What do I need to set-up SLI?

Question

I have two open PCI-Express ports and 2 GeForce 7900 GS cards. What else do I need to buy to set-up SLI? Also, When I buy the extra parts, how do I do about setting up the SLI on the computer?

Answer 1

1) Make sure your motherboard is SLI compatible.
2) Purchase and install two exactly identical video cards that are also SLI compatible in the appropriate PCI - express slots on the motherboard.
3) After installing the two video cards, locate the SLI jumper cable (flat ribbon cable exactly the length of the distance between those two separate PCI - express slots on the motherboard) which would have been provided with the motherboard not the video cards. The cable connects to one specific location on each video card generally near the back panel on the top edge as you look down at the cards in the case.
4) Goto www.nvidia.com and download the newest graphics driver for your particular graphics card and operating system.
5) Goto your control panel, select add/remove software option, remove any existing video driver(s) found there, reboot your machine to finalize the removal, install the new driver you recently downloaded from www.nvidia.com, reboot your machine yet again.
6) Right click anywhere on your desktop that isn't associated with a shortcut, select properties, select the last tab on the right generally called settings, then select the advanced Settings button displayed there. Find the tab in the new window for the 7900GS at the top, this should display a tab with a button that says "Start Nvidia Control Panel" click this. When the new window opens, select the option "3D Settings" then select the option "Set SLI Configuration" and follow the directions there.

This should allow you to properly set up your system in SLI mode.

Answer 2

Hello,

First you need to make sure your motherboard is SLI compatible. Then you will need to purchase two graphics cards that are identical, same make, model etc. Also make sure the graphics card specifies that it is an SLI graphic card. Install the cards in the SLI slots on the motherboard and connect the ribbon cable, which usually comes with the motherboard, between the two cards. Now you need to go the graphics card manager program and enable SLI. Now its time to have fun and play games.

Answer 3

There is an SLI connector that connects the two cards together. They may or may not come with the cards, so you may need to buy that separately. Also, you need to make sure your power supply can support two video cards. If not, then you will need to buy a better one that supports SLI.

Answer 4

you have to buy nothing else. You need to put in both cards, and then somewhere on the mobo, there should be a jumper or a "card" on it which you have to "turn around".

Now for better performance, then you would need to buy a sli bridge to connect them, but it is not required, because the drives can do it now with out it, but again, you get faster performance using it.

Answer 5

Nothing, plug them in, attatch the SLI link (Flat ribbon, connects the top of the two cards) and fire away!

You might need to go into the bios and enable it, and have a play with the drivers under display properties.

There really is nothing to it!!

Answer 6

I think you just hook up the SLI cable between the cards.