Official XS 7950GX2 Guide - Your Questions Answered

[Turok]

***Official XS 7950GX2 Guide***



:welcome:


Introduction:
The purpose of this guide is to answer all the questions about the new 7950GX2 that have been showing up in XS.
If you're planning on updateing to a single 7950GX2 or Quad-SLI, or you currently own one, this thread is for you. :)

Pros & Cons of a 7950gx2:
Pros
1) A single 7950gx2 is faster and its clocked lower than each 7900GT
2) Some 7900GT still have defective capacitors AFAIK, which causes the card to die in a short time.
3) A single 7950gx2 can run in about any board with a PCI-E slot (but check for compatibility just to be safe)
4) The vGPU is between that of 7900GT and GTX, but the vMem is lower than both the 7900GT and GTX
5) 7950gx2 is more like an underclocked 7900GTX than a pair of 7900GT.
6) Considering #4 & 5, the 7950gx2 has a good chance of easily reaching 2x 7900GTX SLI speeds with the proper cooling.
7) You can run Quad-SLI and crank up AA to 32x
8) A single 7950GX2 uses less power than a single x1900xt, and Quad-SLI 7950GX2 uses less power than a x1900xt CF setup.

Cons
1) The space between the cards is verry narrow, which makes it hard to put a better cooling solution.
2) The card was built to use low voltage, so you will need to volt mod it for Xtreme OCing.
3) Quad-SLI drivers are a bit immature atm
4) Quad-SLI makes a huge CPU bottleneck
5) I noticed some IQ defects on my Source engine games that were also visible in a few ATi vs nVidia IQ comparisons when the 7 series was first released, but Leviathan18 says he didnt see it with his 7800GT and 2x6600 GT. Im guessing its probably a temporary issue with the nVidia drivers, because the early 6 and 7 series cards had it but the problem was fixed :confused:


A few answers to some questions:
- The 7950GX2 runs about the same as 2x 7900GT on SLI on power consumption
- The inner card runs about 10 degrees C hotter than the outer card
- The SLI controller is on the inner card, and it can run fine with a passive chipset cooler
- All the data exchanged from the PCI-E slot goes through the card's SLI controller first
- You dont need 16x SLI to run Quad-SLI, but it will probably give you a bit of a performance gain


Recommended setup for Quad-SLI:
Even if you have Quad-SLI and good drivers, it doesnt mean you have the fastest GPU solution to date.
If you dont stress your cards enough, the performace will be even worse than 2x 7900GT.
Make sure your're running at GPU dependent settings above 1600x1200 with high filtering and max settings on current games.
However, In the future when Unreal Engine 3 and Crysis based games release you wont need to ;)

Stressing your GPU isnt enough to avoid CPU Bottlenecking, tho.
You also need the hardware to process all that load at high resolutions:
Minimal specs for Quad-SLI:
- CPU: AM2 2.8Ghz or Conroe from 2.1Ghz to 3Ghz
- Mobo: nForce 590 or Intel 975x (w/ SLI hack) based mobo
- Mem: 2x 512mb DDR2 633Mhz CL 3
- PSU: OCZ GameXstream 600w, PCP&C Silencer 610 EPS12V, or simmilar

Recommended specs for Quad-SLI:
- CPU: AM2 >3.4Ghz or Conroe >3Ghz
- Mobo: Best nForce 590 or Intel 975x (w/ SLI hack) based mobo
- Mem: 2x 1Gb DDR2 1000Mhz CL 5
- PSU: PCP&C Silencer 750 EPS12V, PCP&C Turbo-Cool 850 SSI, or simmilar


Recommended Brands:
This question gets asked a lot of times, especially by people who never used a nVidia card before.
The best companies atm for a 7950GX2 are:
- eVGA
- XFX
- BFG

MSI is also good, but the 3 mentioned above have a
good reputation in overclocking and product quality :D


Cheap places to buy:
USA:
ZipZoomFly
eVGA 7950GX2 600/1200Mhz + HL2 + Free Shipping = $539.99 (http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=322788)

NewEgg -->All 7950GX2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&N=2010380048+106790717+1067921729&Subcategory=48&description=&srchInDesc=&minPrice=&maxPrice=)
eVGA 7950GX2 500/1200Mhz + Hitman = $526.12
MSI 7950GX2 500/1200Mhz + $30 MIR = $507.12 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814127212)

UK:
?

EU:
?


Drivers & Mobo Support:

Current ForceWare Drivers:
ForceWare 91.31 -> Current official release
ForceWare 91.33 Beta -> Try 91.33 if 91.31 and 91.45 isnt working properly
ForceWare 91.45 Beta -> best for Quad-SLI. Lets you make custom Quad-SLI profiles

nVidia's list of 7950gx2 mobo compatibility:
http://www.nvidia.com/content/geforce_gx2_sbios/us.asp

Quad-SLI on ANY chipset:
To run SLI on any chipset, you need this hacked ForceWare driver:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=106212
It lets you run SLI even on Intel and ATi based chipsets :D


Watercooling your 7950gx2:
People who are planning on running OCed Quad-SLI may need to update to waterblocks. Current watercooling solutions for the 7950GX2 dont perform as well, and are a bit expensive.
in this thread we discuss a bit about custom 7950GX2 blocks:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=104693
Unfortunately the thread eventually died and got pushed back in the Water Cooling section :rolleyes:
But the thread is still useful if you want some inspiration on block building.
You could also try reviving the thread to see if someone can build you a block, or you could try build your own if you have a CNC machine and you can post there so everyone can see it ;)

For anyone who is interrested, I made some detailed sketches of my 7950GX2:
I posted these measurements on the thread above, and you can use them as reference for block building.
The sketch shows a precise layout of all the chip locations, and each measurement is shown in both mm/cm and inches.
If you have any questions about the drawing, feel free to ask :)
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/667/sidechipgrey6md.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/667/sidechipgrey6md.jpg) http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/4859/frontgrey7qk.th.jpg (http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/4859/frontgrey7qk.jpg)


Makeing your 7950GX2 wider:

The exact spaceing on a 7950GX2 from board to board is 1.6cm.
With double the spaceing you can easily fit the top 3 GPU blocks:
The DD Maze 4, the AX MP-1 and the Swiftech MCW60

http://www.3dxtreme.org/images/reviews/3%20GPU%20Waterblock%20Review/DSCN2559.jpg


This is the best solution so far:

http://www.swiftnets.com/assets/images/products/geforce-7950%20spacer-kit/picture-wb-v2.jpg
http://www.swiftnets.com/assets/images/products/geforce-7950%20spacer-kit/picture-web.jpg

Swiftech's GX2 Spacer kit for $19.95
It doubles the space between the cards.
the kit includes the following:
# 3 Male-Female 4-40 standoffs
# 1 Female-female pass-thru standoff
# 1 Female-Female 4-40 standoff
# 1 4-40 philips screw
# 1 MC14 Ramsink (for the SLI switch chip)
# 1 extended PCB.

Ramsink is sold separately.

Link:
http://www.swiftnets.com/products/7950GX2Spacerkit.asp

Volt Modding your 7950gx2:
Shamino made a nice volt mod guide at VR-Zone:
:caution: Try it at your own risk :caution:
http://www.vr-zone.com/?i=3659

BIOS Mod for your 7950gx2:
-=Merlin=- has a thread in the "Xtreme mods > Xtreme Graphx Vmods" section called "7950GX2 Bios Mod" where he's modding several 7950GX2 BIOS to run the fans at full load.
This is useful for benchmarking for those with stock cooler.
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=113377

Stuff that could be added if this sticky becomes more popular:
* OCing results from other threads in XS:
* Reviews and Benchmarks from other sites:
* Info about 7900GX2:
- The first Quad-SLI card that measures like 30cm long

In the future the thread title could be changed to a thread dedicated to Quad-GPU solutions, since there are rumors that nVidia's top G80 card will be a Dual-GPU single card solution like the 7900GX2 and 7950GX2

At the moment I also have to update my LCD Guide which is pretty out dated.
If people can help me with info, reviews, terms, and new upcomming tech, then I could link the LCD Guide to this thread too for people who are interrested in HD gaming with their new Quad-SLI setup and a LCD greater than 1600x1200 resolutions. Even if the buyer is considering a CRT, the guide has some useful info that's true on all monitors.
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=71226

[GoriLLakoS]

We are you sayin that the best brands are

The best companies atm for a 7950GX2 are:
- eVGA
- XFX
- BFG




When all the companies use the nVidia reference pcb... ?

I think it's luck to find a better clocking card than others..:D

Did you forget the problems with the XFX clocked 7900s'?

[Turok]

We are you sayin that the best brands are

The best companies atm for a 7950GX2 are:
- eVGA
- XFX
- BFG




When all the companies use the nVidia reference pcb... ?

I think it's luck to find a better clocking card than others..:D

Did you forget the problems with the XFX clocked 7900s'?

My XFX 7950GX2 520/1300Mhz is my first nVidia card :p:
Nope, I wasnt aware of that XFX problem. I was just told those were the top companies, but the main provider is eVGA and the rest are 3rd party. (Like Sapphire is with ATi)
I was assuming that it depended on the companie's parts and construction quality,
but if they are all the same, then Ill remove that section :D

[GoriLLakoS]

I think they are all the same...but let's hear others opinion too about the cards..:D

[[XC] leviathan18]

if they use reference board yes they are the same and is luck, but when they use their own models XGX BFG and EVGA are top... yes XFX had some issues with the 7900gt like most companies.

[Celcius]

Awesome thread, there's a lot of useful info here.
Perhaps this should be a stickie?

[perkam]

Awesome thread, there's a lot of useful info here.
Perhaps this should be a stickie?Yes it seems the thread is getting a little sticky :D

Perkam

[BlackX]

Nice work Turok :clap:

[Hicks]

Nice info.

My 7950 is pissing me off, and im just about to send the POS back. God dam Nvidia drivers really do suck ass.

In Doom 3 it runs at 10fps at 1600x1200 with 16xaf. Pathetic. This is exact;y what happened with my 7800GTX.

Ive tryed 91.33, 91.37 and 91.45. All have slighty different settings, so hard to work out. Also video clips are dark, and i have to manually adust every time i play 1.

Aweful card, iam gutted i actually thought it was worth buying. I hope the X1950 is out soon, or ATI make a dual X1900 like this.

[Nistomax]

Very nice guide Turok.
I use a BFG tech 7950 and it runs like a dream. I only use 1280x1024 but i plan on getting a 24" Acer monitor soon. I'll try to review it for the guide, but my knowlege of computers is limited compared to the gurus of XS. I'll post in the guide if/when I get it.

My suggestions for the guide:
Make it more obvious that the 7950 is only supported on some motherboards. I get the impression that nvidia isnt going to help you if your card isnt on the list...

[Turok]

Nice info.

My 7950 is pissing me off, and im just about to send the POS back. God dam Nvidia drivers really do suck ass.

In Doom 3 it runs at 10fps at 1600x1200 with 16xaf. Pathetic. This is exact;y what happened with my 7800GTX.

Ive tryed 91.33, 91.37 and 91.45. All have slighty different settings, so hard to work out. Also video clips are dark, and i have to manually adust every time i play 1.

Aweful card, iam gutted i actually thought it was worth buying. I hope the X1950 is out soon, or ATI make a dual X1900 like this.

I had the same problem with the Prey Demo when I first got my card.
I was getting 10-15fps at 1600x1200 4xTSAA 16xAF
I tryed switching from the official FW 91.31 to the FW 91.33 beta and I got the problem fixed.
At the same settings I was always above 60fps :) (like the benchmarks said)
Right now Im running on FW 91.45 and it still runs good, but dont know if performance got better compared to FW 91.33.

You also have to make sure your video settings are setup correctly, especially with the new ForceWare Control Panel :rolleyes:
Some settings are a bit confusing, like the "Hardware acceleration" setting.
Mine is at "Single display performance mod"

The 7950GX2 is not a bad card. Its probably the only nVidia card worth buying IMO, because some GTs and even GTXs (AFAIK) still come with defective capacitors and die afther a short period of use.
Another reason is because ATi's single cards are superior, IMO
x1800xt > 7900GT
x1900xt & xtx > 79000GTX
and now x1950xtx is releasing soon with GDDR4

The only nVidia card atm that can counter ATi is the 7950GX2.
I got it simply because its better than 2x 7900GT, It can reach 2x 7900GTX speeds, and it only costs $500 - $550.
Just need a longer PCB bridge and Im happy :D
IMO, keep the 7950GX2. It consumes less power than a single x1900xt, x1900xtx, or x1950xtx, the g71 runs cooler, and a single 7950GX2 has a large performance advantage.

Very nice guide Turok.
I use a BFG tech 7950 and it runs like a dream. I only use 1280x1024 but i plan on getting a 24" Acer monitor soon. I'll try to review it for the guide, but my knowlege of computers is limited compared to the gurus of XS. I'll post in the guide if/when I get it.

My suggestions for the guide:
Make it more obvious that the 7950 is only supported on some motherboards. I get the impression that nvidia isnt going to help you if your card isnt on the list...

I wouldnt recommend Acer's LCDs :nono:
Some of their large widescreen LCDs use VGA connectors and other have huge pixel pitch or lower native resolutions (like a TV). Their overall construction grade isnt too good either :rolleyes:
I would recommend a Dell 2407fpw Rev.02 for around $800 or a bit less.
Im planning on getting a 2407fpw Rev.02 for my self.
If you get a Rev.02 LCD, it should not have color banding and text blurryness.

As for the mobo compatibility, I think any mobo with the same chipset as other mobos tested on that list should work with a single 7950GX2.
I also think it should work on any PCI-E mobo because everything from the PCI-E slot goes through the SLI controller on the 7950GX2
But I will add something like "(but check for compatibility just to be safe)" anyway ;)

[mdzcpa]

Has anyone gotten Quad SLI to work properly on an Intel 975 board? I know a few folks have experimented with it...I am referring to it actually working correctly with good performance.

[ge|atinousfury]

Very informative Turok!!! Awesome:toast:

[Hicks]

I would keep it Turok, but i really really don't like the drivers. And god dam shimmering in Far Cry ive seen aready.

Got an RMA number, it's going back 2moro.

[Artmic]

This might be a funny question, but how do i know my 7950 is working properly on an Asus P5W DH board? I mean the SLI functionality of it, it works in single vid card mode since i can boot up and go into windows, i'm just thinking if the SLI feature works fine.

[Turok]

This might be a funny question, but how do i know my 7950 is working properly on an Asus P5W DH board? I mean the SLI functionality of it, it works in single vid card mode since i can boot up and go into windows, i'm just thinking if the SLI feature works fine.

Do you mean Quad-SLI vs a single 7950gx2?
The only way to know is by benchmarking with a single 7950GX2 and then with the second 7950GX2 and see how performance changes.
Quad-SLI drivers still need some work, but the best drivers for now is FW 91.45 Beta. If you have a performance decrease, it could be CPU bottleneck or that the drivers need some work or you may need to try another Quad-SLI profile on your settings.
Try to run at very GPU dependent settings so its easier to view the difference.
e.g.: Counter Strike Source's Militia map with HDR on, all settings maxed, 8xTSAA or higher, 16xAF, and a resolution above 1600x1200.
At such settings, if you dont see a performance gain over a single 7950GX2 or if your performance decreases, then you should wait for better drivers or try another profile.
If you get like a 10% increase, at least that's better than nothing or less :p:
In that case if you cant do anything else to optimize it because SLI drivers need some optimization, then stay with Quad-SLI and always run at GPU dependent settings.

[Artmic]

Do you mean Quad-SLI vs a single 7950gx2?
The only way to know is by benchmarking with a single 7950GX2 and then with the second 7950GX2 and see how performance changes.
Quad-SLI drivers still need some work, but the best drivers for now is FW 91.45 Beta. If you have a performance decrease, it could be CPU bottleneck or that the drivers need some work or you may need to try another Quad-SLI profile on your settings.
Try to run at very GPU dependent settings so its easier to view the difference.
e.g.: Counter Strike Source's Militia map with HDR on, all settings maxed, 8xTSAA or higher, 16xAF, and a resolution above 1600x1200.
At such settings, if you dont see a performance gain over a single 7950GX2 or if your performance decreases, then you should wait for better drivers or try another profile.
If you get like a 10% increase, at least that's better than nothing or less :p:
In that case if you cant do anything else to optimize it because SLI drivers need some optimization, then stay with Quad-SLI and always run at GPU dependent settings.

Hmmm, i'm not interested in quad yet, i think it is overkill for my needs.

I mean i have one 7950 video card in my system, and i am just interested to know if for example 3Dmark05/06 uses both gpu's on the 7950 or just one?
I guess i want to feel like i purchased something for a billion dollars and it actually works :)

[SlicerSV]

I mean i have one 7950 video card in my system, and i am just interested to know if for example 3Dmark05/06 uses both gpu's on the 7950 or just one?

uhm, my understanding, reading post #1, is that you should already be using both GPU's on the GX2 automagically. the GPU linking is done entirely within the two cards, and it shown to the system as a single card.

[gr8golf]

Can anyone comment on how much noise the 7950's put out compared to the 7900GTX's, or the 7800 / 7900 GT's? I am back to my 7800GT with the Arctic Cooling Silencer. It is basically silent. The 7900GTX I ran for a couple months was also basically silent, and really quite a good card.

[Artmic]

uhm, my understanding, reading post #1, is that you should already be using both GPU's on the GX2 automagically. the GPU linking is done entirely within the two cards, and it shown to the system as a single card.

I see, so in otherwords it is on always, unless a game can't utilize it. i downloaded that nHancer utility, don't know what to do with it. lol

[Turok]

Hmmm, i'm not interested in quad yet, i think it is overkill for my needs.

I mean i have one 7950 video card in my system, and i am just interested to know if for example 3Dmark05/06 uses both gpu's on the 7950 or just one?
I guess i want to feel like i purchased something for a billion dollars and it actually works :)

Oh, I just assumed you were talking about two 7950GX2 on SLI, since you said "SLI functionality" :p:
In that case you could use the ORB (Futuremark/3DMark) to help you out. Find someone with a simmilar setup with a stock 7900GT or GTX.
If its running in single-mod, then the score should be higher than the GT, but lower than the GTX.
But if its on SLi mod, it should be in between 2x GT's and 2x GTX's or equal to the average of a stock GX2.
Make sure to use a GPU dependent 3DMark to get more accurate scores. Either 3DMark 05 or 06.

uhm, my understanding, reading post #1, is that you should already be using both GPU's on the GX2 automagically. the GPU linking is done entirely within the two cards, and it shown to the system as a single card.
Nope. The cards can run in single mod, and it seemed that way when I had the wrong drivers and the wrong settings.
Although it has the SLI controller on the video card instead of the motherboard, it still needs the drivers to unite them. Otherwise they wont know how to work together.
I havent tryed it, but Im sure if I disable SLI mod on my driver settings my card will have a performance in between a single 7900GT and 7900GTX.

Can anyone comment on how much noise the 7950's put out compared to the 7900GTX's, or the 7800 / 7900 GT's? I am back to my 7800GT with the Arctic Cooling Silencer. It is basically silent. The 7900GTX I ran for a couple months was also basically silent, and really quite a good card.

Well, I updated from a x850xt and believe it or not the ATi cooler is louder :p:
The cards are pretty silent IMO. Dont know what else to compare it to, tho :P

[Baraka]

Thought i'd add some info on monitoring temps and controlling/monitoring the fan speeds on this card.

My card is a Leadtek WinFast PX7950GX2.

What I have found so far:

Rivatuner:
can monitor clock and temp of 1 core (the outer one)
can control driver level fan speeds (2D/3D) (both fans change)
does not display fan speeds
does not correctly display fan duty cycle (stuck @ 100% all time)

Everest:
can display both core temps.

Will add some more later.......

I thought this might be interesting as different brands seems to work differently. I remember seeing a post somewhere: the guy was getting both fan speeds reported in Everest but when changing fan speeds with Rivatuner only one fan would actually change :confused:

[apfubar]

FWIW as stated elsewhere in these forums the older hacked 85 series drivers do not work with the 7950's in SLI/Quad SLI modes.

Cheers,
AP.

[[XC] itznfb]

works fine with P965 chipset as far as i know. works fine on my P5B Deluxe.

[[cTx]Philosophy]

Working on my p965 also, but im having some problems somewhere..
Working on it as we speak

ITZ whats ur best 01 so far with 965?
Mines 43k :(

[Anemone]

If SLI worked at the same time as a 2nd card so I could have both SLI and 2 monitors I'd probably have bought one of these.

I'm just far, far more attached to dual monitors... Mind you I do understand that you need the 2gpu's to drive a SLI. That's ok. But if you get another card for a 975, just to drive a 2nd monitor, SLI shouldn't shut that off :(

[Philly_Boy]

I just got a pair of 7950 GX2's thru the EVGA step up program. I do not see my DFI Lanparty NF4 Expert mobo on NVidia's list of recommended mother boards. Does this mean they will not work in Quad SLI with this board or that NVidia hasn't tested them on this mobo yet? Is anyone using these cards with this mobo? Which drivers are the best? The 91.45's still?

[vudoodoodoo]

It should work for you. I have quad on my Ultra D.

[vudoodoodoo]

Check it out. I thought I could lower temps by removing the factory crap TIM and using AS5. They used a giant glob of silver TIM. I replaced it w/ AS5 and put everything back together. I still got high temps. I took it apart again and found this.
http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/8458/card1wp0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/7608/card2lq6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Not very good contact. It's like that on all four cards that I have.

[Philly_Boy]

It should work for you. I have quad on my Ultra D.
Yeah, but the Ultra D is on the list published by nVidia as an approved mobo that works with these cards. That is why I am looking for any DFI SLi DR Expert owners who also have 7950 GX2's. I am looking to see if there was anything quirky about adding those cards to this mobo.

I am going to have to see what happens later tonight when I reassemble my rig.

[phelan1777]

Yeah, but the Ultra D is on the list published by nVidia as an approved mobo that works with these cards. That is why I am looking for any DFI SLi DR Expert owners who also have 7950 GX2's. I am looking to see if there was anything quirky about adding those cards to this mobo.

I am going to have to see what happens later tonight when I reassemble my rig.


If the quad works on an Ultra-D, then it definatly should work on an Expert, if you are asking if it will work on the Ultra-D, then more the board more then likely will have to be modded for SLI.

[[XC] itznfb]

i have only tested in 3dmark06, i score just under 10K, which is pretty low IMHO. its on a E6600 setup @ 400x8,1:1/450NBCC.

as for telling if its in SLi mode or not, you can just go into the nvidia control panel, there is a menu for Multi-GPU functionality where you can set for dual-monitor, or dual-gpu mode. its set to dual-gpu mode by default.

[Yoxxy]

With CPU at 3.2 ghz high 9,000's to just under 10,000 is quite high for a single GX2... People that have very high scores have much higher clocks than that.

[xpsentity]

Swiftech has come out with a nice spacer kit for the GX2. Can use all kinds of watercooling now, maybe even aftermarket air coolers.

You might want to add to first post. Only 20 bucks too.

Linky! (http://www.swiftnets.com/products/7950GX2Spacerkit.asp)

[syne_24]

There is some problem with this card with the P5W DH, and I'm not sure about other crossfire/conroe board. But it doesnt run in 2 gpu mode sometimes, and appears to be completely random. I test this by running Aquamark randomly and sometimes it would show that both gpus are working but other times it is not. Again this is random, I have no idea how to pernamently make it run the way it's suppose to. The only way to resolve it for me when it does that is to go back into the Nvidia control panel, set to multi-display mode, and then set it back to multi-gpu mode. If anyone has the same setup can confirm this or have a solution would be great.

[vanovich]

anyone running 2x7950gx2 in sli on the new 68i mb? if so ,hows your scores in 3dmarks .is it worth changing from 2x7900gtx?what boosts are you getting in running quad?atm im running sli on badaxe with 2x7900gtx and scoring 11540 in 3d06.i would like to see some 2x7950gx2 scores ,mostly 03 and 06 .my 03 scorer pt is 46400 .anyone?

[icon57]

i would like to know this too ^^^

[Rovtar]

i wanna know if you can control fans on this graphic?

[Ripn929]

As listed below I have both graphic solutions to dink with. The crossfire rig gets 16,200 marks in 3d mark 05, the 7950gx2 gets 14,600. The CF-rig Can't run my 2 favorite games in crossfire (i'll figure it out this winter), the 7950 plays anything right out of the box for 1/2 the price of 2 ATI cards. I think I like simple more than novel.

[easypanic]

i wanna know if you can control fans on this graphic?

Rivatuner?

[berty1425]

Is anyone having any luck w/vista drivers yet? I can not get any of the new drivers to see my second card yet? I've tried the 101.41 and it will not even see the 2nd card at all. I had to reinstall he 100.65 and it's back to the ! on one of the cards :(

[easypanic]

Too early to use vista :p

[roll45]

does anyone know if the 7950GX2 work with an DFI lanparty UT Nf4 SLI-DR?
Thanks!

[Kin Hell]

does anyone know if the 7950GX2 work with an DFI lanparty UT Nf4 SLI-DR?
Thanks!

My XFX XXX 7950GX2 worked fine. I also ran Quad SLI on that Board with a friends card. FEAR was AWESOME for it! :)

[tommyshango]

I have a few questions about this card in quad sli. - "The SLI controller is on the inner card, and it can run fine with a passive chipset cooler" what does this mean ? what passive cooler fits? can I use mcw60s for the top card and passive for the bottom? the spacer kit listed does not work with quad sli configs? are there any other solutions besides the 120 dollar kits that do the whole card?

[Kin Hell]

I have a few questions about this card in quad sli. - "The SLI controller is on the inner card, and it can run fine with a passive chipset cooler" what does this mean ? what passive cooler fits? can I use mcw60s for the top card and passive for the bottom? the spacer kit listed does not work with quad sli configs? are there any other solutions besides the 120 dollar kits that do the whole card?

Any kind of Heatsink on it will do. Dont forget, Copper is better than Aluminium. You can either Glue it on or use the Thermal Sticky pad solution to revert back to Stock, to save taking a 9" Angle Grinder to it! :p:

Tbh, the DD Water Block is the BEST value for money/Performance. Mine Idles @ 29 DegC with the highest being 34 on GPU2 under load! Love the silence & the Temps are wicked!

[hahanoclue]

There is some problem with this card with the P5W DH, and I'm not sure about other crossfire/conroe board. But it doesnt run in 2 gpu mode sometimes, and appears to be completely random. I test this by running Aquamark randomly and sometimes it would show that both gpus are working but other times it is not. Again this is random, I have no idea how to pernamently make it run the way it's suppose to. The only way to resolve it for me when it does that is to go back into the Nvidia control panel, set to multi-display mode, and then set it back to multi-gpu mode. If anyone has the same setup can confirm this or have a solution would be great.

i'm having the same problem here, as the card will sometime run in single card mode n sometime in dual... i had to restart my pc in order to get it back to run in dual.. i'm using 1 x 7950gx2 (leadtek winfast).. in months, i've been trying to solve this gc.. it doesn't compatible with a lot of mobo, then it runs hot (no oc), it's underperform in games (need for speed carbon/underground2, gtr2, cs source).. so i tried to use rivatuner monitor to log both cores temp n the result shows that only 1 gpu is loaded.. i tried a few drivers, a few 91.x, 93.71 n now using 93.81.. i can't find patch file for the games to run with this gc.. it'll run perfectly alright with 3dmark05 (i dun have 06) when the pc is fresh from restart but i can't run 3dmark twice without needing to restart to get the 2nd gpu running.. so 1 run of 3dmark then need restart before i can run 3dmark again (coz otherwise 2nd gpu won't load).. i was 7900gtx user, n to be true, 7900gtx is far more easier to deal with.. although, 7950gx2 is a lot faster gc (if i can get both gpu running but i never had them running in all my games).. can someone help us out with these mystery..? also how about fan speed of this gc..? still any clue..? anyway v ca use nbitor (i never use 1 but i'll try if it'll work for the fans) to alter the fans speed..?

thanks.. :toast:

[Nistomax]

So when i ran 3dmark06 with the clocks listed in my sig, i only got 4850. I'm only using the basic version so its hard to know what did what, but i know i did terrible on the cpu tests. I was surprised however that i never broke 30fps on the graphics ones either.
I'd like to attribute the low scores to the fact that it was running in 1280x1024 but i'm not so sure.
It runs games in 1920x1200 like butter so maybe its just that though...
Anyone have some ideas?

[Kin Hell]

So when i ran 3dmark06 with the clocks listed in my sig, i only got 4850. I'm only using the basic version so its hard to know what did what, but i know i did terrible on the cpu tests. I was surprised however that i never broke 30fps on the graphics ones either.
I'd like to attribute the low scores to the fact that it was running in 1280x1024 but i'm not so sure.
It runs games in 1920x1200 like butter so maybe its just that though...
Anyone have some ideas?

Your CPU is holding you back somewhat. Throw a Dual Core CPU at it & you will see a Big difference. Your Definition of games running as smooth as Butter @ 1920x1200 will appear very Lumpy Butter after you experience a Dual Core chip behind it. Forgeting the Dual Core & switch to an Intel Duo 2.4 clocked to anything over 3Ghz & Games will be like Liquid. :up:

*Edit...If you dont want the Expense of an Intel Duo Rig.....at least chuck a Socket 939 Opteron in & go for one with the Biggest Multiplier you can afford. (If u can still get em)
Equally, if you end up only being able to get an X64 Dual core CPU, get as bigger multiplier as possible for best performance...

With regard to you not breaking 30fps, the reason for this is your current CPU aint up to the job. Rather a large pi$$-take considering GPU based cards were suppose to revolutionise Gaming on PeeCee's and take away all the calculations from the CPU. Here we all are now needing Bigger & Faster CPU's to throw more Data at the GPU's. You gotta laugh or the bast4rds will have you crying! :rofl:

[Kin Hell]

anyone running 2x7950gx2 in sli on the new 68i mb? if so ,hows your scores in 3dmarks .is it worth changing from 2x7900gtx?what boosts are you getting in running quad?atm im running sli on badaxe with 2x7900gtx and scoring 11540 in 3d06.i would like to see some 2x7950gx2 scores ,mostly 03 and 06 .my 03 scorer pt is 46400 .anyone?

Stay where you are unless you are a Nutter for FPS in F.E.A.R. - This game loves Quad SLI.
Running 2 XFX XXX 7950GX2's in 3DMark 01 gives a Lower Score, about 3,000 points more in '03, 1,000 in '05 & sweet FA difference in '06.
Check my Sig for Rig..I couldnt warrant all that extra money on another XFX XXX just to play FEAR & if the coders at FEAR can manage it, why arn't the rest of the software publishers able to do the same?
Future, the publishers of 3DMark 03, 05 & 06 are shafting the industry alongside nVidia. All those programs do is say to 3DMark, here's the Data u need to run & nVidia hardware load balances it & shares it across the 2 GX2's instead of nVidias hardware saying, I got 4 GPU's & can do it 4 times as fast, ....less a bit for CPU overheads. nVidia's idea of SLI never has been right & not implemented the same way as STB did for Voodoo. I know SLI means "Scaleable Liink Interface" with nVidia and "Scan Line Interleaving" with Voodoo. I just dont understand why nVidia did what they did & can refer to the nVidia GeForce 4 series cards as being a lash up over their predecessors. After GeForce 4 hit the market, they gave better performance for the GPU's being clocked rather than the Ram...It's all been a bit Fubar since then for my money!

[ckoons1]

so your 7950 gx2 works on an EVGA 680i MOTHERBOARD?
what bios?

[easypanic]

It should work on any 680i motherboard...

[ckoons1]

THX
what type of FSB speed can you get from the EVGA 680i?

[easypanic]

I have the ASUS motherboard in my sig ;) , I can go up to 470 stable...

[ckoons1]

anyone have ANY thoughts on this:
i have a 7950 gx2 on an ABIT AW9D MAX motherboard works fine on BIOS 1.3 B03 but not on any of the newer bioses.
is this right [legal] to sell me a product that works with my hardware at time of sale, but when i update the bios for new features i lose the ability to use my hardware, when it is still under warrenty? would you keep the board or RMA it?
thx

[easypanic]

Tried the two pci slots?

Turn off computer, do CMOS reset, then power on...
I never had any issues with my AW9D.

[ckoons1]

easypanic,
no issues with earlier bios.
were you using the latest bios? [1.4 - 1.5]

[ckoons1]

the max payload in bios 1.5 will not allow yo to save anything over 128.
i don't know if this has anything to do with 7950 gx2 not working with that bios or not

[ckoons1]

easypanic,
so no issues with asus p5n32-e mobo and 7950 gx2?
thx

[easypanic]

None at all, later this week I'll have P5K :D

[ckoons1]

Excellent!
Thx

[Gabriel Noraa]

Can anyone using a 7950GX2 under XP64 recommend me the best driver??

[amandpm]

posted this in the liquid section also, Anybody use these yet?

http://www.koolance.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=29_46&products_id=355

[freakBYnature]

subscribed

[Harlech]

Anyone have an opinion what the best driver currently available for the GX2 in non-quad configuration?

I nuke-and-paved Windows a few nights back and updated the driver to the newest Forceware on the re-install, but I had some texture corruption in CoD2 on occasion, and about every 2 or 3 minutes, it would stutter for a frame or 3. All in all, they didn't seem to be as good as the 93.71's I have used for the last 9 or 10 mos.

[Dualist]

Can anyone using a 7950GX2 under XP64 recommend me the best driver??

I'm using 163.44 with no problems at all. :D

[Gabriel Noraa]

Thanks, this are the ones I'm using right now.

[Wodz]

I wanted to add my two cents.

I will be more than happy to give detailed info via email since im too tired to post all of the details here.


I have a 7950gx2 running in a full tower with 7 int fans. As owners know, this card gets super hot. My idle temps were 170F in the summer with the side of the case off. I had to put a floor fan directed right onto the bad boy..

I purchased the space kit and two Zalman VF900 fans and some Swiftech MC14 ram sinks. Take your time doing this project. The total upgrade cost me about $120.

First take the cards apart, remove the heatsink/fan from the inside card (SLI). Remove the thermal tape from all ram chips and clean off all ramchips.

Install the ZF900 fan onto the card. The Swiftech MC14 ram sinks will not fit under the ZF900 so you can only use a few of these on the outside ram chips and the SLI chip. Make sure the cooler is positioned so that the top overhangs the top of the GeForce. Use the stock ram sinks that came with the Zalman for the remaining ram chips.

WARNING: The Swiftech MC14 will not stick to anything, but they work well. I spread Arctic Silver 5 on the bottom of each Swiftech MC14 ram sink and then put a tiny tiny drop of Zap-A-Gap super glue onto the bottom and then stuck it into place. These wouldn't fall off if I hurled my PC into a canyon.

The longest screw that comes with the Spacer Kit is the wrong size. In the included instructions it says the screw is something like 2/200 (i dont remember/care), but its wrong. Take the screw to any hardware store and tell them you need that same screw in the correct size. This cost me 8 cents..and I knew about this in advance so it wasnt a hassle.

Install the standoffs onto the card you're working with. And then move on to the outside card.

Repeat the same process for the outside card and install standoffs and bridge. When screwing the two cards together the inside cards fan will hit the outside fans bottom screws. Leave 1/4" distance between all standoffs and the sizing works perfectly.

I dont use the fan regulators but I would recommend connecting them to at least turn the fans up, and then possibly disconnect them. At full blast they are pretty loud if the case is open.



Results:

7 fans, closed full tower - summer
Before: 170F
After: 115F (even had to remove 2 fans)

7 fans open side full tower - spring
Before 156F
After: 103F


50F differential because of this custom upgrade..it blew my mind.

Feel free to email if you have questions kjs _ dream @ h ot mail . c o m

I also have pictures somewhere that I can upload.

[fps_dean]

It's kind of funny that this is still sticky being how old school the card is... good card for its day though!


...not saying remove this by any means, leave it here until the 7950gx2 is as old as ISA ;)

[pcaddict]

7950gx2 is good card! but still little bit too old for me. (look sig) :D