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Why is SLi not working?

Willicus

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I am running two NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTs. I purchased this computer from 'a guy' so I know very little else about the setup but am not too inept to navigate system settings and hardware.


Anyway, under device status, one of the 8800s says this: "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)"

Is it potentially infinitely complicated to try to deal with this on my end? I know very little and any lmgtfy's aren't going to do the trick because they seem to be calling up motherboards and catalysts, things with which I am completely not familiar.

Is it enough that my rig identifies the second card? Is a fix likely simple? Likely complicated?

I could really use some advice.
 
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Well it's SLI not crossfire on nvidia cards and Nvidia control panel, not "Catalyst" you should have.
"IF" you are sure you are running nvidia"..
Uninstall catalyst drivers, then download and install nvidia drivers.
http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

We need to know your system specs please. We may have problems without that info.
What processor are you using?
What Operating System?
What motherboard?

Do you have the SLI bridge attaching the two cards? There should be a small, plastic "bridge", between both cards.
Like this:

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=sli+...88&start=30&ndsp=36&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:30,i:149

Hope he didn't hit you to hard for the 8800's.
 
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Willicus

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Okay, we're getting somewhere - I do have Nvidia control panel. I also updated the drivers for both cards recently, so I don't know if that is the issue.

Is there anything I should be doing with the nvidia control panel for this problem?

(apologies for being so ignorant about this stuff)
 

Willicus

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oh, i didnt see the second part of your post.

We need to know your system specs please. We may have problems without that info.
What processor are you using?
Intel core tm2 quad cpu q6600 @ 2.4 ghz 2.4 ghz

What Operating System?
Windows 7 64-bit


Hope he didn't hit you to hard for the 8800's.
Why do they suck?
 
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oh, i didnt see the second part of your post.

We need to know your system specs please. We may have problems without that info.
What processor are you using?
Intel core tm2 quad cpu q6600 @ 2.4 ghz 2.4 ghz

What Operating System?
Windows 7 64-bit


Hope he didn't hit you to hard for the 8800's.
Why do they suck?

Depends what you want to do with them. They are a bit dated at this point.
They also tend to run hot and heavy on power drain.

Do you have the SLI bridge attaching the two cards? There should be a small, plastic "bridge", between both cards.
Like this:

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=sli+...88&start=30&ndsp=36&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:30,i:149

I would take one card out and boot the system with one card at a time.. Just to make sure both cards are functioning properly.
 

Willicus

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Yes there is an SLI bridge.

I just want to play diablo 3 :( do you think running just one of them versus the getting the second running will be a large difference?
 
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Yes it would be a large difference. I just want to make sure they both work. Did you do something, then after you did that, they stopped working? Have they ever worked for you? If not, I'd contact the guy.

Check in device manager to see if there is a device conflict or error mesage.
Start/control panel/ system and security/ device manager.
Any yellow exclamation marks you see in there? See what they say if so.

Also the 8 series, does not support dx 11. So you won't be able to use any of those features.
 
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What type of Motherboard you got?
It may not support SLI?
 

Willicus

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Dude I think I just blew it. I was already at device manager, under advanced - it showed two line for my two cards - one of them working fine and the other with an exclamation mark.

I went to advanced for the second and it says this device is not working properly. I thought it would be a good idea to uninstall it and reinstall it. Apparently uninstall went ahead and uninstalled both cards. Now my resolution on my 22 inch is like 540x480 (kind of funny looking).

While I figure out the reinstall, yes there is a "Code 43" windows error message on one of the cards.
 

Willicus

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I think my motherboard is nforce 780i SLI..? thats what I can see through the casing
 
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I think my motherboard is nforce 780i SLI..? thats what I can see through the casing

If that what is writing on the Mobo then you're fine it should works
 
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I think my motherboard is nforce 780i SLI..? thats what I can see through the casing

Mobo is fine.. Reinstall the drivers. I posted the link you need to find your drivers up top. Just fill in the blanks, very easy..
Just test one card at a time..
I suspect one is dead..
Maybe not..
 

Willicus

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OKAY! back to normal, I got it back to the original place after fking everything up. Still, under my hardware one is displaying "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)" and the other is "This device is working properly"
 
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Mobo is fine.. Reinstall the drivers. I posted the link you need to find your drivers up top. Just fill in the blanks, very easy..
Just test one card at a time..
I suspect one is dead..
Maybe not..

Yeah! either one is bad or your PSU is not strong enough for both cards , maybe?

What is your PSU?
 

Willicus

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Mobo is fine.. Reinstall the drivers. I posted the link you need to find your drivers up top. Just fill in the blanks, very easy..
Just test one card at a time..
I suspect one is dead..
Maybe not..

I think you might be right about one being dead.

I'm pretty apprehensive about pulling one out, is there any other way to test them individually?
 

Willicus

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Yeah! either one is bad or your PSU is not strong enough for both cards?

What is your PSU?

Can you be more specific? Like total ram? Sorry, I just am not too familiar with the mechanics of a computer
 
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You should probably pull them out and try individually. Did you just buy this PC? Hopefully you didn't pay a lot as this PC is probably a good 3-5 years old.

GeForce 8 through 200 cards had solder problems that prematurely killed the cards. Wouldn't surprise me if the guy pawned off his PC on you with dying cards.
 
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Can you be more specific? Like total ram? Sorry, I just am not too familiar with the mechanics of a computer

It's a little square box in your Case with wires & a fan lol!
Should be a sticker on it with numbers & bran we need those ;)
 

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Willicus

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He probably did, I bought this in 2010 at the latest, maybe 2009. I paid 700 for it at the time. If I got robbed, so be it.

I'll probably end up trying them individually a little later today, if that is the case.

Think the driver update will mean anything? Perform a clean installation of them? Or is that all cosmetics and I am probably stopped by pure mechanics at this point?
 

Willicus

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It's a little square box in your Case with wires & a fan lol!
Should be a sticker on it with numbers & bran we need those ;)

Eh sorry I am so bad at this stuff. Would "Thermaltake" be my psu? Thermal take 850W is the one attached to the back/port area of the box and another thermaltake fan is directly pointed at the motherboard.

I sound like a child describing a salvador dali painting, sorry guys. I promise im rull smert in uther stufz
 
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Not so bad if you bought it 2-3 years ago. I'm inclined to think the card might have died, but since you don't seem comfortable with computer hardware I'd probably try wiping and updating the drivers.

If you disable SLi and plug your monitor into the other card, does it display anything?
 

Willicus

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Hm, this may be an expedient answer - you talked about soldering problems with the cards..? I had heating problems with it about a year ago - I had to figure a bunch of stuff out and have someone reinstall some cooling devices. Do you think its possible the card died in that time? If so, then I'll just cut this hunt short.

How do I disable SLi? Yank it out? Somewhere in advanced system settings?
 

Willicus

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Huh.. Under my Nvidia control panel, there seems to be no path for "set SLI configurations" under the 3d settings. (i saw a picture of the control panel with that slot and noticed it missing on mine). There is a "set physx configuration" but no SLI on the control panel.

Does that mean my sli bridge is not installed?
 
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