Asus P5B-DLX + 7950GX2: no SLI?

ThraxThrax 🐌Austin, TX Icrontian
edited October 2006 in Hardware
Alright, creating a new thread for this as this problem needs to be discussed here for members. I'm pretty sure Mack and Sledge are the only one with experience in this arena, but I'm going to cast the line then go to XS if I can't get some answers, as this is an expensive problem.

All of you are aware of my new system, however...

Wisdom states that "Single Display Performance Mode" And "Multi-GPU Mode" would be the options of choice on a twin-GPU card with one monitor... Except I don't get more than 20 FPS with this option. I have to disable multi-GPU mode by enabling "Multi-Display Performance Mode" which leaves me with one idle GPU, doing nothing, while the other 7900GT equivalent powers the entire scene.

What in the **** is going on? I'm on BIOS 0614 now, chugging along at 6x500. I've cleaned out and reinstalled the latest WHQL nVidia drivers about 8 times now, doing anything from tweaking the **** out of the CPL, to leaving it totally stock based on rumours that it's bugged.

HELP.

Comments

  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited September 2006
    Are you using EVGA's drivers? I'm pretty sure Forcewares don't support the 7950 yet.

    EDIT: Sorry... here is the latest driver which supports it:

    ftp://file5.mydrivers.com/display/nvidia_fw9147whqlb_32.zip

    Also, did you check NFhq's forums for info?
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2006
    91.47 are the latest WHQL nVidia drivers, and are supposed to feature 7950 improvements. I've been all over Google with atleast 5 unique search strings, and haven't received any concrete answers. It seems quite hit and miss for everyone.

    Basically, here's the setting that makes it not work in any combination: "Single-Display Performance Mode." I enable that, and it tries to combine both cards, and the performance is awful. I just have to run the thing on "Multi-Display Performance Mode" and leave one GPU in park.
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited September 2006
    People on NFHQ with 7950GX2s are saying 91.31 fixes a lot of problems .41 breaks.

    You should get on AIM...
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited September 2006
    Also, run nHancer beta 9 while you're screwing with all this. It'll give you a lot of SLI tweaking options.

    You can find beta 9 here : http://www.nhancer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=148
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2006
    No dice on nHancer. Enabling AFR/SFR don't work.. Only when I use "Single GPU" are the frame-rates acceptable on 3d apps.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2006
    Okay, here's a little test using the Fillrate Tester to examine if a video card is working. Let me give you some examples (All tests perform with SFR/AFR being determined automatically):


    A KNOWN-WORKING 7950GX2 IN SINGLE-MONITOR/MULTI-GPU MODE (Manage 3D Settings Tab)
    FFP - Pure fillrate - 13763.973633M pixels/sec
    FFP - Z pixel rate - 26202.251953M pixels/sec
    FFP - Single texture - 13602.920898M pixels/sec
    FFP - Dual texture - 10071.896484M pixels/sec
    FFP - Triple texture - 6963.818848M pixels/sec
    FFP - Quad texture - 5174.317871M pixels/sec
    PS 1.1 - Simple - 11257.836914M pixels/sec
    PS 1.4 - Simple - 11254.323242M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Simple - 11255.898438M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Simple - 11263.738281M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Longer - 7555.422852M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Longer - 7552.930664M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Longer 4 Registers - 5792.276367M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Longer 4 Registers - 7553.852051M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Per Pixel Lighting - 2569.081787M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Per Pixel Lighting - 2869.968506M pixels/sec

    MY 7950GX2 IN SINGLE-MONITOR/SINGLE-GPU MODE (Manage 3D Settings Tab)
    Fillrate Tester
    Display adapter: NVIDIA GeForce 7950 GX2
    Driver version: 6.14.10.9147
    Display mode: 1024x768 A8R8G8B8 60Hz
    Z-Buffer format: D24S8

    FFP - Pure fillrate - 1762.221924M pixels/sec
    FFP - Z pixel rate - 1761.785278M pixels/sec
    FFP - Single texture - 1761.935303M pixels/sec
    FFP - Dual texture - 1762.039185M pixels/sec
    FFP - Triple texture - 1598.694092M pixels/sec
    FFP - Quad texture - 1258.830078M pixels/sec
    PS 1.1 - Simple - 1761.835571M pixels/sec
    PS 1.4 - Simple - 1761.846436M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Simple - 1761.780151M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Simple - 1761.803345M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Longer - 1761.834839M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Longer - 1761.842407M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Longer 4 Registers - 1366.041382M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Longer 4 Registers - 1761.836548M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Per Pixel Lighting - 609.789551M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Per Pixel Lighting - 679.555847M pixels/sec
  • Sledgehammer70Sledgehammer70 California Icrontian
    edited September 2006
    Thrax wrote:
    Okay, here's a little test using the Fillrate Tester to examine if a video card is working. Let me give you some examples (All tests perform with SFR/AFR being determined automatically):


    A KNOWN-WORKING 7950GX2 IN SINGLE-MONITOR/MULTI-GPU MODE (Manage 3D Settings Tab)


    MY 7950GX2 IN SINGLE-MONITOR/SINGLE-GPU MODE (Manage 3D Settings Tab)

    Well their could be a few issues going on with your setup... let go with the basics.

    First off the card is connected to the PCI-E slot and power is running to the cards? I figure this as a yes

    The bios settings are set to run in SLI & not single card mode

    The Graphic Drivers are updated to the latest patch? I saw above they have been..

    The Drivers are set to run SLI?

    In your device manager what does it show? 1 GPU or 2?
  • Sledgehammer70Sledgehammer70 California Icrontian
    edited September 2006
    I also saw your prior thread saying the card is only showing 512MB of memory it should show 1GB if the Mobo is seeing both cards... Also you will only be able to run 1 Monitor with the card in dual mode. "I'm sure you knew that"

    Thrax log into AIM if you can
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited September 2006
    Thrax, I downloaded and ran that proggie on my Conroe rig, which has a 7900GTX in it. Here are my results for you to look at; there is something wayyyyy wrong with your vid card or setup or something. I'm running the 91.31 drivers, BTW.
    my conroe wrote:
    Fillrate Tester
    Display adapter: NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX
    Driver version: 6.14.10.9131
    Display mode: 1024x768 A8R8G8B8 60Hz
    Z-Buffer format: D24S8

    FFP - Pure fillrate - 9099.893555M pixels/sec
    FFP - Z pixel rate - 17821.599609M pixels/sec
    FFP - Single texture - 9099.918945M pixels/sec
    FFP - Dual texture - 6367.441406M pixels/sec
    FFP - Triple texture - 4411.280273M pixels/sec
    FFP - Quad texture - 3212.259033M pixels/sec
    PS 1.1 - Simple - 7443.961426M pixels/sec
    PS 1.4 - Simple - 7443.176758M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Simple - 7444.302734M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Simple - 7442.313477M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Longer - 5053.973633M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Longer - 5053.687012M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Longer 4 Registers - 3791.092041M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Longer 4 Registers - 5053.707520M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Per Pixel Lighting - 1667.697021M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Per Pixel Lighting - 1888.879761M pixels/sec
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2006
    Now I'm not so sure wtf is going on. I just scored 8380 on 3dmark06.
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited September 2006
    I can't help you on that test, Thrax. It's too damn big of a download for this crappy sat broadband; activates the fap. :rant:

    If you want to compare to mine on 3dmark 5, I can do that.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2006
    FFP - Pure fillrate - 14100.434570M pixels/sec
    FFP - Z pixel rate - 26196.169922M pixels/sec
    FFP - Single texture - 13601.337891M pixels/sec
    FFP - Dual texture - 10070.962891M pixels/sec
    FFP - Triple texture - 6955.788574M pixels/sec
    FFP - Quad texture - 5172.342285M pixels/sec
    PS 1.1 - Simple - 11253.720703M pixels/sec
    PS 1.4 - Simple - 11258.801758M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Simple - 11258.447266M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Simple - 11256.104492M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Longer - 7554.769043M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Longer - 7551.710449M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Longer 4 Registers - 5791.803223M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Longer 4 Registers - 7552.220703M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 - Per Pixel Lighting - 2559.289307M pixels/sec
    PS 2.0 PP - Per Pixel Lighting - 2869.205566M pixels/sec

    Houston.. We have liftoff.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2006
    Okay, so here are the settings that I used that weren't working yesterday. I figured out that some of the default nVidia profiles aren't configured correctly; for example, World of Warcraft defaults to single-GPU or SFR with "Automatic" enabled under Multi-GPU type -- forcing AFR 2 made the program run smooth as silk. Same for the fillrate test -- I had to set AFR 1 and it worked beautifully.

    This has been a wild, quirky ride, but it works! BY GOD IT WORKS. BUAHAHA.
    SLI.jpg 148.9K
    SLI2.jpg 194.7K
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2006
    Case closed. Found out how to fix it..

    Disable multi-GPU mode, set multi-monitor mode. Reboot. Reenable multi-GPU mode, set single-display mode. Reboot.

    Done. And provided I never touch the global CPL again, I'm golden.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2006
    REALLY Case closed!

    Issue cropped back up a few weeks later. I noticed that, after a BIOS reset, things were smooth as glass. So after rebooting well over 30 times and play games over the course of two days, I discovered the problem!

    1.65v to the NB, instead of 1.55v. Yeah. Stupid, huh?
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