SLI-DR Expert with SLI causes Game Crashes

[GF Duke]

1. Dont turn off your monitor while in windows.

 

2. 12/7 bios dosnt like SLI go back to the 11/17.

 

Installing SLI 2nd Card

 

1. Enable dual card in the bios.

 

2. reboot and load windows. (Your Screen may be blank at this point but keep loading until you are sure you are in windows).

 

3 Switch your monitor plug to the bottom video card dvi output. Your screen will come on.

 

4. I usually reboot at this point

[Blaise]

1. Dont turn off your monitor while in windows.

 

2. 12/7 bios dosnt like SLI go back to the 11/17.

 

Installing SLI 2nd Card

 

1. Enable dual card in the bios.

 

2. reboot and load windows. (Your Screen may be blank at this point but keep loading until you are sure you are in windows).

 

3 Switch your monitor plug to the bottom video card dvi output. Your screen will come on.

 

4. I usually reboot at this point

Thanks for your reply GF Duke:

1. I've never had a problem before turning the monitor off and on within Windows. I had to disable the Power Management option that blanks the screen after X minutes for the same reason.
   
2. I'm running a FX-60 - 11/17 doesn't support it (albeit if it is only the display of the chip @boot).
   

Installing SLi 2nd card:

Up until recently, I was using a Sony 17" LCD via a DVI-I->VGA dongle and had the monitor plugged into the first DVI-I port of the first card - never had a problem. I then bought a Viewsonic VP2030b with native DVI-I support and this is when the problem started. My concern (

although it's worth a try

) is that if I use the first DVI-I port on the second card to run my monitor, my screen will be blank until I enter Windows. Does that sound right?

Update: I tried you method (following the steps) using the first DVI-I port on the second card and wasn't getting a signal to my monitor at all. I then moved the monitor cable back to the first card (whilst in Windows) and got a signal (as-per usual). Strangely, I can now turn the monitor off and on and the signal returns correctly. I can only assume that it the cable wasn't mated correctly before... I've had this cable in and out a number of times over the last week and would imagine it was installed firmly at least one of those times :confused: .

[ColdShadow]

Has anyone tried sli with the 3/30 bios? I've got a second 7800gt coming and I don't want to be let down. I've flashed over to the new bios listed, and I'm just wondering if anyone with that bios is having a sli issue.

 

I did search the thread for "3/30 bios", but nothing turned up. I didn't want to mention or ask if it's already been covered. So far it looks like I may need to switch to the 11/17, but if anyone is using the new bios with no problems I'm safe. This article has been very helpful; I just should have looked at it sooner.

[Muppet]

Has anyone tried sli with the 3/30 bios? I've got a second 7800gt coming and I don't want to be let down. I've flashed over to the new bios listed, and I'm just wondering if anyone with that bios is having a sli issue.

 

I did search the thread for "3/30 bios", but nothing turned up. I didn't want to mention or ask if it's already been covered. So far it looks like I may need to switch to the 11/17, but if anyone is using the new bios with no problems I'm safe. This article has been very helpful; I just should have looked at it sooner.

The new beta 30/03 bios is based on the 12/07 bios, so it will not fix the SLI crashes with the sound looping and the monitor going blank and displaying a OUT OF FREQUENCY RANGE message.But the good news is not everyone suffers from this and there is no specific combination of hardware that causes it.You will only need to flash back to the earlier bios if you have this problem.

[jEnuS]

I think its pretty pathetic that both the MODS and DFI are ignoring this problem. I guess we're not good enough to even get a sticky.

[function8]

i dont think anyone is ignoring it. i think there is still a question of exactly where the problem is so nobody knows where to look. cant blame someone before you can tell them what and where the problem is. i havent run into it yet. my guess is there are several smaller problems leading to the same symptoms and it is no one thing to blame...example: overclocked with a certain memory and certain bios on an expert board running this or that soundcard with this or that driver at a certain temp and certain voltages. maybe changing any one of the factors may fix it...so what do you want to do? force dfi to fix it? it would be nice if there was a definite cause laid out but theres not.

[centy]

I am so looking forward to getting another 7800 GTX now

[Stromboli]

This problem has me mystified - my total and heartfelt thanks go Muppet for telling me what the problem actually was. I was about to put an axe through the mobo and go back to ASUS. I hope that DFI sought it out in a future release.

 

I just wanted to report that the 11/02 BIOS has no problems whatsoever - I can play every game that I have without any crashes.

 

I would also like to warn potential purchasors of this board about this problem with SLI and the eXpert board. Remember to use the 11/02 BIOS.

 

Just a question though, does the 11/02 BIOS support the FX-60?

[PistolGRIP]

11/02 BIOS stopped my "near instant" SLI crashes also. With 12/07 I would get a crash about 30-60seconds into a game. With 11/02 I could at least play games. I am still tracking down a SLI bug that causes games to be unstable with SLI enabled, which is random. It presents the same behaviour as 12/07 (hangs with LCD losing connection, no reboot) but very rarely.

 

If you have an EXPERT board and are getting instability with SLI enabled, flash to 11/02 immediately.

[Muppet]

This problem has me mystified - my total and heartfelt thanks go Muppet for telling me what the problem actually was. I was about to put an axe through the mobo and go back to ASUS. I hope that DFI sought it out in a future release.

 

I just wanted to report that the 11/02 BIOS has no problems whatsoever - I can play every game that I have without any crashes.

 

I would also like to warn potential purchasors of this board about this problem with SLI and the eXpert board. Remember to use the 11/02 BIOS.

 

Just a question though, does the 11/02 BIOS support the FX-60?

It does support the FX60 but just reports it as an unknown chip when booting up.It will run fine though.

[Stromboli]

Cheers Muppet :cool:

[BergKatse]

Well after being scared off from doing it, I finally upgraded my system to SLI mode yesterday and it was completely painless. I had the 11/02 BIOS (I always wait a few versions behind...a hang over from my SGI IRIX days). Uninstalled the drivers in safemode, cleaned the registry, added the new card, reinstalled the drivers in Safe mode (v71.81 - the only forceware version that seems to work with MSFS2004), swithed on SLI in windows proper. No hangups in DOOM3, HL2 or MSFS2004 yet.

 

I was freaked out a little though, I ran the HL2-lost coast video stress test and my frame rates had dropped from 90fps to 75pfs in SLI. However, the game had set all the options to the max when I reinstalled it so I'm sure everything is fine (not smart enough to use an independant benchmark or note the old settings)

 

These boards are great, allowed me to avoid a lot of potential pit falls

 

One newbie question; the "show SLI loading" option in the driver display window, how do you interpret the coloured bars (cross hairs?) that show up on the screen

 

Rig:

 

Athlon X2 4400+ (no HOTFIX)

2xXFX GeForce 7800 GT (vers 1.2 & 1.8; v78.81)

2x1GB Geil dual RAM

2x74GB Raptors RAID0

80GB/200GB ATA storage

MADDOG 16XDVD

600W SLI Ready PSU

DFI Lanparty Expert mobo (11/02 BIOS; NoOC yet)