Thinking about going SLI

[lnav83]

I was thinking about adding another GeForce GTX 560 Ti, but i was wondering does it have to be the exact same model? Or will any GTX 560 Ti work, and will using an overclocked card with a stock card break the SLI setup?

Edit: also, how easy is it to go SLI, just turn off the PC, add the card, connect the SLI ribbon and it'll work?

 

[Wishmaster]

Yes, just shutdown and connect it.
Once you boot into windows, you'll need to enable SLI in the Nvidia control Panel.
You can even set it up as a Single card GPU, with the other as a dedicated Phys-X card if so choose.



I think you'd be best to match cards that have the same default clocks though.
Im fairly certain they both should be running at the same speeds.

Hopefully others will know for certain on this.

As far as the brand of the card, it shouldnt matter. Although Id try to keep them the same just so it looks better

 

[bobkn]

FAQ

You can mix cards from different manufacturers. They must have the same amount of RAM, but they can have different clock frequencies. (I presume that the SLI pair will default to the clocks of the slower card.)

 

[lnav83]

Thanks for the help guys, not really any surprises but i wanted to be sure before I made the purchase. I'll post pics when I get it.

 

[Solarstarshines]

It is better to get the same type card ram clock speeds

when ever doing a sli or crossfire set up the slower gpu will be the pace maker for the faster card you want equal card strength so you can get smooth performance

 

[digitalrurouni]

i have been running SLIs since the 8xxx nvidia series. All the posts mentioned here so far are spot on.

 

[BugMeister]

Thanks for the help guys, not really any surprises but i wanted to be sure before I made the purchase. I'll post pics when I get it.

hey, cool..!!

 

[lnav83]

Bought the card and new case today, bought the case because I looked in my current tower and noticed very little clearance between the PS and the second of two PCIx16 slots needed for SLI, I was looking for any excuse to upgrade my case anway.

 

[jeepmann4x4]

Bought the card and new case today, bought the case because I looked in my current tower and noticed very little clearance between the PS and the second of two PCIx16 slots needed for SLI, I was looking for any excuse to upgrade my case anway.

Sweet......May I say before and after pics....

 

[bobkn]

A bit late in the day, but a lot of questions are covered in nVidia's SLI FAQ:

FAQ

 

[lnav83]

DONE!

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m188/lnavarro83/IMG-20110913-00055.jpg

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m188/lnavarro83/IMG-20110913-00056.jpg

 

[pparks1]

The floor looks like raised floor data center space

 

[jeepmann4x4]

Nice....Looks good, how they running?

 

[linnemeyerhere]

That's a lot of GPU power you have now. I would be mindful of the heat in both cards especially the top card and if needed add a case fan to blow directly over the intakes of the cards.

 

[lnav83]

linnemeyerhere, surprisingly the cards arent getting that hot, I ran Dead Island maxed out for two hours and the top GPU just barely hit 77-78 degrees. I guess the HAF X was worth the money. The best thing about the HAF X is that it comes with a 200MM GPU fan.

jeepmann4x4, besides a hiccup at startup( for some reason the nvidia control panel would not open for anything, so I had to uninstall and reinstall the 280.xx drivers and the whole suite), but when I restarted my computer after the reinstallation everything went smoothly.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Inav83,
That's fantastic and it's also testament to the cooler running ddr5 chips.

 

[jeepmann4x4]

linnemeyerhere, surprisingly the cards arent getting that hot, I ran Dead Island maxed out for two hours and the top GPU just barely hit 77-78 degrees. I guess the HAF X was worth the money. The best thing about the HAF X is that it comes with a 200MM GPU fan.

jeepmann4x4, besides a hiccup at startup( for some reason the nvidia control panel would not open for anything, so I had to uninstall and reinstall the 280.xx drivers and the whole suite), but when I restarted my computer after the reinstallation everything went smoothly.

Sounds great, glad its running good and smooth for you....

In the HAFX you can also attach the GPU air duct and put a 120mm fan in there, I think CM recommends a 150cfm for SLI.