mixing brands in an SLI setup

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BossBri

n00b
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Mar 7, 2003
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So, can I do it? I don't want to do anything crazy like mix different chipsets, but can I combine (for example) a Leadtek 6800 GT with an eVGA 6800 GT?

Aren't most cards are produced by the same people and just rebranded by all the vid card companies anyway? If that's so then cards with the same chipset from different comanies should be exactly the same anyway.
 
Good luck, but before you head into it know this. It is even recommended by Nvidia that you do it with the same brand. There's none issues with even cards from the same company not working. There might be good news for you, as its been rumored that the 80 series of drivers is suppose to clear up these issues.
 
Currently, no. And the announcement I read about the 80 series drivers did indeed say that it should allow mixing of brands.

That BIOS thing might work in some cases...*shrug*.
 
Filter said:
basically it comes down to both cards need the same bios.
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Well, on this comment I'll have to say you're wrong! :cool: Here is a cut, and paste from NVIDIA's website:


Can I mix and match graphics cards?
No. NVIDIA currently doesn't support SLI on two different models or from different vendors. SLI supports configurations with the same model (i.e. 6800 Ultra) from the same vendor (Vendor XYZ). A common misconception about SLI is that the BIOS revision has to be identical between the cards. This is not true. A manufacturer can revise the BIOS without affecting SLI. NVIDIA does however recommend that customers confirm SLI compatibility with the manufacturer before making a purchase.
 
newls1 said:
Well, on this comment I'll have to say you're wrong! :cool: Here is a cut, and paste from NVIDIA's website:


Can I mix and match graphics cards?
No. NVIDIA currently doesn't support SLI on two different models or from different vendors. SLI supports configurations with the same model (i.e. 6800 Ultra) from the same vendor (Vendor XYZ). A common misconception about SLI is that the BIOS revision has to be identical between the cards. This is not true. A manufacturer can revise the BIOS without affecting SLI. NVIDIA does however recommend that customers confirm SLI compatibility with the manufacturer before making a purchase.
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We'll once again....wrong ;) ....this is an old quote from Nvidia's website that has been posted in the facts section since release of SLI. They have already stated the the 80 series of drivers will support different brands of 68/78 & future series video cards as long as their of the same model (gt/ultra/gtx/etc). This is I'm sure to combat crossfire due to the ability to mix match brands of cards of the same model in the Ati lineup.

Plus it makes it easier on consumers making the upgrade down the road which a lot of people have to do considering the high price of the current gen/next gen cards. The 80's series drivers should be out in the next month or two hopefully so you should be able to add a card real soon, plus it will give the 68 series cards time to drop a little more between now and the release of the drivers. :D
 
If it was simply a driver issue, why didn't they fix it all along? I think there may still be some compatibility issues with the 68 series, but the 78 series should be good to go.
 
kirbyrj said:
If it was simply a driver issue, why didn't they fix it all along? I think there may still be some compatibility issues with the 68 series, but the 78 series should be good to go.
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It's not a "driver issue" that they're going to "fix", it's a new capability that SLI wasn't supposed to have, that they're adding after the fact to make the ATI fan boys STFU. Basically.

Like I and others already said, you cannot mix brands with SLI. The BIOS thing has been effectively disproven, so if you want to mix brands for some wacky reason, you're going to have to wait for the 80 series drivers which are supposed to add that ability.
 
If it's not a driver issue then you imply it's a hardware issue and I dont know about you but I have never had software fix a hardware problem.
 
Flak Monkey said:
If it's not a driver issue then you imply it's a hardware issue and I dont know about you but I have never had software fix a hardware problem.
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Is it a hardware issue that my computer can't be used as a spaceship?

Mixing brands is something they've always explicitly stated that you can't do. Now they find a way to do so after all and announce that all you'll have to do is update your drivers to a certain version, and you get it stuck in your head that they're doing it to "fix" something?

I read something earlier today about a research group finding a way to use a GPU to perform sort operations much faster than is normally possible on a CPU. Are they "fixing" a "driver issue"? Hell no. They figured out how to make it do something that it wasn't originally designed to, and luckily it can be accomplished entirely in software.
 
I wasnt trying to say they where fixing anything, because nothing was broken before. All I was saying is that it is and driver issue, and you said in your post it wasn't. Oh, and I do consider it a hardware issue that I can't use my computer as a spaceship. If thats what I wanted to do with my computer, then I would consider that an issue.
 
ashmedai said:
Is it a hardware issue that my computer can't be used as a spaceship?

Mixing brands is something they've always explicitly stated that you can't do. Now they find a way to do so after all and announce that all you'll have to do is update your drivers to a certain version, and you get it stuck in your head that they're doing it to "fix" something?

I read something earlier today about a research group finding a way to use a GPU to perform sort operations much faster than is normally possible on a CPU. Are they "fixing" a "driver issue"? Hell no. They figured out how to make it do something that it wasn't originally designed to, and luckily it can be accomplished entirely in software.
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I read that research a long time ago. They used a 5900ultra n they said that they got it to do the operations of a typical CPU. They said with the power of the GPU used in this way, it was equivalent to an Intel Pentium 4 10.0 Ghz. You may have read a different article. But, a Pentium 4 at 10 ghz sounds pretty sweet to me.
 
I know the one you're talking about, this is new (albeit conceptually similar).
 
I bought 2 6800gts from Inno ran in SLI, one broke :( got a replacement and they didnt work in SLI no more due to bios issues, in the end I sold both and stayed clear until now with my 2 MSI 6800Ultra 512mb cards :D
 
ashmedai said:
It's not a "driver issue" that they're going to "fix", it's a new capability that SLI wasn't supposed to have, that they're adding after the fact to make the ATI fan boys STFU. Basically.
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Which is funny because their sh** still ain't out yet. :p

I'm betting some leaked 80 series beta drivers will be out soon and some brave souls will begin testing this. Guru3d usually get's the jump on new drivers. Hopefully their will be a long thread about cards that worked and those that had problems.
 
And we all know "leaked" is usually synonymous with "unofficial public beta".
 
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