Graphics performing slowly after going single from SLI? Check here.

[JoT]

I realize that I'm not the only person who has switched from SLI to a single card, so I thought I might share something I just learned--but first, a story! If it's too long, just skip down to the paragraph with the bolded sentence.

Over the last several months, I have had headaches over how poorly my 6800 Ultra was performing; this is after I had switched from a SLI setup with 6800Us to a single card due to one of the cards dying and my lack of satisfaction with SLI. I have been receiving awful framerates in everything, CSS, WoW, you name it, I have been getting half or worse the performance I should have.

I tried different versions of official nVidia drivers, I tried Omega drivers, and refused to reinstall Windows due to my comfort with the system setup. NONE of this has had any effect at all on my graphics performance, so I figured that it HAD to be hardware related. So, I gave away my ailing 6800U and bought a refurb 7800GT from Newegg. Surprisingly, I had the exact same problems, and very slightly better framerates.

Come on now, this has to stop, I've invested well over $800 into this graphics setup at this point, what is wrong!

I just recently reinstalled Windows, much to my chagrin. Guess what, it didn't help, at all. Newest Forceware drivers, Windows XP fully up to date, new video card. It has to be the motherboard.

Just this morning, it dawned on me: I've completely reinstalled all my software, I've changed the videocard, but there is something I forgot to change way back when: I forgot to turn SLI mode off on my motherboard. I switched all 6 jumpers over, and voila, 54FPS with settings maxed out on Counter-Strike.

So, let this be a lesson to you, pay attention when you have to switch something around, and SLI isn't the best option. (I just find it odd that my system was perform SO poorly with a single card.)

 

[krag]

Hmm, you are aware that the 6800-U is pretty obsolete now. Yer gonna get sucktacular FPS from that on current games. I have L-O-V-E-D all my SLI configs. I had a small prob with TEC'ed 7800-gtx SLI but after that pure performance. I will again use SLI with the next-gen Nv SLI config

 

[JoT]

Hmm, you are aware that the 6800-U is pretty obsolete now. Yer gonna get sucktacular FPS from that on current games. I have L-O-V-E-D all my SLI configs. I had a small prob with TEC'ed 7800-gtx SLI but after that pure performance. I will again use SLI with the next-gen Nv SLI config

It's obsolete now, but it wasn't then. I had two 6800U's set up in SLI and was terribly frustrated with the PITA setup, as well as the sad framerates I was getting. I will not be investing in SLI again. I don't even play enough games to warrant anything more than my 7800GT for a good while to come. My post was only pointing out that I had forgotten a major detail when switching back.

 

[Mycobacteria]

What SLI MB are you using.... The one I use I dont think there is a switch in BIOS that enables SLI.....

 

[JoT]

It's a set of 6 jumpers, not a BIOS setting. DFI Ultra D.

 

[krag]

It's a set of 6 jumpers, not a BIOS setting. DFI Ultra D.

I also remember from my DFI DR-SLI days that there was also a bios selection for 8x 8x, 8x 4x and one more selection too. (please forgive me if my top-O-the-head bios selections are not accurate) Do you have the latest bios update for your board?

 

[JoT]

Doubt it, but I did when I had SLI. Managed to hose my BIOS as well. It's a non-issue at this point: I don't overclock anything anymore, I don't run SLI, I just want a system that works, and that's what I finally have

 

[Memphis69]

that sucks but im glad you got it worked out!!

 

[Dan0512]

Hmm, you are aware that the 6800-U is pretty obsolete now. Yer gonna get sucktacular FPS from that on current games. I have L-O-V-E-D all my SLI configs. I had a small prob with TEC'ed 7800-gtx SLI but after that pure performance. I will again use SLI with the next-gen Nv SLI config

Obsolete? Care to explain?

6800U is comparable to a 7600gt.... and AFAIK that card can play all available games @ decent settings with a satisfying framerate.

IMO ¨obsolete¨ is reserved for hardware that you really can't put to a good use, but a 7600gt is still pretty useful. Let us leave these terms for hardware that really deserves the name (GF5 anyone....).

dan

 

[krag]

Why do I have to explain the obvious?