Is "quadro SLI compatible" also "geforce SLI compatible?"

[fluty]

I'm looking at building a budget workstation that may or may not replace my current desktop. I am interested in a dual lga-2011 motherboard that is ideally fully SLI compatible. The problem is that there are only about two motherboards that advertise this, and both are over 400 dollars.
However, this exists: Dell Precision T5610 and T7610. Both have the right CPU sockets, and have optional multiple GPUs. The replacement mobos on ebay are both under 300.

The spec sheet shows this possibility. However, google searches have kind of turned up empty to confirm this. And this exists. It shows how these workstations are certified SLI compatible with only specific Quadro cards.

Can anyone enlighten me more on this topic?

ANSWER: Some MOBOs (typically workstations) are only SLI compatible with specific cards.

 

[bambiboom]

I'm looking at building a budget workstation that may or may not replace my current desktop. I am interested in a dual lga-2011 motherboard that is ideally SLI compatible. The problem is that there are only about two motherboards that advertise this, and both are over 400 dollars.
HOWEVER, this exists: Dell Precision T5610 and T7610. Both have the right CPU sockets, and have optional multiple GPUs. The replacement mobos on ebay are both under 300.

The spec sheet shows this possibility. However, google searches have kind of turned up empty to confirm this. AND this exists. It shows how these workstations are certified SLI compatible with only specific Quadro cards.

Can anyone elighten me more on this topic?

fluty,

There is a convenient list of the proprietary system that support Quadros in SLI and including a chart of the Quadros that support it. See:

NVIDIA Quadro SLI Compatible Systems

The dual LGA2011 motherboards supporting SLI will generally be expensive new. My choice would be:

Supermicro MBD-X9DAE -B

Supermicro X9DAI-O LGA2011/ Intel C602/ DDR3/ SATA3&USB3.0/ A&2GbE/ EATX Server Motherboard, Retail > $427.

Another very good dual motherboard is :

Asus Z9PE-D8 WS LGA2011 Xeon/ Intel C602/ Quad CrossfireX & Quad SLI/ A&2GbE/ EEB Workstation Motherboard > $510

But that one is a big one- EEB format.

In my view, it will be a much easier and less expensive project to buy a proprietary system that is Quadro SLI-capable and upgrade than start with a motherboard. For example:

HP Z620 NO ram NO harddrive NO CPU BAREBONES NO GRAPHICS CARD > $330

And this is a fast project, just plug in the CPU, 2nd CPU riser /heatsink , RAM, GPU's, and drives.

I'm also setting up a dual Xeon system, this one to replace a Dell Precision T5500 with dual Xeon X5670 6-cores:

HP z620 (Original) Xeon E5-1620 4-core @ 3.6 /3.8GHz) / 8GB (1X 8GB DDR3-1333) / AMD Firepro V5900 (2GB) / Seagate barracuda 750GB + Samsung 500Gb + WD 500GB > $270
[ Passmark System Rating= 2308 / CPU= 8361 / 2D= 846 / 3D = 1613 / Mem =1584 / Disk = 574 ] 7.13.16

A working system is the best method as it's possible to setup and upgrade gradually, one part at a time constantly optimizing the performance and waiting for bargains on the parts. For the z620 the two Xeon E5-2690's were $345, and I've added 32GB of DDR3-2600 ECC for $100 and taken a further 8GB from an HP z420 that I'm selling that had 24GB. The results so, far total cost, $550 :

HP z620 (Rev 1) Xeon E5-2690 (8-core @ 2.9 /3.8GHz) / 40GB (4X 8GB + 4X 2GB DDR3-1600) / AMD Firepro V5900 (2GB) / Seagate Barracuda 750GB + Samsung 500GB + WD 500GB / 800W > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit >
[ Passmark System Rating= 2646 / CPU= 14732 / 2D= 723 / 3D = 1665/ Mem =2709 / Disk = 538 ] 7.20.16

When I sell the T5500, I'll transfer the Quadro K4200, Intel 730 480GB, and WD Black 1TB from the main system, an HP z420, and use some of the the proceeds to buy a used Quadro M4000 for the main system.

It's the best computer game I know!

Cheers,

BambiBoom

Modeling:

1. HP z420 (2015) > Xeon E5-1660 v2 (6-core @ 3.7 / 4.0GHz) / 32GB DDR3 -1866 ECC RAM / Quadro K4200 (4GB) / Samsung SM951 M.2 256GB AHCI + Intel 730 480GB (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) + Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > 600W PSU> > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit > Logitech z2300 speakers > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H (2560 X 1440)>
[ Passmark Rating = 5581 > CPU= 14046 / 2D= 838 / 3D= 4694 / Mem= 2777 / Disk= 11559] [6.12.16]

Rendering:

2. Dell Precision T5500 (2011) (Revised) > 2X Xeon X5680 (6-core @ 3.33 / 3.6GHz), 48GB DDR3 1333 ECC Reg. > Quadro K2200 (4GB ) > PERC H310 / Samsung 840 250GB / WD RE4 Enterprise 1TB > M-Audio 192 sound card > Logitech z313 > 875W PSU > Windows 7 Professional 64> HP 2711x (27", 1920 X 1080)
[ Passmark system rating = 3844 > CPU = 15047 / 2D= 662 / 3D= 3550 / Mem= 1785 / Disk= 2649] (12.30.15)

 

[fluty]

Thanks for the reply! I already linked that Nvidia page in my post (I edited it to make it more clear). How can a motherboard be SLI compatible with only one graphics card? Or is it "certified" only because it has superior compatibility? I want to use GeForce cards on this mobo. That is the question I am asking in the title. Can these mobo's SLI with geforce cards?

 

[bambiboom]

Thanks for the reply! I already linked that Nvidia page in my post (I edited it to make it more clear). How can a motherboard be SLI compatible with only one graphics card? Or is it "certified" only because it has superior compatibility? I want to use GeForce cards on this mobo. That is the question I am asking in the title. Can these mobo's SLI with geforce cards?

fluty,

The SLI certification means that the PCIe x16 slots are linked such that the SLI-capable cards - GTX or Quadro - can communicate and in effect run in parallel - combining computing power.

However, before proceeding, check on the exact software you'll be using as for example Adobe CS which I use and I think Adobe CC still does not recognize multiple GPU's. I could be wrong on this point, but it's worth checking. Adobe CS also does not do well on dual CPU's. After Effects for example peaks at 5-6 cores on a single CPU. Premiere is a bit better, but has had a history where the 2014 version (I think) removed the simultaneous frame rendering that made it multi-threaded. There are cases where a stronger single GPU will be preferable than SLI.

The world of multi-threading and CPU vs. GPU rendering is still in a state of flux.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

 

[fluty]

I contacted Nvidia via Live Chat to see if they could look anything up (because Dell was less than useful without having made a purchase first). They said that the T5610 system is not capable of SLI with geforce cards. So the chart that was posted previously is saying that this mobo is only SLI compatible with the K5000. No other card would work.

 

[bambiboom]

I contacted Nvidia via Live Chat to see if they could look anything up (because Dell was less than useful without having made a purchase first). They said that the T5610 system is not capable of SLI with geforce cards. So the chart that was posted previously is saying that this mobo is only SLI compatible with the K5000. No other card would work.

fluty,

Yes, the compatibility chart is arranged for the reason that not all SLI-capable cards will work on all SLI-capable motherboards. I have only one SLI-capable card, a Quadro K4200 and with 2X HP z420's, HP z620, Precisions 390, T3500, T5400, T5500, Dimension E520, and Optiplex 740- not a single system that can run it in SLI, so I've not made careful , all-seeing future-looking choices all along,...

What applications are you using and what GPU are you interested in using? My thinking is to wonder if you can attain the performance expected with a single card- which should be less expensive than two cards anyway, and keeping in mind that Adobe applications will not recognize two GPUs. Or, keeping it simple but expensive, buy a used Quadro M5000 and you can do anything. Or wait until the Pascal Quadros come out in two or three or five months, as the M-series Quadros will drop in price and my guess based on the GTX 1000-series and past Quadro releases is that the replacement for the M4000- the P4000? will be as fast as the M5000 for the M4000 price plus $50.

Cheers,

BambiBoom