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Sli - Windows 7.. Problems

Forum Graphic & Displays : Graphics Cards - Sli - Windows 7.. Problems

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Gentlemen,

Long time IT enthusiast,
Long time reader,
First time poster.

Windows 7 Ultimate (build 7000)
Intel Core2 Extreme q6850, currently 3.66GHz
EVGA 790i Ultra SLI, Bios version currently P08 (have used P06, and P07)
EVGA 8800GT (x2)
OCZ DDR3 PC3-16000 6GB

Have tried Nvidia drivers versions: 182.05, 181.22, 181.20, 180.48 am currently using 185.20

When running apps and games with a single card there are no errors. When I enable SLI, performance decreases substantially and every 6 or so seconds all input (mouse, keyboard) will freeze; for instance in Far Cry 2 I'll be moving forward, suddenly controls freeze up but the character in the game keeps running forward, till I regain input. This keeps happening until it freezes for 10 or so seconds, then the computer restarts. Very frustrating

One thing I'm concerned about is that the second 8800GT I have I bought off of Newegg as a reconditioned card. I read good reviews about EVGA reconditioned cards so I thought I'd take the chance.

So Is the problem with Windows 7 and it's lack of proper SLI compatibility? Or is it the reconditioned 8800GT? Or something else entirely?

Would love to resolve this issue. Thanks in advance

Regards

Add a reply

Stress test each card on its own with Furmark for a few hours. If they're both ok, try with no OC on the CPU.

Reply to theAnimal

What do you expect with Windows 7 as it's not even released yet. It's in BETA stage.

Anyway have you tried putting in another machine under Vista or XP, at least then you could determine if the problem is with the card or not. If you don't have another PC you could always get a 40Gb HD for about £25.00 and install XP/Vista on that to try. If it's not the card i'd raise your concerns with Microsoft so it can be ironed out for it's release.

------------------------------ Core i7 920 OC 3.6Ghz
Gainward GTX295
Corsair 1000W
12Gb OCZ Reaper DDR3 1500
Reply to kkkk1

Your having SLI problems with a beta version of windows........NOOOOOOO!

How do you know your overclock is stable? Your computer passes 12 hour stress test like prime 95 or othos right?

If your a long time IT enthusiest, you would know that the first thing you do when your having these issues is see if your having the same problems without overclocking.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to zipzoomflyhigh

PEBKAC issue.

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Reply to mousemonkey

zipzoomflyhigh wrote :

The idea is to encourage posters to ask questions, not discourage them. Mr Aeronautical

But yes he does have a point, put your computer to default settings and run it again.

Message quoted 1 times

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Lapped CPU

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Reply to L1qu1d

L1qu1d wrote :

The idea is to encourage posters to ask questions, not discourage them. Mr Aeronautical

But yes he does have a point, put your computer to default settings and run it again.

Oh please, an early version of a pre-released test OS not working smoothly?, who would have thunk it. :pfff:

------------------------------ [:mousemonkey:1]

Reply to mousemonkey

that isn't the point though, we're not here to discuss that, I mean its just a build off Vista, how many problems can it have other than the ones that came with Vista?

Honestly my windows 7 beta, is more stable than my Vista lol, and Faster booting...alot faster.

This isn't a ground up build like Vista was, (from what I understood about vista) So the bugs we saw in Vista Beta won't be the same as this one. I mean if I didn't know it was beta, I wouldn't have noticed the difference.

Message edited by L1qu1d on 02-14-2009 at 06:36:09 PM

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Reply to L1qu1d

Is it not running DX 11 then?

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Reply to mousemonkey

yes it is, but its backwards compatible I mean if no game uses x11, it will just use the already complete dx 10.1 technology.

Frankly I have absolutely no problems, no freezing, nothing, and I'm running it on a laptop, which has a much higher error percentage, because its a pre configured system, that require custom drivers in most cases. I just installed the windows Vista drivers for my video card....works like a charm.

Message edited by L1qu1d on 02-14-2009 at 06:35:27 PM

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Reply to L1qu1d

Cool. I might get round to trying the beta myself, although with my kinda luck it will be just as the self destruct timer kicks in.

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Reply to mousemonkey

haha let us know

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Lapped CPU

Reply to L1qu1d

Tri boot now
vista ultimate 32bit, vista ultimate 64bit, windows 7 build 7000 64bit

Tried the 3 latest drivers in each except w7 where I tried the 5, Same problem in each.

As for my cpu overclock, I should have clerified. When I installed windows 7 I set bios to defaults to eliminate problems, also when I initially could not get sli working. Since then I've been working my way up to a stable 3.66GHz. Moot anyways.

As for individual card stability, I ran furmark for 1h30min on each which came up clean. Furmark is also quite difficult to watch for extended periods of time.

I'm thinking now that the two cards I have just aren't very friendly together?

Reply to mrpresident19

Traduction:

Windows 7 does not like The Hybrid SLI/CrossFire

Microsoft published a document discouraging the manufacturers of machines to deliver a system hybrid CrossFire or SLI.

Microsoft does not like Hybrid

For reminder, Hybrid SLI or CrossFire combines two graphic chips (an IGP and a dedicated graphics board) and use only the IGP 2D and the IGP and the graphics board 3D or when the system at need of more graphic performances.
The position of Microsoft is rather surprising in front of the craze than the users have for this kind of solution.

The document of Microsoft explains that Windows 7 will not manage nativement this kind of configuration which he considers "unstable" judging that it offers only a " inferior experiment".
It will thus fall to the manufacturers of graphics boards to write stable and successful pilots managing this feature.

Reply to Jurt

I no longer have 8800GT's in SLI, but try either one, especially stress test the CPU first, straight lock-ups sounds like CPU, but I don't lean with coincidence that it's only why SLI is enabled. But from my point of view....Ebay both the 8800GT's, you'll get 70-100+ for them, and go buy a GTX260 216, it's better and it's a single card and more overclockable for the heat, just my 2 cents from my experience.

Windows 7 will be better, but the drivers aren't official and SLI does not have a good history of instantly working, or giving the best results period.

Reply to brendano257

Greetings

Same problem here!, windows vista worked fine with my 6600 GT in SLI, then I installed 7, in SLI mode machine crashes in the windows experience index test.

It seems that vista isn't so bad after-all

Reply to bgsjust

Bgsjust,

Microsoft does have an official Windows 7 Support Forum located here http://tinyurl.com/9fhdl5 . It is supported by product specialists as well as engineers and support teams. You may want to check the threads available there for additional assitance and support.

Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team

Reply to JessicaD

it's windows 7 i have tried 3 different sets of cards and the second i turn on sli there are all sorts of problems, any time i go to run a game, BOOM blue screen of death.

Reply to dethcomsqk

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