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SLI and quad core memory

S

slj

n00b
Joined
Feb 17, 2008
Messages
9
I am considering a Nvidia SLI card and have heard that some quad core memory sticks are not compatible with SLI.

This is the card I am considering:

BFG Tech BFGR88768GTXOC2E GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card.

Does anyone know of any problems with this card and quad core memory?
 
quad core memory sticks? Do you mean quad cores and memory sticks? I have a quad core and I have memory sticks with a 8800 gtx... no problems here.
 
That particular motherboard won't do Sli. Only motherboards with Nvidia chipset are capable of running Sli.

You can run Crossfire on that board though.

But if you're using just one video card, it's fine.
 
Then I need to think of another board. I like the graphics card more.
 
for almost the same price you could go with a 680 or 780i board. You'd get Sli support.
 
slj said:
I am considering a Nvidia SLI card and have heard that some quad core memory sticks are not compatible with SLI.

This is the card I am considering:

BFG Tech BFGR88768GTXOC2E GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card.

Does anyone know of any problems with this card and quad core memory?
Click to expand...

You are aware that SLI is the ability to use two identical cards together right? I wasn't sure because it sounded like you were talking about a single card.
 
Just to clear a few things up:

SLI is the use of two (or more..) nVidia graphics cards in a linked configuration to give better graphics processing power. It has nothing to do with RAM or CPUs.

SLI RAM is a marketting gimmic - there is no reason why the use of SLI is in any way linked to the type of RAM used; that is, the companies just want people that don't know what they're doing to think "ohh i need to get this ram because then it's compatible". You can use any RAM compatible with the motherboard - SLI or not.
Similarly, Quad core CPUs are compatible with both SLI and non-SLI systems - the two are not linked and have no compatibility relationship.

What you do need for SLI though is a motherboard chipset that supports it. Look for an nVidia 680i or 780i.
 
iirc the 680i's don't like quad cores. Although I think I heard something about a bios update that fixed this. Someone else chime in? I don't own a quad so I havn't kept up.
 
The 680i SLI boards like quad core processors fine. They just don't overclock them that well. The newer BIOS revisions have improved this slightly, but the only two boards that really made massive head way with quad core overclocking are the P5N32-E SLI and the Striker Extreme. The latter needs BIOS 1301 or 1303 for best results.
 
Concentric said:
Just to clear a few things up:

SLI is the use of two (or more..) nVidia graphics cards in a linked configuration to give better graphics processing power. It has nothing to do with RAM or CPUs.

SLI RAM is a marketting gimmic - there is no reason why the use of SLI is in any way linked to the type of RAM used; that is, the companies just want people that don't know what they're doing to think "ohh i need to get this ram because then it's compatible". You can use any RAM compatible with the motherboard - SLI or not.
Similarly, Quad core CPUs are compatible with both SLI and non-SLI systems - the two are not linked and have no compatibility relationship.

What you do need for SLI though is a motherboard chipset that supports it. Look for an nVidia 680i or 780i.
Click to expand...

SLI memory is only 50% marketing bullshit. The other 50% is truth. SLI memory (EPP) profiles paved the way for AMD and Intel to do the same thing. Those modules are tested for very high frequency and are often capable of very low timings and higher voltages. As far as compatibility, you are correct. Anything that the motherboard will support and has been tested with will do.
 
680i's can not do Quad core 45nm. Thus why nvidia offered up until 2/11 the ability to cheaply $90 to upgrade to 780i which does do quad core 45nm
 
Sunin said:
680i's can not do Quad core 45nm. Thus why nvidia offered up until 2/11 the ability to cheaply $90 to upgrade to 780i which does do quad core 45nm
Click to expand...

Well the rumor is that some of the non-reference 680i SLI boards may be upradable to support 45nm quad cores. The Striker Extreme and P5N32-E SLI are two boards rumored to be capable of supporting 45nm quad cores. Of course no one knows what the overclocking will be like if they do decide to release a BIOS to do it.

If ASUS Can do that, and they can overclock moderately-decent then that would make the Striker Extreme more desirable as it has a better feature set than most 680i SLI or 780i SLI boards on the market.
 
Dan_D said:
Well the rumor is that some of the non-reference 680i SLI boards may be upradable to support 45nm quad cores. The Striker Extreme and P5N32-E SLI are two boards rumored to be capable of supporting 45nm quad cores. Of course no one knows what the overclocking will be like if they do decide to release a BIOS to do it.

If ASUS Can do that, and they can overclock moderately-decent then that would make the Striker Extreme more desirable as it has a better feature set than most 680i SLI or 780i SLI boards on the market.
Click to expand...

correct non reference have a chance a 680i reference board is sunk in the water if you want 45nm quads.
 
Sunin said:
correct non reference have a chance a 680i reference board is sunk in the water if you want 45nm quads.
Click to expand...

Right. Again no one has officially announced quad core 45nm CPU compatibility with any 680i SLI board. However I have heard of beta-BIOS' and Striker Extreme's running such processors. I have no way to verify that this can be done, or that ASUS or anyone else will release the appropriate BIOS to make it happen, but it could happen.

The 780i SLI is the only SLI capable solution that will do it for sure, but the results of testing with those boards has been less than encouraging.
 
Dan_D said:
SLI memory is only 50% marketing bullshit. The other 50% is truth. SLI memory (EPP) profiles paved the way for AMD and Intel to do the same thing. Those modules are tested for very high frequency and are often capable of very low timings and higher voltages. As far as compatibility, you are correct. Anything that the motherboard will support and has been tested with will do.
Click to expand...

Is SLI anything to do with EPP? I knew about EPP but i thought it was completely seperate. If they called it SLI then i think it's just deliberately misleading (for the same reason i gave).
 
Concentric said:
Is SLI anything to do with EPP? I knew about EPP but i thought it was completely seperate. If they called it SLI then i think it's just deliberately misleading (for the same reason i gave).
Click to expand...

Same thing actually. It used to be called EPP and then NVIDIA decided to change the name to SLI-Ready memory.
 
I had not realized about the need for 2 graphics cards. Since I like that card, I suppose the next step is to find a good motherboard that is compatible.
 
slj said:
I had not realized about the need for 2 graphics cards. Since I like that card, I suppose the next step is to find a good motherboard that is compatible.
Click to expand...

Just in case i think you're thinking the wrong thing --

You don't need to use two cards for the machine to work - having a compatible motherboard just allows you to add another card and connect them in SLi if you want to.

For example, i have an nForce4 SLi motherboard, but i only use a single 6800GT. In hindsight there was no point in getting an SLi motherboard, but i thought at the time that it would give me the option if i wanted to add another 6800GT later.


If that's not what you meant and you already knew this stuff then sorry :p
 
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