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View Full Version : SLi + 3rd Video Card + Dual Monitors Not Working


Natalia
12-31-2007, 01:31 PM
So what I have set up currently is:

ASUS Striker Extreme 680i

2x eVGA 8800 GT

8400 GS

The two GT's are in the blue PCI-e slots on the Striker (slots 1 and 3) and the 8400 GS is in the middle white PCI-e slot.

I uninstalled my ForceWare drivers and reinstalled the newest ones, 169.25 64x. I also have the current nForce drivers for the 680i.


When I go into the nVidia control panel, I have no options for more than one display and no options for SLi.

So now, I have lost both of them when I was trying to get both! :confused: :shrug: :cry:


Any ideas why I am not able to get this to work?


Before I installed the 8400 GS, I could switch between dual displays and SLi just fine, now, neither. The 8400 is showing up in the device manager just fine, so I can't figure this out.






Other Stuff I'm Running:

Vista 64-bit
Core 2 Duo @ 3.4 GHz (425 FSB )
G Skill 4GB Ram @ 1000 MHZ
Thermaltake Toughpower 1200 W
Soundblaster X-Fi Fatal1ty
Dual 150 GB Raptors RAIR-0
Dell 3007WFP LCD
Microtek 815 LCD
jimmyz
12-31-2007, 01:36 PM
right click on desktop and enable the second monitor in settings. make it an extended desktop. ..see if that helps.
Natalia
12-31-2007, 01:53 PM
right click on desktop and enable the second monitor in settings. make it an extended desktop. ..see if that helps.

Okie, that got the 8400 to power the 2nd monitor, but still no option to SLi the two 8800 GT's
jimmyz
12-31-2007, 02:06 PM
Okie, that got the 8400 to power the 2nd monitor, but still no option to SLi the two 8800 GT's

well sorry that is as far as i can go.. I 've got no experience with the Nvidia cards but at least you are making progress.
G4h4o8s6T
12-31-2007, 03:52 PM
Im not 100% sure on this, but I remember reading you need a non-nvida PCI card for dual-monitors + SLi
Natalia
12-31-2007, 03:55 PM
Im not 100% sure on this, but I remember reading you need a non-nvida PCI card for dual-monitors + SLi

I thought that Vista didn't like that, or so I read :p
Real Genius
01-01-2008, 06:39 AM
Vista only allows one display driver to be installed so all cards need to use the same driver.
Omastar
01-01-2008, 06:43 AM
SLI cannot be enabled while powering multiple displays. You'd think nVidia would change this in a driver release, but so far, no dice. Vista probably sees the driver powering all 3 cards as SLI driving the two monitors, even though your nVidia Control Panel reports the 8400GS is driving the second display. :(
Anemone
01-01-2008, 06:54 AM
Yep. I'm more attached to dual monitors than SLI. Sadly from all I've read, you have to make the choice of one or the other under Vista.
Natalia
01-01-2008, 09:44 AM
Wow, I thought I could get around it by getting a third card... bummer. Guess I'll just have to return it.
yo1dog
01-01-2008, 12:15 PM
As others have stated It is not possible to have SLI and multiple monitors enabled at the same time. However, this does not mean that you can only have one or the other. It is very quick and easy to switch between SLI mode and Non-SLI mode. When gaming switch to SLI, otherwise disable SLI and enable dual monitor support. This is what I am doing.
Natalia
01-01-2008, 09:35 PM
As others have stated It is not possible to have SLI and multiple monitors enabled at the same time. However, this does not mean that you can only have one or the other. It is very quick and easy to switch between SLI mode and Non-SLI mode. When gaming switch to SLI, otherwise disable SLI and enable dual monitor support. This is what I am doing.

My whole effort was to have the 2nd monitor on while the SLi was running the game, that way I could see and monitor other things while the game is running. I really have no interest in dual monitors when not running a game. Thats why I tried doing the 3 card solution. Oh well.
justin_c
01-19-2008, 11:34 AM
You can do this in WinXP; just get a cheap ATI card like the 9500 PCI and install the generic drivers for it. Google :)