Author Topic: SLI cards gotta be identical twins ??? (Read 394 times)

popgun · « **on:** August 24, 2006, 02:39:43 PM »

Hey all, a year ago I bot a Cyberpower system with an Asus A8N Sli but with only one 6800 Ultra 512 card thinking I'd pick up another one maybe someday. Well they don't stock that card anymore (naturally) so I'm trying to find one elsewhere. Do both cards have to be exactly the same, meaning same manufacturer ? Could I stick an XFX (different brand) card in there ?
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...any help appreciated

Krusty · « **Reply #1 on:** August 24, 2006, 04:42:31 PM »

I'm guessing here...

SLI splits up what is rendered between the two cards. If the cards are not 100% identical I think there would be problems with one getting done before the other and having to wait, or not waiting and displaying what it has while the other card is 15 frames behind.

Just a guess.

Wolfala · « **Reply #2 on:** August 24, 2006, 04:48:52 PM »

If you get 2 seperate cards of different makes, you'll be handicapped by the least powerful of them. So the speed of the faster 1 will be dialed back to match the 6800 u got.

Roscoroo · « **Reply #3 on:** August 24, 2006, 05:10:30 PM »

its best to get the same .

if not your performance limited to the slowest card.

Remember theres also LE/se/ standard type cards that are actually pro/xt/gt cards that have been slowed down to sell at a cheeper price ... sometimes they havent even been declocked .

PS.... Check Ebay ... theres several on there right now . 175.00 buy it now.

http://search.ebay.com/XFX-6800_W0QQcatrefZC6QQfromZR10QQfrppZ50QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQmaxrecordsreturnedZ300QQsacatZQ2d1QQssPageNameZRC0024

ALF · « **Reply #4 on:** August 24, 2006, 09:16:36 PM »

Its also important to try and twin the cards because otherwise you double the chances of a driver quirk, or other issue....not to mention trying to get support to help you determin which card is the issue.

popgun · « **Reply #5 on:** August 25, 2006, 03:22:52 PM »

So if I went with the XFX Xtreme, my only problem would be that it would be limited to the performance of the Ultra ? Maybe a driver compatability problem ?
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...hmmm...wondering if it's worth it

JTs · « **Reply #6 on:** August 27, 2006, 03:52:24 PM »

go here and read this from nvidia

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_ask_mmm006.html

popgun · « **Reply #7 on:** August 28, 2006, 02:13:06 PM »

Cool!!

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...ty sir

Thanks all for your input, much appreciated