Still no official SLI support... will it ever happen?

**Sumanji** · 09-02-2006, 09:03 AM

Two Forceware releases have come out since the rumours of SLI support on i975X, but nothing has materialised. I'm starting to think the intention was just for support on the Centrino platform (as is now possible on i945).

Am I the only one who thinks it's never going to happen on i975X? I think nV would rather we use their chipsets...

**Sumanji** · 09-02-2006, 04:23 PM

Ok, I take it no one else gives a rat's ass about this?

**Evilsizer** · 09-02-2006, 04:32 PM

i do but when there is a public dl for modded driver i dont think people care about it.

**blacksun1942** · 09-02-2006, 04:41 PM

I give a rat's ass because I have a lonely 7900GT in an Intel X975DBX Bad Axe, and I'd like *official* SLI support.

I *DO* think it will happen.
The reason: AMD now owns ATI, and nforce chipsets previously had a rosy relationship with AMD socket motherboards.

I have a feeling NVIDIA will re-think the marriage of AMD and nforce, and instead pursue a closer relationship with Intel.

**Stigma** · 09-02-2006, 04:43 PM

I wouldn't hold my breath for official support anytime soon. Its all just speculation as this point tho, as we have no real factsw to build on.

On the other hand, who really gives a frack? SLI works perfectly on 975x, and all you have to do is use a slightly modded (unocked) driver, readily availiable at many modsites, suich as guru3d.com and here at XS.

I can tell you this much: No offcicial support sure as heck isn't going to stop ME from running SLI on my P5W DH...

-Stigma

**Dazog** · 09-02-2006, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by Stigma

I wouldn't hold my breath for official support anytime soon. Its all just speculation as this point tho, as we have no real factsw to build on.

On the other hand, who really gives a frack? SLI works perfectly on 975x, and all you have to do is use a slightly modded (unocked) driver, readily availiable at many modsites, suich as guru3d.com and here at XS.

I can tell you this much: No offcicial support sure as heck isn't going to stop ME from running SLI on my P5W DH...

-Stigma

But the hacked driver is OLD people want fixes for new games ya know

**Sumanji** · 09-02-2006, 04:56 PM

Exactly, who wants to use a driver that's 4 or 5 revisions behind the latest? Not me

And no official support? Who's gonna help iron out bugs and other issues? Not nV obviously...

**audiofreak** · 09-02-2006, 05:49 PM

There was a chat with some nVidia execs recently and they have been asked about SLI and Intel 975 certification.

They basically answered that they have more important things to do than to certify Intel's chipset.

**Evilsizer** · 09-02-2006, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by Sumanji

Exactly, who wants to use a driver that's 4 or 5 revisions behind the latest? Not me

And no official support? Who's gonna help iron out bugs and other issues? Not nV obviously...

well there are no bugs to iron out. its a matter of certian strings withing the drivers code to say 975x =SLI GO! not SLI STOP!

Originally Posted by audiofreak

There was a chat with some nVidia execs recently and they have been asked about SLI and Intel 975 certification.

They basically answered that they have more important things to do than to certify Intel's chipset.

maybe we should go to there round table and kick each one in the nuts!

**Anemone** · 09-02-2006, 06:14 PM

Since it's clearly easy, there is clearly more going on than either company is talking much about. Since it's been months since the first hints came out, the likelihood is (since they've put out several driver revisions since then) that the support is not going to happen.

That's fine. 7950 does SLI on a single card. You can be that a G80 version of that card will come eventually. If that's not enough, use the cracked drivers. Those get updated to newer versions, it's just slower. Sooner or later Nvidia will figure out that they might sell a few cards by enabling it. For now, let them bask in the illusion that people will run out in droves to buy th e590 (lol). As soon as they realize that 1950's are selling in CF like hotcakes and 590's are sitting in warehouses, they'll get the clue. We just have to wait for them to wake up. In the meantime you have options

**Artmic** · 09-02-2006, 06:49 PM

I'd never buy an nVidia board, dont' feel like i should buy something so i could run two vid-cards on it. I feel blackmailed lol

**Evilsizer** · 09-02-2006, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by Artmic

I'd never buy an nVidia board, dont' feel like i should buy something so i could run two vid-cards on it. I feel blackmailed lol

indeed that is why i have thought about picking up a x1950xtx when they finally hit with a price of about $399 vs GTX its nice!
http://www.guru3d.com/article/Videocards/375/

**Anemone** · 09-02-2006, 07:09 PM

Exactly. If you feel its a raw deal, CF is an option

Personally I can just use a single G80 and that'll do.

**vmsein** · 09-02-2006, 07:37 PM

I used to get really riled up about the lack of cross platform SLI support, but now I don't care as much. I'm just looking forward to a better ATI overclocking utility that supports Crossfire

**Evilsizer** · 09-02-2006, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by Anemone

Exactly. If you feel its a raw deal, CF is an option

Personally I can just use a single G80 and that'll do.

where can you buy a G80 card?

if my hunch is right first gen dx10 cards will have bugs in them just like first gen dx9 cards from NV. If this holds true then you spent 500-600 for bugged card, then rma after rma hopeing for a working card. first gen dx9 cards where the FX line. Even with a revised core on the FX line DX9 bugs were not resolved till the 6x00 line.

**JacobF** · 09-02-2006, 09:24 PM

Yea but no Quad SLI support, I would really like to use the 975x.

**Sumanji** · 09-03-2006, 02:15 AM

Originally Posted by Evilsizer

well there are no bugs to iron out. its a matter of certian strings withing the drivers code to say 975x =SLI GO! not SLI STOP!

How come we don't have hacked versions of the latest drivers then? Sounds like a pretty simple thing to do... (although I guess it isn't!)

maybe we should go to there round table and kick each one in the nuts!

Originally Posted by Artmic

I'd never buy an nVidia board, dont' feel like i should buy something so i could run two vid-cards on it. I feel blackmailed lol

Same here... I am thinking of going AM2 instead of Conroe, just so I can get proper SLI support (and because the new DFI board is so damn perfect

). Who knows, maybe the 65nm AMD chips will hit 5GHz on air too

**Sumanji** · 09-03-2006, 03:25 AM

Oh yeah, I forgot the main reason why I need official support... afaik there are no hacked 64-bit drivers!! Which I need to run on my OS, XP x64. So that's why I need an nV chipset

**Littleluk** · 09-03-2006, 03:38 AM

Well, I dont know whether the nForce 590 Boards are already released, but herei n Germany we don't have any 590 Board... This kinda sucks, I dont want to throw away my GeForces and I dont want to keep my A64 any longer, too...

**Evilsizer** · 09-03-2006, 04:14 AM

Originally Posted by Sumanji

How come we don't have hacked versions of the latest drivers then? Sounds like a pretty simple thing to do... (although I guess it isn't!)

well considering that you woulndt know what line of code to look for in the drivers. Seeing how big the package for the drivers is thats alot of code for one person to go thru. Esp. to fine the certian line of code that says to allow sli on chipset other then NV. Only the people working for NV know exactly where this line of code is. I would expect that they made it harder to "Mod" the drivers on newer sets after the 85.96's got modded, I bet they were pissed about that. It is that simple i dont see why they dont want to make money. some of use will stick with our single card setup or switch to ATI for CF. Hell i havent used ATI cards and im really thinking of getting a X1950XTX now when they come out and after tax return get another for CF.

**adamant415** · 09-03-2006, 04:56 AM

I think with nvidia only using their chipsets to run sli is cutting off their nose to spite their face. I'm sure the logic behind it for them is it'll help them sell more of their chipsets meaning we must make more money. The way I see it is there are alot more people out their with intel chipsets so you could potentially sell more high profit graphics cards enabling sli for intel chipsets. To me it is crazy not to enable sli for intel chipsets because you want to try to get as many of your own sli chipsets out the door. I'd take higher sales in graphics cards over chipsets anyday.

**Artmic** · 09-03-2006, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by Evilsizer

indeed that is why i have thought about picking up a x1950xtx when they finally hit with a price of about $399 vs GTX its nice!
http://www.guru3d.com/article/Videocards/375/

I just purchased the 7590, i figure SLI without needing 2 slots in the computer, at better resolution etc...

I figure i will wait until a decent directX10 part becomes available and purchase that... But only if it performs better than the 7950 at 1600 resolution with effects turned on.

**Artmic** · 09-03-2006, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by Sumanji

How come we don't have hacked versions of the latest drivers then? Sounds like a pretty simple thing to do... (although I guess it isn't!)

Same here... I am thinking of going AM2 instead of Conroe, just so I can get proper SLI support (and because the new DFI board is so damn perfect

). Who knows, maybe the 65nm AMD chips will hit 5GHz on air too

LOL i was thinking of going AM2 too also, but then the Conroe previews were showing up on the net, and i couldn't pass up that performance, since i don't usually upgrade my computer that often, getting 2.9 and oc' to 3.46Ghz is more than enough for me for the next 2-3 years.

**Stigma** · 09-03-2006, 09:40 AM

Im betting the main reason why whe don't see modeed drivers for the more recent driver revisions is simply because these new cards have barely hit the market yet. As time passes im fairly sure we will start to see modded drivers appear for each new major revision a week or two after they leak out.

The mod itself is faily simple (for the people that actually have the knowhow, I personally don't). Im certain it will be easier to do over time as experience is gained. I don't think we will see nvidia moving the code around for each new revision jsut to keep the modders confused. Its just not worth the hassle for them to make it harder for a few thousand entusiasts to bypass their protection.

-Stigma