Software SLI on 8 series cards

CDsDontBurn · May 25, 2008, 05:40 PM

I've heard that it's better to run software SLI on 8 series cards vs. hardware SLI with the bridge.

IMO, this is false, but it's what i've heard. What's you guys' opinion on this?

Zelig · May 25, 2008, 07:40 PM

Should be pretty easy to test, just pull the bridge, and watch the numbers go down...

CDsDontBurn · May 25, 2008, 07:51 PM

right it's pretty easy to test i know. but i don't have an SLI machine at home i can use to test this myself.

one of the guys at work tried it, and for some odd reason, he got better FPS w/it off than with it on. he had tried it after he heard this and that is what happened. i was just wondering if anybody else has heard this and/or tried this themselves?

Lowfat · May 26, 2008, 03:14 AM

Uh so what is the difference between them? I am an SLI n00b. I plan to have my SLI rig up next week and would like to know what exactly hardware/software SLI is.

CDsDontBurn · May 26, 2008, 03:18 AM

basically the difference between software SLI and hardware SLI is the SLI bridge. SLI is all controlled through the motherboard essentially.

the purpose of the SLI bridge is essentially for faster/more data throughput, essentially for better performance when running in an SLI configuration. some of the lower end cards support software SLI only primarily because there is not enough data being sent back and fourth between both cards that the SLI bridge is not required.

Lowfat · May 26, 2008, 09:12 PM

Well when i get my 2nd card and 780i, I'll try both out.

CDsDontBurn · May 26, 2008, 10:11 PM

don't you already have a 780i? according to your system specs, you already do!

Lowfat · May 27, 2008, 02:57 AM

read sig....update in the works

It should be here tomorrow.

CDsDontBurn · May 27, 2008, 04:57 AM

hahah, i totally overlooked that

codecx · Jun 2, 2008, 05:02 PM

wait.. so how does that work? How can you tell whether you are working in SLi hardware or software mode?

I got an EVGA 780i and I used the bridge. Does that mean its automatically in SLi? or is it something to enable in the BIOS?

Or.. does it still mean I gotta enable it in windows?

Cuz, I'm still enabling it in windows

CDsDontBurn · Jun 2, 2008, 09:51 PM

the EVGA 590i AMD and 680i/780i/790i Intel boards do not have any kind of BIOS or physical hardware settings to enable/disable SLI. they do it all through windows in the NVIDIA control panel through

May 25, 2008, 05:40 PM	#1
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,794 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	Software SLI on 8 series cards I've heard that it's better to run software SLI on 8 series cards vs. hardware SLI with the bridge. IMO, this is false, but it's what i've heard. What's you guys' opinion on this? __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

May 25, 2008, 07:40 PM	#2
Zelig HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 3,187 Rep Power: 71 System Specs	Should be pretty easy to test, just pull the bridge, and watch the numbers go down... __________________ --

May 25, 2008, 07:51 PM	Thread Starter #3
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,794 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	right it's pretty easy to test i know. but i don't have an SLI machine at home i can use to test this myself. one of the guys at work tried it, and for some odd reason, he got better FPS w/it off than with it on. he had tried it after he heard this and that is what happened. i was just wondering if anybody else has heard this and/or tried this themselves? __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

May 26, 2008, 03:14 AM	#4
Lowfat Xtreme Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Grande Prairie, AB, Can Posts: 4,254 Rep Power: 101	Uh so what is the difference between them? I am an SLI n00b. I plan to have my SLI rig up next week and would like to know what exactly hardware/software SLI is. __________________

May 26, 2008, 03:18 AM	Thread Starter #5
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,794 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	basically the difference between software SLI and hardware SLI is the SLI bridge. SLI is all controlled through the motherboard essentially. the purpose of the SLI bridge is essentially for faster/more data throughput, essentially for better performance when running in an SLI configuration. some of the lower end cards support software SLI only primarily because there is not enough data being sent back and fourth between both cards that the SLI bridge is not required. __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

May 26, 2008, 09:12 PM	#6
Lowfat Xtreme Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Grande Prairie, AB, Can Posts: 4,254 Rep Power: 101	Well when i get my 2nd card and 780i, I'll try both out. __________________

May 26, 2008, 10:11 PM	Thread Starter #7
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,794 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	don't you already have a 780i? according to your system specs, you already do! __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

May 27, 2008, 02:57 AM	#8
Lowfat Xtreme Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Grande Prairie, AB, Can Posts: 4,254 Rep Power: 101	read sig....update in the works It should be here tomorrow. __________________

May 27, 2008, 04:57 AM	Thread Starter #9
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,794 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	hahah, i totally overlooked that __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

Jun 2, 2008, 05:02 PM	#10
codecx DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 5 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	wait.. so how does that work? How can you tell whether you are working in SLi hardware or software mode? I got an EVGA 780i and I used the bridge. Does that mean its automatically in SLi? or is it something to enable in the BIOS? Or.. does it still mean I gotta enable it in windows? Cuz, I'm still enabling it in windows

Jun 2, 2008, 09:51 PM	Thread Starter #11
CDsDontBurn Lurking DriverHeaven Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,794 Rep Power: 235 System Specs	the EVGA 590i AMD and 680i/780i/790i Intel boards do not have any kind of BIOS or physical hardware settings to enable/disable SLI. they do it all through windows in the NVIDIA control panel through __________________ Her First Day \| A year later