Trying to go SLI with 2 MSI 8800 GT

timmytoes · March 25, 2008

So I've been doing various searches of the forums and haven't seen one I'm looking for so I'll explain what I have and see what your thoughts are.

I am looking to replace my 7800 GTX with two MSI 8800 GT. Both cards work just fine in the box together. I can start up Crysis no problem, so I don't think I have a power problem. I originally got a big PS so that I would be able to go SLI one day if I wanted to. It's SLI certified. GPU-z shows them as 16x and 2x.

After RTMing I realized that I needed to move the jumpers from single VGA mode to dual. No problem, all 6 modules are now 2-3. And SLI aperture sounded interesting so I enabled it too in the BIOS. I also used the SLI bracket. It doesn't say "this way up", so I figure it's universal, but I've tried it both ways anyway.

Box posts fine. Get windows loading screen, then the screen blanks. I can hear windows complete booting and starting to find the other card. If I hit the shutdown button on the PC windows shuts down just fine as well. I thought maybe I have the wrong VGA interface, so I tried all 4. I expected it to be the top card port 1. Each time windows correctly beeped at me letting me know it had found a new device, each time, my monitor went back to sleep with no display.

Reading the PCI2.0 problems sticky it sounds like what I have should work. I do know that when I do get into windows that I need to use the NVidia Control Panel and enable SLI mode.

I'd appreciate any ideas you have. Thanks.