AN8 Fatal1ty SLI

[uhu_fritzl65]

Greetings
as of this posting I have been on tech support hold for 43:51 accordingto my cell phone. Is it always this bad?


NooB Extreme here


ABIT AN8 Fatal1ty SLi
WinXP Pro
Corsair XMS 2x 512
Radeon Card x800xt PCIe
when I have the monitor hooked up to the 15 pin video connector on the video card it can see POST process. The original card X800 XT PCIe has both connectors DB15 and DVI. When I connect to DVI ( using DB15 to DVI adapter) I cannot see POST process.



XFX 6800 XT SLI ready PCIe ( using 2 cards )

When I install the 2 SLI cards ( they do not have the DB15 connector only 2 DVI per card) I cannot see POST process and I receive an error message of 04 on the MoBO read out.

Please tell:
1-what 04 error is
2- Why cant I use the SLi cards?
3-What is proper installation of SLI. The manual doesnt tell me all the details.. I cannot even see the POST...so how do I install drivers..if I cant even get to the windows safe mode or other basics

[scrandman]

Done the obvious for SLI?

Turn switch chip on mobo to SLI mode.
Connect additional molex to the motherboard.
Installed the SLI bridge chip & PCI bracket holder thing to keep it in position.

[BUFF]

where are you?
if you are in the USA then abit are aware of the 'phone problem & are taking steps to remedy it.

if it's 0.4. that's supposedly a memory initialisation problem but that can cover the gfx card(s) as well as the the DIMMs.
It's also been seen on boards with overtightened/non-standard heatsink or waterblock.
As for SLI the best thing imo is to install 1 card, get the drivers installed & then install the 2nd card.
All you do then is go into the nVidia control panel & enable SLI.

[uhu_fritzl65]

Hello,
To Scrandman:
1-MoBo switch is set to SLI
2-I did all except add the additional molex to the board. Each XFX 6800 XT has a molex... do I need to add the one to the board as well as these?
3-Clip and bridge are connected.

EXTRA INFO power supply is 600 watt. Monitor is an OLD ca. 1996 IBM P200.

To Buff:
once I get to the point where i am receiving video signal to the monitor I will do as you suggest and bring up one card at a time.
I ended up waitng over 1 hour to speak with the friendly folks at ABIT. Only managed to leave a message with a receptionist....

Wonderful.
Again thanks for the help


One point I forgot is that my original card as a Radeon X800 XL PCIe. 256. This card has both the DVI and the DB15. I get video on the DB15 but not the DVI. Is it possible then that the cable for the monitor is incorrect for DVI??
Does any one know what monitor identification bits 1010 means and is it pertinent to this ?

I am really grateful for your help.

[BUFF]

once I get to the point where i am receiving video signal to the monitor I will do as you suggest and bring up one card at a time.

seriously, I suggest that you install 1 card & get that running before installing the second & enabling SLI.

One point I forgot is that my original card as a Radeon X800 XL PCIe. 256. This card has both the DVI and the DB15. I get video on the DB15 but not the DVI. Is it possible then that the cable for the monitor is incorrect for DVI??

if your monitor is from 1996 are you sure that it actually has DVI input (I thought that didn't appear until ~2000)?

[uhu_fritzl65]

Hello Buff,
I am not sure if the monitor has DVI inut, I spoke to a reseller and he thinks that it does, since this was a high end monitor used for AUTOCAD drafting at the time...He thinks it may be a cable...
I am just too noob at this,

[scrandman]

You need to connect the additional molex on the board when running SLI - that's the primary reason it is there (even though the cards have their own connectors).

Also, as buff suggested - try getting up & running first with one card before going for full SLi.

Finally, the determine if the connector you are using is DVI, most DVI connectors have a white plastic grommet (the bit separating the pins) whereas the older D-sub connectors tend to be blue. DVI connectors also have some flat "pins" whereas D-sub are all round.

[BUFF]

the DVI specification didn't come out until Spring of 1999 which is why I doubt that a monitor from 1996 was fitted with a DVI input.

[uhu_fritzl65]

Gretings Alle,
Buff, thanks for the reply... I am trying to locate a manual for the xfx 6800 XT cards now. I have checked the XFX site for a copy of the manual and all I am able to find is the driver manual and several other software related manuals.

I am hoping that someone here has knowledge on how to get this all going...
Thank You
Fritz

[BUFF]

does the AN8 manual not explain it?
what you need:
SLI capable motherboard & PSU capable of powering it all
2 similar nVidia PCI-E gfx cards & drivers
SLI bridge

I recommend that you get the system running with 1 gfx card first (actually I would try both seperately as from your earlier post it's possible that you have 1 with faulty memory) & then install the 2nd incl. flipping the mobo's selector card to SLI.
You'll need to enable SLI in the nVidia driver control panel.

[uhu_fritzl65]

Hello Buff
right, finally got the cards running...the molex conn did it. Now I am getting 9100 score on 3dmark03. Down side is that I can no lomnger run IL2 1946 without stuttering?
Seems like the scenery goes past a bit and then halts then past then halts and repeats.
Thanks for your help in advance...
Fritz

[BUFF]

I don't know how welll Il2 handles SLI or indeed which are the best drivers for it - you would be better asking on an Il2 forum for that kind of info.

Imo unless you are running at very high res (1900+) on a very large screen SLI & Crossfire aren't worth the hassle & then only with high-end cards.
Anything below that just running a single high-end card is better than 2 medium.

[eitai2001]

Hi Guys.
I have just bought one of these boards for not even $10 ... it was at a scrap sale ... the board seems fine ... haven't had a chance to test it ... the only thing is I'm missing the SLI Switch Card ... will I be able to run a single graphics card without this card ... if not, any idea where to get one?
Regards

Itai

[BUFF]

iirc it will run without the card but I'm not certain what happens lanewise.

abit should be able to help out re. the part.
If in the UK contact abit UK http://www2.abit.com.tw/page/be/cont...00&pTITLE_IMG=.
Rest of europe http://www.abitshop.eu/product_info....roducts_id=196
If you are in the US http://www.uabit.com/WebStore/produc...insneufe6ii4r0

[eitai2001]

Thanks. I'm actually in South Africa ... so it'll be quite difficult. What do you mean lanewise ... sorry I'm not all that technical ...

[BUFF]

in that case I suggest that you contact abit in Taiwan to get a contact address for your local importer.
You could also check if the abit.eu shop will dispatch to SA at extra cost.

The nF4 chipset has 16 lanes allocated for gfx use.
With the selector card set appropriately for a single gfx card all 16 lanes are routed to the master slot & when flipped for SLI use it apportions 8 lanes to each gfx slot.