DFI LAN Party nF4 SLI-DR

[amdnVuser]

I have a feeling the answer is yes, but I just want to be sure that I can use the 2nd PCIe x16 slot (the one closest to the PCI slots and furthest from the CPU socket). I'd like to be able to pull out the stock chipset cooler and replace it with a SwiftTech MXC159-Cu, and since the chipset is directly underneath the 1st PCIe x16 slot, I'd run into problems.

Furthermore, can I use the 2nd PCIe x16 slot on the nForce4 Ultra version (UT NF4 Ultra-D) without modding the chipset (to save some $)? I want to be able to OC an X2 3800+, and I don't really care about SLI.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Fresh Daemon]

Yes, you can use it. However, before you do, move the jumper blocks to SLI mode. Then the 2nd slot will be 8x instead of 1x. Running at 1x will give you a noticeable performance hit, but 8x doesn't really show any difference to 16x. Lots of people do this, that chipset is in the worst location possible.

Remember the pre-ATX days when the CPU used to sit in front of the PCI slots? Do they remember why we abandoned that?

 

[amdnVuser]

Originally posted by: Fresh Daemon
Yes, you can use it. However, before you do, move the jumper blocks to SLI mode. Then the 2nd slot will be 8x instead of 1x. Running at 1x will give you a noticeable performance hit, but 8x doesn't really show any difference to 16x. Lots of people do this, that chipset is in the worst location possible.

Remember the pre-ATX days when the CPU used to sit in front of the PCI slots? Do they remember why we abandoned that?

Thanks for the reply. Just to be sure, are you referring to the nF4 SLI-DR or the nF4 Ultra-D or both?

 

[ElTorrente]

Originally posted by: amdnVuser

Originally posted by: Fresh Daemon
Yes, you can use it. However, before you do, move the jumper blocks to SLI mode. Then the 2nd slot will be 8x instead of 1x. Running at 1x will give you a noticeable performance hit, but 8x doesn't really show any difference to 16x. Lots of people do this, that chipset is in the worst location possible.

Remember the pre-ATX days when the CPU used to sit in front of the PCI slots? Do they remember why we abandoned that?

Thanks for the reply. Just to be sure, are you referring to the nF4 SLI-DR or the nF4 Ultra-D or both?

Yes, it should be the same for both. Both have the sli jumpers between the x16 slots.

Once you have the jumpers in sli mode - and you only have one video card - you HAVE to put your video card in the slot furthest from the cpu, or it won't even POST.

I am running this way on my board, with my RAID card sitting in the x16 slot (running at x8) closest to the CPU.

 

[amdnVuser]

Hmm, so HardOCP states the following (for the nF4 Ultra-D):

"DFI chose to integrate a total of 2 PCI Express x16 slots, 1 PCI-Express x4 slot, 1 PCI Express x1 slot, and 2 PCI slots in to the nF4 Ultra-D?s design. There is a jumper block located just below the PCI Express x1 slot that appears to be for SLI type operation. However, during testing we found that the system would not post with these jumpers set to SLI mode and 2 PCI Express x16 cards seated in the board. These jumpers must be left in normal mode for the board to operate correctly."

So for the Ultra-D, SLI mode will work for the 2nd PCIe slot, just not with 2 PCIe graphics cards? Would anyone recommend the SLI-DR just to be safe? Any Ultra-D users care to comment?

 

[Fresh Daemon]

Wouldn't the pencil mod fix that, if it was a problem? I think it's a chipset limitation.

 

[ElTorrente]

Originally posted by: amdnVuser
Hmm, so HardOCP states the following (for the nF4 Ultra-D):

"DFI chose to integrate a total of 2 PCI Express x16 slots, 1 PCI-Express x4 slot, 1 PCI Express x1 slot, and 2 PCI slots in to the nF4 Ultra-D?s design. There is a jumper block located just below the PCI Express x1 slot that appears to be for SLI type operation. However, during testing we found that the system would not post with these jumpers set to SLI mode and 2 PCI Express x16 cards seated in the board. These jumpers must be left in normal mode for the board to operate correctly."

So for the Ultra-D, SLI mode will work for the 2nd PCIe slot, just not with 2 PCIe graphics cards? Would anyone recommend the SLI-DR just to be safe? Any Ultra-D users care to comment?

I don't see in that quote where HardOCP connected the monitor cable to the video card in the SECOND slot- like I mentioned earlier. That board doesn't do TRUE sli without that pencil mod, but that doesn't mean that switching the slot to sli mode doesn't put both slots into x8 mode.

Like I said before, when you put it into x8 mode (placing the jumpers into "sli mode"), the SECOND slot is the slot that you want your vidcard/monitor connected to- or if you only have one card, you want your card in the second slot only.