*** Official ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe (nForce4) Thread ***

[gobucks]

the only thing specifying SLI is the selector card between the graphics slots, and then turning it on in the display tab in windows. If the Single GPU side is seated in the connectors, then it's single, if it's the other way (like mine was when i got it) then it's for SLI. With a single card, just switch the selector around.

 

[MrTed]

I would be curious to know if anyone out there is using one of these boards with only one GPU. My question would be 'does the SLI activation option come up in your driver
setup?' - or does it magically come alive when you set the SLI linking on the mobo?

I ask this 'cause I have this mobo set up for SLI but there is NO SLI activation tab in my driver and I've driver updated to 6.6.9.7. The GPUs are Gainward 6600GTs and I've checked/re-checked the mobo links to the point the mobo bores me to look at (and that's sad).

I've forced the bios to SLI but how can you tell if its using SLI anyway? The SLI activation tab doesn't show up in either setup - but the hardware is seen by XP and other
hardware profiling software (for what it's worth) Anyone seen software that can actually confirm SLI operation (other than in the missing driver tab) ?

Once I've sorted this out all I gotta do is work out how to get this beast to run my games slow enuff for me to play

 

[canislupy]

SLI is only supported in the 66.93 drivers....

 

[MrTed]

canislupy,

I would have thought 6.6.9.7 being a later driver than 6.6.9.3 it would still support SLI - That doesnt make sense cause what would they call a newer version of 6.6.9.3? -
6.6.9.3.1? Plus this is from nVidia's own site for updates for this card - and the 6.6.9.3 driver that shipped with the GPUs doesnt work for me - go figure.

 

[d3vilz]

If I was to get a A8N, Would my 430Watt Antec True power with 20pin work or would i need to upgrade to 24pin atx PSU?

 

[vlad4]

I believe that SLI support is available in the following nVidia drivers;
66.77, 66.93, 67.02, 67.03.

 

[vlad4]

Originally posted by: vlad4
Has anyone looked at their CPU usage while running the Windows factory Beziers screensaver? The reason I ask is that this screensaver maxes out my CPU usage! None of the other screensavers seems to exhibit this behavior.

My 'puter specs: AMD Winchester 3500+, Windows XP w/ SP2, nVidia v6.32 Chipset from ASUS CD, Forceware 66.93, 1GB Mushkin 2-2-2 Specials RAM, (2) XFX 6800GTs, Creative Drivers for Audigy 2 ZS Platinum. I can't think of any other software/drivers I have installed that may be affecting this.

Has anyone tried this screensaver yet? Are you seeing the same results as I am?

 

[buckZor]

Anyone install Windows Server 2003 with this board yet?!?

 

[ShoNuff]

Update (to my single drive on SI controller issue): Just as an FYI, the SI controller is for RAID ONLY, and does not support single drive configurations. I would have know that in the beginning if I had only read the manual. The manual supports this in sections 2-21 and 2-22 where it describes the use for both controllers. It's not very intuitive but it is there.

Has anybody tried using MBM (Motherboard Monitor) with this board yet? I think the NF2 and 3 chipsets were supported even though Alex is no longer putting any time into this project?

 

[Kovie]

Originally posted by: d3vilz
If I was to get a A8N, Would my 430Watt Antec True power with 20pin work or would i need to upgrade to 24pin atx PSU?

My true 430 works fine, I just wouldnt use it if I was going to SLI something. Just shift the ATX power connector over.

 

[bob661]

Originally posted by: ShoNuff
Update (to my single drive on SI controller issue): Just as an FYI, the SI controller is for RAID ONLY, and does not support single drive configurations. I would have know that in the beginning if I had only read the manual. The manual supports this in sections 2-21 and 2-22 where it describes the use for both controllers.

The manual doesn't actually say that it doesn't support single drives besides there people using the SI controller for single drives. I think you need to disable the RAID functions for that controller in the bios. Does your SI controller see your SATA drive? If you see it there then you will probably need to change the drive letter for that hard drive in Windows. Windows might have assigned two the drives (CD-ROM and hard drive for example) the same drive letter. It happens with USB drives quite a bit.

 

[ShoNuff]

Originally posted by: bob661

Originally posted by: ShoNuff
Update (to my single drive on SI controller issue): Just as an FYI, the SI controller is for RAID ONLY, and does not support single drive configurations. I would have know that in the beginning if I had only read the manual. The manual supports this in sections 2-21 and 2-22 where it describes the use for both controllers.

The manual doesn't actually say that it doesn't support single drives besides there people using the SI controller for single drives. I think you need to disable the RAID functions for that controller in the bios. Does your SI controller see your SATA drive? If you see it there then you will probably need to change the drive letter for that hard drive in Windows. Windows might have assigned two the drives (CD-ROM and hard drive for example) the same drive letter. It happens with USB drives quite a bit.

You are right the manual doesn't "Actually" say it doesn't support single drives. It does say the following:

"By default, the RAID function of these connectors are enabled. Disable the Silicon SATA controller item in the BIOS, if you are not configuring a set with these connectors. ?See section 4.4.3 Onboard Devises Configuration" on page 4.24 for details."?

There is no option in the bios that allows for a single drive to be selected and used in conjunction with the SI controller. The brief paragraph implies that if you are not using these connectors for a RAID array that you should disable them. Which leads to the conclusion that they are indeed for RAID only.

If you know of someone using it another way please have him or her post here and share how they set it up. I am sure I would not be the only one to benefit from it.

 

[vlad4]

Sounds like this should be another request to ASUS to add to the BIOS! I mean since the other mobos that I've owned with SIL SATA did offer the option of RAID or single drives, why can't the A8N?

 

[vlad4]

hmmm....

I remember seeing this as I was installing the drivers on my system. I downloaded everything from ASUS' web site to install everything and what that didn't cover, I installed from the CD that came with the A8N.

If you go here, and download the SIL driver, after unzipping look in the "RAID_Driver" folder. When installing this driver, it asks if there are non-RAID drives installed. Maybe this will help?

 

[exdeath]

Kind of off topic, but having to do with new drivers with some nice SLI gains:

http://www.osnn.net/comments.php?shownews=11625

http://members.cox.net/exdeath/pc/3dmark05-sli.jpg
http://members.cox.net/exdeath/pc/fps.jpg

 

[vlad4]

Show off!

All kidding aside, SWEET! good show! I downloaded those drivers a little while ago, I wonder how my GTs will perform? FedEx just deliverd my new RAM and I'm itching to try all of this out. Unfortunately, I'm still tweaking my installation of XP.

 

[SMatson]

I am building a FX-53 system with the A8N and the stock heat sink. When I opened the packaging there was some cardboard dust flecks on the thermal material which I tried to blow off (no success) then gently brushed off. This did leave a smudge on one area of the material. Should I reinstall with new material?

Thanks for the advice.

Scott

 

[exdeath]

I'd replace it with AS5 or something. It's probably all 'piled up' and lumpy now and will raise the contact in those places more than others and give uneven heat transfer.

 

[d3vilz]

Originally posted by: Kovie

Originally posted by: d3vilz
If I was to get a A8N, Would my 430Watt Antec True power with 20pin work or would i need to upgrade to 24pin atx PSU?

My true 430 works fine, I just wouldnt use it if I was going to SLI something. Just shift the ATX power connector over.

Do i need to plug in the 4 pin also?

 

[andvruss]

My $35.00 Thermatake 420W PSU came with a 20-24 pin converter .

 

[coldcase]

Are the new BIOS letting you disable the monitoring of the CPU fan? I'm watercooling and I have one of these board coming and I know it was a problem in the first BIOS. Thanks.

 

[SMatson]

Several questions on the A8N setup:

1. I am thinking of doing a RAID 1 setup for security b/c I've read RAID 0 isn't all its cracked up to be. I have two brand new SATA Diamond Max 10 250GB 16MB Cache. Do I need to set any Master/Slave jumpers?

2. Any comment on the need for RAID 0? I will be gaming some (SLI BFG 6800 GT OC's) and editing some video.

3. Should I flash to the latest BIOS?

4. Should I use an outboard sound card? (I have an Audiology 2 ZS)

Thanks again.

To EXDEATH - Thanks for the reply. I'm going to call AMD in the AM to find out what they want me to do. (Don't want to void the warranty just yet)

 

[mattdbrown]

I have a system set up with the A8N-SLI and 2 HP NVidia Quadro 3400s. Everything appears to be working fine hardware wise: each time I boot into Windows, I am even prompted to activate the SLI multi-gpu mode. The weird problem is this: whenever I attempt to activate multi-gpu mode, the setting change doesn't stick. The computer doesn't restart, and if I go back into the menu, it looks as if I had never changed the setting. I have tried it with every version of NVidia drivers that I could find... and still no luck. Has anyone else had this problem and been able to resolve it? Can anyone suggest something else to try? I'm really stuck here. Thanks a lot.

 

[DB27]

Not as far as I can tell. I get an error "CPU fan fail" every time I boot up, and I''ve got a panaflo plugged in and working! What you can do is disable the voice (which is annoying anyway) and set the "hold on error" response so that it automatically just continues to boot. Set up this way, I don't notice it anymore (except the beeps on posting), but it is very odd that the board doesn't register the panaflo sitting on top of my xp-90.

In the manual, it does say if your fan is not compatible with "MB monitering" or some such that it will also get this same message. Maybe that's the problem.

 

[exdeath]

Yeah the CPU fan thing is annoying, I'm using a Koolance Exos Al so there is no fan at all! I just hooked up one of my case fans there to keep it happy.

I hope this is addressed in future BIOS releases. We already have temp monitors to warn us and shut down the machine in the event of a overheated CPU; a fan RPM warning in addition to that is kind of redundant.