SLI not detected on nvidia control panel

[tobargy]

Hello

My build is:
ASUS MAXIMUS VII FORMULA
2x GTX 980ti hydro copper
i7 4790k

I have tested this build a year ago and I had to leave it back home because am going to university, I have got it shipped here, everything seems fine.. the GPUs light up when the PC is running but the second card would'nt get detected by Nvidia control panel.

I have updated the drivers and tried to reinstall them with no luck. I have read that there might be an option to turn SLI on in the BIOS, looked there and found nothing about that option.

am wondering if the problem is the SLI bridge, btw I have a custom water cooling loop in there, so I might not be able to get the card out and switch them :/
I will update to windows 10, should I update and check if it works or try to fix it before updating.

 

[tobargy]

I tried and it didn't show up
I will empty the loop tomorrow and try to run the both GPUs on the slot

Would it work if i had one GPU on the second slot to check if the slot is working or not? (I am not sure if the mobo would detect if the first slot is empty and the second one is mounted)

It should but if in doubt, just try the known 'bad' or questionable GPU in the first slot. Sounds like you're taking them both out anyway.

Maybe someone else can chime in with any additional things you can try before tearing it all apart.

BTW, I don't know jack about custom loops, but wouldn't turning the system on with an empty loop be bad for whatever is served by the loop (GPUs, CPU, if you have that in the loop too)?

I took both GPUs out and flipped them and started the PC and it didnt detect the one on the bottom, guess its not the GPU then.

Sounds like a mobo issue. Unless there some kind of configuration in BIOS that would disable the slot or put it in a weird state, then it looks like perhaps it s damaged.

First of all, Thank you so much guys for helping and keeping up with me!

I realised that I can use the third PCIe Slot that is PCIe 2.0 x 16
I got an extender fitting and used it and filled the system and it detected the second card, although am not quite sure if SLI is on in the control panel. I can choose between the 2 cards and an auto setting.

 

[c4s2k3]

First of all, Thank you so much guys for helping and keeping up with me!

I realised that I can use the third PCIe Slot that is PCIe 2.0 x 16
I got an extender fitting and used it and filled the system and it detected the second card, although am not quite sure if SLI is on in the control panel. I can choose between the 2 cards and an auto setting.

You are welcome!

I think you should be able to use the third PCI slot as long as it is capable of at least x8 PCI lanes if the motherboard maker claims it can do 3-way SLI. Just make sure you have a long PCI bridge. One of the inexpensive flexible ones of proper length should be more than adequate.