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Cant have multiple monitors with SLI?

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_aurora_   05-20-2008 at 06:46:19 PM

I just found out that I cant have multiple monitors with SLI, which is stupid so I disabled it. Does that mean that I cant connect 4 monitors to my gpu,s (2 outputs on each card).

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Bronze Graphics badge jay2tall   05-20-2008 at 06:46:18 PM
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You can but you would have to toggle in and out of SLI for gaming. Do you mean you want 4monitors for desktop and 1 for gaming? or do you want all 4 for gaming? please explain.

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_aurora_   05-20-2008 at 07:03:53 PM
- 0 +

well I want to use 2 monitors for my desktop and 1 for gaming. I just said 4 monitors because I have 4 outputs and I would be abit pointless if I cant use the second gpu. Is switching SLI on/off the only way?

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Bronze Graphics badge jay2tall   05-20-2008 at 08:21:25 PM
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SLI would be pointless for multiple displays because even a single card with 2 displays will cute each outputs resources in half. So lest say you have 2 monitors, it wouldn't make sense to have SLI even enables because you would just plug 1 monitor in each card giving each output its own video card. So you are saying you want to play a game on 1 monitor while having a desktop on 2 others at the same time?

------------------------------ Big Brother Rules with an Iron Fist
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_aurora_   05-21-2008 at 07:08:52 AM
- 0 +

I've got 2 monitors which I have set to "dualview" for my desktop. But the only way I can have "dualview" is to disable SLI. I dont want to use both screens for gaming but theres no point having 2 cards if im not going to use them.
So is it possible to keep SLI enabled and still be able to use 2 monitors?

Im not going to, I just want to know. But can you plug a monitor into the second gpu to have more then 2 displays even though SLI is disabled?

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aevm   05-21-2008 at 03:24:28 PM
- 0 +

If SLI is disabled you should be able to plug a monitor in each DVI output, and have 4 monitors. If SLI is enabled then the same thing won't work, because of driver limitations. nVidia has promised to fix that, but I haven't heard of any solution yet...


Message edited by aevm on 05-21-2008 at 03:28:50 PM
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_aurora_   05-21-2008 at 06:06:40 PM
- 0 +

ok thanks. I hope they sort it out soon because I dont want to keep switching. How long have they been promising to fix it?

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aevm   05-21-2008 at 06:07:15 PM
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I think I've read it 4 or 5 months ago. I wouldn't count on it too much.

Just curious, how hard is it to switch SLI on or off? Do you just start nTunes and check/uncheck a checkbox and click OK, or is it a lot of work?

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_aurora_   05-21-2008 at 06:50:40 PM
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yeah I use ntune, but it takes awhile for it to actually change, and for some reason it messes up all my desktop icons.

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Silver Graphics badge TheGreatGrapeApe   05-21-2008 at 07:03:42 PM
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No matter what you'll have to toggle something, it won't work properly otherwise (think of how SLi works).

I know how difficult it is to click a checkbox :kaola:, but it's much better than rebooting to enable it the way you used to have to do it.


Message edited by TheGreatGrapeApe on 05-21-2008 at 07:07:55 PM
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_aurora_   05-21-2008 at 07:10:33 PM
- 0 +

yeah, lol. It wont be for much longer anyway. I'll proberbly get one of those 9900's when they come out.

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once_guitarist   12-19-2008 at 10:42:51 AM
- 0 +

ok, well, I have 2 GTX 8800 and a 22" widescreen center, 19" normal right and 17"normal left... I want to run 3 screens for gaming. I tried softTH but that only works for certain games and I don't want to pay a couple hundred for that triple head box.

What the heck can I do.... F.E.A.R. is awsome with 3 monitors... ghost recon works but not at its max same as rainbow six lockdown... anything else I couldnt get to see the resolutions. Why hasn't Nvidia released update for multiple screen gaming?

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daedalus685   12-19-2008 at 04:39:55 PM
- 0 +

Well, crossfire supports 2 monitors now (has for some time).. I see no reason why nvidia doesnt other than they are taking their time with the driver for it... I wouldnt expect it to take much longer than a few more months as it is pretty much the only thing that distinguishes SLI from crossfire beyond driver features and I can't imagine that sits well with the brass.

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KIRAN TJ   12-30-2008 at 12:29:07 PM
- -1 +

To use Multiple Monitors with SLI Enabled.. Simply follow the steps below :

Keep the SLI Enabled to Njoy gr8 Graphics Processing Power
Add a graphic card to the PCI(E) Slot.. & use it with the Third Monitor

SLI will never conflict with the add on card and it will work as an independant channel.

Rgds,
Kiran T.J
MCSE | A+ | DCSE

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