GTX 460 SLI Issues

[Jimmothy77]

I just installed a new motherboard (Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5) and a second GPU (both Palit GTX 460 1g OC editions) and i'm running into all sorts of issues when I try to run the second card in the other 16x slot. It only seems to work in the 8x slot, and even then still has issues when I try to run Unigine Heaven, or any other kind of benchmark. I can run Crysis 2 with all settings to max with the high res and tessalation packages installed @ about 70-95 FPS. I'm not sure what the issue is at all anymore. I've updated the BIOS and every other driver I can think of (unless I missed something) and I'm truly at a loss.

If I try to run both cards in the 16x slots sometimes the computer will only be on for a minute or 2 before it crashes or the GPU's just stop working. Here's what I'm working with.

MoBo: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 955 3.2Ghz
RAM: 2x 2Gig corsair DDR3 XMS
PSU: TX650w Corsair
GPU: 2x Palit GTX 460 1g OC edition
HDD: Western Digital 1TB eSATA drive
OS: Windows 7 64bit

If anymore info is needed to help me out I'll gladly post it, this problem is insanely frustrating.
Thank you in advance to any help and suggestions.

EDIT: Okay so I went to this site http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine and I put in all of my information and with the second card in the 8x slot I just barely meet the requirements at full bore with the TX-650W and if I move the second card into the second 16x slot I just barely meet the requirements at idle >.< and it says that at 90% load it should be putting out around 675 Watts.

So the question is, is this my problem? Everyone told me that a 460 SLI wouldn't require more than a 650 watt PSU.

 

[dish_moose]

Your PSU could be the problem - I run a Silverstone strider gold 750W (850 peak) without issues. Tell us your PSU model
Look here:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/307104-28-what-kind-gtx460
-Bruce

 

[Jimmothy77]

Your PSU could be the problem - I run a Silverstone strider gold 750W (850 peak) without issues. Tell us your PSU model
Look here:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/307104-28-what-kind-gtx460
-Bruce

Thanks for the quick reply bruce. I just edited the post with that thought exactly and added the PSU model.

 

[gary1]

I don't think it's your PSU.

http://www.techspot.com/review/309-geforce-gtx-460-sli-performance/page9.html
http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-460-sli-review/15

These both report wattages under full stress to be not even close to 648W (maximum).

Unless you have had the PSU for like 6 years and it's gonna die soon.

 

[sharpiedpanda]

Your PSU should be fine. I have a 650w and am running 2 cards (5760x1080) without a crash due to power.

I was running into power/setting problems when I was adding in a sound card though. It was some bios settings that were the problem (for the sound card anyway) so it might be that you need to alter some BIOS settings for the SLi? I am not running a xfire or sli setup so I don't know what else could be the cause but it shouldn't be the PSU.

-SP

p.s. make sure you are not overclocking the cards for stability reasons. I know my system crashed in Metro 2033 because I was running a ~25% OC on a 7870

 

[Jimmothy77]

I don't think it's your PSU.

http://www.techspot.com/review/309-geforce-gtx-460-sli-performance/page9.html
http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-460-sli-review/15

These both report wattages under full stress to be not even close to 648W (maximum).

Unless you have had the PSU for like 6 years and it's gonna die soon.

The PSU isn't old, only about a year or so. and that first link on that list says
447 and 502 for sli and OC sli which I use both of, how much does the CPU use? isn't it over 100? and I normally have my CPU OC'd to 3.8Ghz also.

So if it's not the PSU do you have any other thoughts, I'm so lost at this point ; ;

 

[Jimmothy77]

Your PSU should be fine. I have a 650w and am running 2 cards (5760x1080) without a crash due to power.

I was running into power/setting problems when I was adding in a sound card though. It was some bios settings that were the problem (for the sound card anyway) so it might be that you need to alter some BIOS settings for the SLi? I am not running a xfire or sli setup so I don't know what else could be the cause but it shouldn't be the PSU.

-SP

p.s. make sure you are not overclocking the cards for stability reasons. I know my system crashed in Metro 2033 because I was running a ~25% OC on a 7870

I honestly wouldn't even know what to start messing with in the BIOS. I haven't been using my overclocks since I put in the new motherboard. But when I did using a single GTX 460 I had it OC'd to 825/1650/2100 and the CPU OC'd to 3.8Ghz. But like I said I haven't used my OC settings because of all the crashing lately.

 

[gary1]

The PSU isn't old, only about a year or so. and that first link on that list says
447 and 502 for sli and OC sli which I use both of, how much does the CPU use? isn't it over 100? and I normally have my CPU OC'd to 3.8Ghz also.

So if it's not the PSU do you have any other thoughts, I'm so lost at this point ; ;

Those are FULL SYSTEM power consumption, so max draw of the PSU total.

You shouldn't have to change any settings in BIOS, each of the cards work fine by themselves?

 

[Jimmothy77]

Those are FULL SYSTEM power consumption, so max draw of the PSU total.

You shouldn't have to change any settings in BIOS, each of the cards work fine by themselves?

Oh okay, I thought it was just what the GPU's were drawing.

Yes each card works great by itself and for all of my games they work fine in SLI with the main card in the first 16x slot and the second card in the 8x slot. But if I try to run Unigine Heaven or FurMark it will crash.

But it essentially doesn't work at all with both in the 16x slots. As soon as I do anything that brings both cards above like 10-15% load it either freezes, or stops putting video to the monitor. Mostly it just freezes.

 

[gary1]

It definitely sounds like a power issue. Any chance you could grab another PSU somehow?

 

[Jimmothy77]

It definitely sounds like a power issue. Any chance you could grab another PSU somehow?

I don't know anyone else who has one that I could use. I will have to buy one or take it to the local computer store and they will charge me 50 bucks to check if that's what it is. and $50 is halfway or more to a decent PSU right?

 

[ko888]

Two Palit GeForce GTX 460 Sonic Platinum 1 GB, that have a factory Core Clock of 800 MHz and a Memory Clock of 1000 MHz, in 2-way SLI mode shouldn't be drawing any more than 360 Watts when running Furmark or 275 Watts when gaming. That's just for the graphics cards only.

The remaining components should be drawing less than 180 Watts.

If the power supply has a +12 Volt continuous current rating of 45 Amps or greater it will be sufficient.

The Corsair Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 should definitely be electrically sufficient for your system configuration. It's just deficient by two 6-pin PCI Express supplementary power connectors, since you need four of them for two GeForce GTX 460 cards.

 

[Jimmothy77]

So if I do need to get a new PSU would something like this work for my current setup and be able to handle my CPU and GPU OC's?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139022

 

[Jimmothy77]

Two Palit GeForce GTX 460 Sonic Platinum 1 GB, that have a factory Core Clock of 800 MHz and a Memory Clock of 1000 MHz, in 2-way SLI mode shouldn't be drawing any more than 360 Watts when running Furmark or 275 Watts when gaming. That's just for the graphics cards only.

The remaining components should be drawing less than 180 Watts.

If the power supply has a +12 Volt continuous current rating of 45 Amps or greater it will be sufficient.

The Corsair Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 should definitely be electrically sufficient for your system configuration. It's just deficient by two 6-pin PCI Express supplementary power connectors, since you need four of them for two GeForce GTX 460 cards.

Well my Palit GTX 460's aren't the Sonic Platinum Edition, they are just the 1gig Sonic OC edition, they both have stock core clocks of 700 MHz and Memory Clocks of 900. I had to buy 2 molex adapters for the second card, is that the issue then, that my CPU has the "power" but isn't really rated for SLI mode?

 

[dish_moose]

I see you have a good psu...So are your temps ok? I got things very hot when I added my 2nd GTX460 - had to physically push the cards apart so that I could blow cool air on them. When I get a new case I'll make sure I have a fan in the side blowing at my gpus.
-Bruce

 

[ko888]

Well my Palit GTX 460's aren't the Sonic Platinum Edition, they are just the 1gig Sonic OC edition, they both have stock core clocks of 700 MHz and Memory Clocks of 900. I had to buy 2 molex adapters for the second card, is that the issue then, that my CPU has the "power" but isn't really rated for SLI mode?

I would say the problem is with the motherboard. Contact GIGABYTE about it.

Bad PCIEX16 slot spacing on that motherboard is another problem.

 

[Jimmothy77]

Okay so seems like you guys have narrowed it down to either being a PSU issue (whether it's dying or just can't handle the setup) or it's the motherboard. So should I test it with a bigger PSU and if that doesn't solve it RMA my motherboard?

 

[ko888]

Okay so seems like you guys have narrowed it down to either being a PSU issue (whether it's dying or just can't handle the setup) or it's the motherboard. So should I test it with a bigger PSU and if that doesn't solve it RMA my motherboard?

Sounds like a good plan.

 

[Jimmothy77]

This guy is running overclocks on his cards.
From experience, my single TX650W handles a single heavily overclocked phenom II x4 B55 at 4.2ghz with a 850mhz GTX 480.
If it is a power issue, i would be surprised, but i am sure 2 460's will draw close to that of a single 480 or more.

I did find something interesting last night, after thinking about the molex adapters I had to buy for the extra card I wondered if maybe that's where the issue was. I'm no hardware guru by any means but I am good at troubleshooting so I decided to try switching the adapter plugs and see if it changed anything.

Sure enough, with the stock plugs from the PSU plugged into the secondary card (the one running in the 8x slot) the setup runs just fine, I'm able to run furmark with no issues, I get 35 FPS at 1080p and my temps stay below 75 degrees on both cards. BUT if I switch the plugs and put both of the molex adapters in the second card and the stock plugs in the first card (16x) then things don't run so smooth.

Now I have no idea what this means but maybe someone else does. I'm just trying to get you guys as much info as I can. Also, I'm unable to run my stable CPU OC's that I was able to run on my GA-880, and my idle temps seem a little bit higher (5 or 6 degrees) than they were before.

 

[delluser1]

still has issues when I try to run Unigine Heaven, or any other kind of benchmark. I can run Crysis 2 with all settings to max with the high res and tessalation packages installed @ about 70-95 FPS

How does anyone read that and come up with " power supply problem " to begin with?

Now I see he's also able to run Furmark, that should stop the " it's your power supply " responses

 

[Jimmothy77]

still has issues when I try to run Unigine Heaven, or any other kind of benchmark. I can run Crysis 2 with all settings to max with the high res and tessalation packages installed @ about 70-95 FPS

How does anyone read that and come up with " power supply problem " to begin with?

Now I see he's also able to run Furmark, that should stop the " it's your power supply " responses

I'm only able to run Furmark with the second card in the 8x slot, it crashes instantly if I have the second card in the other 16x slot. But I can't get Unigine Heaven to run at all, not matter what I do. I basically can't do anything with the second card in the 16x slot. So do you think it may be a motherboard issue then? Like a bad PCIe slot?

 

[delluser1]

I'm only able to run Furmark with the second card in the 8x slot, it crashes instantly if I have the second card in the other 16x slot. But I can't get Unigine Heaven to run at all, not matter what I do. I basically can't do anything with the second card in the 16x slot. So do you think it may be a motherboard issue then? Like a bad PCIe slot?

It's not a power supply issue, so......

 

[Jimmothy77]

It's not a power supply issue, so......

Is that yes? lol

Like I said I'm not so much hardware savvy, I mostly stick to software.

 

[ko888]

I did find something interesting last night, after thinking about the molex adapters I had to buy for the extra card I wondered if maybe that's where the issue was. I'm no hardware guru by any means but I am good at troubleshooting so I decided to try switching the adapter plugs and see if it changed anything.

Sure enough, with the stock plugs from the PSU plugged into the secondary card (the one running in the 8x slot) the setup runs just fine, I'm able to run furmark with no issues, I get 35 FPS at 1080p and my temps stay below 75 degrees on both cards. BUT if I switch the plugs and put both of the molex adapters in the second card and the stock plugs in the first card (16x) then things don't run so smooth.

Now I have no idea what this means but maybe someone else does. I'm just trying to get you guys as much info as I can. Also, I'm unable to run my stable CPU OC's that I was able to run on my GA-880, and my idle temps seem a little bit higher (5 or 6 degrees) than they were before.

Have you tried one hardwired PCIe connector to each graphics card and one dual 4-pin Molex peripheral to 6-pin PCIe adapter cables to each graphics card?

What is the quality of those dual 4-pin Molex peripheral to 6-pin PCIe adapter cables that you purchased? If the wire gauge is too light it will be a problem.

 

[Jimmothy77]

Have you tried one hardwired PCIe connector to each graphics card and one dual 4-pin Molex peripheral to 6-pin PCIe adapter cables to each graphics card?

What is the quality of those dual 4-pin Molex peripheral to 6-pin PCIe adapter cables that you purchased? If the wire gauge is too light it will be a problem.

I'm actually in the process of trying exactly this right now. It just kinda dawned on me to try that a few minutes ago. They seem like they are pretty good quality, they were 20 bucks if that makes any difference at all. I bought them from a local computer store.