running 2 gtx280s not working out...

[Easy Rhino]

alright i have my 280s installed in sli and gaming just fine. however there is a lot of conflicting info on how to properly setup 2 gpu2 folding clients using windows 7. last night i was working with sneekypeet who got my first client up and running with the systray. however it was only doing 4500ppd which is about 1500ppd less than the 9800gtx+ does.

so i decided to try the console client i was using before. i deleted all of the folders and ran a fresh version. i used the -gpu 0 flag and the first client started up fine but was quiet slow using the big wu and the advanced ones. i installed a second folding client for the second gpu and put -gpu 1 on the target and it says that the gpu is not supported

any help?

edit: looks like i can atleast get the systray client up to 8300ppd at stock speeds. now i am guessing the only way to run two clients is with the console...

 

[Athlon2K15]

take them out of SLI its much easier,then you can just go by the standard directions for setting up two gpu2 clients,using the dongle method

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

yea they cant be in sli just disable it via the control panel if that dosent work contact BuckNasty he used Team viewer to set up both my 5850s and iwas using crossfire and dual monitors so hes the one to look to said my setup was much less painful then he anticipated

easiest way i can say this is do the following


disable SLI via control panel

hook up a monitor to the 2nd card or a dummy dongle

use the -gpu 0 and -gpu 1 flags

both using the console version that should do it

 

[Easy Rhino]

disabled SLI and it still says the GPU is not supported with the -gpu 1 flag for the second card. do i have to reboot after making the change to sli?

i thought the dummy dongle was no longer necessary...

 

[oily_17]

edit: looks like i can atleast get the systray client up to 8300ppd at stock speeds. now i am guessing the only way to run two clients is with the console...

You can run 2x sytem tray clients as well, but as has been said take them out of sli first.

EDIT: Yes reboot and just extend the desktop to the second card.

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

thanks oily i forgot that part

 

[Easy Rhino]

You can run 2x sytem tray clients as well, but as has been said take them out of sli first.

EDIT: Yes reboot and just extend the desktop to the second card.

so every time i want to game i have to enable sli and reboot the machine?

 

[oily_17]

Well I dont game on my folding rigs, but I think so.

Not sure if you can work round it on W7, will take a look for more info.

EDIT: Seems with the newest drivers that you can fold with SLI enabled.

 

[kid41212003]

Are you using the 195.xx driver by any chances? They're buggy like hell.

 

[Easy Rhino]

Are you using the 195.xx driver by any chances? They're buggy like hell.

yes i am, but that probably isnt preventing me from running the second card. at least i dont thin k so.

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

no its not preventing it if you still have issues ask the BUCK he knows the answer at least as far as i was concerned i just trace the steps he did and my 5850s fold everytime

 

[BUCK NASTY]

AFAIK, you still need the dummy plug/monitor or you have to hack the registry. Rhino, do you have a monitor hooked up to the 2nd card and have the desktop extended? Try re-installing drivers after you have the monitor plugged in.

 

[Easy Rhino]

AFAIK, you still need the dummy plug/monitor or you have to hack the registry. Rhino, do you have a monitor hooked up to the 2nd card and have the desktop extended? Try re-installing drivers after you have the monitor plugged in.

id rather hack the registry than go through the hassle of hooking up my seoncd monitor everytime i want to go from gaming to folding. with a hacked reg can i keep sli enabled?

 

[newtekie1]

I don't know about the dongle/monitor needing to be connected anymore.

When I set it up with my 9600GT in my main rig, I just had to extend the monitor to the second card using the Windows 7 control panel(not nvidia's), and I was able to fold on it.

 

[Easy Rhino]

I don't know about the dongle/monitor needing to be connected anymore.

When I set it up with my 9600GT in my main rig, I just had to extend the monitor to the second card using the Windows 7 control panel(not nvidia's), and I was able to fold on it.

but did you have a second monitor?

 

[newtekie1]

but did you have a second monitor?

No...well yes, but both monitors are connected to the GTX285, there isn't anything connected to the 9600GT. Windows actually gives me the option to extend my desktop onto 3 different monitors even though I only have 2 connected.

 

[Easy Rhino]

well this sucks cause i game on my machine. i guess i will only fold with just the 1 gtx280 so that i dont have to dick around with turning off sli mode and rebooting and what not and putting on a second monitor or using a dummy dongle nonsense. let's hope that once gpu3 client comes out it will be easy to run as many clients as you want.

 

[BUCK NASTY]

I can send you a free dummy plug if you would like.

 

[Easy Rhino]

buck, i saw the how-to guide and it looks pretty simple. but even using the dummy dongle you still have to disable sli and reboot, right?

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

just try disabling and re enabling sli and see if the games show it working because my ati cards i can drop in and out of crossfire on the fly no issue not sure on nvidia hardware but it should be the same...

 

[erocker]

well this sucks cause i game on my machine. i guess i will only fold with just the 1 gtx280 so that i dont have to dick around with turning off sli mode and rebooting and what not and putting on a second monitor or using a dummy dongle nonsense. let's hope that once gpu3 client comes out it will be easy to run as many clients as you want.

I have a solution I would love and you wouldn't so much. What you need sir is a dedicated gaming rig!

 

[newtekie1]

I haven't run SLi since I sold my 9600GSO's a few months ago, but I'm pretty sure you don't have to reboot to enable and disable SLi, at least you didn't back then, can't see them changing that in newer driver.

 

[Easy Rhino]

ok guys, i have to head down to radioshack anyway to pick up some speaker wire so while i am there i will pick up some of these resistors and give it a shot. if i dont have to reboot that would be ipc

 

[bogmali]

Guys-SLI and folding 2 GPUs is possible and you do not have to disable it each time you want to game. You would still need to put the dummy plug on the 2nd GPU with Win7 because contrary to what the other sites put out, it is still buggy. Here is mine just to show that it works:

 

[Easy Rhino]

so bog, with sli enabled you simply plug in the dummy dongle and extend the desktop to it. then execute the second folding client with the -gpu 1 and it works? no disabling sli, no reboot?