jbsconsultllc

I Just RMA'D My ABit KN8 SLI. It never worked right. The best I could do with it was get SLI enabled. It would never display the Bios in SLI mode so I had to set it up with a single card. It worked with some games, and not with others. I usually got a black screen when I started the program with the exception of MS Flight Simulator, and a few others.
So now I order top of the line ASus Board A8N32-SLI Deluxe. I'm running the following
Antec 650 Watt power supply
2 500 mb Corsair Value Select DDR2 in A1 slot, and B1 slot
2 Samsung SATA drives Raid 0
1 160 gb Maxtor IDE as slave but with the OS
1 Toshiba Samsung Burner as master on the same IDE
AMD 939 Dual Core 4200
2 Nvidia XFX 7600 Vid Cards
Win XP pro
Nec Analog monitor about 4 years old.
I am getting no video signal to the monitor - IS is possible that SLI only works with LCD monitors? Or maybe the antec is flaky. It's not the first time I’ve had a supposedly quality Antec power supply act like a cheap 30.00 power unit even though I paid 120.00 for this one.
Or is Sli only for those who would spend 600.00 or more on VID cards.
Any helpful feedback would be appreciated.
THANKS IN advance.

mattlock

SLI will work with both LCD and CRT monitors.
Please verify that you have all the power connections hooked up on the motherboard. The 20+4, the 4 pin CPU, and the "EZ Plug" 4 pin molex (this one provides power the PCI E slot and is located next to the 24 pin main connector)
Are both of your cards the same? Both GS or GT?

jbsconsultllc

yes both the same. thet are both XFX Geforce 7600's. As far as the molex is concerned it is loated slightly off to the left of the memory slot.
Again there is no Trace of a video signal

Thank you for your feedback
JS

8210GUY

Given your RMA'ing your board it's very possible that was the cause behind you not being able to get this right, so what I suggest is when you get your new board, install 1 card ONLY, get your system up and running, then once all drivers etc are installed (direct x 1st, then chipset followed by video then everything else) and your booting fine etc, shut down then install the 2nd card, boot up and install the drivers for that card (the wizard will probably pop up and help, tell it yes but not letting it online), hopefully after you next reboot you should have SLI up and running fine.
About the only other time I've seen issues with SLI is if they are running different firmware versions, that may be worth a look.

jbsconsultllc

I am taking your advise - I'm tearing it down, and starting over who knows what could have been screwed up.
Thanks for the feedback I'll let you know what happens
Regards,
JBS

jbsconsultllc

Well I'm not getting anywhere with just the basics hooked up Vid card Heatsink fan cpu I'm not getting a cpu beep. I tried 2 different types of memory Centon and Corsair Value Select I put one stick in the B1 slot as per manual directions - nothing the next thing is to set up mu old Mobo the Abit and see if anything works. I suspect the Antec 650 is junk.
Thanks, and regards
JS

8210GUY

Are you getting ANY life at all ?
Can you get to the bios ?
Double check you have connected ALL the required power leads, remember some boards require a further molex power connector direct into the board and without it they wont boot, not to mention the 4 or 8 pin plug as well, recheck those.
Apart from that do you have a way of checking the PSU ?

mattlock

Do a bench test on each board

Bench build:

A) Place the motherboard on top of the motherboard box with nothing under it but the box >>> anti static bags are only anti static on the INSIDE not outside

B) install the cpu, thermal grease, heat sink & fan plug in the cpu fan wires

C) plug the psu power connectors to the motherboard (should be a 24pin connector and a four pin 12volt cpu power plug needed aslo

D) install one stick of ram (check mobo manual for the proper slot to use with a one stick configuration)

E) install the video card >>> you may have to hang the motherboard over the edge of the mobo box to allow the cards riser to extend beyond the bottom of the mobo >>> this is why I love the mobo box trick

F) connect video card to the monitor

G) connect keyboard and mouse to the motherboard

H) hold the motherboard up to eye level and examine the cpu and heat sink carefully >>> makes sure the heat sink is not bearing any pressure on any of the mobo "guts" several weeks ago I was servicing a sytem, the user installed a cpu cooler that squashed the snot out of a capacitor, all he had to do was rotate the heat sink 180 degrees and this would not have happened >>> it was an offset style heatsink >>>>> the mobo at eye level helps alot !

I) on another note >>> before plugging in the PSU connectors into the mobo connectors >>> check to be sure there are no tiny pcs of plastic shavings in the two mobo plugs 24 pin and 4 pin cpu plug !

J) you can use either a precision screw driver (small blade) place the case real close to the mobo bench build and use the case switch connected to the motherboard jumper for the PWR switch on the mobo

fire that baby up >>>> at this point we are only looking for a bios screen >>> if the cpu fan spins and stays spinning and you get a bios screen then you are ready for step #2

Step 2 / shut down and install rest of your memory only

Step 3 / connect a hard drive outside the case also >>>> install OS

if all is cool >>>>> put it together in the case >>>> here is where things get clumpy >>>> less room for your hands; so your bound to wiggle something loose and not get the smoothest of sailing on your first fire up inside the case >>>> but you KNOW all components work! you proven that outside the case >>>> you at that point just double check all connections and jumpers

1 g0t 0wn3d

Before pulling everything out of the computer, wiggle the 24 pin after pressing the power button (which also may be faulty).

twajetmech

did you install the sli bridge, there are several notes listed in the mobo maual about setting up the bios for sli, several items must be disabled for sli to perform correctly (such as cool n quiet), I suggest you read the mobo manual for a complete description of an sli setup... and yes other than the Antec trio line most other Antec psu's are not what we would call top notch...a pc power & cooling silencer 750, ocz, or seasonic psu would all be much better choices imho