XFX 6800GT's revisited...

[BlueMagician]

I'm just looking for reassurance here:

My pair of XFX6800GT's turned out to be the same revision, version2, however they are a different colour and have slightly different electrical components. Despite being sold in the same order at the same time, from apparently the same batch, one card has a GREEN NVIDIA reference A04 PCB and the other has a BLUE NVIDIA reference A04B PCB

When my system was running (for 4 days, now not due to mobo), SLI appeared to work, but only with 66.93 drivers. I couldn't get SLI framerates out of the 71.25 drivers - 71.25 was not activating the second card, even tho they said they were. At the time I put this down to the 71.25 drivers being a bit pants, and went about my day enjoying scores of ~8500 in 3Dmark05.

Now, I read a horrible rumour that XFX PCIe cards supplied with a METAL BAR running along the top of the card, covering the 'goldfingers' (which both mine had), are early batches that WILL NOT RUN SLI ? Wtf?! Is there any truth in this - is this why I was having issues with 71.25 drivers?


I'm sending my mobo and PSU with RMA, and was wondering if it was worth sending the GFX cards back too, to try and get a matched pair just in case... What does everyone think?

S.

EDIT: Tidied up and cut the babble.

[DR]

I will speak to XFX on Monday for you about this and find out the truth.

We had a lot of PCI-E cards from NVIDIA in the labs and only the newer silicon would run the SLi properly.

[BlueMagician]

I will speak to XFX on Monday for you about this and find out the truth.

Thank you so much mate. This is all turning into a bit of a 'mare really - PSU needs RMA, mobo dies and needs RMA, now I find out that £620 worth of GFX cards might not do what they're supposed to.

I have just registered the products on the xfxsupport.com website, but will hold off 'asking a technical question' online, if you have direct contacts.

Komplett.co.uk have been very good, and have said that if there is an issue, they'll swap them out - but they insist of testing the pair, and in any case would involve a LONG RMA time due to postage back to the Netherlands - so if I do have to swapout, I'd rather deal directly with the manufacturers.. I find it tidier that way..

Many thanks for your assistance.


If anyone else knows anything, feel free to babble..
S.

[Lee H]

I read a horrible rumour that XFX PCIe cards supplied with a METAL BAR running along the top of the card, covering the 'goldfingers' (which both mine had), are early batches that WILL NOT RUN SLI ? Wtf?!
Is there any truth in this - is this why I was having issues with 71.25 drivers?

I hope thats not true as I have 1 of them cards with the metal spine to stop n00bs from snapping them when they try to activate SLI

Any link to this statement so I too can ask XFX when I go to work on Monday ?

[DR]

I have mailed them - with a link to this thread, we should get something back.

Whatever the case, I don't think it is at all XFX misleading anyone - I can also say for sure that from what I hear - they have *exceptional* attitude to customer services.

[BlueMagician]

I read it on Hardware Analysis' thread Asus A8N-SLI FAQ.

The initial 'claim' is about half way down page 9, where the guy states:

"...Return it, this is a card from an early batch that does not support SLI, so removing the casing and then plugging the connector in will not make it work. This could also be why your BIOS behaved funny when settings options for SLI..."

He also continues with interest through page 10.

Another guy <which I missed before> says he's spoken to XFX already and the bar is just there for protection, but there must have been grounds for the claim in the first place?! On reflection, it probably is just random babble. That whole thread is full of truths and mistruths, but it got me wondering, and thought I'd bounce it off you guys.


I'd still appreciate any insight from anyone as to whether my green (A04) and blue (A04B) mismatched boards are gonna give me issues.. When I finally get and Asus board that lasts more than a week..

Do XFX have a UK office that I could get a swapout from - although Komplett are being really understanding about this, I really don't want to have to ship back to the Netherlands... Wish I'd kept my purchases UK based now..


S.

[DR]

I have spoken to them and they are looking in to it.

Re the metal bars - they are there for transport and centre of gravity reasons - it is fine if you want to use SLI just remove it and the bridge braces the cards ok.

Tis a smart idea of theres - these cards are heavy beastys

[BlueMagician]

...I have spoken to them and they are looking in to it...

Scholar and a gentleman..

As I've said, komplett have been really good about the mismatch. I can live with the esthetic 'quirk' or having two different colours, but it'd be nice to get reassurance over compatability - I don't want to be sending otherwise perfectly good cards back abroad, if there's not an issue here..

Hope to hear more,
S.

[Butcher]

I have XFX cards and they had the metal bars. I just unscrewed them, plugged the SLi bridge in and they work just fine. Not tried the 71.25 drivers, 66.93 and 67.66 both worked with SLi though. There are versions of the drivers about without proper SLi support. I'd advise only using the nvidia released drivers (66.93 and 67.66 at the time of writing) if you want SLi to work correctly.

[BlueMagician]

...There are versions of the drivers about without proper SLi support... ...I'd advise only using the nvidia released drivers (66.93 and 67.66 at the time of writing) if you want SLi to work correctly...

Thanks matey..

[silon]

im sorry if this is going off topic, but i could not help but ask;
i hav an nv5 installed on a 6800gt, and like David said, these babies are heavy, ive noticed the card bend downwards on the power connector side of the card.
its 'only' a few months old, im wondering what are the long term effects?

[BlueMagician]

...i hav an nv5 installed on a 6800gt... ...these babies are heavy, ive noticed the card bend downwards on the power connector side of the card...

I'd thought of this, but am not sure of the long term effects either. I guess, as David says, with SLI bridge in place for a pair they'd be quite rigid, but not sure about the strength of one card on its lonesome..

I never got round to putting the NV5's on my cards (as I knew it would invalidate warranty etc etc), plus it looks like if I get for the DFI board, there won't be room to use them anyway! Pfftt..

S.

[Butcher]

I looped a piece of string through a hole in the corner of the upper card of mine two and tied it to the psu cage to support the weight of the waterblock. It was bending more than I liked the look of, even with the SLi bridge.