DFI NF4 mod to SLI.. Guide and Info.. !!

[THunDA]

Hey all..

A buddy of mine wrote up a nice guide on how to mod a DFI NF4 mobo to SLI.. so I figured I would pass it on along with some other info .. :)

Link to ExRoadie's guide for the SLI mod.. (http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?p=100997#post100997)

Notice that he mentions ALL DFI NF4 mobo's are capable of being modded to SLI.. Ive also heard from the same sources that what he says is true.. So if your worried about getting one that cant be modded.. Worry no more because all DFI NF4 mobo's are moddable and will be like that for quite some time..


Some other interesting info is that Leadtek is making SLI kits with two cards that include a bridge.. They are also selling SLI bridges by themselves which is good for those that did the SLI mod and have been searching all over for a bridge..

Here is a linky for the 6800gt SLI package with the bridge.. (http://www.buyxg.com/store/item.asp?id=1629)

Here is a linky for the SLI bridge .. (http://www.atacom.com/program/print_html_new.cgi?&USER_ID=www&cart_id=615844_24_116_81_200&Item_code=VIDX_LEAD_2A_01)

I heard that they will becoming available at newegg and more popular places soon.. There will be a 6600gt card package available soon with the bridge included as well ...




Hope this helps some people out ..

[shimmishim]

thanks for the post...

getting a sli bridge was preventing me from getting a 6800gt

but now.... wow things have changed :)

[THunDA]

Very cool.. happy it helped.. :)

Be sure to post back here about your success with the mod..

[shimmishim]

tried it out... no go for me...

don't know what i did wrong...

[RyderOCZ]

Shimmishim, did there appear to be anything over the resistor you were closing? Like Epoxy or anything?

Mine took about 2 seconds, I used some Rear Window defogger paint.

[THunDA]

What did you use to connect the contacts ?

On some of the boards there has been like a clear covering or something over the contacts and using a exacto knife to carefully scrap it off to expose them has made it work .. did you notice anything like that ?

[shimmishim]

i didn't notice anything clear over the two pads... i used a #2 pencil and just connected the two pads...

i will try again though....

in order for the board to be detected as sli... do i need to set the jumpers to sli?

it seems like in the link you gave you ddin't have to but in the anandtech guide it says you do...

if that's the case then i need to move the jumpers as well...

[RyderOCZ]

No, when it posts it should say NF4 SLI instead of NF4 ultra on the left side of the screen under the memory timings

[THunDA]

Ive heard when you use a pencil its best to make it dull.. In other words dont use a freshly sharpened pencil..

[Android Vageta]

$750 isnt that all bad a price for the 6800GT package.

[THunDA]

Yup, its actually a decent deal when you consider a bridge comes with them it too.. :)

[THunDA]

Ok the modding gets better now..

Here is a new NF4 mobo from dfi.."DFI NF4-D".. (http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=BA21367) Its like all the others but the chipset doesnt have SLI and SataII enabled..

Well here is the good part.. It can be modded to SLI and also SataII.. :)

http://img129.echo.cx/img129/993/mod6jt.jpg


The best part about it.. is that this mobo costs $117. @ mwave.. and then the bridge is $19.99... this makes it a much better deal now then buying the SLI mobo..

:)

[shimmishim]

are there only certain drivers that work with the ultra converted to sli? or do all drivers work once the board has been converted to an sli board?

[malinois1]

They used the exact same drivers. The chipsets are exactly the same just some features disabled by not completeing traces on the circuit board. When you finish mod and set jumpers and boot up it will be recognised as SLI ;)

[THunDA]

are there only certain drivers that work with the ultra converted to sli? or do all drivers work once the board has been converted to an sli board?


Well like malinois1 said this is a hardware mod.. The thing is that DFI uses the same exact pcb for all the nf4 mobo's.. and all the drivers do is check whats enabled on the chipset of the mobo and loads up that..

There is no WAY that drivers will be able to detect the mod.. :)

[shimmishim]

well... try #2 failed... :(

dunno what i'm doing wrong...

[Rukee]

I tryed the SLI mod and now my board will not post.
I must have shorted the two with that little diod or whatever it is right next to the two spots you cross. I used an XP unlock kit with conductive grease.
Removing the mod and the board still doesn`t post, LED lights are on, hit the power button and the fans twitch, but nothing else.
Fook it, I just ordered the SLI board, so much for saving some money.

[shimmishim]

sad rukee...

that's strange your board won't work... mine at least works still but still says ultra at boot up...

maybe i need to shut it down longer?

[Rukee]

*update*
My MB is fine, it`s the power supply that just took a crap at the same time I tryed this mod.

[Rukee]

If I don`t have the second card yet (on order) how can I verify that the SLI mod works??
Is there a utility or anything that will say if the MB is SLI capable?

[shimmishim]

when you boot up on the boot up screen right under the ram timings and such...

it'll say SLI

when mine boots it says nforce ultra or something like that

if sli is enabled, it'll say nforce SLI or something to that effect

[THunDA]

sad rukee...

that's strange your board won't work... mine at least works still but still says ultra at boot up...

maybe i need to shut it down longer?


hmmm.. So it doesnt say SLI on the left side of the post screen ?

Did you clear the cmos after the mod ?


@Rukee .. good to hear.. :)

[shimmishim]

yes. i cleared the cmos but still no go.

in the link... it says he used an xacto knife to cut the epoxy coating down to the contact points... wehre exactly did he scrape away?

[Rukee]

It goes thru the splash screen so fast I can`t see it. But there does seem to be another option in the BIOS to enable dual 6600 GT support, maybe that`s what I was looking for as I don`t remember seeing it in the Genie screen before.

[THunDA]

yes. i cleared the cmos but still no go.

in the link... it says he used an xacto knife to cut the epoxy coating down to the contact points... wehre exactly did he scrape away?


On some of the chips there is a clear coating on top of the contacts that you need to bridge.. and if thats there when you connect them it wont work.. You need to take a exacto knife and carefully scrape the top of the contacts this way whatever you use for bridging them makes contact with them..


It goes thru the splash screen so fast I can`t see it. But there does seem to be another option in the BIOS to enable dual 6600 GT support, maybe that`s what I was looking for as I don`t remember seeing it in the Genie screen before.

Rukee I believe if it says that then it worked... im gona see if I can find a bios screenie to see..

[THunDA]

http://img191.echo.cx/img191/2708/ultradbios127ne.jpg

[Rukee]

I had the full screen logo enabled, I wasn`t seeing that screen, I dissabled the full screen logo and now I do see that screen, and it says SLI. :)

[THunDA]

I had the full screen logo enabled, I wasn`t seeing that screen, I dissabled the full screen logo and now I do see that screen, and it says SLI. :)


SWEET !! Congrads.. :rock:

[shimmishim]

:)

third times a charm...

got an sli board now woohoo!!! :)

[THunDA]

:)

third times a charm...

got an sli board now woohoo!!! :)

Congrads dude.. !!

Happy to hear yours and Rukee's success..


:thumbs:

edit..

Modding Junkie's dont give up !! hehe

[shimmishim]

Its been weird that i havne't had to mod my mobo at all with the DFI board...

I'm so used to doing vmods to my mobos but the DFI board has no need so it was a nice change getting to mod my board :)



:)

third times a charm...

got an sli board now woohoo!!! :)

Congrads dude.. !!

Happy to hear yours and Rukee's success..


:thumbs:

edit..

Modding Junkie's dont give up !! hehe

[Rukee]

I got the second GT card, which ones of the jumpers do I change between the PCI-e slots? all of them??

[THunDA]

Yupper... both need to be moved.. :)

[Rukee]

both? there are like 6 sets of jumpers between PCI-e slots.

[shimmishim]

both sets i think he means... but yes... all of them...

don't forget to plug in the molex into the mobo as well!

[THunDA]

both sets i think he means... but yes... all of them...

don't forget to plug in the molex into the mobo as well!


Yup..shimmishim is right.. you need to move all of them.. Sorry I wasnt clear.. :)

And yes dont forget to unplug psu and even press the power button a few times.. thats always good to get any left over power out that might be lingering in the system..

[Rukee]

when I have all of them in the normal or the first two jumpers(those closest to the center of the MB) in the SLI place, then BIOS Genie page shows an option to enable dual 6600 GT support. If I put all 6 jumpers in the SLI place then that option is gone. It doesn`t see the other card at any time. No matter where I put the jumpers, in the display properties theres only one card. Both cards work by themselves, SLI bridge for the two cards was brand new, even if it was bad, the MB and windows should still see the two cards..

[Rukee]

well, I take that back, on the left it`s listing (2) cards, but no SLI option.

pic (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v675/Rukee/sli.jpg)

[Rukee]

haha, what`s up with the wacked out desktop screenshot? I bet that`s the second cards desktop and a printscreen got both?

[THunDA]

haha, what`s up with the wacked out desktop screenshot? I bet that`s the second cards desktop and a printscreen got both?

OMG.. that is funny looking..


Did you follow ExRoadie's guide.. ?

Shutdown, changed SLI jumpers, mounted both cards and SLI bridge, cleared CMOS and reset BIOS defaults. Rebooted then set the BIOS as desired.

This time it booted, found the SLI and started the configuration wizard. The cards installed and before long we were off to benchmarking.

[THunDA]

Oh.. did you uninstall your existing drivers first ?

I would think they need to be reinstalled..

[Rukee]

well, with all 6 jumpers in the SLI place, and doing as you said, it now sees both cards in windows, but no SLI tabs in the display properties anymore. It does say SLI in the splash screen, I do have the SLI bridge connected between the two cards.

[THunDA]

Did ya try and reinstall the drivers ?

[Rukee]

Did ya try and reinstall the drivers ?
Just tryed, still the same, sees both cards but no SLI tab to ebnable them. Also with all 6 jumpers in the SLI place the Dual 6600 GT Support option is gone in the BIOS.

[THunDA]

Did ya try and reinstall the drivers ?
Just tryed, still the same, sees both cards but no SLI tab to ebnable them. Also with all 6 jumpers in the SLI place the Dual 6600 GT Support option is gone in the BIOS.


I would try a fresh install of windows and see if that fixes it.. I dont think it has to do with the mod because it does show SLI on the post screen.. I think the problem is with windows..

[Rukee]

a fresh install did not do the trick....and now only one card is seen by windows again, even with the SLI bridge off only one card is seen with all 6 jumpers in the SLI mode.

[Rukee]

When just the first two jumpers, the ones nearest the chipset heat sink and fan are in the SLI place and the rest are in the normal place, I see the SLI tab in windows, but no option to enable it. Both PCI-e slots work as I can install a single card in either slot and it posts and boots.

[THunDA]

You do have all of the power connectors plugged into the mobo right ?

4pin molex.. 3pin .. atx.. 12v ..

You cleared cmos also ?

Sorry dont mean to ask the easy things... just want to make sure..

edit..

If you sign up at dfi-street and post a link to this thread HERE (http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10736) maybe Exroadie or someone else can help you better then I can..

[THunDA]

Just to let everyone know the SLI bridge from Leadtek is available at Newegg.. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814998001)

@ Rukee.. Did you ever get that sorted with the different bios versions on your cards ?

[Rukee]

I`m suppost to get the cards back from BFG today.
The SLI MOD did work however, I have a Gigabyte DC 6600 GT card running in SLI right now. ;)

[Rukee]

what a bunch of crap. They flashed both cards to the same BIOS ver, but they still sent me back two cards with diffrent PCB layouts. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v675/Rukee/diffrences.jpg) They never actualy tested them in SLI. One card installed and windows says add a second to enable SLI, put the other one in alone and no SLI tab at all, windows is saying it`s not SLI compadable. After an hour on the phone....BFG is now cross shipping me two new 6600 GT OC cards.....with the same layout I hope. :beat:

[THunDA]

what a bunch of crap. They flashed both cards to the same BIOS ver, but they still sent me back two cards with diffrent PCB layouts. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v675/Rukee/diffrences.jpg) They never actualy tested them in SLI. One card installed and windows says add a second to enable SLI, put the other one in alone and no SLI tab at all, windows is saying it`s not SLI compadable. After an hour on the phone....BFG is now cross shipping me two new 6600 GT OC cards.....with the same layout I hope. :beat:


Aww man.. Nice of them to be sending you two cards.. but woulda been nice to get it right the first time.. :(

I hope it all works out for you..

[BB_One]

Elected to rip off my Chipset cooler from my DFI Ultra D today to put some AS 5 in hope of having better cooling of the chipset, so what the heck while I was in there, took a number 2 pencil and dotted the stated area.

Rebooted and u guessed it, me now have an SLI Mobo !

[malinois1]

Nice one BB :thumb: . I modded mine before I even pwred up the board for the first time. It is a very simple mod. The NF4 D would be a hell of a deal for someone wanting to save money. Mod to SLI and sataII for $117. Now that is one hell of a deal for the arguabaly the best performing NF4 board out there!!!

[BB_One]

My understanding is that with newer Ultra, nVidia did something ( coat of ceramique or something) to prevent users from doing that.
Note that it would not stop me from chipping away at the ceramique carefully in that area mind you...but not as easy I guess.

Edit: Sata II always has been / is there with the Ultra....that additional mod is required for the plain nf4. but as u say just as easy.

[bwohl]

If anyone has grabbed some of these along with some cheap optys....I have 5 sli bridges left. They are a green pcb and are short in length and fit the Ultra D boards great. This mod still works great. bwohl@hotmail.com