NVIDIA Quadro by PNY SLI Overview and Quick Installation Guide

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SLI Overview NVIDIA SLI technology for NVIDIA Quadro by PNY graphics boards enables professional users to dynamically scale graphics performance, enhance image quality, and expand display real estate by combining multiple NVIDIA graphics solutions in a single system. Using dedicated scalability logic in each NVIDIA Quadro GPU and NVIDIA ForceWare software, NVIDIA SLI technology delivers new levels of performance and quality. SLI offers three modes of operation: SLI Frame Rendering, SLI MultiView and SLI FSAA (Full Scene Anti Aliasing. SLI Frame Rendering Combines two identical NVIDIA Quadro by PNY PCI Express graphics boards with an SLI connector to transparently scales application performance on a single display by presenting them as a single graphics card to the operating system.

SLI MultiView Combines two power of two identical NVIDIA Quadro by PNY PCI Express graphics cards to drive multiple displays, with each GPU dedicated to a single display or to a pair of displays.

SLI FSAA (Full Scene Anti Aliasing) Combines two identical NVIDIA Quadro by PNY PCI Express graphics boards with an SLI connector to transparently scale image quality on a single display by presenting them as a single graphics board to the operating system

SLI Features by Model The table shows which Quadro SLI features are supported by various NVIDIA Quadro by PNY graphics boards. Please check www.pny.com for the latest information. Frame Rendering Quadro FX 5800 Yes Quadro FX 5600/5500 Quadro FX 4800/4600 Yes Quadro 4700 X2* Yes Quadro FX 3700/3800 Yes Quadro FX 1700/1800 No Quadro FX 580/570, FX 380/370 No * Only one FX 4700 X2 board per system is supported. MultiView Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes FSAA Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No

Motherboard Expansion Slot and Power Supply Requirements To support SLI your PC motherboard must be PCI Express-based, with two available and adjacent PCIE expansion slots. Both slots must be x16 mechanical with the following allowed electrical slots: x16 + x16 x16 + x8 x16 + x4 Since two high-end graphics boards are required the load on the systems power supply will increase significantly. A minimum of a 550W Power Supply Unit (PSU) is recommended (750W or greater preferred). An inadequate power supply will result in erratic and unpredictable system behavior. SLI Hardware Installation Figure 3 shows an NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600 by PNY SLI-capable professional graphics board along with the SLI Hardware Bridge and an auxiliary power cable. Please remember the following: SLI is supported only on PCI Express-based motherboards Two available and adjacent x16 PCIE expansion slots are required (must accommodate double width cards in some instances) Some SLI capable graphics boards require auxiliary power (FX 5600, FX 5500, FX 4600 and FX 3500), make sure auxiliary power cable is connected to ensure proper operation The SLI Hardware Bridge connector must be installed to utilize the full capabilities of SLI Frame Rendering (sold separately, PNY PN 91004732-T) on SLI Frame Rendering enabled boards. Figure 3

SLI Capable NVIDIA Quadro by PNY Graphics Board Figure 4 (next page) shows two SLI-capable graphics boards installed in PCIE expansion slots with the SLI Hardware Bridge connector and auxiliary power connector cables installed. From a hardware perspective this system is ready for SLI driver installation and configuration.

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SLI Capable HW Installation Using NVIDIA Quadro by PNY Graphics Boards Now that we have reviewed SLI system requirements lets proceed with the hardware installation by performing the following steps in the order given: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Power off the system and remove the power cord from the power supply. Gently remove or open the systems enclosure (refer to owners manual that came with your computer if necessary). Perform the installation in a static safe environment and utilize a properly grounded anti-static wristband. Place any static sensitive components in anti-static bags. If a non-SLI capable graphics board occupies the x16 expansion slot, carefully remove it and replace it with your SLI-capable graphics board. Install the second SLI-capable graphics board in the adjacent slot, you may also need to relocate a card and the chosen slot must be x16 mechanical and either x16, x8 or x4 electrical. Connect the two graphics boards with the SLI Hardware Bridge connector (for SLI Frame Rendering capabilities only). If your graphics boards have an auxiliary power connector, connect them to the power supply using the supplied power connector cables. Replace the systems cover and reconnect your display(s) to the SLI-capable graphics board installed in the x16 expansion slot. Plug the power cable back into the system

10. If you removed an existing graphics board, or any other PCIE expansion boards during this installation place them into antistatic bags/packaging for storage and safekeeping. Driver Installation and Enabling SLI You will find an SLI-capable display driver on the Quadro Utilities CD included with your Quadro graphics board (v162.55 on this CD). You may also visit www.pny.com or www.nvidia.com to download the latest SLI-capable driver. Follow the steps listed below to install your driver software: 1. 2. 3. Boot your system into VGA mode, or remove your old graphics driver through My Computer / Properties / Hardware / Device Manager / Graphics / Action / Uninstall and then restart the system. Cancel the Windows Wizard and run setup.exe to start the software installation process. Follow the prompt and proceed as directed by the setup application to install drivers.

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Reboot after installing the driver software. To enable SLI open the NVIDIA Control Panel and select the Set SLI configuration option under the 3D Settings heading as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5

You will need to enable SLI through the Display Control Panel / Settings / Advantage / Quadro FX xxxx / SLI Multi-GPU / Enable SLI Multi-GPU as shown in Figure 6 below. The system is now setup and configured for SLI. System Information To verify that the system has properly recognized your NVIDIA Quadro by PNY hardware utilize the System Information option located at the lower left corner of the NVIDIA Control Panel as shown in Figure 6 below. Figure 6

SLI Questions and Answers Here are answers to some common SLI questions: Q: Can I take advantage of SLI and run four displays at the same time?

A:

Yes, you can only drive four displays simultaneously by using SLI MultiView i.e. two Quadro FX 5800, FX 5600, FX 5500, FX 4800, FX 4600, FX 3800 or FX 3700 graphics boards, each driving two displays without the two boards connected via the SLI Hardware Bridge connector.

Q: Why didnt the POST (Power On Self Test) screen come up during the reboot and why cant I see the Windows display? A: Make sure that both SLI graphics boards are inserted properly and firmly, and make sure that neither card is twister or partially lifted out of its bus slot when screwing the card bracket down. Q: Why isnt the SLI Multi-GPU option available under the Quadro pop-up menu? A: Check My Computer / Properties / Hardware / Display Adapter; if there is only one Quadro SLI driver shown, then you need to install the driver for the second SLI compatible card. Q: How can I get answers to other SLI support questions I might have? A: Email your question to QuadroSupport@pny.com or call 1.800.230.0130.

Limited Liability The information contained in this manual has been validated at the time of manual production. The manufacturer reserves the right to make any changes, additions and revisions to the product described in this manual at any time and without notice. Consequently, PNY Technologies, Inc. assumes no liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly from errors, omissions or discrepancies between the product and the manual. Copyright 2009 by PNY Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. No reproduction of this document in any form is permitted without prior written authorization from PNY Technologies, Inc. Trademarks All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.