System builders help required... SLi connector

[Darren S]

Chaps,

I've had some tearing in onscreen graphics with the two GTX460's - but only in a few games. Of the ones I've played over the last fews days since getting the SLi bridge, just Skyrim and Company of Heroes of shown tearing. BF3, Shogun 2 and everything else have been fine.

My gfx card spacing is currently at 90mm between them and they are connected by a 100mm SLi flexible cable. Having looked into it on the internet, some people suggested that if the cable ribbon 'bows out' away from the cards, this can either move one connector slightly to stop it forming a proper connection on the card - or the ribbon pushes itself away from the connector pins on the connector - and a similar issue occurs.

Taking that onboard, I shut down the PC, and applied a little pressure onto the SLi cable so that it bowed-in and the ribbon curved inbetween the two GTX460s. Fired up the PC and both Skyrim and CoH and received perfectly smooth graphics. I even played a 90min round of CoH afterwards without a single glitch.

Clearly the Asus SLi bridge I have here is a little flakey at best. I'm now on the hunt for a rigid 90mm SLi connector like this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-NVidi...359131&po=LVI&ps=63&clkid=4139869550501193949

....but ideally I'd like to get one from somewhere in the UK, if anyone knows of a place?

Alternatively, I have the 3-way SLi bridge that came with my mobo, that I will never use. As both of the GTX460's only have one SLi connector on them and not two, could I actually saw down the middle of the 3-way SLi bridge?! A bit extreme, I know, but if it works - hey - why not?

Cheers guys...

D.

 

[welshname]

You can use a 3 way SLi bridge with only 2 cards with no negative effects. I have had a look around and can't find any UK based company supplying them seperate to MoBo's.

 

[Dink]

depends on which connectors you need to use on the 3 way bridge

http://www.techpowerup.com/41977/NVIDIA-bringing-in-3-Way.html shows how the 3 way bridge is "wired"

 

[welshname]

depends on which connectors you need to use on the 3 way bridge

http://www.techpowerup.com/41977/NVIDIA-bringing-in-3-Way.html shows how the 3 way bridge is "wired"

Every card is connected to every other card. I don't see where there would be an issue? In the diagram the 2 outer cards are connected. The middle and the top are connected as are the bottom and the middle? Meaning he could use any 2 of the connectors for his card.

 

[Dink]

but the two outer connectors in a line are not connected are they

so if he did cut it down and needed the outside connectors to work they wont

 

[welshname]

Yeah spotted that now, put an edit on my post.

 

[welshname]

IMHO I'd stick with the flexy bridge, I always used them with them bowing inwards rather than outwards and never had an issue.

 

[Darren S]

depends on which connectors you need to use on the 3 way bridge

http://www.techpowerup.com/41977/NVIDIA-bringing-in-3-Way.html shows how the 3 way bridge is "wired"

Excellent Dink - that's stopped me chopping that in half and breaking it!

I might stick to the flexi cable Rhys, but clearly it's not perfect. I'd much prefer a 90mm rigid bracket - but they seems to be like hen's teeth in the UK...

D.

 

[welshname]

If I manage to get hold of one I'll drop you a PM. Ill ask around a few companies I use.

 

[Munson]

Not being funny but surely it's tearing because the cards cant render the entire frame for when it's needed. Vysnc will remove the tearing but will reduce your frames if they can't keep up.

Sorry if I'm missing something.

 

[Darren S]

Not being funny but surely it's tearing because the cards cant render the entire frame for when it's needed. Vysnc will remove the tearing but will reduce your frames if they can't keep up.

Sorry if I'm missing something.

You're not m8 - I thought it was something obvious and straight-forward too. By default, I always enfore VSync on, but on the two games mentioned (Skyrim and Company of Heroes) - it made no difference and was unplayable as it was annoying. The YT clip below is EXACTLY what it was doing on mine....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s01g2y80h0Q

...and for some strange reason, worse when you were in a game menu or something. Since bowing the cable in, both games have been flawless and that goes in line with what people are saying about the hit & miss quality of SLi bridges. From what I've read though, not one person had complained when they've had the rigid SLi connector in place. Hence my search (UK ideally) for a 90mm version.

D.

 

[wozzaa]

Tried asking at Scan Darren? They might be able to order you one in. Or fire an email off to your card manufacturers and explain the problem see if they can offer you some help...in the form of a free bridge.

 

[Munson]

Ah ok. Sorry, I presumed you were talking about regular old frame tear.

 

[Darren S]

Tried asking at Scan Darren? They might be able to order you one in. Or fire an email off to your card manufacturers and explain the problem see if they can offer you some help...in the form of a free bridge.

I might do m8. But I think I'll just tell myself to not be such a tight arse and buy one from States! I'm thinking that the gfx card manufacturer (Gigabyte in both instances) will blame the lack of a decent SLi connector on Asus (my mobo) and vice versa.

D.

 

[Munson]

Out of curiosity, I checked my SLI ribbon earlier, and it's dead straight. Exactly the right length. It doesn't bow inwards or outwards.