GTX 480 SLI with different brands...

AlvinMaker

Limp Gawd
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Dec 8, 2009
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This is sort of a question in itself, and hoping to hear if anyone has any experience with this...

I am a fresh "red team" defector (NOT looking to start a flame fest, but after numerous driver issues with my dual 5870 rig, I Ebayd 'em and went with a GTX 480)

I have every intention of getting another 480 for SLI and Surround- My question is about mixing brands of cards. The one I picked up is an EVGA Superclocked. Is is possible, or sensible, to do something like the Zotac AMP edition, to help keep temps under control? (I have an MSI Eclipse Plus, so I have the slots available...) My other small issue with the Zotac is it's a 3 slot card, which means I'll have no room for a Physx card... Not even sure if it's worth it, yet- more homework to do on that front.

Anyone have any experience with this? I am ASSUMING the clocks will need to match if different cards are used, but correct me if I am off base on this. Thanks for any input!
 
Brands don't matter. The clock speeds don't really matter either. You can SLI them without issue.
 
Brands don't matter. The clock speeds don't really matter either. You can SLI them without issue.

Actually, you can SLI with *MOST* of them.

If they use a plain-vanilla nVidia BIOS you are good. If it is a custom BIOS, they sometimes don't play well together.

I have an Asus GTX480 and an eVGA GTX480 and in SLI with the BIOS's that ship with the cards the Asus goes thermally crazed when SLI'd to the eVGA due to it's custom Asus BIOS.

If you flash both cards to the same BIOS (both Asus or both eVGA) they work great in SLI.
 
Actually, you can SLI with *MOST* of them.

If they use a plain-vanilla nVidia BIOS you are good. If it is a custom BIOS, they sometimes don't play well together.

I have an Asus GTX480 and an eVGA GTX480 and in SLI with the BIOS's that ship with the cards the Asus goes thermally crazed when SLI'd to the eVGA due to it's custom Asus BIOS.

If you flash both cards to the same BIOS (both Asus or both eVGA) they work great in SLI.

I've never run into that. It doesn't mean that it won't or can't happen though.
 
Just to throw this out there if you get a triple slot card I'd install it as the primary card. The primary GPU usually runs about 5 degrees hotter so why not put the one with superior cooling in that configuration. Your EVGA card would serve as a secondary card.
 
Just to throw this out there if you get a triple slot card I'd install it as the primary card. The primary GPU usually runs about 5 degrees hotter so why not put the one with superior cooling in that configuration. Your EVGA card would serve as a secondary card.
You can't do it that way in a regular x58 MB. You have to put the reference GTX 480 in the top slot (where it is starved for air but will be OK if you don't OC it very far). If you put the triple slot in the top slot you cannot put any card in the 2nd x16 PCIe slot.
If they use a plain-vanilla nVidia BIOS you are good. If it is a custom BIOS, they sometimes don't play well together.
Not any longer. SLI has matured and you can use two different brands of GTX 480 each with different clock speeds together. The beta release 260 drivers support asynchronous overclocking - each clock on your GTX 480 can be set separately in SLI.

Here is GTX 480 SLI in my Element G Case with a reference GTX 480 in the top slot and a Galaxy GTX 480 SOC triple slot in the bottom slot; no other way to do it. :p
GTX480_SLI-300x246.jpg
 
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You can't do it that way in a regular x58 MB. You have to put the reference GTX 480 in the top slot (where it is starved for air but will be OK if you don't OC it very far). If you put the triple slot in the top slot you cannot put any card in the 2nd x16 PCIe slot.

Not any longer. SLI has matured and you can use two different brands of GTX 480 each with different clock speeds together. The beta release 260 drivers support asynchronous overclocking - each clock on your GTX 480 can be set separately in SLI.

Here is GTX 480 SLI in my Element G Case with a reference GTX 480 in the top slot and a Galaxy GTX 480 SOC triple slot in the bottom slot; no other way to do it. :p
GTX480_SLI-300x246.jpg

So with the GTXs even though I have 3 16x PCI slots I can't use the 1st and 3rd? They have to be consecutive? (I haven't been "green" for a decade, but I believe I had my dual 5870s in the 1st and 3rd slots for air flow purposes, at one point...)
 
You can use the 1st and 3rd. Seems like he was talking about some triple-slot card blocking you from accessing the 2nd slot.
 
You can use the 1st and 3rd. Seems like he was talking about some triple-slot card blocking you from accessing the 2nd slot.

I get it now- I wasn't thinking clearly- only my first 3 slots are 16X. Thanks for the clarification!
 
That is what I was referring to. On a X58 mobo the op can install in first and 3rd. There is really no noticeable advantage running 16x16. Even if the 3rd slot runs at Pcie X8 it'll still give about the same performance. I guess the motherboard and case play a role here too as you can't always do that but appopin is right because if you put the tripple slot card in the first slot the second slot will be off limits.
 
Not any longer. SLI has matured and you can use two different brands of GTX 480 each with different clock speeds together. The beta release 260 drivers support asynchronous overclocking - each clock on your GTX 480 can be set separately in SLI.
GTX480_SLI-300x246.jpg

WRONG!

If you read what I stated I mentioned that the Asus uses a BIOS that does not play nicely with any other cards outside of another Asus in SLI.

Neither card was overclocked and neither card had different settings. One was running an Asus BIOS, the other a plain-vanilla eVGA.

The symptom would be the Asus card deciding to run 15c hotter than by itself or the other eVGA card even in SLI. Once the same image was flashed to both cards (I tried with both Asus and eVGA BIOSes) they both were within 1c of each other.

Again, it is the Asus BIOS itself not playing nice with the other children. Now I don't know if this is only an Asus thing or not, so YMMV.
 
WRONG!

If you read what I stated I mentioned that the Asus uses a BIOS that does not play nicely with any other cards outside of another Asus in SLI.

Neither card was overclocked and neither card had different settings. One was running an Asus BIOS, the other a plain-vanilla eVGA.

The symptom would be the Asus card deciding to run 15c hotter than by itself or the other eVGA card even in SLI. Once the same image was flashed to both cards (I tried with both Asus and eVGA BIOSes) they both were within 1c of each other.

Again, it is the Asus BIOS itself not playing nice with the other children. Now I don't know if this is only an Asus thing or not, so YMMV.

Ok so just buy vanilla versions of the GTX 480 and you'll be fine to SLI them together.
 
where do you get an sli bridge that will span from slot 1 to slot 3 ?

My buddy has a galaxy 460 1Gig model and picked up some 768 model on sale and he says they work fine. So I assume that memory size, it just make both the least common demonimator.

Sure its 2x768 but it still outruns a 480 and he got the second card for $108....WISH I HAD ONE
 
WRONG!

If you read what I stated I mentioned that the Asus uses a BIOS that does not play nicely with any other cards outside of another Asus in SLI.

Neither card was overclocked and neither card had different settings. One was running an Asus BIOS, the other a plain-vanilla eVGA.

The symptom would be the Asus card deciding to run 15c hotter than by itself or the other eVGA card even in SLI. Once the same image was flashed to both cards (I tried with both Asus and eVGA BIOSes) they both were within 1c of each other.

Again, it is the Asus BIOS itself not playing nice with the other children. Now I don't know if this is only an Asus thing or not, so YMMV.
Not wrong. Did you read what i read earlier? :p

The *beta* (release candidate) 260 GeForce drivers allow for much more mixing and matching than ever before - even to keeping each card's original clocks in SLI (if they are different).

Did you use the 260 drivers?
 
Not wrong. Did you read what i read earlier? :p

The *beta* (release candidate) 260 GeForce drivers allow for much more mixing and matching than ever before - even to keeping each card's original clocks in SLI (if they are different).

Did you use the 260 drivers?

Yes, I did, and NO it did not keep both cards running the same, the Asus still went thermally out of control in SLI.

It has NOTHING to do with drivers, it is the Asus BIOS that has an issue playing nicey with others. And, for reference the clocks are identical regardless of the differing BIOSes.

Why do people still insist on something that has NOTHING to do with a verified situation.
 
You got something "verified" by more than one end user? :p
---"thermally out of control" means what? The top card got too hot

If you really did try the new 260 drivers, you would see that each clock in SLI can be set independently of the other
 
You got something "verified" by more than one end user? :p
---"thermally out of control" means what? The top card got too hot

If you really did try the new 260 drivers, you would see that each clock in SLI can be set independently of the other

read his dam post....the CLOCKS ARE THE SAME.....his issue is that the Asus card when paired with a card with a bios other than another identicle bios(when using the Asus one) heats up like crazy.....so his issue has nothing to do with drivers, or the card itself, its the BIOS that Asus puts out, does not as he says "play well" with other same clock/voltage cards with a NON ASUS bios.
 
What does overheating have to do with it?
:confused:

If you put *any* two hot GTX 480s cards in SLI where the top card is starved for air, the top one always overheats
- in that case, it is not a BIOS issue nor an issue of "playing well" together at all :p

Now is this ASUS SLI BIOS "issue" documented beyond a single end user's experience?
 
apoppin, you are an IDIOT!

Yes I verified it. Three seperate setups, three different Asus GTX480s and they ALL exhibit the same issue.

They run much hotter with any other card if they do not have the same BIOS. Again, flash a vanilla nVidia BIOS onto the Asus card and it will run fine in SLI with other cards with vanilla BIOSes and AT THE SAME TEMP as those other cards.

You make statements where you don't know what you are talking about. You don't even know the cooling in the system(s) in question and you ASSume that the top card will be hotter. For the record MY Asus GTX480 and MY eVGA GTX480 run within 1c of each other with the Asus being the hotter one in the bottom slot. If I run the Asus card with the Asus BIOS in the exact same config, it runs 15c+ hotter than with a plain vanilla nVidia BIOS on the same card.

Thanks W.Feather, I guess some people are just thick headed and make wild assumptions.
 
apoppin, you are an IDIOT!

Yes I verified it. Three seperate setups, three different Asus GTX480s and they ALL exhibit the same issue.

They run much hotter with any other card if they do not have the same BIOS. Again, flash a vanilla nVidia BIOS onto the Asus card and it will run fine in SLI with other cards with vanilla BIOSes and AT THE SAME TEMP as those other cards.

You make statements where you don't know what you are talking about. You don't even know the cooling in the system(s) in question and you ASSume that the top card will be hotter. For the record MY Asus GTX480 and MY eVGA GTX480 run within 1c of each other with the Asus being the hotter one in the bottom slot. If I run the Asus card with the Asus BIOS in the exact same config, it runs 15c+ hotter than with a plain vanilla nVidia BIOS on the same card.

Thanks W.Feather, I guess some people are just thick headed and make wild assumptions.
Nevermind that you are not smart enough to even be an idiot. i know for a *fact* in an X58 MB where the two cards are 1/4 inch apart and the top card is starved for air - it WILL overheat.

i got no "proof" from you; just a claim saying that you are using 3 different ASUS cards in 3 different setups with no explanation whatsoever - and then you contradict yourself and say you have only two GTX 480s - a EVGA and a ASUS :p

I asked for proof - or verification - and i still get no reason why it is happening. :rolleyes:
Describe your set up and i will try to verify it. i haven't run across this claim of ASUS BIOSes not "playing well" anywhere else but here. Forgive me for i am not gullible.
 
So- assuming I don't have any of these "BIOS" anomalies mentioned, IF I opted for the AMP 480, I could put that in the 1st slot, and it appears the 2 nd card will make it in the 3rd 16x lane PCIE slot (that's if I am looking at my Eclipse Plus correctly...it sure LOOKS like it will)

(speaking of which...does anyone know if the EVGA and ZOTACs use the vanilla BIOS? Just to be safe??)

Or I just go with another EVGA SC and call it a day... ugh, decisions, decisions...:cool:
 
eVGA uses vanilla nVidia BIOS. Even thier SC editions only up the clocks and fan profiles, but are otherwise vanilla.

No idea on the Zotac.

And apoppin, you don't even know the setup I have. Do your homework and you will find, for my setup, there is not thermal issues, at all. And who said *I* had all three different setups? Never once did I ever say that I was the only one to verify this. I had 2 other people verify this issue on thier systems as well. Also, youmay want to do some research, there are X58 motherboards that will give you an extra slot between the first and second card, so no, there is no "starving of air".
 
You're right i am not psychic nor do i care to read your mind. That i why i asked for an explanation. i don't care to do any homework. You made the claim.

i also didn't say that *all* x58 MBs have the issue that i posted a pic of. You have posted nothing resembling any kind of confirmation or explanation - except something about "2 other anonymous people"

:rolleyes:

And apoppin, you don't even know the setup I have. Do your homework and you will find, for my setup, there is not thermal issues, at all. And who said *I* had all three different setups? Never once did I ever say that I was the only one to verify this. I had 2 other people verify this issue on thier systems as well. Also, youmay want to do some research, there are X58 motherboards that will give you an extra slot between the first and second card, so no, there is no "starving of air".
 
I hope I'll have no issues doing SLI with my incoming Gigabyte and MSI reference GTX 480s, I'm excited, an upgrade from my current faithful GTX 285. :)
 
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