Just built my new PC

[LouSiffer]

Was excited, but, now I am beating my head on the wall. I posted this in the MSI forums to see if anyone knows anything there I may be missing:


I ordered MSI K9N2 Platinum with AMD 940 BE, 8GB OCZ Reaper, and used my current videos cards ( EVGA 9500GT 512 DDR3 ) as well as my 700 watt Thermaltake PSU. I am utilizing XP64.

I assembled PC with just 1 stick of RAM in place. Installed OS, tried to install the MoBo drivers off included CD rom, but, they do not include the XP64 drivers..... no biggie, I found a post by Boss with a link to the correct nVidia drivers. Worked!!! You go Boss!!

The VGA onboard was what I used until I got all updated BIOS 3.3 ,drivers and Service Packs installed.

I then went to install both cards at the same time ( with SLI bridge of course ). Screen was blank. It registered that there was something since the screen did not go into hibernate state...but, no visual.

I removed the cards and went back to onboard, got visual again.

I reinstalled both cards....nothing. Removed the secondary card....nothing. Put one card in secondary slot removed the other from primary, got visual. Left card in secondary, updated drivers for card.

Reinstalled both cards, nothing. Go into BIOS with card in secondary, verified onboard VGA was disabled as well as Hybrid SLI.

Wiped CMOS several times while I removed the power cord and verified the Slot was clean. Nothing changes.

I have completed 3 fresh installs just to make sure I did not goof something up.

Removed board from case. No difference. The fan on the GPU in the primary turns on and spins just as fast as the secondary, so it seems to be getting ample power.

8-port plug is plugged into top of MoBo as well as the 4-pin.

Called tech support.......guy seemed a little unsure of issue I think.

Any suggestions? Havent resorted to a hammer yet, but, if it works < end of post.

I have used MSI boards before and they were hit and miss. This was getting good reviews, sooo....I thought I would try it out. Starting to regret not going with a Gigabyte or ASUS.

[Spivonious]

Are you sure it's not an issue with XP64? I don't know of many companies that support it. Do you have a copy of Vista 64 or XP32 you could try?

If the same thing happens, then I'd say the primary PCI-E slot is dead. The fan spins only because there's power coming directly from the power supply.

Oh, and you still just have one stick of memory in, right? Lots of boards have funky problems with 8GB installed for some reason, especially nVidia-based ones.

[Aso]

Are you getting video from the videos cards when the PC POSTs and you lose video going into windows are you getting no video at all with the cards?

Do you get any beeps when you start up?

[LouSiffer]

Did the entire install with just one stick of RAM. Once everything was done, added the other 3. Other than the main Video slot not working, its fine....and greasy quick.

I am getting video with the card in the 2nd slot from POST and all the way through windows. It works as a single card should.

Once I install the card into the primary or do SLI, there is no video whatsoever. -Lou

[Soap]

I believe and I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure there's a setting/s in the BIOS have to adjust. I would do a google on it "setting up SLI" print it out and use as a reference. Cause many times the mobo manual is deliberately vaque.

You have to disable the onboard video to allow the SLI card/s to work correctly. If you don't, your confusing the system. Meaning, it kn ows it has two video cards installed BUT onboard video is still enabled. In other words, it doesn't know what to do its confused.
You have to help it by disabling the onboard video in the BIOS.
There are potentially other settings you might have to adjust in the BIOS too.

Either way, to get that info, you'll need to look in your mobo manual, google it or go to the mobo manufactures forum and get some help there.

I don't do SLI so I can't do anymore for you than that.

Here's where you need to be in the MSI forum. Hang out here.

http://forum.msi.com.tw/

Side note, that PSU may be a touch weak for your setup, just thinking out loud.
First try, configuring the BIOS correctly for your SLI as mentioned above.

[DonP]

Sorry, I'm still AGP

But it works

[LouSiffer]

Soap, already did as you mentioned. -Lou

[Soap]

Try reading some of these reviews to get some additional info.
May prove helpful then again maybe not.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16813130161

[Newc]

Could just be a bad slot. You've said those boards were hit or miss, and we all know there's a lemon in every batch.

Send it back for replacement.

[LouSiffer]

Thanks guys, I have read all the reviews and the forums before I posted.

I know the cards are good. My PSU was coming out a little weak, so I went and dumped about $300 on a 1000W Thermaltake.

I used the previous hard drive that had windwos XP 32 to see if it worked since that was the last known good configuration. No Go.

XP 64 was a no go.

Vista 32 and 64 bits are a no go.

Linux was a no go.

Some of my green LED's that are on the board turn red or flash red as soon as I plug the GPU in.

At this point I am thinking its a bogus board and will probably go back to the old tried and true Gigabyte brand.

I just wish XFX made a 125-watt compatible AM2+ board.-Lou

[Soap]

Gigabyte boards are good boards.

[OnlineStageGear]

I would get away from MSI motherboards. They are really the lower end of the food chain as far as motherboards go.

[DonP]

I would get away from MSI motherboards. They are really the lower end of the food chain as far as motherboards go.

Well, at one time there weren't too bad. I don't know about today's boards; I'm talking P3 duallies, ancient history I know

[Spivonious]

700W is plenty for that setup. Don't listen to the power supply marketing. Anandtech just did an analysis of 3-way SLI and even with the most power-hungry cards, the system was pulling <700W under load.

My vote goes to a bad slot. RMA that mobo.

[Aso]

Is there a jumper or dummy card that may need to be moved for enabling SLI? I know on an Asus board I had it had a dummy card in between the two PCI-E slots that need to be removed if you were going to run SLI. I couldn't find the MB manual online but I didn't try that hard to find it otherwise I would of checked that first.