Solve : Overclocking + SLI Problem?

1.	Solve : Overclocking + SLI Problem?
Answer» I am currently having an issue that I cannot find a solution for, and am hoping someone could assist me. I was recently given a second video card and my motherboard is SLI compatible so i figured lets go for it! I had the CPU overclocked to 1.8 but i decided to rest the bios to stock settings before installing the second card to play it safe. I got SLI working, but now when I try to make any changes in the bios to the CPU, even small changes, the SLI stops working and I get a black screen with a flashing curser on the second card's monitor. If I disable SLI, then I am able to overclock again. So for some reason it will not allow me to do both... What am I doing wrong if anything and can this be fixed? I talked to Nvidia support, they were not much help and basically just guessing at fixes. Also, unfortunately since I do not have a floppy drive and don't want to risk it, updating the motherboard bios is not really an option for me, and I found a thread were someone had the same problem, tried to update the bios but that did not fix it, so I assume it wont work for me either. The video cards are different makes but same model, and they work in SLI, just cannot overclock, so I am fairly sure its not because the make is different. Any Suggestions? I am pulling my hair out over here. Thanks in advance - hardware listed below Gigabyte Nforce4 K8 TRITON GA-K8N Motherboard AMD Opteron 180 running at 1.41 (stock) 4 Gigs Corsair XMS Gaming Ram One Nvidia 8800GTS and One Msi 8800GTS 10,000 RPM Sata Hard Drive 620W Aspire Iceburg Power Supply WINDOWS 7 Ultimate 64 bitQuote from: KompactKites on December 07, 2011, 07:13:50 PM i decided to flash the bios before installing the second card to play it safe. Quote from: KompactKites on December 07, 2011, 07:13:50 PM Also, unfortunately since I do not have a floppy drive and don't want to risk it, updating the motherboard bios is not really an option for me, and I found a thread were someone had the same problem, tried to update the bios but that did not fix it, so I assume it wont work for me either. Which is it? Did you or did you not flash the BIOS? Have you tried getting your CPU to the clock speed that you want, then adding the second card and enabling SLI? In other words, overclocking your CPU FIRST, then doing the SLI after?Ah sorry, I fixed the post. I have a bad habit of calling it "flashed" when I remove the battery to reset the settings. So no, I did not flash the bios. I remove the battery because sometimes the "load optimized defaults" doesn't reset the ram divider and I did not want to miss anything. I didnt physically remove the card but I did disable SLI, then overclocked the cpu, then tried to re-enable SLI but it removes the option to enable SLI with CPU is overclocked. I dont believe physically removing the card and trying would work but am willing to try if you think it might? BTW, I am related to your avatar Quote from: KompactKites on December 07, 2011, 07:34:44 PM BTW, I am related to your avatar WELL, seeing as how you're a relative of the general, I'll try to help you on this one. Is this your motherboard? http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=1928&dl=1#ov Just to make sure, I have to ask, do you have the sli bridge installed? Have you read over your owners manual about enabling sli? The owner's manual for that board is here: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=1928&dl=1#manual If you look at pages 19-21, it shows you how to enable sli. Have you done that? I've just noticed this in your first postQuote I get a black screen with a flashing curser on the second card's monitor. SLI makes both of those video cards share the same workload. In most implementations, the cards have a master/slave configuration. From wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalable_Link_Interface#Implementation Quote When the slave card is done, it sends its output to the master card, which combines the two images to form one and then outputs the final render to the monitor. Basically, what that means is, you have to have both monitors hooked up to the same card. See the diagrams here: http://www.slizone.com/object/sli_multi_monitor.html Both graphics cards will be working and sharing the workload but the output will only be coming from one card. You can CHOOSE which card you want for the output. As per your user's manual Quote Plug the display cable into either one of the two graphics cards for display output. If you plug the display cable to the card on the PCIE_16_1 slot, make sure to set Init Display First in BIOS Setup to PEG; if you plug the display cable to the card on the PCIE_16_2 slot, set Init Display First to PEG(Slot2). Your manual covers this in the section about the various BIOS options. Hopefully, that will get you somewhere and you will be able to overclock and use both cards. Post back if you have more questions.

Answer»

I am currently having an issue that I cannot find a solution for, and am hoping someone could assist me.

I was recently given a second video card and my motherboard is SLI compatible so i figured lets go for it!
I had the CPU overclocked to 1.8 but i decided to rest the bios to stock settings before installing the second card to play it safe.
I got SLI working, but now when I try to make any changes in the bios to the CPU, even small changes, the SLI stops working and I get a black screen with a flashing curser on the second card's monitor.
If I disable SLI, then I am able to overclock again. So for some reason it will not allow me to do both...
What am I doing wrong if anything and can this be fixed?
I talked to Nvidia support, they were not much help and basically just guessing at fixes.
Also, unfortunately since I do not have a floppy drive and don't want to risk it, updating the motherboard bios is not really an option for me, and I found a thread were someone had the same problem, tried to update the bios but that did not fix it, so I assume it wont work for me either.
The video cards are different makes but same model, and they work in SLI, just cannot overclock, so I am fairly sure its not because the make is different.

Any Suggestions? I am pulling my hair out over here.
Thanks in advance - hardware listed below

Gigabyte Nforce4 K8 TRITON GA-K8N Motherboard
AMD Opteron 180 running at 1.41 (stock)
4 Gigs Corsair XMS Gaming Ram
One Nvidia 8800GTS and One Msi 8800GTS
10,000 RPM Sata Hard Drive
620W Aspire Iceburg Power Supply
WINDOWS 7 Ultimate 64 bitQuote from: KompactKites on December 07, 2011, 07:13:50 PM

i decided to flash the bios before installing the second card to play it safe.

Quote from: KompactKites on December 07, 2011, 07:13:50 PM

Also, unfortunately since I do not have a floppy drive and don't want to risk it, updating the motherboard bios is not really an option for me, and I found a thread were someone had the same problem, tried to update the bios but that did not fix it, so I assume it wont work for me either.

Which is it? Did you or did you not flash the BIOS?

Have you tried getting your CPU to the clock speed that you want, then adding the second card and enabling SLI? In other words, overclocking your CPU FIRST, then doing the SLI after?Ah sorry, I fixed the post. I have a bad habit of calling it "flashed" when I remove the battery to reset the settings. So no, I did not flash the bios.
I remove the battery because sometimes the "load optimized defaults" doesn't reset the ram divider and I did not want to miss anything.

I didnt physically remove the card but I did disable SLI, then overclocked the cpu, then tried to re-enable SLI but it removes the option to enable SLI with CPU is overclocked.
I dont believe physically removing the card and trying would work but am willing to try if you think it might?

BTW, I am related to your avatar Quote from: KompactKites on December 07, 2011, 07:34:44 PM

BTW, I am related to your avatar

WELL, seeing as how you're a relative of the general, I'll try to help you on this one.

Is this your motherboard?
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=1928&dl=1#ov

Just to make sure, I have to ask, do you have the sli bridge installed? Have you read over your owners manual about enabling sli? The owner's manual for that board is here:
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=1928&dl=1#manual

If you look at pages 19-21, it shows you how to enable sli. Have you done that?

I've just noticed this in your first postQuote

I get a black screen with a flashing curser on the second card's monitor.

SLI makes both of those video cards share the same workload. In most implementations, the cards have a master/slave configuration. From wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalable_Link_Interface#Implementation
Quote

When the slave card is done, it sends its output to the master card, which combines the two images to form one and then outputs the final render to the monitor.

Basically, what that means is, you have to have both monitors hooked up to the same card. See the diagrams here: http://www.slizone.com/object/sli_multi_monitor.html Both graphics cards will be working and sharing the workload but the output will only be coming from one card. You can CHOOSE which card you want for the output. As per your user's manual
Quote

Plug the display cable into either one of the two
graphics cards for display output. If you plug the
display cable to the card on the PCIE_16_1 slot,
make sure to set Init Display First in BIOS
Setup to PEG; if you plug the display cable to
the card on the PCIE_16_2 slot, set Init Display
First to PEG(Slot2).

Your manual covers this in the section about the various BIOS options.

Hopefully, that will get you somewhere and you will be able to overclock and use both cards. Post back if you have more questions.

Solve : Overclocking + SLI Problem?

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