Black screen when activating SLI.

[Jokse]

Hi

My specs are:

CPU: i7 2600K stock

GPU: ASUS gtx 780 directcu ii oc SLI (not working)

PSU: Cooler Master v1200

MOBO:ASUS sabertooth p67 (does support SLI)

SSD:Samsung EVO 850 256GB

HDD: 2TB samsung.

CPU cooler: H60

 

So i just got a second ASUS gtx 780 directcu ii oc for my system. First i check if my old graphics card work in both PCI-e slots, it does. Then i proceed to do the same with my new card, and it works as well. Then i plug both in, attach the SLI-bridge and boot the system. When i get to the desktop nvidia control panel prompts me with a text saying my system is SLI-ready, so i go to the driver and select maximize 3D performance and before hitting apply the driver says everything is fine, and GPU-z detects both cards in my system with all data available, even device manager in Windows recognizes my cards. When I press apply my screen starts flickering (as it should) but after that the screen goes black. I can still move my mouse, but it is on top of a black screen and it is flickering. Nothing more happens, tried to let it stay in black screen for 2-3 hours, nothing happend. Then i took one card out, and everything was fine so i removed the driver completly, rebooted, installed the latest driver 353.49, and did the process again, the end result is unchanged. I have tried updating my old card to the newest BIOS for the revision (A1), and do the entire thing again, does not help. The other card is revision B1 so it uses a different memory manufacturer, should that be a concern? I have also tried cecking if my ram is a problem by only running with 1 stick, 2 sticks and 3 sticks, does not help. I also tried resetting BIOS on my MOBO, did nothing, tried different PCI-e power cabels, did not help. Im out of ideas even nvidia support could not help me any further. So do you guys have an idea of what is wrong?

[D2ultima]

installed the latest driver 353.49

Try 347.88 and see if it works. With a clean install. If not, then your SLI bridge may in fact be the issue.

[DarkSmith2]

Tried different SLI bridge?

[Jokse]

My SLI-bridge is brand new, got it yesterday, could that really be the problem?

 

ill try the 347.88 driver, ill be back in 10 tops

[ThE_MarD]

Heyyo,

For the SLI bridge connections? Try cleaning the contacts on the GPUs with isopropyl alcohol.

Next? Be sure to use Display Driver Uninstaller to nuke your driver. NVIDIA's "clean install" sometimes acts up on Multi-GPU setups.

http://www.wagnardmobile.com/DDU/

• Download the program, extract it and restart in Safe Mode (F8 tap it during reboot after BIOS screen)
• Run DDU, Select "Clean & Restart"
• Once back in regular boot? it'll detect and install basic display drivers (DON'T select "Clean Install" under the custom settings, it sometimes has problems with SLI setups). Once that's done? Install the latest NVIDIA drivers for your GPU and then reboot
• (Optional)Once rebooted? Enable SLI!
• (Optional) Open up DDU (if it asks to reboot into safe mode? you don't need to, so say no) and then click on "Set Automatic Driver Installation to Default"

[Jokse]

I have used DDU everytime i reinstalled the drivers.

 

I have always used Clean install? should i just use the "recommended install" then?

Heyyo,

For the SLI bridge connections? Try cleaning the contacts on the GPUs with isopropyl alcohol.

Next? Be sure to use Display Driver Uninstaller to nuke your driver. NVIDIA's "clean install" sometimes acts up on Multi-GPU setups.

http://www.wagnardmobile.com/DDU/

• Download the program, extract it and restart in Safe Mode (F8 tap it during reboot after BIOS screen)
• Run DDU, Select "Clean & Restart"
• Once back in regular boot? it'll detect and install basic display drivers (DON'T select "Clean Install" under the custom settings, it sometimes has problems with SLI setups). Once that's done? Install the latest NVIDIA drivers for your GPU and then reboot
• (Optional)Once rebooted? Enable SLI!
• (Optional) Open up DDU (if it asks to reboot into safe mode? you don't need to, so say no) and then click on "Set Automatic Driver Installation to Default"

 

[Jokse]

I have also noticed something else, when i install the driver with both card in my compute the screen goes black, with the the keyboard language and network connection icon blinking. I then switch the Dual-DVI cable to the other card, where everything is fine, but the driver is not installed... What is this?

[ThE_MarD]

Heyyo,

 

I have also noticed something else, when i install the driver with both card in my compute the screen goes black, with the the keyboard language and network connection icon blinking. I then switch the Dual-DVI cable to the other card, where everything is fine, but the driver is not installed... What is this?

That... is something crazy odd... hmmm... latest motherboard BIOS? I saw you flashed your GPU BIOS and reset mobo BIOS but no mention of update.

There's the rare time where Mobo bios updates say something about VGA compatibility.

I see this for your motherboard though:

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/SABERTOOTH_P67/HelpDesk_Download/

 

Sabertooth P67 BIOS 3602

1.Improve compatibility with Windows 8 OS.

2.Improve system stability.

3.Enhance compatibility with some USB devices.

4. Fixed Nvidia GTX 680 hang when runing with UEFI driver.

5.Support new CPUs. Please refer to our website at: http://support.asus.com/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx?SLanguage=en-us

Sounds similar to the problems you're having.

I usually do custom install without 3D Vision. I don't use that stuff and I remember once in the past it cause a minor performance nerf even when disabled on a game since it kept looking for it... I doubt it's an issue anymore but why risk it when I'll never buy 3D Vision gear eh?

[Jokse]

Heyyo,

 

That... is something crazy odd... hmmm... latest motherboard BIOS? I saw you flashed your GPU BIOS and reset mobo BIOS but no mention of update.

There's the rare time where Mobo bios updates say something about VGA compatibility.

I see this for your motherboard though:

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/SABERTOOTH_P67/HelpDesk_Download/

 

Sounds similar to the problems you're having.

I usually do custom install without 3D Vision. I don't use that stuff and I remember once in the past it cause a minor performance nerf even when disabled on a game since it kept looking for it... I doubt it's an issue anymore but why risk it when I'll never buy 3D Vision gear eh?

 

Im quite certain that i have the BIOS, just checked it.

[Jokse]

This is my bios

[D2ultima]

I have also noticed something else, when i install the driver with both card in my compute the screen goes black, with the the keyboard language and network connection icon blinking. I then switch the Dual-DVI cable to the other card, where everything is fine, but the driver is not installed... What is this?

I wonder... maybe your power supply connector is faulty? Can you try using the connectors from the second card on the first and see if it's fine?

 

If this works of course I blame your SLI bridge.

[Jokse]

Try 347.88 and see if it works. With a clean install. If not, then your SLI bridge may in fact be the issue.

That driver does not do the trick either

[D2ultima]

That driver does not do the trick either

Then it's almost 100% not software of an issue.

[Jokse]

I wonder... maybe your power supply connector is faulty? Can you try using the connectors from the second card on the first and see if it's fine?

 

If this works of course I blame your SLI bridge.

i tried with 5 different PCI cables in 5 different plugs in the PSU. I dont think that is a problem.

 

Control panel does detect my SLI-bridge, can it still be faulty?

[Jokse]

Then it's almost 100% not software of an issue.

Could it be because of the different BIOS and revisions on my cards? they run different manufacturer memory.

[DarkSmith2]

Could it be because of the different BIOS and revisions on my cards? they run different manufacturer memory.

Usually that works.

Would sent mail to asus and ask if the board could be an issue

But i think its the SLI bridge or one card is faulty (unstable) SLI bridges do 80% of SLI problems ;/

[D2ultima]

Could it be because of the different BIOS and revisions on my cards? they run different manufacturer memory.

I'm fairly certain mismatched vBIOSes work... there's never a huge issue normally, though you should likely install custom vBIOSes anyway. It shouldn't break SLI compatibility.

[ThE_MarD]

Heyyo,

Tbh? At this point I would do a data backup and reformat windows and make sure it's not a corrupted OS.

Next if that doesn't fix it? Run memtest86 to test your RAM and also do a test on your GPU with something like MemtestCL.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/memtestcl.html

For memtestCL? You have to specify how much memory and stuff. To run it? Hold shift, Right click on some empty space in the same folder as the memtestcl.exe is and use commands such as this:

memtestCL.exe -g 0 -b 1700 100

the "-g 0" is GPU number. 0 and 1. 1 being the second GPU so you have to do a separate run for each GPU.

the "-b" just prevents uploading the info to Stanford research computers of your results and hardware.

the "1700" is how much VRAM that GPU has in megabytes. I have a 2GB card so I put about 1700 since windows is using about 230 MB of VRAM but I probably could have gone up to 1800 or so to test as much as possible.

the "100" is just how stringent it should be on testing every memory block. How many test iterations to try.

[Jokse]

Heyyo,

Tbh? At this point I would do a data backup and reformat windows and make sure it's not a corrupted OS.

 

I will try to do that, my OS installation is only a few weeks old though. 

[Jokse]

But i think its the SLI bridge or one card is faulty (unstable) SLI bridges do 80% of SLI problems ;/

How can my card be faulty or unstable? i mean my old card has been running fine for 2 years, and my new card have been in my PC for a week for testing. Besides I know that my new card has been in a SLI configuration before, so it should not have problems.

[D2ultima]

How can my card be faulty or unstable? i mean my old card has been running fine for 2 years, and my new card have been in my PC for a week for testing. Besides I know that my new card has been in a SLI configuration before, so it should not have problems.

Then it probably is the bridge. There is such a thing as a "dead on arrival" item, and your SLI bridge could be one.

[Jokse]

Today the windows 10 was released, so i upgraded and the issue is gone. So it might just have been a corrupted OS? I dont really know, i just know hat it works now.

 

Thanks for all the responses, best forum i have been at so far

[ThE_MarD]

Heyyo,

Today the windows 10 was released, so i upgraded and the issue is gone. So it might just have been a corrupted OS? I dont really know, i just know hat it works now.

 

Thanks for all the responses, best forum i have been at so far

You're welcome mang!

Can you do me a favor @Jokse please? On my system, I was getting boatloads of system memory sharing on Windows 10 which I wasn't getting on Windows 7 SP1... can you check your NVIDIA Control Panel and DxDiag and see what it shows for video memory?

This is what I mean:

http://i.imgur.com/M59ZN2m.png

2GB VRAM and 8GB Shared System Memory is what I kept getting.