Setup Of Sli (Scalable Link Interface) Configuration; Before You Begin - Gigabyte GA-8N-SLI Quad Royal User Manual

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Setup of SLI (Scalable Link Interface) Configuration

The nVIDIA nForce 4 SLI Intel Edition chipset offers blistering graphics performance with the ability to
®
bridge two NVIDIA SLI-ready PCI Express
increased bandwidth of the PCI Express
tions within NVIDIA GPU (graphics processing unit) and the nVIDIA nForce 4 SLI Intel Edition chipset.
Together, the NVIDIA SLI technologies work seamlessly to allow two graphics cards to operate in
parallel and share the work and deliver heart-pounding PC performance. This section introduces steps
to configure an SLI system on the GA-8N-SLI QUAD Royal motherboard.

1-7-1 Before You Begin

I. Understanding the components:
The SLI bridge connector (GC-SLICON)
The GC-SLICON is used to bridge two SLI-capable graphics cards
in order to set up an SLI configuration.
The SLI switch module (GC-SLISW-C19)
The GC-SLISW-C19 switch module is installed in the SLI switch
module socket by factory default. This SLI switch module has gold
edge connectors on two sides. One is SLI Mode and the other is
Normal mode.
The SLI switch module (GC-SLISW-3D1)
For users who wish to install the GIGABYTE GV-3D1 graphics
card on this motherboard, they must insert the GC-SLISW-3D1
switch module in the 3D1 Mode direction.
(The Normal Mode is the same as that of the GC-SLISW-C19
module.)
We do not recommend removing the SLI switch module (GC-SLISW-C19 or GC-SLISW-
3D1) from the motherboard because in that case, both of the PCIE x 16 slots will not be
available.
II. Power Requirements:
Before installation, assure that the power supply you use is able to provide sufficient power to fully
support an SLI configuration and other components in your system. We recommend a power supply
that provides at least 20A 5V and 12V current and a minimum of 500W wattage. Please note that the
exact power requirements will depend on your overall system configurations.
III. Supported Operating Systems:
Only Windows XP operating system is currently supported by the NVIDIA SLI technology.
Note: As the SLI on GA-8N-SLI QUAD Royal supports various multiple video outputs combination,
we suggest you follow the "Optimal Performance" or "Recommended" combinations provided
in this guide.
graphics cards! The SLI design takes advantage of the
TM
bus architecture, features hardware and software innova-
TM
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GC-SLICON
GC-SLISW-C19
GC-SLISW-3D1
Hardware Installation