9800gx2 with 2 monitors?

[Dan_c]

I havent seen anyone say either way, so I'm asking....
I've seen benches with the GX2, both with sli enabled and disbled in the NV panel... so I don't understand this yet. some of you guys already have the monster, I came back from germany with out it (cause of this issue)...
does it or not, run 100% power with sli disabled, or not?
can I hoock up 2 screens to it, or not?

got another flight on sunday, so I must know!
thx a bunch!

[ZippZopp]

i run it with dual monitors. if i want to play a game, i go into the nvidia control panel and set it to SLI mode, so only one monitor works. when i'm done gaming, i put it back to multi display mode. it doesn't require a reset, takes 20 to 30 seconds to switch over. it is a pain, but i've heard nvidia are going to address this in a driver. wishful thinking probably...

[slugzkea]

My XFX 9800GX2 does not like to be switched from multi GPU to display mode.

Once using two monitors, frames drop to the performance of an ATI x1650pro.
Once going back to multi-GPU, fames go back to normal but the issue i'm having is the frames still stay in the drop zone even after switching back to multi-gpu mode.

Appearently it's a driver issue...in order for me to get my frames back up there again i have to re-install forceware.

So right now, I'm just using one display until nvidia smartens up.

[Dan_c]

frames drop when "not" using multi-gpu? so you have to turn sli on to activate both cores, right? that sucks! big time!
who, in his right mind, came up with this ch!t? I mean, let's take the single GPU title back, with the verry best card we can... oh Iknow, let's slap two GPU's in one single card, USE AN INTERNAL SLI BRIDGE, so they would inevitably act as one... bull crap!
I'm so angry right now, I could slap someone!!! real hard!
I've been waiting for this card for so long now, and I've put so mutch hope in all this Nvidia bull, that I think I've had enough! these guys are pulling our legs!

[cantankerous]

Yup, I refuse to get this card, or any card like it until the issue with dual displays is remedied. My Ultra runs dual displays beautifully and without a single issue or slowdown. The fact of spending $600 just to lose one of my monitors is absurd. ATI have dual display working while under Crossfire so what is Nvidia waiting for with SLI? If I can run both displays while gaming the card will be bought right then and there.

[Dan_c]

I'm all out of words... to express my agravation!
My GTS will do me good, I guess, till this is sorted out...
I've been switching single-multi (sli on/off) since the first available sli, and I think this is just nuts! the ironic post, I've made above, is the way they have (and still are) promoting this card... right?
I want all those "best single card" 3d marks erased now! this is not a single card!

[slugzkea]

Guys, it is pretty bad with that issue right now but I will still back up my GX2 because I am over-satisfied with its gaming performance.

This card is lightening fast. My frames barely drop below 100 during insane amounts sprites and sounds.

With this card, 8xMSAA everything else high 1680x1050 CS S stress test: 210fps
" 16xCSAA " " " " " 245fps!

That's 35fps more with CSAA enabled! that's amazing..because if you play a game with regular AA enabled and you're loosing fps, CSAA will save your ass or even a possible GFX updrade. 35FPS is huge!!!


So for gaming, this card is currently the l33test of all l33t! But the multimedia features have pissed me off so here's some of my technical support blogs to and from XFX:




[Dan - 04/02/2008] Thanks, I have another issue now. Every time I use my 2nd CRT as extended desktop, I lose about 60% performance in games. When i try switching from multi-display mode back to multi-GPU mode, the frames still stay in the dropped zone. - Why is there such a performance drop when using a 2nd display? - how come regular performance is not restored when reverting back to defaults?

[MARK_C - 04/04/2008] Hello Dan. When in multi display mode you will lose performance because when gaming with the primary monitor you are only running on one card instead of two. I am going to escalate up the other issue because it sounds like it isn`t reenabling SLI. If you reenable SLI and then restart the system does the performance come back? Are you running XP Pro or Home? Is it 32 bit or 64 bit? Are you running SP2 or SP3? Mark

[Dan - 04/04/2008] Windows XP Sp3 5508 32-bit. I`m assuming by re-enableing SLI is switching from multi-display mode, to multi-GPU mode because I can`t find the option where it actually says "SLI mode" or "SLI". So if you mean by going from multi-display mode to multi-gpu mode, and asks me to reboot, it does not come back. the frames still in drop zone. Why do i have to restart in oder to turn off a monitor just so i can use the full performance of the 9800GX2? You know, for $600 bux this card should be more multimedia friendly. Any ATI card from nearly 10 years ago can handle a 2nd display no problem without loosing almost 75% of it`s performance. If these problems remain in later forceware releases, I have the reciept and this card is about 2 weeks old. I am going to want my money back.

[MARK_C - 04/04/2008] Hello Dan. It will take a little while for testing to be able to tack down whether your problem is a driver issue or something specific to your system. We will be in contact with you early next week. Mark


EDIT: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=183065 At my GX2 club, the poll is still srtong.

[slugzkea]

UPDATE: I have sent another message to XFX:

[Dan - 04/05/2008] UPDATE: Switching from multi-display mode to multi-gpu mode is no longer a problem. It asks for a reboot in order for changes to take effect but after the reboot, frames are back to normal. Here are my mian issues: - Why is a restart required to switch? this means in order to turn off one display so I can get the full performance of my card, I have to restart. That is completley inconvenient, especially paying over $600.00 for a graphics card. - Why is the performance so low when extending a desktop? I understand that one card uses an extended desktop, the other for gaming in multi-display mode. However, I`m sure there`s a way to keep the extended desktop without losing OVER 100 FRAMES PER SECOND. Once again, for a graphics card that is considered "fastest on the planet", and one of the most EXPENSIVE cards on the planet, These problems should not be first or second in nature. Please acknowledge these main issues, I`m not alone with these problems, and if this is how the card actually operates and Future forceware will not address these problems then I am going to want a full refund, for I will be returning BACK to ATI. Thank You. A very dis-satisfied customer, Dan.

[slugzkea]

UPDATE:

I talked on the phone with a rep from XFX, and he told me that the 9800GX2 is made on the same principles as the 7950GX2. It is the nature of the card to kill off one board to dedicate it for 2nd display, which i think is bull.

So since that cannot be fixed, we'll all have to live with ty fps if we want a 2nd display enabled.

Now the other thing that pisses me off is that in windows xp, in order to switch from sli to non sli, you need to restart but in vista, you don't.

This is bull. I don't want to upgrade to vista and loose like what, 30fps? Vista.

Nvidia should release a bios update or a hotkey or SOMETHING because i told them if nothing is resolved, i'm getting my money back and going ATI.