games support this technology and may simply not run on a system with SLI-Crossfire.
Considering that the output indicators are equal to the worst video card, the best option will be the acquisition of one powerful one, for the same money that two weaker ones were bought. Thus, the performance of the system will definitely be increased and unnecessary problems will not arise. Of course, in some cases, using bridges between several video cards is necessary. The main thing is to turn off the extra video adapter in a timely manner when not using them, in order to avoid overheating of the system and increased power consumption. It is advisable to use specialized software, although if it is not available, you can use other methods. Exactly which ones have already been described in detail today.
If you have a desire to combine two nVidia GeForce video cards to improve performance in games and it turns out that the system unit on the motherboard, although there are two (or more) connectors for video cards, does not support nVidia SLI technology, then do not immediately despair.
Thanks to developer Ember Vulpix, we now have the ability to run GeForce graphics cards in SLI mode on motherboards that only support ATi/AMD CrossFireX or without the official ability to combine graphics cards for improved 3D performance. Moreover, in an SLI tandem it will be possible to combine two different video cards from nVidia (from the same or similar generations); such functionality is not provided even on boards with official SLI support. In general, download the DifferentSLIAuto 1.4 patch from github (or from our website), unpack it and strictly follow detailed instructions from the README.md file.
Let's try it in combat conditions on a system made up of hardware that ended up in the bins: let's take an old ECS P965T-A motherboard on the Intel P965 chipset with two PCI-Ex16 connectors (the second operates in x4 mode), the specifications of which make no mention of supporting configurations SLI or CrossFireX, it only mentions the “Unique ECS S.D.G.E (Scalable Dual Graphic Engines) architecture,” whatever that means. Let's add to it Intel processor Core 2 Duo E4500, overclocked to 2.93GHz and 6GB RAM DDR2 PC6400. All this will run the Windows 7 HP x64 SP1 operating system.
In the same "bins" :) we found several video cards from nVidia:
- GeForce 9800GT Green 512MB GDDR3 256bit (Palit)
- GeForce 9800GT 1024MB GDDR3 256bit (Galaxy)
- GeForce GT240 1024MB GDDR3 128bit (Gigabyte)
- GeForce GT440 1024MB GDDR5 128bit (PNY, G108 chip)
- GeForce GT630 2048MB GDDR3 128bit (Palit, G108 chip)
- GeForce GT630 1024MB GDDR3 64bit (Palit, Kepler chip)
- GeForce GT730 2048MB GDDR3 64bit (Palit, Kepler chip)
For the first five video cards, driver version 331.82 was used, for the last two - 364.51.
The 9800GT Green 512MB and 9800GT 1024MB, GT440 1024MB (G108) and GT630 2048MB (G108) made friends without any problems, and the GT630 1024MB (Kepler) and GT730 2048MB (Kepler) also worked together.
To check functionality, we ran the Unigine Tropics 1.3 and Unigine Heaven 4.0 benchmarks with the SLI activity “thermometer” activated in the driver settings.
But the 9800GT + GT240, GT240 + GT440/GT630 and GT630 (G108) + GT630 (Kepler) refused to work - when trying to enable SLI in the driver settings, the computer froze or was thrown into BSOD.
Another caveat is that a video card with a smaller amount of memory must be installed in the main PCI-E slot. It is also worth remembering that only the overlapping amount of RAM on 3D accelerators will be used - with 1024MB and 2048MB on cards, only 1024MB will be available for games.
dxpc.ru
How to enable SLI antialiasing
How to enable SLI anti-aliasing: |
| Step 1: Open the control room NVIDIA panel by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting "NVIDIA Control Panel" |
| Step 2: Select "3D Settings" |
| Step 3: Select "Manage 3D Preferences" |
 |
Step 4. Click on "Antialiasing Settings" and select the mode you need. |
 |
| Step 5: Click Apply. SLI anti-aliasing mode is enabled! |
Remember, if you use one of the anti-aliasing modes, SLI performance mode will not be active. You cannot use both modes at the same time. |
www.nvidia.ru
SLI mode of two GeForce GTX 260 video cards... setup, performance testing.
Introduction. In view of the fact that NVIDIA allowed Intel to organize SLI mode on motherboards with the Intel X58 chipset, it increased the popularity of video cards from this manufacturer. Let me remind you that previously we had to resort to driver modification in order to activate the SLI mode on motherboards with chipsets from Intel, which have been quite popular lately.
In this review, I decided to present to you the level of performance achieved when installing two GeForce GTX 260 video cards. At the moment, this series is the most optimal choice to organize SLI mode.
Test participants.
The test participants are two XFX GeForce GTX 260 XXX video cards, which we reviewed quite a long time ago and with detailed review you can get acquainted on our portal. Here I would like to remind you of the video card specifications: -GPU: GeForce GTX 260 -Interface: PCI-Express x16 -ROPs/Shaders operating frequencies: 576/1242 MHz -Memory operating frequencies (physical (effective)): 1000 (2000) MHz - Bus width memory exchange: 448bit -Number of universal processors: 192 -Number of texture processors: 80 (BLF/TLF) -Number of ROPs: 32 -Dimensions: 270x100x33 mm (the last value is the maximum thickness of the video card). - Output jacks: 2xDVI (Dual-Link/HDMI), TV-out.
Multiprocessor support: SLI (Hardware), 3-Way SLI
"XXX" in the name of the video card means increased frequencies relative to the nominal ones and are: 1. Core frequency 640 Mhz.
2. Memory frequency 2300 MHz.
Overclocking results.
It was decided to overclock the video cards and evaluate the performance gain from overclocking when using two video cards. These video cards agreed to operate at the frequency: 1. Core 732 Mhz. 2. From memory 1233 Mhz. 3. For shader unit 1560 Mhz.
It was decided to set the same stable frequencies for each video card, otherwise this increases the risk of freezes during the game.
Setting up SLI mode.
First of all, we find ports for SLI mode on video cards.
We open them and try on the cables so that after installing the video card, it doesn’t “fiddle around” there for a long time.
After assembling the system, install the drivers. Then, through the control panel, go to the video card driver settings and enable SLI mode, as shown in the screenshot. That's all - you can enjoy all the benefits of SLI mode.
Test configuration. 1. Core I7 920. 2. GA-X58-DQ6. 3. 2x2 Gb Samsung DDR-800 Original. Tests in which the system participated: 1. Crysis. 2. Call of Duty 4. 3. 3Dmark 06.
Evaluation of results: 1. As we see, this option SLI mode provides the highest performance. 2. Overclocking adds a 20% increase in performance.
2. Call of Duty 4.
Rating of results: 1. In this game the performance is also the highest. 2. The performance gain from overclocking decreased to 11%.
Evaluation of results: 1. In the synthetic test, dual-core video cards from AMD HD4850X2 and HD4870X2 are selected ahead.
2. The performance gain from overclocking is 16%.
Conclusion. Of course, the SLI mode of two GeForce GTX260 video cards looks very tempting. But don’t forget that in testing I used video cards already factory overclocked, and in order to achieve confident leadership, even they had to be overclocked to the frequencies indicated above. The cost of a set of two video cards is: 260*2=$520.
Considering the cost, one should not overlook dual-chip video cards from AMD, which show good results.
The article was prepared by FireAiD specifically for Mega Obzor.
megaobzor.com
SLI, windows 7
- For multiprocessor video cards, such as GeForce 7950 GX2, 9800 GX2, GTX 295, each GPU has its own amount of video memory and it is not combined with the memory of another processor. Of the declared capacity for the entire card, only half is available to 3D applications - the memory of the second GPU duplicates the data for multiprocessor SLI rendering. A definite exception to the rule are some CUDA applications (OpenCL, DirectCompute), which, when the MultiGPU mode is disabled in the driver panel, can use the video memory of each GPU independently of the memory of the other, thus loading the full amount of memory on the video card.
- In Windows Vista and newer operating systems, the mechanism for determining the amount of video memory has been changed. Instead of reporting the video card driver/BIOS, the operating system itself calculates the amount of video memory when using a video card driver that is compatible with the WDDM architecture. Regardless of the amount of video memory on the video card, a certain amount of RAM is added to it according to the formula:
(RAM - 512) / 2, MB
“Excess” video memory is allocated from RAM only for the period of immediate need for it. All applications, including many system ones, are reported as the amount of video memory as the amount of memory on the video card, fixed for the video card of RAM (for integrated/mobile solutions) and added according to the formula above the RAM. To determine the exact amount of memory on the video card, the application must use new DirectX 10 calls (Performance Information and Tools control panel applet) or direct access to the hardware (RivaTuner). For applications using old DirectX versions, No software methods determine the physical amount of video memory in a given operating system.
- In Windows Vista and 7 operating systems, the NVIDIA driver limits the total amount of video memory reported to applications via legacy DirectX interfaces to avoid errors when processing large values. When using video cards with a large buffer size (such as Quadro), this behavior can also limit the amount of physical video memory available to applications. To disable this driver behavior, enable the “Maximum memory” option in the TAG Memory Tool; however, some programs may stop working.
- For integrated GPUs and graphics cards with Turbo Cache technology with 64 MB of local video memory or less, the driver always reports the maximum possible memory based on usage system memory. Determining the actual installed amount of video memory on a video card with Turbo Cache technology with a local video memory capacity of 64 MB or less is only possible using low-level utilities, such as RivaTuner.
- When determining the available amount of video memory through DirectX calls, it is quite difficult to allocate the local memory of the video card from the total amount along with the AGP aperture or system memory added using Turbo Cache technology. Such errors in determining the amount of video memory are typical for most games.
- The algorithm for determining the amount of video memory in the computer performance display dialog in Windows Vista and 7 does not work correctly for video cards with a non-standard amount of video memory. Thus, a GeForce 8800 GTS with 640 MB of video memory will be defined as having 512 MB of video memory, and a 8800 GTS with 320 MB of video memory will be defined as having 256 or 384 MB. This is an officially recognized bug.
- If you bought a video card secondhand, then you could become a victim of scammers. The memory capacity line displayed by the video BIOS when the computer is turned on can easily be spoofed by editing the BIOS, while the driver determines the true capacity.
- There have been cases where this was observed with video cards that physically (chips) had the declared capacity. In addition to cases of defects in the board layout, a number of victims noted that with a different version of the driver the full volume was recognized. Presumably, the driver reinitializes the video card when the system boots, conducting some kind of memory test. Try lowering the operating frequencies of the video memory using RivaTuner or installing additional cooling on the video card memory (radiators on the chips). Try other driver versions. If possible, update the video card BIOS.
- Insufficient power supply to the card can also cause this problem. This is especially true for cards based on GeForce 2, GeForce 2 MX and GeForce 4 MX chips, which use video memory with an internal circuit supply voltage of +3.3V. In many of these cards, the memory is powered directly from the power lines in the AGP connector. If the power supply or stabilizer on the motherboard “sags” at +3.3V, the memory may no longer be detected.
CUDA, DirectX, GeForce 2, GeForce 2 MX, GeForce 4 MX, GeForce 7950 GX2, GeForce 8800 GTS, GeForce 9800 GX2, GeForce GTX 295, RivaTuner, SLI, TAG Memory Tool, Turbo Cache, VRAM, windows 7, windows Vista, video memory, driver, power supply
- Check that the video card is firmly seated in the bus slot and that the connector is fully seated in the slot. Check the video card connector and motherboard bus slot for mechanical damage.
- You should pay attention to the number of PCI Express lanes supported by the motherboard chipset and the configuration of the PCIE x16 slots on a particular motherboard. First of all, most chipsets do not support a sufficient number of channels to implement two, much less three or four full x16 slots. 16 bus lines (channels) are usually allocated only to the first slot, the rest get a smaller number (x8 or x4). Therefore, you should install the video card in the x16 bus slot closest to the central processor. Or, when installing a second video card, the lines are redistributed from the first bus slot to the second, and both begin to work in x8 mode (this mode is typical for SLI configurations). A number of entry-level chipsets, such as Intel 910/915GL, 945/946GZ and NVIDIA nForce 405/400, in principle, do not support a sufficient number of lanes for a PCI Express x16 slot, however, motherboard manufacturers on these chipsets sometimes implement such a slot, but physically it has a small number of lines.
- Another reason for a reduction in tire width may be erroneous inclusion in BIOS Setup motherboard options that control the number of lines (channels) in the bus slots. Such options usually look like “PEG Force X1” or “PCI-E Lanes”. Refer to your motherboard documentation for information on what these options mean and how to disable them.
- In laptops, PowerMizer technology can change the number of active PCI Express bus lines as a measure to reduce graphics card power consumption. For information about PowerMizer, please refer to the dedicated FAQ.
- One of the possible reasons for the reduction in bus width may be the PCI Express bus power management system that appeared in Windows Vista and Windows 7. In the panel windows control go to power management and edit additional settings selected power plan by setting the Link State Power Management option to off.
In general, reducing the number of lanes to x8 has a negligible impact on the performance of video cards, excluding dual-processor solutions, but with a x2 or x1 bus width, even cards in the lower price range are very slow.
BIOS, Intel, nForce 400, nForce 405, PCI Express, PowerMizer, SLI, windows 7, windows Vista, laptops
- If the game crashes with " blue screen"with an error in nv4_disp.dll, update the NVIDIA driver to the latest official version. You should not force FSAA and AF from the driver panel or RivaTuner; enable these functions only from the settings of the game itself. When using a video card based on GeForce 8X00 or newer, do not use full-screen anti-aliasing at a level higher than 2x. If all else fails, try setting the game to use OpenGL. To do this, either run the Launcher.exe application with the -opengl key, or in the config.wtf file in the WTF subfolder of the game folder in the SET gxApi line, replace the direct3d value with opengl
- Systems with GeForce 4 MX-based graphics cards may experience severe graphical artifacts caused by bad work geometry block of this GPU. You can disable some acceleration features by creating or changing a SET M2UseShaders line in the config.wtf file with a value of 0. If this is not enough, you can force the game to do all geometric calculations programmatically. To do this, run the Launcher.exe application with the -swtnl switch. Forum members report that similar actions can also help in case of problems with video cards based on GeForce FX 5200 and GeForce 2. On systems with other video cards, try setting the game to use OpenGL, as described above. You can also try running the game in a window; to do this, run the Launcher.exe application with the -windowed key
- Poor performance on SLI systems may be due to problems with the game interface. It is recommended to disable vertical synchronization (V-sync) in the game settings, enable hardware acceleration mouse cursor and turn off smoothing of mouse movements (smooth). An additional effect can be obtained by disabling interface acceleration (panels and menus). To do this, create or change the Set UIFaster line in the config.wtf file. Try string values of 2 or 0. On Windows Vista, performance drops sharply when running a game in a window.
- If character portraits disappear in SLI mode, update your NVIDIA driver to version 93.71 or later.
- Enabling the Glow effect in the game settings prevents the game from using high levels of FSAA.
- Poor performance with modern versions of the NVIDIA driver is often caused by the game interface scaling feature being enabled. Try turning off the "Use UI Scale" option in the game settings.
- On a system that supports DirectX 11 (Windows 7 or Vista with an update and a video card based on NVIDIA GTX 400 or newer) and the Cataclysm add-on installed, you can increase the FPS in the game by enabling Direct3D 11 rendering, for which you can use the config.wtf file in the WTF subfolder of the game folder in in the SET gxApi line, replace the direct3d value with d3d11
BSOD, DirectX, FPS, FSAA, GeForce 2, GeForce 4 MX, GeForce FX 5200, OpenGL, SLI, Vsync, windows 7, windows Vista, World of Warcraft, artifacts, driver, games, anti-aliasing
No. SLI support is available in NVIDIA operating system drivers windows systems XP, Vista, 7 (32- and 64-bit versions), 2003/2008 Server (32- and 64-bit versions, except the Itanium platform), Linux with kernel version 2.4.7 and higher, Solaris x86. On other systems or when using non-NVIDIA drivers (nv, nouveau, snap), the SLI combination will work as two separate video cards.
Linux, MacOS, SLI, windows 7, windows 9x, windows NT4, windows Server, windows Vista, windows XP, driver
nvworld.ru
SLI mode and solutions to problems associated with this mode
Hello, today we will talk about Nvidia video cards working in SLI mode, namely about their problems and ways to solve them, but first let’s figure out what SLI mode is. Nvidia SLI is a technology that allows you to use multiple video cards simultaneously and at the same time significantly increase system performance. One of the main requirements is to use the same GPU on the video cards used. Below are more detailed requirements for building a computer that will work with this technology.
- The motherboard must have two or more connectors that support this technology;
- A good power supply that can power our system (SLI-Ready units are recommended);
- Video cards that support this technology;
- A bridge that can be used to connect video cards;
- Processor with high clock frequency, which will be able to unleash the potential of video cards so that there is no drop in frame rate and performance in general.
From the above, it turns out that building NVIDIA SLI is not something unattainable, but on the contrary, it is practically no different from assembling a regular home computer.
Problems
Well, the information above was presented about why SLI is needed, its advantages, and now let’s move on to the problems and their solutions.
- The first problem is the dependence on drivers; drivers need to be updated very often, since serious changes are made and optimizations are made for specific games or applications;
- The second problem is that not all games/applications support this technology and in some games/applications you need to make several of your video cards work;
- The third problem with this technology is in the same updates, since with each driver update you need to carry out some manipulations so that all video cards work, and this is not convenient every time and not all owners of this technology are ready to “rummage” through the settings and deal with their problems.
Troubleshooting:
- The first problem is solved quite simply. Download the utility from the official website NVIDIA GeForce Experience, register to use this program, log into your account, and click the “Check for updates” button. If a more recent driver is found, it will be downloaded and you will be prompted to install it.
- The second problem is not always solvable, since not all application manufacturers optimize their applications for this technology, but you can still try to fix performance problems with some simple manipulations in the settings of the driver itself for your SLI system.
Below I will present to you an example of setting up the game The Sims 2, which by default is not optimized for SLI mode.
Open the “Nvidia Control Panel” - manage 3D settings – software settings and click on the “Add” button - indicate the path to the file that launches our game - look at the second section “Specify settings for this program” - SLI rendering mode, if there is “Nvidia recommends (SLI)”, then select this item if no, then select “Perform alternative frame construction 2”.
We also need to configure power management, and to do this, go to “Power management mode” and select “Prefer maximum performance mode”.
The last item we will have is the “CUDA - graphic processors” setting; in this setting, absolutely all your video cards that you want to use in this application must be checked.
- The third problem is solved quite simply, but it appears every time we update the driver and it takes a few clicks to fix it. Since we have not yet left the Nvidia control panel, we need to click on the “SLI, Surround, PhysX Settings” tab and click on “Update Settings” then on the “Apply” button and this problem will be resolved.
