SLI Question

I just downloaded and installed the CPUID Hardware Monitor for the first time. I also recently installed the Dell Hybrid graphics driver on their site. Should I install anything beyond that at this point?

My main concern is that I noticed that one 280 chip core is "idling" (as I web browse and do miscellaneous things) at a temperature that's much higher than the second chip. Is this normal? Maybe only one chip is being used generally for standard activities? I'm looking at 49C versus 36C in the other chip. This is actually higher than the processor chip which is apparently around 36-39C as well.

 

Hi Fezziwig

Perfectly normal. If using Hybrid, then 9400 will be used in 2D, but when switching to SLI enabled/supported game or benchmark such as 3dMark/Vantage ( http://www.futuremark.com/), you should see your other GPU warming up, if you just need the reassurance the second GPU is there and working when needed.

Also just rest your hand behind the rear-right grill (facing screen), and you can see if you get cold/tepid/warm air, plus fan ramping up - which are analogue good indicators too

Regards

Trelawney

 

Trelawney, thanks. I've determined through manually forcing SLI by globally forcing alternate frame rendering 1 or 2 that the second GPU does heat up. My guess is that when you have the 280s active and are just web browsing, only one of the GPUs is being used in the nVidia preferred mode (in contrast to when you force the alternate frame rendering). When SLI is actually being used the second GPU seems to heat up to around the temperature that the first GPU is at.

As another note of interest, when playing Aion I've found it is beneficial to globally force alternate frame rendering as it tends to keep the temperature of the GPUs down. Aion normally does NOT support SLI, so forcing it takes some of the processing off the one chip. I just hope more games take advantage of SLI in the future so you can get an actual performance increase, and not just a temperature increase!