New DFI nF4 Ultra-D build...so perty!

[hi_its_ryan]

thats sexy

 

[spyrosDFI]

I'm using the stand alone nF4 drivers. 6.39 I believe. The chipset driver won't prevent you from running SLI without a bridge, but the forceware drivers will. I've been experimenting with 71.81 and with 2 vid cards and no bridge it just hands me a blank screen in 3dMark01se. It's detecting the absence of the bridge and disabling SLI rendering.

nVidia is funny people, this stuff will stop NOONE. I was just examining two companies that are now packaging confirmed moddable Ultra-D boards with SLI bridges. Check it out:

http://www.mittoni.com.au/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/1882

http://www.pccasegear.com/prod1847.htm

These bridges are going to be everywhere very soon.

oops! what the difference between NF4 stand alone drivers and Forceware?
I realy like to run to cards but NOT in SLI, I just want to "share" the X8 bandwidth between the 2 cards and drive 2 separate monitors.
Can SLI do that?

 

[TimoneX]

Forceware is the name nVidia gives their display drivers, they used to call them detonator.

Hmmm...interesting question there. I know the newest beta bios properly configures the PCI-E lanes 8x 8x 4x(or maybe it just claims to do it right now) but I haven't experimented with multiple displays with this setup yet. I doctored my one broken 6600GT just enough to make it limp, but it fails every stability test even below default clock speeds. When SLI is setup and you enable it in the forceware driver multi-view and nview are both disabled. The output from the 2nd card is immediately blanked. I'll see what happens if it's completely configured in hardware(w/o a bridge), but disabled in software.

Edit: An interesting note. Shortly after I flashed to 02/17 an option appeared in the bios it said "Dual 6600GT card support". I didn't mess with it as I was running memtest stability testing at the time and when I wanted to investigate it was gone.

 

[TimoneX]

I can confirm that multi-display works with hardware SLI enabled(w/o bridge). The only thing I changed was to disable multi GPU support in the driver and connect a 2nd CRT to the analog output of the 2nd 6600. It seems to work precisely the same as using both outputs on a single card. I'm not sure what the benefit is, but it does work.

This is with forceware v70.41 BTW.

 

[Xception]

Did you get the bluestorm installed yet? And if so how do the rails look ?

 

[TimoneX]

I did indeed. The whole setup is still just sitting there on my desk. Believe me with the entire computer strewn about on my desk, a 21" CRT AND a 19" CRT there just isn't a whole lot of space left and this is a huge steelcase desk. The blue storm is silent as a church mouse. At least I can't hear a peep from it over the CPU & GPU fans. Perhaps I'll hear it with my waterblock on and the board installed in a case. The HUGE single fan(120mm?) on the AX500-A barely spins...perhaps 200RPM. I noticed when I have a 2nd 6600GT in there it roughly doubled the speed of the fan and it was still not audible. I get the idea it's just coasting with this load. Here's a snap of my temps & voltages at idle with one vid card:

 

[TimoneX]

I haven't been posting much as I've been trying to stabilize the Twinmos sticks at DDR530 2-2-2-5-7-15 timings. I've found the new(2/17) bios to be very helpful. Specifically in regards to the tRef settings. The new bios defaults to 3120 so I tested that @ 3.4v and despite fiddling for a couple hours with every timing the board is capable of changing I could only get it down to about .2 errors per memtest #5 pass. I eventually bumped the vdimm to 3.5v and dropped tRef to 0648 and stabilized DDR530 2-2-2-5-7-15 at that voltage. I had a 60mm fan blowing on the memory, but as I've found the heatisnk right by the dimms to be the single hottest component on the entire motherboard under intensive memory access I've since replaced the 60mm with a slow spinning 92mm connected to a PSU molex rather than the MB 3pin fan ports. The memory with the 60mm fan was cool to the touch even while running memtest #5@DDR530 3.5v, but the heatsink right by the memory was so hot you couldn't touch it for more than a few seconds w/o burning your finger. I first attempted to design a shroud to direct some of the air from the 60mm fan across the heatsink. This was marginally successful, but not good enough. Next I stuck a tiny fan on it and had to run the wire for the fan all the way across the MB to fan port #4. Power the board up like this immediately corrupted the bios or otherwise caused a big problem. It took me several hours to get the motherboard to post again after removing the fan. The 92mm fan moved to the ends of the dimms closest the heatsink in question seems to keep both the memory and the heatsink very well cared for.

 

[TimoneX]

With regards to SLI lite, semi SLI, or whatever you want to call SLI w/o a bridge, it simply wasn't very successful. I began with forceware beta 71.81, but had little confidence since I've been tracking krag's thread and requested he test SLI w/ the bridge removed. It came as no surprise when 3dmark01se greeted me with only a blank screen. Next I grabbed 66.74, which was the closest I could find to the highly sought 66.75. This DID work, but there were artifacts all over the screen and the scores weren't any better than a single card. I then got decided to swap the 2 video cards putting the injured one in the primary slot and the good one in PCI-E4. Running 2001se again resulted in corruption on only a two inch band on top and a two inch band on the left side of the screen. I assume this implies that the artifacts are being caused by the damaged card. I've since shipped the damaged card back to newegg, so further SLI testing will have to wait.

Something odd I've noticed is that the newest bios(2/17) will not allow me to post with one vid card if the board is configured for SLI. Previous bios versions would post. If you configure the modded board for normal operation and have only one card installed a "hidden" bios option seems to appear entitled "Dual 6600GT card support" and the options are Enabled, Disabled, and Auto. I haven't a clue what this is about, but I'm thinking it's a DFI attempt to defeat nVidia's crackdown "unauthorized" SLI. Not being able to explore this further at present really really makes me angry with newegg for wrecking my second video card. Oh well patience *IS* supposed to be a virtue after all. Trouble is I lost my virtue 2 decades ago.

 

[Xception]

LOL

Great work. Thanks for the update on the bluestorm. Get all the bugs worked out so you can share with (us) me when I get the rest of my parts
Have you found a source or ordered a bridge yet ? You may have posted it earlier but I cant remember. Lost my virtue nearly 3 decades ago This thread is getting long.

 

[TimoneX]

Nope. I've still not seen anyone selling bridges seperately. If I find someone selling Ultra-Ds bundled with bridges here in the states or Canada as they're doing in AUS then I'll probably nab that, steal the bridge and re-sell the board.

With my 2nd vid card now on it's way back to newegg, I'll have some time to wait and see if I can hunt up a bridge somewhere.

Edit: Those blue storms are back in stock at eWiz btw for $71 +shipping, so if you're looking for a solid PSU for a reasonable price then I'd suggest that one. Not sure if it'll handle the huge power demands of 2x6800GTs or Ultras overclocked in SLI though.

 

[HousERaT]

Nope. I've still not seen anyone selling bridges seperately. If I find someone selling Ultra-Ds bundled with bridges here in the states or Canada as they're doing in AUS then I'll probably nab that, steal the bridge and re-sell the board.

With my 2nd vid card now on it's way back to newegg, I'll have some time to wait and see if I can hunt up a bridge somewhere.

Edit: Those blue storms are back in stock at eWiz btw for $71 +shipping, so if you're looking for a solid PSU for a reasonable price then I'd suggest that one. Not sure if it'll handle the huge power demands of 2x6800GTs or Ultras overclocked in SLI though.

Hey TimoneX..... all sounds good so far except for the vid card...... I'm surprised at newegg about that..... they usually treat me very well. One question: Does the Bluestorms have adjustable pots like so many other Fortron PSUs?

 

[TimoneX]

There's no mention of it in the manual, but that's no shocker. According to these guys it does, but I haven't cracked it open to confirm.

http://www.cluboverclocker.com/reviews/power/fortron_source/ax500/p2.htm

I know the 500w blue storm has PFC, I'm trying to determine if it's an active or passive circuit though.

 

[bryschm]

TImonex,

The FSP Blue Storm is Passive I believe. Very efficient though in the midrange according to SPCR (Silent PC Review). I am thinking this is the PSU I am going for. Sounds great on your setup so far. I am thinking I should make sure the board is stable for a month or so before doing the mod to SLI so that I dont void my warantee- unless the mod is reversable?? Do you recommend the pencil mod or the conductive paint? I am not sure where to get the paint.

Incidently, I see you are running 3.5 Vdimm with that Twinmos. I assume you are running the jumper in the 5V position instead of the 3.3V? (sorry if this is stupid question) I guess the heatsink near the memory you said was so hot is a 5V mosfet that is running hotter due to supplying the Ram? I have heard that active cooling of the mosfets is necessary when running in this configuration.

I sure wish I could now get some of that TMSP memory!

 

[TimoneX]

TImonex,

The FSP Blue Storm is Passive I believe. Very efficient though in the midrange according to SPCR (Silent PC Review). I am thinking this is the PSU I am going for. Sounds great on your setup so far. I am thinking I should make sure the board is stable for a month or so before doing the mod to SLI so that I dont void my warantee- unless the mod is reversable?? Do you recommend the pencil mod or the conductive paint? I am not sure where to get the paint.

Incidently, I see you are running 3.5 Vdimm with that Twinmos. I assume you are running the jumper in the 5V position instead of the 3.3V? (sorry if this is stupid question) I guess the heatsink near the memory you said was so hot is a 5V mosfet that is running hotter due to supplying the Ram? I have heard that active cooling of the mosfets is necessary when running in this configuration.

I sure wish I could now get some of that TMSP memory!

TY for the clarification. Yeah it's efficiency is only midrange, but you can't have everything at it's price point.

The mod is very easily reversible. If you paint the trace or draw it with a pencil it can be removed with alcohol or nail polish remover. I suggest conductive paint, but in theory at least a pencil will work. So would a piece of tin foil I suppose. You can get the conductive pen at radio shack. I believe they call it circuit writer or some such. A car window deffoger repair kit will work as well.

You're correct. Options above 3.2v only become available with the 5v jumper set. I believe the 5v memory option does heat up the memory regulator and some sort of increased airflow may improve stability. My SOP is to locate hotspots and find ways to cool them. Wether cooling this particular heatsink will help stability or long term durability is largely irrelevent to me. I just plain don't like things getting that hot. A small fan placed directly on the heatsink may be an option, but with it so near the dimms I was already cooling it just made sense to toss a larger fan on the memory and exploit that airflow.

I believe it's working. TCCD? Who needs it!:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v718/timonex/everst_1.jpg

This was at DDR530 1.5-2-2-5-7-15 1T

 

[TimoneX]

The blueberry storm was just what the doctor ordered to remedy my power problems. I think I'm getting things dialed in here. The system feels very responsive with super tight timings. CAS is at 1.5.

I ran this at 262x10 1.5-2-2-5-7-15 1:1 1T. The single 6600GT was clocked at 579/1.18Ghz where it autodetected. Forceware v70.41 was used for this test. I understand the newer v71.81 is even faster. I'm still on air(CPU) and haven't messed with the video card in any way, not even to apply a real TIM.

IMG tags don't work in this thread unfortunately so click the link for a larger version.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v718/timonex/3dm03_262x10_1.jpg

 

[PhobMX]

OMG THOSE TIMINGS ARE KILLER!!!

and your psu is cool too, im considering to get it... do the fans glow? amperage on both +12v rails look nice btw

 

[shuiends]

TimonXe update to the v71.81 drivers. They add some nice performance gains. I believe i got almost 1k in bosted points form them.

 

[TimoneX]

I had the 71.81 drivers installed when I was trying out SLI. I was curious if nVidia disabled SLI w/o a bridge and they did. I then tried 66.93, 66.74, & 70.41. Guess I'll have to give 71.81 another crack w/ a single card.

OMG THOSE TIMINGS ARE KILLER!!!

and your psu is cool too, im considering to get it... do the fans glow? amperage on both +12v rails look nice btw

No glowing fans. Just a glowing blue rocker switch. Yes it's a fairly muscular PSU for the $$$.

I absolutely love the feel of this system with these timings. This is the snappiest system I've ever used.

 

[PhobMX]

I had the 71.81 drivers installed when I was trying out SLI. I was curious if nVidia disabled SLI w/o a bridge and they did. I then tried 66.93, 66.74, & 70.41. Guess I'll have to give 71.81 another crack w/ a single card.



No glowing fans. Just a glowing blue rocker switch. Yes it's a fairly muscular PSU for the $$$.

I absolutely love the feel of this system with these timings. This is the snappiest system I've ever used.

im gonna keep an eye on this thread, ill copy your timings as soon as i get my system

 

[TimoneX]

Hmmm...71.81=BSOD again and again. Right as it's going from proxycon to trolls lair. Must be a bug/incompatibility somewhere. I'm gonna try 71.80.

im gonna keep an eye on this thread, ill copy your timings as soon as i get my system

Well here lemme make it easy for you. Not sure where tweaker got the cas 1.0 stuff from, it's set to 1.5 in bios.