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SLI GTX 980 compatibility

Sirius42160
Level 7
Hi everyone,

I just assemble the config listed below and I would like to know :

- What other 980 GTX can I set to build a SLI system? Is it mandatory to get another ASUS 980 GTX STRIX or can I put another 980 GTX with similar frequencies (or are there any other check to perform, I heard about GPU core version to check...)?
I can get a ZOTAC GTX 980 at mid-price, that why I am asking this question. If compatibility is OK, what about performance of such a type of configuration?

- Moreoever, on my Ranger VII, the first PCIeX cards will run at PCIeX 3.0 16x and second PCIeX 3.0 8x. I read that PCIeX 3.0 8x on the second PCIeX port will not impact second 980 GTX performance. Could you confirm?

Thank you in advance,

Regards

PS: Sorry for bad English

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Budget: N/A
Main uses of intended build: Gaming 4K
Parts required: Another 980 GTX
Previous build information (list details of parts):
- Maximus Ranger VII
- i7 4790k@4.4gHz + Zalman Reserator 3 Max
- 2x4GB Corsair Vengeance Pro 2133mHz
- Asus 980 GTX Strix OC 4Go
- Corsair RM850W
- Samsung 850 Pro 256Go
- Seagate SSHD 2To
Monitor resolution:
- Actual : 1080p
- Required : 4K
Storage requirements: N/A
Will you be overclocking: yes


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10 REPLIES 10

Antronman
Level 10
You have to get the same exact video card.

Sorry.



Oh, and both cards run on x8 PCIe Lanes.

One card is x16

Two is x8

Not sure how many lanes 3 cards get each.

And 4 cards is x4 for each card.


The reason is that mainstream CPUs still provide suppot for only x16 PCIe 3.0 lanes. (If I am correct, and it is very possible I am not)

However, even at x8 lanes, the bandwidth is wide enough for you not to have to worry about performance per card dropping.
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Sirius42160
Level 7
Thanks for your reply. So is it different for SLI 3x?

We can notice in the link below a 3 way SLI with two 980 GTX reference cards and one Gigabyte G1 gaming GTX 980 :

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/geforce_gtx_980_sli_review,3.html

Praz
Level 13
Hello

The max number of video cards that can be used for SLI with the Ranger is 2 and both would be at x8. This configuration is a CPU limitation.

Sirius42160
Level 7
Yes Praz, I just would like to underlign the fact that a 3 way SLI can use different cards and use this illustration for my Ranger 2 way SLI with mix-branded cards 🙂

NemesisChild
Level 12
You can use a different brand of GTX 980 for SLI, it doesn't have to be a ASUS Strix.
For SLI to work properly, they need to be the same GPU and have the same amount of video memory.
Intel i9 10850K@ 5.3GHz
ASUS ROG Strix Z490-E
Corsair H115i Pro XT
G.Skill TridentZ@ 3600MHz CL14 2x16GB
EVGA RTX 3090 Ti FWT3 Ultra
OS: WD Black SN850 1TB NVMe M.2
Storage: WD Blue SN550 2TB NVMe M.2
EVGA SuperNova 1200 P2
ASUS ROG Strix Helios GX601

Sirius42160
Level 7
Thanks for your answer NemesisChild. Does it impact performance to get mix-branded 980 GTX? will the Core and memory frequency (or voltage) be synchronize on the card I put into the first slot ?

Regards

Sirius42160
Level 7
Thank you all for your feedback. I just find the info on nvidia site :

Can I mix and match graphics cards that have different GPUs?
No. For example, an XXXGT cannot be paired with a XXXGTX in an SLI configuration.

Can I mix and match graphics cards from different manufacturers?
Using 180 or later graphics drivers, NVIDIA graphics cards from different manufacturers can be used together in an SLI configuration. For example, a GeForce XXXGT from manufacturer ABC can be matched with a GeForce XXXGT from manufacturer XYZ.

Can I mix and match graphics cards if one of them is overclocked by the manufacturer?
Yes. A GeForce XXXX GTX that is overclocked can be mixed with a standard clocked GeForce XXXX GTX.

So I am going to test a sli with the ZOTAC amp omega! I

Regards!