Major Issue with SLI enabled in certain games...

[Minotar]

In some games (so far Far Cry and Pirates!), the game will run great at the highest setting for a while, but then there is a visual tearing of the image, almost as if the video cards became out of sync!!!!!! When I say tearing, I mean that the image is literally ripped in two, and the two distinct images become out of phase with eachother. Shortly thereafter, the game will lock-up. In the case of Pirates, it did not lock-up until I finished the area I was in. What is even weirder is that if I catch it starting to tear, I can stop doing stuff in the game, and the game will usually stop tearing and begin operating normal again, as if the two video cards need to catch up to eachother????? This is really weird, but so far it only seems to do it with D3d games. I have a feeling it has to do with SFR in these drivers, which probabaly isn't fully stable yet or something. All I know is that games like Tron 2.0, WoW, and Doom 3 run completely flawless at max settings. I really wish Far Cry would be stable for once. I have played it on two completely different systems and it still locks up with completely different hardware Does anyone have these issues with SLI enabled? I need to know if something is wrong with my hardware, or do Nvidia's drivers just need more work? Thanks for any help!!!!

PS. I am using the latest official Nvidia drivers with Vsync turned on.

 

[ohnnyj]

What monitor do you have (widescreen)?

Turn off vsync.

 

[Minotar]

I have a 22" NEC FE2111SB CRT monitor (LCD's need to grow up first). Refesh is set at 85Hz @1600X1200 resolution. I will try turning Vsync off, but that will probably only make this issue worse. And besides, Vsync being on or off should not cause lockups no matter how good or bad it looks in either case. Does anyone have some insight?

 

[nRollo]

I have the same monitor you do, 6800GT SLI. I get no such problems on Far Cry, don't have Pirates.

I notice you're OCing your 6800U SLI, and your FX55. (although for what reason I can't begin to imagine as you can run any game at 16X12 any AA/AF with your rig stock)

Maybe try running it spec? Maybe heat is building up as you play?

 

[ohnnyj]

Originally posted by: Rollo
I have the same monitor you do, 6800GT SLI. I get no such problems on Far Cry, don't have Pirates.

I notice you're OCing your 6800U SLI, and your FX55. (although for what reason I can't begin to imagine as you can run any game at 16X12 any AA/AF with your rig stock)

Maybe try running it spec? Maybe heat is building up as you play?

I don't think his CPU is overclocked, I have an FX-55 and when I goto My Computer->Properties it shows up as 2.61Ghz (I don't overclock). I think it is a rounding error. I believe 425/1100 is also stock on the cards.

 

[Xed]

Is that an older truepower with 24a on the 12v? maybe it's just not enough juice for everything you're running (guess only)

 

[hans030390]

yeah what Xed said

try putting your cards at stock speeds (exact clock too)

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: ohnnyj

Originally posted by: Rollo
I have the same monitor you do, 6800GT SLI. I get no such problems on Far Cry, don't have Pirates.

I notice you're OCing your 6800U SLI, and your FX55. (although for what reason I can't begin to imagine as you can run any game at 16X12 any AA/AF with your rig stock)

Maybe try running it spec? Maybe heat is building up as you play?

I don't think his CPU is overclocked, I have an FX-55 and when I goto My Computer->Properties it shows up as 2.61Ghz (I don't overclock). I think it is a rounding error. I believe 425/1100 is also stock on the cards.

Somebody write "dumba$$" on my forehead with a laundry marker- you're right. (although I believe that's a small OC on the Ultras- 400/1100 is spec)

Still could be the heat or power though dude, try running with the case off, fan blowing on it?

 

[ronnn]

Originally posted by: Rollo

Somebody write "dumba$$" on my forehead with a laundry marker-

With pleasure!

 

[Minotar]

Nope, my cards are not overclocked. The EVGA cards I have are rated at those speeds in the video cards' bios! As a matter of fact, if I try to change the speeds to 400/1000 the drivers just set it back to 425/1100!!!!!!! I just find it weird that this problem only occurs with some games? I am not overclocking anything at all in thsi system Man this sucks

 

[Minotar]

Originally posted by: Xed
Is that an older truepower with 24a on the 12v? maybe it's just not enough juice for everything you're running (guess only)

hmmm... Well, this is the power supply my PC manufacturer recommended... It is one of the newest model Antecs around, so it should be fine??? Ugggg

 

[EightySix Four]

I agree that heat or PSU is most likely...

 

[Minotar]

Could it be drivers is my question? Should I try one of the many drivers floating around? Also, if heat was the issue, why does it only do this on Far Cry and Pirates? Also, with Pirates, a few times I saw it starting to tear so I stopped moving in game and suddenly it stopped tearing. When I started moving again, everything was fine. What is even more interesting is that it only does it with the sneaking sequences of Pirates. Never during any other portion of the game!!!!! Literally it seems that the GPU's are out of sync with eachother, either because of software or maybe hardware, but it is not heat. My temp under load for the GPUs never exceeds 60C. It seems to me like a D3D driver implementation issue or something, because Doom3 is extremely GPU intensive and I have no problems with it. Uggg....I just don't know what to do. Just came from another FarCry lockup with the side panel off!!!!!! Uggg....

 

[ohnnyj]

Have you tried the latest nVidia chipset drivers? The latest BIOS for you motherboard?

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: Minotar
Could it be drivers is my question? Should I try one of the many drivers floating around? Also, if heat was the issue, why does it only do this on Far Cry and Pirates? Also, with Pirates, a few times I saw it starting to tear so I stopped moving in game and suddenly it stopped tearing. When I started moving again, everything was fine. What is even more interesting is that it only does it with the sneaking sequences of Pirates. Never during any other portion of the game!!!!! Literally it seems that the GPU's are out of sync with eachother, either because of software or maybe hardware, but it is not heat. My temp under load for the GPUs never exceeds 60C. It seems to me like a D3D driver implementation issue or something, because Doom3 is extremely GPU intensive and I have no problems with it. Uggg....I just don't know what to do. Just came from another FarCry lockup with the side panel off!!!!!! Uggg....

You raise good points- why just Pirates and Far Cry? For that matter why Far Cry for you, not me?

I would NOT try anything above the 71.84 drivers. I tried the 75s, couldn't even boot. A buddy had similar and stranger with the 75s and 76s. SLI is not the place to use every leaked driver IMO.

Since it seems to be a DX issue, how about a FDISK/FORMAT/Fresh install?

BTW- the only way I could love my 2111SB any more is if it were a 2141- how about you? Definitely one of the better Christmas gifts my wife has given me, Super Bright Diamondtron has contrast/rich color to spare.

 

[Minotar]

Ok, well I tried updating the chipset drivers....no change!!!!!! I have not tried a bios update, but currently I am using version 3... I am very leary to mess with the bios, but if anyone has a similar issue resolved with a bios update, that may convince me to update it!!!!! Anyone have any other ideas? I am out of options

 

[ohnnyj]

You could try just 1GB of RAM. Could even run memtest to see if it gives you errors.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Interesting. I wonder if this is due to a bad interaction between the D3D "render ahead" feature and the SLI feature, in some specific driver rev, or if there is something going on with the hardware, like one card running at a slightly different clock speed than the other one, and they eventually have some sort of SLI-sync issue. I would think that NV would have coded a recovery feature for that, it shouldn't have actually locked up the system even if that were the case.

 

[century child]

Originally posted by: Minotar
Ok, well I tried updating the chipset drivers....no change!!!!!! I have not tried a bios update, but currently I am using version 3... I am very leary to mess with the bios, but if anyone has a similar issue resolved with a bios update, that may convince me to update it!!!!! Anyone have any other ideas? I am out of options

Which mainboard are you using? If your BIOS has a setting called PEG Link Mode, try disabling it.

 

[Keysplayr]

I would try running each card (not SLI'd, take one card out) individually and tax them heavily to see if maybe one of the cards is defective. I don't know what you will or will not find, but I would guess that is worth a try.

 

[Minotar]

Originally posted by: century child

Originally posted by: Minotar
Ok, well I tried updating the chipset drivers....no change!!!!!! I have not tried a bios update, but currently I am using version 3... I am very leary to mess with the bios, but if anyone has a similar issue resolved with a bios update, that may convince me to update it!!!!! Anyone have any other ideas? I am out of options

Which mainboard are you using? If your BIOS has a setting called PEG Link Mode, try disabling it.

Dude, I am using the same board as you! Check my sig!!!! No PEG Link mode can be found in my settings that I see? I ran mem test last night, all night it came up zero errors this morning for all the ram. I will have to try individual cards though, and see what the deal is. Maybe one card is bad or something? Thanks for the tip.

As for the reander ahead D3d...that is very interesting indeed. I wonder if I tried to contact nvidia about this, what they'd tell me? This is really starting to frustrate me

 

[Xed]

Originally posted by: Minotar

Originally posted by: Xed
Is that an older truepower with 24a on the 12v? maybe it's just not enough juice for everything you're running (guess only)

hmmm... Well, this is the power supply my PC manufacturer recommended... It is one of the newest model Antecs around, so it should be fine??? Ugggg

You should be able to peek inside your case and check the amps on your psu pretty easily, 24 just seems a bit low for all that you're running, imo.

 

[Minotar]

Well, the power supply I have is considered a solid choice for an SLI rig like mine, in spite of what a few of you guys are saying here. As a matter of fact, if you view the video faqs sticky on this forum, you will see that Geforce 6800Ultra's SLI actually uses less power under load than a GT SLI does! I called my PC manufacturer and they were very helpful and supportive (rare in this industry). I followed their advice which was some of what was said here already (but I need their warranty support if I need to replace something, so I followed protocol), and disabled SLI mode. Sure enough, all lockups and tearing have ceased!!! Thhis means that it is either my second video card is going bad/ overheating, or it could still be my PSU. I think we will try replacing the video card first. I did notice that the second video card is running hotter than the first by several degrees, but it should still not be hot enough to cause this problem. It is running at around 62C under full load while the top one is at around 56C. Not huge enough to cause lockups. Everyone cross your fingers and hope that this works for me!