How To: Enable SLI on pre-i7/i5 hardware

[TiN]

BTW, what about mixed-GPU SLI. For example 9800GX2 + single 9800GTX, or 285GTX + 260GTX ? Is it possible in future ?

 

[sveetsnelda]

Or you can use FRAPS on those games, which support timedemo recording and replays.

Gotcha.... So record my own demo, replay it, measure it with FRAPS?

 

[TiN]

Yes, exact idea. You can get some graphs like this:

 

[JrRacinFan]

Gotcha.... So record my own demo, replay it, measure it with FRAPS?

Do it with SLI enabled/disabled

 

[sveetsnelda]

Do it with SLI enabled/disabled

Understood. Sorry, I just assumed that.

 

[JrRacinFan]

Sorry didnt mean to come off as a douchebag. I'm just excited !!!

 

[sveetsnelda]

Haha. You didn't at all. You were just being helpful.

 

[sveetsnelda]

3dmark 03 just finished without SLI enabled, but I cant run it with a higher resolution in the demo version (1024x768 is the default). I'm thinking this wont be a very good test unless I go track down my old 3dmark 03 disc. I pulled 43306 with SLI off.

Specs:
Q6600 (G0 stepping) @ 3.6ghz
Asus Maximus II (P45)
2 PNY 9800GTX+ cards at stock clocks.

test with SLI is running now.

 

[Mussels]

3dmark 03 just finished without SLI enabled, but I cant run it with a higher resolution in the demo version (1024x768 is the default). I'm thinking this wont be a very good test unless I go track down my old 3dmark 03 disc. I pulled 43306 with SLI off.

Specs:
Q6600 (G0 stepping) @ 3.6ghz
Asus Maximus II (P45)
2 PNY 9800GTX+ cards at stock clocks.

test with SLI is running now.

i suggest 3dmark06, but only bother keeping track of the SM2.0 and 3.0 scores - ignore CPU/total

 

[sveetsnelda]

I can do that... A full copy came with my Maximus II. Any specific resolution or settings you suggest? I ran it already at the default settings, but it doesn't scale very well. I threw in my roommate's GTX285 and I only went from 16k to 18-something.

Like you said though, this was the total with the CPU tests included.

 

[sveetsnelda]

3dmark 03 just finished. Default settings @ 1024x768:

Before-43306 3DMarks
After-71568 3DMarks

 

[Wile E]

I can do that... A full copy came with my Maximus II. Any specific resolution or settings you suggest? I ran it already at the default settings, but it doesn't scale very well. I threw in my roommate's GTX285 and I only went from 16k to 18-something.

Like you said though, this was the total with the CPU tests included.

Run it at the highest res you can with AA and AF cranked up. Should help ease the cpu bottleneck, and put more stress on the cards.

 

[TiN]

sveetsnelda

Little confused with these DSDT's.

How to know where to insert lines? PCI0 section is always different.

Here we have ASUS P5B Deluxe DSDT from registry.

http://www.xdevs.com/sli/p5bd.dsl

And what exactly to insert?

All these stuff:

http://www.xdevs.com/kb/sli.png ?

 

[sveetsnelda]

Running 3DMark 06 at 1680x1050 with AA 8x and AF 16x (VSYNC off, of course).

Maybe AF16x was a bit overkill.... my poor 9800GTX+ is having a rough time so far.

 

[sveetsnelda]

How to know where to insert lines? PCI0 section is always different.

Didn't you already post a dump of your DSDT a little bit ago? I replied back.

Or are you trying to write a guide?

 

[TiN]

Sorry, that was DSDT for Gigabyte P965.

Now I trying with ASUS P5B Deluxe. Already installed fresh XP and two cards.

 

[sveetsnelda]

I see.

Put the SLIC function and data just before these lines (in other words, put it right after the end of the (_SB) entry):

    Name (WOTB, Zero)
    Name (WSSB, Zero)
    Name (WAXB, Zero)

Here's the SLIC data (again, put it before the lines I listed above).

Scope (\_SB.PCI0)
{
    Name (SLIC, Buffer (0x9E)
    {
        "987134512781Genuine NVIDIA Certified SLI Ready Motherboard for ASUS X58 Motherboard3287-Copyright 2008 NVIDIA Corporation All Rights Reserved-765289891023(R)"
    })
    Device (WMI1)
    {
        Name (_HID, "pnp0c14")
        Name (_UID, "MXM2")
        Name (_WDG, Buffer (0x14)
        {
            /* 0000 */    0x3C, 0x5C, 0xCB, 0xF6, 0xAE, 0x9C, 0xBD, 0x4E,
            /* 0008 */    0xB5, 0x77, 0x93, 0x1E, 0xA3, 0x2A, 0x2C, 0xC0,
            /* 0010 */    0x4D, 0x58, 0x01, 0x02
        })
        Method (WMMX, 3, NotSerialized)
        {
            CreateDWordField (Arg2, 0x00, FUNC)
            If (LEqual (FUNC, 0x41494C53))
            {
                Return (\_SB.PCI0.SLIC)
            }

            Return (0x00)
        }
    }
}

 

[sveetsnelda]

3dMark 06 finished.

1680 x 1050 8xAA/16xAF

Q6600 G0 @ 3.6ghz
Asus Maximus II (P45)
2 x PNY 9800GTX+

SLI off/on
-----------------------
SM2.0 - 3130/5575
HDR/SM3.0 Score - 2282/4195

Not bad at all, IMO.

 

[Wile E]

Yep. It's working all right.

Now, will this work on X38/X48? And is there a post with a guide?

 

[sveetsnelda]

I'm going to have to do some more testing/messing around tomorrow. I have to work early. I should have been in bed hours ago.

 

[sveetsnelda]

Yep. It's working all right.

Now, will this work on X38/X48? And is there a post with a guide?

Yeah, It'll work.

There isn't really a guide written up since I just got it patched a few hours ago. Currently, it's not very easy to get working unless you've been following this thread closely or you want to do a lot of reading. I plan on making it easier. Some people just wanted to test it out, so I released it.

I'm hoping to get rid of the SLIC check entirely so it's as simple as just installing the driver.

 

[anatolymik]

Sveetsnelda can you explain to me general rules in according to i should put SLIC data? I want to write utility that automaticly will put this into ACPI table.

 

[TiN]

Just injected modified DSDT into registry. If everything will boot and work now, I'll install driver and report.

Is there any method to get SLIC string from working system , to check if it inserted correctly? All that tables confuse me

 

[sveetsnelda]

Sveetsnelda can you explain to me general rules in according to i should put SLIC data? I want to write utility that automaticly will put this into ACPI table.

Sure. Although I don't know the ASL language very well, I can tell you what worked for me. I just put the data after the end of the "Scope(\_SB_)" entry (at the end of the bracket... like this:

Scope(\_SB_)
{
Stuff
}
<put Scope(\_SB.PCI0) stuff here>

While you're welcome to write an application that does this, I'll likely have the SLIC check defeated tomorrow, so this part wont even be necessary. You should just be able to install the driver, enable SLI, and play.

I already know where the functions are and how they work, I just need to figure out how to patch it.

 

[anatolymik]

Thanks sveetsnelda. I think i complete it by tommorow