Oh no! COD4+SLi+TripleHead= flickering and errors...

MMhardKy · Post by **MMhardKy** » 21 Apr 2008, 11:04

:( I've build a new machine with Core2 Duo E8400, nforce 780i and 2x 8800GTX-OC + Triplehead Digital on 3x 20.1" LCD. Windows XP 32bit with all updates + forceware 169.44. Everything works great in 2d.

I tried my first game. Call Of Dury 4 v1.5. SHOCK!
With SLI activated, there is horrible flickering and over the whole screen + some horizontal lines flickering. I have tried nhancer, different SLI modes, newest drivers (174.74), its still the same :( (altough the flickering and errors looked different everytime)
When I dissable SLI in forcware, everything looks perfect... The surround mod for COD4 also works great.

I don't understand. I build a new machine, did a clean XP installation with all updates and newest drivers, NO Overclocking, temps, voltage, everything works great, 14700 points in 3dmark06, yet when I want to play COD4, I can't...

What could be the problem?
Help me :(

EDIT: When I choose 1280*1024 through the trip;ehead, everything works great with SLI enabled! Only in 3840*1024 I have this massive flickering.

Post by **scavvenjahh** » 21 Apr 2008, 12:37

Did you connect the SLI bridge to both cards ? That's something easily overlooked and the symptoms would be the same... I know I forget the bridge every once in a while :oops:

And by the way, since you know the problem is SLI-related, you shouldn't mention the TH2G in your title, and start this thread in the Hard/Soft forums instead ;)

MMhardKy · Post by **MMhardKy** » 21 Apr 2008, 12:40

I forgot the most important thing:
When I choose 1280*1024 through the triplehead, everything works great with SLI enabled! Only in 3840*1024 I have this massive flickering.

Yes I connected the bridge. Is it known that a disconnected/faulty sli bridge causes such issues with triplehead? Can it be that I connected the bridge "upside down"?
Does it matter if I use the left or right sli connectors (I mean there are 2 on every card for triple sli)?

It is working perfectly if I change the resolution for just one monitor (1280*1024).

I was also thinking if the issue isn't that my cards have different clocks.
Forst is XFX with 630mhz core, second is MSI with 610Mhz. But I thought in SLI, they will automaticaly downclock to the slower card.

Post by **scavvenjahh** » 21 Apr 2008, 13:03

Yes. Is it known that a disconnected/faulty sli bridge causes such issues?
>> Though a faulty SLI bridge is no common thing, and it's hard to improperly connect it, the bridge is necessary for communication between the cards, its absence just kills performance.
Can it be that I connected the bridge "upside down"?
>> No. Easy enough to check anyway ;)
Does it matter if I use the left or right sli connectors (I mean there are 2 on every card for triple sli)?
>> I don't think so, although I have a noname 8800 GTX with a "no parking" sticker on the left connector... Nah, SLI connectors are the same on the left and right.

I was also thinking if the issue isn't that my cards have different clocks.
Forst is XFX with 630mhz core, second is MSI with 610Mhz. But I thought in SLI, they will automaticaly downclock to the slower card.
>> True, so that shouldn't be what's causing the problem. You can always switch the cards for the heck of it if you haven't tried that already.

It is working perfectly if I change the resolution for just one monitor (1280*1024).
>> Aha ! So the problem might just be... poor framerate at high resolutions :/
Did you try a lower TH2G res like 2400x600 ?
Do you have vsync on ?
Did you check the framerate using Fraps ?

MMhardKy · Post by **MMhardKy** » 21 Apr 2008, 13:19

No you don't understand, the problem is not bad fps. If I dissable SLI and play on 3840*1024, the framerate is silky smooth! Although it is just the intro level.

I mean in 3840*1024 WITH SLI, everythig is blinking, flickering and horizontal lines are all over the screen! You cannot even look at it without almost getting an epileptic shock...

Post by **scavvenjahh** » 21 Apr 2008, 18:35

Ok sorry, I was on the wrong trail.

Is CoD4 the only game you have installed atm or is it the only one giving you trouble ? Can you reproduce the bug with another game ?

MMhardKy · Post by **MMhardKy** » 21 Apr 2008, 18:45

I'm at home at now. I have a little time to test it. Which game would be more representative for testing SLI + matrox? Crysis, Orange Box, Gears Of War?

MMhardKy · Post by **MMhardKy** » 22 Apr 2008, 00:18

Problem solved: I had to switch the cards positions. The slower card needed to be in pci-e #1. It had to be some timing issue.

Post by **Paddy the Wak** » 22 Apr 2008, 08:48

Hey ... welcome to the forum ...
I am glad you managed to sort your problem ... it could prove helpful to others too ... :D

On another note ... regarding your Signature ... System Specs ...

Signature:
Use this block of text to display your system specs. There is a 512 character limit. Please no images.

Please keep the text (colored text is fine) between sizes 9 and 11 (using BB Code). Run your specs horizontally (rather than vertically), and limit to four lines at normal forum width.

You have too many lines ...

Please could you change it ...
Thank you .... 8)

MMhardKy · Post by **MMhardKy** » 22 Apr 2008, 12:27

Done:)

Also, for someone who should have a similiar issue and is doing research, I also flashed the newer firmware on the THTG. The one which reassignes single monitor resolutions to output 2.

Post by **scavvenjahh** » 22 Apr 2008, 12:36

Problem solved: I had to switch the cards positions. The slower card needed to be in pci-e #1. It had to be some timing issue.

Switching cards is the #1 thing to try when experiencing SLI problems... Weird stuff though. I suppose it's somehow linked to each card's BIOS acting a bit differently than the reference design.

To answer your last question, I favor F.E.A.R. and 3DMark06's Canyon Flight benchmarks to check SLI functionality. Among your options, I'd pick Crysis since it eats as much GPU power as you can throw it and is an official TH2G-compatible title.

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