How to connect 2x SLI cards to PSU and DVI?

[tisue001]

I'm new to the world of SLI.

Hopefully tomorrow I'm going to be building my new rig if the parts arrive. For the gpu's I went with two MSI 560ti HAWK's for SLI. I don't fully understand how I need to connect everything, however; especially to the psu. The psu I ordered is a Corsair Professional series HX850w. It has modular cables and four hard-wired cables: 24pin and 8pin mobo cables, and two 6-8 pin PCI-E cables. The rest are modular. Should I take the two hard-wired PCI-E cables and plug both of them into one card, and then use two modular PCI-E cables for the second card? In the psu manual it's really unclear when it states something like "don't mix a hard-wired cable with a modular cable when using SLI on gpu's that require two power connections..."

Also, once everything is connected and up-and-running, does it matter if I connect my monitor to the top card or the bottom card? (I have a single 24" monitor, 1920x1200).

Thanks for the help!

 

[DM186]

You put the two cards in the slots labeled X 16 and X 8 Your cards should come with a jumber to go from one card to the other on the front side it should be about 3 inches long and flat.

On the back side of the card you plug either the 6 pin conncter or the 8 pin, which ever you cards take. My cards takes the 6 pin and my cable coming from the PSU had a jumber like the old dazy chain. It pluged in the first card and then it jump over to the other card.

If you don't have a cable like that it is ok to use the other one to connect to the second card. Plug your DVI or HDMI cable in the first card does not really matter what DVI one. here is a pic that might help you.

Remember when I talk about the front of the card I mean where you plug the DVI cable in. I hope this helps here is a link to youtube might be helpful as well and good luck

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/4194/dsc01693u.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_56kyib-Ls

 

[tisue001]

Thanks for the reply DM186. I know where I need to plug the cards into the mobo. What I don't know is how to connect the power cables. I don't have a power cord like you described, and my cards will require to power cable connections each, for a total of 4 power connections. There are two PCI-E 6-8pin cables that are hard-wired into the psu; they can't be removed. The rest of the cables are modular. I'm not sure if I should put the two hard-wired cables into one card, then two modular cables into the other card OR one hard-wired cable + one modular cable in each card.

This is what the PSU manual states:

"The PCI-E connectors supplied with your 850W PROFESSIONAL power support video cards with both 6-pin and/or 8-pin PCI-E power sockets. Connect the appropriate PCI-E cable(s) to the power socket(s) of your PCI-E video card if required. If your video card requires two PCI-E power connectors, do not connect a hard-wire/captive PCI-E connector and a modular connector to the same video card. It is recommended to use either hard-wired/captive cables or modular cables, but not both on the same video card."

So am I correct in interpreting that as don't mix a hard-wired and a modular cable on one card? So one card will get the two hard-wired cables, and the other will get two modular cables..

 

[monsta]

Connect the hard wired one from the psu that you described to one of the cards and then with two spare modular cables that have the 6-pin/8 pin connector , connect that to the the second card and make sure you do not use any other pc component on that cable to power anything else but the graphics card alone.
So yes dont mix them keep them separate.

 

[DM186]

Here is one more thing I think is funny but It migh help you to.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/337832-33-install-graphics-card