Crossfire Enabled With a Non Crossfire Card(Yes its wokring)

[Kilandor]

So, yes clearly I made a stupid mistake and bought non crossfire card to go with my crossfire card.

This is my original card is a SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition Crossfire
The new Card MSI Radeon HD 7770 GHz non crossfire.

Now forgive some stupidity here as I haven't used crossfire since my Uber Edition cards.

So I seen the Crossfire, enabled it ran benchmarks, checked usage, looks all good improved performance. So I decide to update drivers to 13.4, but I lose the crossfire option. After looking around and checking things I see the issue I have non crossfire card. I try Beta 13.5, no go 13.2 beta 7 no go. No crossfire options. However I can go back to 13.1 and I can enable Crossfire. Now along the way I notice I put my card wrong slot, move it to the 16x slot, I was in 4x. I test again crossfire enabled same result much more performance gain (obviously over 4x slot). I show GPU usage for both as I should, Afterburner shows results of like 1.9GB Vram being used. GPU-Z shows Crossfire Enabled 2 GPUs

So I don't know how, or why. But its clearly working. The performance gains can't be denied by benchmarks when either card alone cannot perform that high.

The only drawback is OpenCL is not working properly.

Any thoughts etc? I can upload some screenshots/photos later if I need if there is disbelief.

 

[W1zzard]

What makes you think you bought a "non CrossFire card" ?

 

[Dent1]

So, yes clearly I made a stupid mistake and bought non crossfire card to go with my crossfire card.

This is my original card is a SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition Crossfire
The new Card MSI Radeon HD 7770 GHz non crossfire.

Now forgive some stupidity here as I haven't used crossfire since my Uber Edition cards.

So I seen the Crossfire, enabled it ran benchmarks, checked usage, looks all good improved performance. So I decide to update drivers to 13.4, but I lose the crossfire option. After looking around and checking things I see the issue I have non crossfire card. I try Beta 13.5, no go 13.2 beta 7 no go. No crossfire options. However I can go back to 13.1 and I can enable Crossfire. Now along the way I notice I put my card wrong slot, move it to the 16x slot, I was in 4x. I test again crossfire enabled same result much more performance gain (obviously over 4x slot). I show GPU usage for both as I should, Afterburner shows results of like 1.9GB Vram being used. GPU-Z shows Crossfire Enabled 2 GPUs

So I don't know how, or why. But its clearly working. The performance gains can't be denied by benchmarks when either card alone cannot perform that high.

The only drawback is OpenCL is not working properly.

Any thoughts etc? I can upload some screenshots/photos later if I need if there is disbelief.

There no such thing as a non crossfire addition. All ATI Radeon 7770s support crossfire, infact all dedicated video cards for almost a decade support crossfire or SLI as standard.

To answer your question. Go back to v13.1, the beta drivers are experimental so expect imperfections.

 

[Aquinus]

What makes you think you bought a "non CrossFire card" ?

I think he might mean that one has a CFX connector and one doesn't.

Last I heard though, the 77** series didn't actually require a crossfire bridge to run in crossfire. It's the bigger more beefy cards that need it iirc. There was a thread about this like a half a year ago or so and this sounds pretty familiar.

 

[d1nky]

bridge is required, I remember seeing a 7770 without the xfire connector, so you may be correct

http://sites.amd.com/PublishingImag.../WebBannerJPEG/AMD_CrossfireX_Chart_1618W.jpg

 

[Aquinus]

bridge is required, I remember seeing a 7770 without the xfire connector, so you may be correct

http://sites.amd.com/PublishingImag.../WebBannerJPEG/AMD_CrossfireX_Chart_1618W.jpg

Just found that, you beat me to the punch. It's the 7750 that doesn't need the bridge, not the 7770. I was close.

 

[Kilandor]

There no such thing as a non crossfire addition. All ATI Radeon 7770s support crossfire, infact all dedicated video cards for almost a decade support crossfire or SLI as standard. As I mention Below, I thought that was the case yes.

To answer your question. Go back to v13.1, the beta drivers are experimental so expect imperfections.

Well 13.4 is stable, and did not let me enable it either. But yes I went back to 13.1. Just OpenCL isn't working so I can't fold. I (think) it was maybe working when I first set it all up before I updated drivers. But once I updated I know for sure it was not working when I go back. I know before with 1 card it was working.

What makes you think you bought a "non CrossFire card" ?

Well this is the card I bought. It has no bridge.
MSI R7770-PMD1GD5 Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB 1...

I think he might mean that one has a CFX connector and one doesn't.

Last I heard though, the 77** series didn't actually require a crossfire bridge to run in crossfire. It's the bigger more beefy cards that need it iirc. There was a thread about this like a half a year ago or so and this sounds pretty familiar.

Now see this is why I didn't bother checking. My first 7770 had a bridge. But I had heard its not needed anymore, so that was why I never thought to check.

 

[Dent1]

That could be the issue. The drivers are getting confused because 1 card requires a bridge and the other doesn't. If v13.1 is working I'd leave well alone. Maybe when v13.5 is released revisit the situation.

 

[d1nky]

its amazing what loop holes we can find with tech! we need some software guys to write some drivers that allow us to go against the normal operations!!

and if its working with performance increase ! congrats!

 

[Kilandor]

After having ran this for a while I have noticed mixed performance. In most cases I can see clear performance gains with crossfire enabled. It seems though in rare cases performance may be worse.

 

[Dent1]

After having ran this for a while I have noticed mixed performance. In most cases I can see clear performance gains with crossfire enabled. It seems though in rare cases performance may be worse.

What is your full system specification? If your processor is old or too weak the benefit of CF won't be realised.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

I think he might mean that one has a CFX connector and one doesn't.

Last I heard though, the 77** series didn't actually require a crossfire bridge to run in crossfire. It's the bigger more beefy cards that need it iirc. There was a thread about this like a half a year ago or so and this sounds pretty familiar.

Since 3870s maybe earlier linkless xfire has been possible using ati tray tools and going into its hardware tweeks settings and enableing linkless xfire afaik ,I did try it back in the day but found no benefit and haven't really needed it but I thought id mention it anyway.

 

[qubit]

After having ran this for a while I have noticed mixed performance. In most cases I can see clear performance gains with crossfire enabled. It seems though in rare cases performance may be worse.

Don't forget about the runt frames issue with AMD cards at the moment, which reduces performance. New drivers are expected to finally fix the problem once and for all.

VIDEO Look at this first if you're not familiar with this - much easier to understand.

 

[Sasqui]

Well this is the card I bought. It has no bridge.
MSI R7770-PMD1GD5 Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB 1...

Don't see any connector there.

Probably has something to do with a feature in your M4A785TD-V EVO motherboard...

Hybrid CrossFireX™ Support
Boosted Performance with onboard GPU and discrete graphics card
ATI Hybrid CrossFireX™ technology is a unique hybrid multi-GPU technology. It takes your gaming experience to the next level boosting PC performance by enabling the chipset’s integrated graphics processor and a discrete GPU to operate simultaneously with combined output for blisteringly-fast frame rates unleashing the graphics performance * Visit www.amd.com for the Hybrid CrossFireX selected GPUs.

 

[Dent1]

Don't forget about the runt frames issue with AMD cards at the moment, which reduces performance. New drivers are expected to finally fix the problem once and for all.

VIDEO Look at this first if you're not familiar with this - much easier to understand.

He is running a 7000 series, I'm running an ancient 5000 series and haven't experienced any CF performance related issues.

 

[qubit]

He is running a 7000 series, I'm running an ancient 5000 series and haven't experienced any CF performance related issues.

From what I understand, it affects all CF implementations, but the 7000 series took the biggest hit?

 

[Dent1]

From what I understand, it affects all CF implementations, but the 7000 series took the biggest hit?

Don't ask me, I haven't experienced any performance hit big or small.

I think there is a lot of anti ATI propaganda around the internet in regards to drivers. I only believe 10% of it, of that it's isolated issues which were probably resolved ages ago but are still being told as if its an ongoing issue.

 

[qubit]

Don't ask me, I haven't experienced any performance hit big or small.

I think there is a lot of anti ATI propaganda around the internet in regards to drivers. I only believe 10% of it, of that it's isolated issues which were probably resolved ages ago but are still being told as if its an ongoing issue.

I keep hearing conflicting stories about people's experiences with AMD cards, so there must be some truth to both. All I know is that I used to see annoying niggles with my graphics cards, then I switched to nvidia in 2009 and I've had almost no problems since.

If AMD works for you, then I'm glad. If nothing else, it means that there's competition in the marketplace to bring customers better graphics cards at lower prices.