Can't Enable SLI with 2 EVGA GTX 770's [Windows 10]

[Intro, you can skip it. Kind of TLDR/summary about halfway through]So I built my PC about 2 and a half years ago so that if I ever wanted to I could upgrade it relatively easily. So now 2.5 years later, after adding some more RAM and fiddling with OCing a bit I decided to SLI my GTX 770 because well I could and a second card was easily worth the possible performance increase now. The goal being to be able to play basically any game on High/Very High at 2560x1440p at at least 60Hz. This is pushing it for the SLI config and not possible on a 770 alone, I know this, but it might get the job done and its something new to learn.

It's Windows 10.

Well I've run into an issue with actually enabling SLI. I have both cards are fully functioning (boot and display the... display). I did an uninstall then clean install of all NVIDIA drivers, etc. (excluding the GeForce Experience because I know it is known to cause issues) without the SLI connector installed. After installing the drivers both cards are recognized and functioning properly in the Device Manager, and NVIDIA Control Panel recognizes there are two cards installed as well. On restart the computer notifies me that "To get max 3D performance install the SLI connector yadda-yadda-yadda"." Okay, makes sense I didn't install it yet. Shut down install the SLI connector, start up, go to the NVIDIA Control Panel and it still says that the SLI bridge must be connected. I've been stuck at this point for quite some time now having made no real progress towards what I want.

I have tried various troubleshooting methods that I've read on this, as well as various other, forums including:

• ■Checked that both cards work when in the system alone (They did. However, I have not stressed tested the second card at all.)
  ■ Uninstalling and reinstalling NVIDIA drivers/software (always excluding GeForce Experience) with SLI connector not installed
  ■Swapping the card's positions, then uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers. [This prompted two things: one, a blue screen( [?]maybe not sure in Windows 10, the screen was blue with a sad face and QR code) and two, caused the, now second in orientation but, original card to not be recognized by Windows before driver reinstall)
  ■Tried 3 different SLI connectors (1 that came with the motherboard, 1 "flexy" one I bought, and an EVGA Pro SLI Bridge[the one for the new 10 series with both SLI connections that lights up])
  ■ Every possible orientation of the SLI connector on the two cards [Both SLI connectors on the card and rotated 180 degrees(upside-down so the SLI symbol faces the other way) on both connectors]
  ■ Checked the video card BIOS, both of which are up to date for each card. (However, they have different BIOS version. The original(FTW) having BIOS version BIOS: 80.04.C3.00.70 and the second(SC) having BIOS: 80.04.C3.00.72

TLDR/Summary
I have two EVGA GTX 770s (SC and FTW, both with Dual ATX) that are both recognized in the Device Manager and NVIDIA Control Panel. Windows tells me to install a SLI connector to receive max 3D performance and then it refuses to recognize when a SLI connector is installed and connected, therefore preventing me from actually enabling SLI. I've tried every troubleshooting method I could find and think of and still, for the life of me, can't figure out what is preventing SLI from being enabled. A "consolidated" list of what I did and what my PC consists of are provided next to hopefully help organize relevant information.
Original Process:

■ Install second card in the slot below the original. (Second card: EVGA SC Dual ACX [M#: 04G-P4-3774-KR and BIOS: 80.04.C3.00.72]
■ Boot, download latest NVIDIA driver, uninstall all NVIDIA drivers/software.
■Restart and clean install NVIDIA drivers(etc.) excluding GeForce Experience.
■Restart and get prompted to install SLI connector.
■Shut down and install the bridge that came with the MOBO.
■Be greeted with a greyed-out "Max 3D Performance" box under Configure SLI, Surround, PhysX menu.
■Try different orientations of the same SLI connector to no avail.
■Quit for the day after 5-6 hours of fucking around.
■Purchase alternate SLI connectors(as stated above) and try them in all orientations same as the first. Achieving the same result as in step 6.
■Followed the troubleshooting methods stated above

Skip to now and I'm here writing a forum post because I can't find any reason for it to not recognize the SLI bridge . Some things that may be helpful in solving my little mystery but were not previously mentioned are as follows:

• ■They are NOT the same MODEL but they are the same CARD. The main/only difference being a slightly higher clock speed on the FTW card. (1137MHz vs 1110MHz; FTW vs SC, respectively)
  
  1. (Old/Original) EVGA GTX 770 4GB FTW
  • Model Number: 04G-P4-3776-KR]
    BIOS Version: 80.04.C3.00.70
  2. (New/Second) EVGA GTX 770 4GB SC Dual ACX
  • Model Number: 04G-P4-3774-KR]
    BIOS Version: 80.04.C3.00.72
  ■The EVGA Pro SLI Bridge lights up when the computer is turned on and it is in place so I figure it is not a connection issue. Unless it can receive power but no data.[I'm hoping it's not the connectors on the cards because then I'm really shit out of luck, but I have no way to test that particular theory (no third 770) so I may end up proving it by disproving all other options]
  ■ The blue screen occurred with both graphics cards installed in the system specifically after the new/second card was installed closest to the CPU and the computer booted into Windows fully(this is when I tested the new card in the system alone). Shutting down and installing the old/original card in the slot below this then booting caused the blue screen at the Windows login screen (input your password). On reboot the system did not blue screen but the second card was not recognized. Reinstalling NVIDIA drivers/software fixed this issue. (The reverse configuration with the original card in the closest to CPU slot and the second card in the slot below it did not cause a blue-screen so this is why I mention it.)
  ■ There is an unrecognized device in the Device Manager under "Other Devices" that seems to have appeared with the installation of the new card (it is not the card, 2 GTX 770s show up under "Display adapters" and I'm not sure on it's arrival date because I have not had access to my desktop for some months so my memory of anything being there previously is fuzzy)
  ■I am using a standard HDMI cable (not 2.0) between the GPU and the monitor/TV I am using (I don't believe this supports 2560x1440p resolution, as the bandwidth isn't high enough. So, if someone has any insight on that as well that would be appreciated as well, but it is a problem for another day as my monitor is only 1080p at the moment)
  ■My build as a whole:
  • - i5 4670K (stock speeds/voltage)
    - ASRock Z87 Extreme3
    - 16GB 1866MHz G.Skill Ripjaws X[slightly overclocked (1.55/1.58V, something around there) because the two 8GB sets didn't want to play nice together]
    - Video cards as mentioned above
    • - Currently configured with the SC card in the slot closest to the CPU and the FTW card in the slot below it
    - Corsair RM 750W (pushing the limits of it, I know. No overclocking until I upgrade it and I figure I'll be fine)
    - 120GB 840 EVO
    - 1TB WD Hard Drive (black maybe? Again, I don't really remember)
    - Some CD-ROM reader/writer
  Sorry for the incredibly long post but, I wanted to convey all the information that I could so anyone who can may be able to glean WTF is wrong with it able to. So, there's probably a lot of unnecessary information. Thank you to whoever made it this far and tries to help in advance. I'm currently in college with my desktop staying home (expensive piece of hardware for a dorm room) so a speedy response would be greatly appreciated. If any additional information is required I will happily provide it.
  
  Edit 1: Fixed typo in title.
  Edit 2: Had the new and old cards swapped, added current configuration of the cards, and fixed various typos.
  Edit 3: Added windows version