P7P55D-E SLI CAPABLE?

[pasta815tim]

I got a P7P55D-E (not the pro version, just "E"). I also have a MSI N460GTX Hawk, and I am planning on purchasing another Hawk for SLI. However, I realize that this Motherboard is only known for supporting ATI's quad-crossfire. The guy who sold me this motherboard said that SLI is capable on this motherboard, but I doubt it. On the ASUS website, it only marked that Crossfire is ready, but no SLI. But does this mean that SLI is not supported, all the other P7 series support SLI, just not this one. IS THIS TRUE?

 

[saint19]

Hi pasta815tim and welcome to Tom's forum.

As you say, the ASUS's web site officially say that only support Crossfire but theoretically SLI and Crossfire can run in any mobo. Exist a method for run SLI in a mobo that don't support it officially, check this. You can try that, but if u want the SLI 100% change the mobo for other that support the SLI officially, because the hack SLI can or can't works.

 

[jaquith]

Huh?! The OP MOBO supports CF which requires the addition of the nVidia chipset {SLI} and/or AMD/ATI chipset {CF}.

Running and OLD-Hacked SLI emulation is dumb. Interesting hack, slower than a dog - defeats the entire purpose.

Your P7P55D-E is a CF-only MOBO. Solution 'get your $' back from your friend, and get a CF/SLI P55 MOBO.

 

[pasta815tim]

Hi pasta815tim and welcome to Tom's forum.

As you say, the ASUS's web site officially say that only support Crossfire but theoretically SLI and Crossfire can run in any mobo. Exist a method for run SLI in a mobo that don't support it officially, check this. You can try that, but if u want the SLI 100% change the mobo for other that support the SLI officially, because the hack SLI can or can't works.

On another forum that I visisted, it says the second PCI-E port for my mobo can only ran at 4x. The main PCI-E port is 8x. Even if I hack the mobo and SLI it, will the performance b good? is the performance gonna be same as P7P55D-E PRO version?

 

[jaquith]

If looking at the P7P55D-E PRO then also look at the EVGA P55 FTW; better OC and made for gaming.

Scaling x4 is good up to a GTX 46X/470 - http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GTX_480_PCI-Express_Scaling/1.html

 

[pasta815tim]

I already have a P7P55D-E just purchased it a week ago. I watched http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbtj3HNCmwk and he says that the second PCI-E port is 4x. And is Physx only. How is 4x enough for 460? and what is usually needed for 8x? ATI Radeon HD 5970? just asking

 

[saint19]

^x4 give you 16.09 FPS in Crysis (Average), so, the x4 PCI-E slot using for SLI bottleneck the PCI-E x16 and you don't get the best performance.

The recommended for SLI or Crossfire is x16/x16 or x8/x8. A 5970 is better run it in a x16 slot. Check this: http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/08/25/gtx_480_sli_pcie_bandwidth_perf_x16x16_vs_x4x4/

 

[jaquith]

I watched the video and as I SAID CF CROSSFIRE ONLY. Next PhysX - PhysX REQUIRES an nVidia GPU and a SECOND nVida GPU for the PhysX calculations (effects only). You CANNOT place a HD 5970 + nVidia PhysX; I know there's an OLD hacked driver set out there BUT I do NOT recommend it.

IF I had that MOBO I would place (2) ATI GPUs or (1) good ATI {HD series} now and (1) matching ATI {SAME HD series} later. PERIOD.

Refer to the "Scaling x4 is good up to..." link above regarding scaling; x4 is good up to most mid+ level GPU currently available.

 

[pasta815tim]

I watched the video and as I SAID CF CROSSFIRE ONLY. Next PhysX - PhysX REQUIRES an nVidia GPU and a SECOND nVida GPU for the PhysX calculations (effects only). You CANNOT place a HD 5970 + nVidia PhysX; I know there's an OLD hacked driver set out there BUT I do NOT recommend it.

IF I had that MOBO I would place (2) ATI GPUs or (1) good ATI {HD series} now and (1) matching ATI {SAME HD series} later. PERIOD.

Refer to the "Scaling x4 is good up to..." link above regarding scaling; x4 is good up to most mid+ level GPU currently available.

I just read saint19's link, and I see that the max, min, and average FPS for the GTX480 SLI on x4 isn't so much worst than the x16. My card is a 460, so I guess it won't make THAT mcuh difference then, not like its going to b 10 fps - 20 fps less or so.

 

[jaquith]

It depends upon the 'game' AND 'environment' and what other bottlenecks are out there. I appreciate Saint19's views -- we argue often, but I only argue when I know what I am talking about. I would NOT run either the GTX 470 {<-maybe w/o OC GPU} or GTX 480 on your MOBO; the Architecture + CPU impends the performance a/k/a bottleneck

Scaling x4/x8/x16 {33 FPS difference}

'environment' {CPU/MOBO/Architectural}
Video - http://www.youtube.com/user/NCIXcom#p/u/4/TGdo75gasaQ

 

[pasta815tim]

It depends upon the 'game' AND 'environment' and what other bottlenecks are out there. I appreciate Saint19's views -- we argue often, but I only argue when I know what I am talking about. I would NOT run either the GTX 470 {<-maybe w/o OC GPU} or GTX 480 on your MOBO; the Architecture + CPU impends the performance a/k/a bottleneck

Scaling x4/x8/x16 {33 FPS difference}
http://tpucdn.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GTX_480_PCI-Express_Scaling/images/farcry2_1280_1024.gif

'environment' {CPU/MOBO/Architectural}
Video - http://www.youtube.com/user/NCIXcom#p/u/4/TGdo75gasaQ

o wow!!! ok nvm then I wont SLI too much of problem XD. However, when my 460 is too slow for me, I will change motherboard and graphics card, for the sake of SLI or crossfire.

 

[pasta815tim]

What's the difference between purchasing a Radeon HD 5970 and CrossFireX two 5850s? What's the benefit of crossfire or SLI? Unless one 5970 or one GTX480 is not enough, what's the point of SLIing or CrossFire-ing. Just asking

 

[jaquith]

Besides being overkill {bottleneck} the results HD 5970 vs HD 5850 in CF:
Bench - http://andrefarinon.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/nvidia-geforce-gtx-480-vs-amd-radeon-hd-5850-crossfire/

The advantages are increasing you GPUs processing power {some processing is lost CF/SLI - it's not a X2 or X3 gain per GPU} for certain environments such as 2-3+ monitors or intense graphics game such as Crysis.

 

[pasta815tim]

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