Is it possible to SLI 8800GTX and 8800Ultra? [Archive]

View Full Version : Is it possible to SLI 8800GTX and 8800Ultra?

chispy

08-17-2007, 05:59 AM

Good day , i have never deal with sli before , but i would like to know if it is possible to sli one eVGA 8800GTX with one eVGA 8800Ultra?

Anyone has try it before? or flashing bios needed for that?

Opinions , information and guidance are welcome , please be gentle.

Thanks in advanced.

:confused:

WRC

08-17-2007, 08:39 AM

i don't think you can

SaII

08-17-2007, 08:42 AM

you should be able to, in theory.

ultra is just a factory overclocked GTX

chispy

08-17-2007, 09:35 AM

thanks for the opinions guys , ill wait for more responses and opinions.

Good day.

Cpt.Planet

08-17-2007, 09:39 AM

you should be able to, in theory.

ultra is just a factory overclocked GTX

It will not work. Although Ultra and GTX use the same PCB. They have a different core revision. The Ultra also has faster memory because its a different type of memory. It will not work in sli. You need either two gtxs or two ultras.

chispy

08-17-2007, 10:02 AM

Need for speed Carbon , I play at the WCG clanbase for the FtR Team.(FtR.chispy0)

I guess i will sell the GTX and buy me another Ultra , to be on the safe side.

Thank you guys for the feed back and opinions.

Good day.

alexio

08-17-2007, 10:20 AM

You need to flash the bios of one of the two cards, which is perfectly safe if you're not an idiot. It is advisable to have a spare PCI card to flash it back in case anything goes wrong.

I can make a custom bios for you if you like. Can the GTX run Ultra speeds?

Cpt.Planet

08-17-2007, 10:29 AM

nitteo

08-17-2007, 10:30 AM

alexio

08-17-2007, 10:37 AM

THAT IS SOOOOO WRONG. DO NOT FLASH A GTX to ULTRA bios.

You will end up with a paperweight.
Explain please. The card are very identical. The core revision change for instance is much smaller even than from ATI's R350 to R360 way back. Even with added shaders the R350 core still managed to work reasonably well with the R360 bios.

Just changing the device id and core, shader and memory frequencies (if the GTX card can't run Ultra speeds) will most likely do the job. If not then there's still no harm done as the PCBs are practically identical. The only thing you'd have to do is flash it back blindly or with a PCI card installed.

ps: Your Caps Lock is on, think you forgot to turn it off ;)

chispy

08-17-2007, 10:38 AM

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

I think i will sell the GTX and buy me another Ultra later on , but thank you all of you guys for your opinions and advice.

Good day.

nitteo

08-17-2007, 10:39 AM

Explain please. The card are very identical. The core revision change for instance is much smaller even than from ATI's R350 to R360 way back. Even with added shaders the R350 core still managed to work reasonably well with the R360 bios.

Just changing the device id and core, shader and memory frequencies (if the GTX card can't run Ultra speeds) will most likely do the job. If not then there's still no harm done as the PCBs are practically identical. The only thing you'd have to do is flash it back blindly or with a PCI card installed.

ps: Your Caps Lock is on, think you forgot to turn it off ;)

In theory it sounds plausible.

Do you even own a GTX flashed into an Ultra?

Show me proof that this has been done and I will shut up.

I just do not like people spreading BAD INFO (yes thats caps) around. I feel sorry for the poor sap who will toast a $500 GTX thinking it will work as an Ultra.

alexio

08-17-2007, 10:46 AM

In theory it sounds plausible.

Do you even own a GTX flashed into an Ultra?

Show me proof that this has been done and I will shut up.

I just do not like people spreading BAD INFO (yes thats caps) around. I feel sorry for the poor sap who will toast a $500 GTX thinking it will work as an Ultra.
http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/view_message/28049603
(Dutch guy says it works)
And in English:
http://www.mvktech.net/index.php?option=com_joomlaboard&func=view&catid=13&id=44047
http://www.mvktech.net/index.php?option=com_joomlaboard&func=view&catid=13&id=44235

Seems like my suspicion was right :)

nitteo

08-17-2007, 10:49 AM

http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/view_message/28049603
(Dutch guy says it works)
And in English:
http://www.mvktech.net/index.php?option=com_joomlaboard&func=view&catid=13&id=44047
http://www.mvktech.net/index.php?option=com_joomlaboard&func=view&catid=13&id=44235

Seems like my suspicion was right :)

So all it does is "fake" the name from GTX to ULTRA, without getting any performance gains! WOW! SMART! :down:

Ok ill give it to you, you "can" flash the bios, but it wont RUN like an ULTRA. :down:

Funny how we havent seen much about GTX's with Ultra Bios breaking world records. :down:

alexio

08-17-2007, 11:05 AM

So all it does is "fake" the name from GTX to ULTRA, without getting any performance gains! WOW! SMART! :down:
Yes it's pointless unless you want to fool the video driver... (hint: like when you want to run SLI with two different cards, hmmm isn't that what this thread is about?)
Ok ill give it to you, you "can" flash the bios, but it wont RUN like an ULTRA. :down:
Yes it will. It's just that an Ultra is nothing more than a GTX with higher core, shader and memory speed. That's the only thing these guys found out.
Funny how we havent seen much about GTX's with Ultra Bios breaking world records. :down:
I don't find that particularly funny.

nitteo

08-17-2007, 11:13 AM

Yes it's pointless unless you want to fool the video driver... (hint: like when you want to run SLI with two different cards, hmmm isn't that what this thread is about?)

But it will still run like a GTX, not an ULTRA.

So why not buy a GTX to begin with?

And it has been proven time and again, the ULTRA is not JUST an overclocked GTX.

And I have found that most people who say that don't even own an Ultra.:ROTF:

alexio

08-17-2007, 11:24 AM

But it will still run like a GTX, not an ULTRA.

So why not buy a GTX to begin with?
Let's say you buy a GTX and it overclocks very well. You get some new cash later to upgrade and decide you want to use the old card to the fullest as well. It's not a bad idea to buy an Ultra for SLI is such a situation.

Another situation is when you can get a great deal on an Ultra. Say it's only $50 more. The higher resale value later alone may be worth taking the Ultra.
And it has been proven time and again, the ULTRA is not JUST an overclocked GTX.

And I have found that most people who say that don't even own an Ultra.:ROTF:
In therms of performance/mhz the Ultra is just an overclocked GTX. When both are overclocked to the max the Ultra will be faster just because it has better components (newer core, better memory) and it has a higher stock vcore (1.35v vs 1.3v) which means one thing only: The cards overclock better on average. I never implied otherwise. My point "that the Ultra is nothing more than an overclocked GTX" was a comment on the performance/mhz issue.

And yes: "I don't even own an Ultra". I feel ashamed now.

chispy

08-17-2007, 12:25 PM

wow , chill out guys I just sold the 8800GTX and I will buy another ultra for sli when the new Nvidia chipsets Motherboards are release soon.

Thank you guys and peace out.

alexio

08-17-2007, 12:48 PM

wow , chill out guys I just sold the 8800GTX and I will buy another ultra for sli when the new Nvidia chipsets Motherboards are release soon.

Thank you guys and peace out.
Sorry for hijacking your thread. I felt a little attacked.

Good luck with your new card :up:

NKD

08-17-2007, 03:12 PM

well it all depends what speed ur gtx and ultra are running at, yes u can flash gtx with an ultra card, but it has to be the stock ultra because most of the gtx's dont work at high speeds of ultra, it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that it might be a different revision chip but its still the same specs on the paper, the only thing different with an ultra is that it can run at very high clocks and only the cherry picked ultra,

now the bios flash, like i said u have to find what max speed ur gtx can take and the memory speed also, its wise to flash ultra to the highest overclocked speed of ur gtx and easier, i have flashed bios all the time and its easy if u follow the instaructions. no ur ultra wont be paper weight. u will have to modify the bios and flash both card with same bios and same memory clock and core clock, that is the best way to get them to run in sli,

u can give it a shot, and save ur stock bioses first so if u need to rma it ever u can flash it with that bios and send it back. i would really recommend flashing ultra with the highest overclocked settings ur gtx can take, because ultra can work fine at a little lower speed but the gtx might not work at higher clock speeds

BucNastyHater

08-19-2007, 04:51 PM

It will not work. Although Ultra and GTX use the same PCB. They have a different core revision. The Ultra also has faster memory because its a different type of memory. It will not work in sli. You need either two gtxs or two ultras.

Is that really the difference between the GTX & Ultra? I honestly thought that the GTX was a factory oc'ed GTX