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SOLVED Help Finding Problem With New Build Before I Go Off the Deep End!!

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ERLoft

ERLoft

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Joined
Dec 23, 2008
Okay, I'm going to try to be short and sweet here.

New system:
  • 3770k @ stock settings
  • Z77 Extreme6 @ stock settings
  • (2) EVGA GTX 660 Ti SC 3gb
  • 4x4gb G.Skill Ripjaws 2133
  • Silverstone ST-1000p
  • Samsung 840 Pro 256gb SSD
  • WD Raptor & CG

Problem History:
  • Clean install of Win7 x64 Ultimate
  • BSOD after Nvidia 310.90 install
  • System restore
  • Update every available Windows Update - System stable. (No benchmarking though, just no BSOD, seems to operate normally)
  • Install Nvidia 307.96 with both cards installed - System hiccups, but recovers to desktop and says that it's recovered from a problem. Nothing comes up when you check for a solution though.
  • Enable SLI - BSOD
  • System restore
  • Remove Vid Card 1
  • Reinstall 307.96 - System seems fine.
  • Swap Vid Card 1 for Vid Card 2 - System seems fine.
  • Install each card in PCI X slot 2 individually - System seems fine.
  • Install both cards, each one running one monitor - system seems fine.
  • Enable SLI - BSOD
  • Remove both cards, install known working 450GTS cards and appropriate 307.96 drivers. Enable SLI - System seems fine, no BSOD.

Sooo... Each card works fine on it's own. The system runs SLI fine with the 450GTS cards, but blue screens on the 660GTX cards.

I installed both of the GTX660 cards on my old Q9550 rig on Sunday to check them out and they worked fine in SLI mode there with an older ST750 PSU...

WTF? I'm down to these ideas on what could be wrong:
  • Bad PSU - either the cabling used for one of the Vid Cards is bad (used only one of the cables for the 450GTS cards - I'll try the other cable tommorow - can't work on the rig on Valentine's day...) or one of the PCI X plugs on the PSU is bad.
  • Somehow this pairing of cards and motherboard just don't play nice. Maybe buy a different mobo to try out?

Any ideas or suggestions? I'm pretty damn frustrated at this point...:bang head
 
First thing I think of is the PSU, though that is a decent unit.
System restore
Remove Vid Card 1
Reinstall 307.96 - System seems fine.
Swap Vid Card 1 for Vid Card 2 - System seems fine.
Install each card in PCI X slot 2 individually - System seems fine.
Install both cards, each one running one monitor - system seems fine.
Enable SLI - BSOD
Remove both cards, install known working 450GTS cards and appropriate 307.96 drivers. Enable SLI - System seems fine, no BSOD.
Click to expand...

When you say the "system seems fine" in any of the above scenarios did you run any stress tests on the cards to see if it will BSOD?
 
sounds like you have a psu that can't put out enough power to drive both GPUs.

Try your old PSU in your new system, and see what happens. I'm willing to bet that's the problem.

Also... if that doesn't work, try a bios update on the MB. Just tossing that out there.

have you run memtest on your ram? have you stress tested your gpus?
 
No stress testing done at this point. I'm running on 4 hours of sleep each of the last two nights trying to get this thing to the point it is...

I'm going to call Silverstone and see what they think about the issue... although I'm guessing they'll advise me to try the other cable and ports on the PSU first.
 
Does the Extreme 6 have either a SATA or molex power to supplement the PCIe ports? Is that plugged in? Some boards require that to have it run, though I didnt get to boot at all without it... worth a try.. its free.

Your PSU can handle 6 of those cards, overclocked, and the CPU, so unless the PSU is going bad, I highly doubt its the PSU.

EDIT: I looked at the board.. it does, plug it and then give it a whirl.

Also, what is the code on the BSOD? Have you looked that up?
 
Last edited:
Bios is up to date - flashed to 2.60 yesterday after doing one of the system restores.
 
EarthDog said:
Does the Extreme 6 have either a SATA or molex power to supplement the PCIe ports? Is that plugged in? Some boards require that to have it run, though I didnt get to boot at all without it... worth a try.. its free.

Your PSU can handle 6 of those cards, overclocked, and the CPU, so unless the PSU is going bad, I highly doubt its the PSU.

EDIT: I looked at the board.. it does, plug it and then give it a whirl.

Also, what is the code on the BSOD? Have you looked that up?
Click to expand...

i know the CPU specs say it can handle it... but the point is

  • he's able to SLi lesser cards on that motherboard
  • he can SLi those cards on a different MB.
  • individually those cards work on that motherboard in either PCIe slot.
  • apparently bios is up to date
  • software doesn't seem to be an issue

that really points at his PSU as being the main culprit (or i suppose some weird MB problem). Quite simply, though his PSU should be able to put out enough power on the 12V rail to supply those GPUs, it doesn't seem like it is doing that. So no matter what the rated ability of the PSU is, it seems like it might be a faulty unit.

That's why he needs to try the new system with the old PSU. since we know the old PSU is able to drive those GPUs on his old system... it should be able to drive his new system just fine. If it works with the old PSU, we'll know it's the new PSU that's the problem. and he'll be able to get some sleep knowing what the problem is and how to fix it.

:D



EDIT: and you're right... lets make sure his MB has all the power plugs plugged in before we jump to the psu being the issue. Somehow I missed that part of your post... and you're completely correct about it.
 
Using the same SLI bridge in both test systems? A defective bridge can drive you absolutely nuts.
Have you tested each PCIe slot with a single card? If not, slot 2 may have an issue.
Are the 660Ti's well supported? Angle in the slot can be an issue.

The Strider 1000 Plus is a pretty solid PSU, I'd be rather surprised if it failed.
Also SLI configuration at desktop doesn't change power draw much, if at all. A single card under load uses far more power than two at desktop.
 
EarthDog said:
Does the Extreme 6 have either a SATA or molex power to supplement the PCIe ports? Is that plugged in? Some boards require that to have it run, though I didnt get to boot at all without it... worth a try.. its free.

Your PSU can handle 6 of those cards, overclocked, and the CPU, so unless the PSU is going bad, I highly doubt its the PSU.
Click to expand...

Yes, the motherboard molex SLI plug was connected. Although when I called ASRock support yesterday, they said that it wasn't needed when the cards had two six pin PCI-E cables connected.
 
Bobnova said:
Using the same SLI bridge in both test systems? A defective bridge can drive you absolutely nuts.
Have you tested each PCIe slot with a single card? If not, slot 2 may have an issue.
Are the 660Ti's well supported? Angle in the slot can be an issue.

The Strider 1000 Plus is a pretty solid PSU, I'd be rather surprised if it failed.
Also SLI configuration at desktop doesn't change power draw much, if at all. A single card under load uses far more power than two at desktop.
Click to expand...

No, the old system is an EVGA mobo, so it has a different PCI-E slot setup and it's own bridge.

However, the SLI bridge on that system works with both cards. The SLI bridge on the Extreme6 worked on the GTS450 cards, so I think that eliminates the bridge as a possible source of the problem. I can't imagine the bridge being able to handle SLI with two GTS450 cards, but having issues with two GTX660 cards - after all, it's a relatively simple connector.
 
I would try the other SLI bridge. Computers are weird.
I would try a single card in the second PCIe slot of the Extreme6, also.
 
Bobnova said:
I would try the other SLI bridge. Computers are weird.
I would try a single card in the second PCIe slot of the Extreme6, also.
Click to expand...

I will try that if they fit. My visual impression is that the EVGA mobo SLI connector is longer than the ASRock mobo SLI connector, so it won't be able to be used.

I actually was able to run each card individually in slot 2 and run both GTX660's at the same time in slots 1 and 2 with each card driving a separate monitor, so that all checked out.
 
Look on the cards near the SLI connector for any PCB damage or damaged surface mount bits. Clean the gold bits of the connector on the card with an eraser.
Given all you've tested, it needs to be either a hardware problem with the physical SLI connection (likely in conjunction with that specific SLI bridge), or software. I'd go for software, really.

What software other than drivers and windows updates had you installed before the first SLI = BSOD episode?
 
Thank you all for the feedback.

I just got off the phone with Silverstone. Great guy in tech support. I'm going to try swapping in the known good ST750 PSU into the new rig and see what happens. No problems, the RMA the ST1000-P. If it still crashes, I'll probably drop by my local Fry's and picking up a different mobo to try out. Worst case, I return it and pay the restocking fee if it doesn't resolve the problem...

Man, this build has been a headache compared to my last 3 builds... I though the hard part was done when I finished up the slightly anal retentive cable management....
 
Bobnova said:
Look on the cards near the SLI connector for any PCB damage or damaged surface mount bits. Clean the gold bits of the connector on the card with an eraser.
Click to expand...

I'll check them out - maybe they got something on them during the installation process. They did work fine in the old Q9550 rig. I'm pretty careful during the build process - nice clean work area, static bracelet, etc.

Bobnova said:
What software other than drivers and windows updates had you installed before the first SLI = BSOD episode?
Click to expand...

Chrome, Easeus Partition Master. That's pretty much it.

Also, the same problem has occurred with 310.90 and 306.97 drivers...
 
EarthDog said:
LOL quadruple post.. find that edit button homeh!
Click to expand...

LOL :p Cut me a little slack please - operating on less than 8 hours of sleep in the last two days trying to get this rig built on top of 20 hours at work the last two days...
 
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