DELL video cards and CLEVO video cards, differnt SLI/XFIRE connectors

is there some kind of solution for this problem? a connector that allows different vendor video cards to work, or must you buy video cards only for that vendor, in order to get sli working.

 

I've sold many Clevo 6970M in CF for AW owners, and they didn't report any problem. I don't know if they used the Clevo cable or their original cable though.

 

The Dell and Clevo cards use the same connector; meaning that the AMD cards from Dell and Clevo are the same and the nVidia cards from Dell and Clevo are the same (AMD and nVidia connectors are NOT the same though).

However, the cables are different; the cables from Clevo are shorter than the ones used by Dell due to the differences in system design. So using a Clevo cable in a Dell/AW SLi system wouldn't work because it's too short, but you can use a Clevo card in an Dell/AW SLi system because the connector is the same.

 

no that's not true at all, i have put in alienware gtx 280m cards in a clevo system and the clevo sli connector is slightly big, there slightly different, and come off easily. unless new cards some how fixed this error the issue exists,

 

Well, for the AMD cards, it's true, which is why I have two Clevo-type 6970Ms in my Alienware system.

I'm a bit surprised about the nVidia cards between Dell/AW and Clevo. Would you mind showing me a picture of the card and cable you're using?

 

i'm using the standard x8100 sli cable, same one x7200 uses, i haven't tested the 6970m, however the gtx 280m definitely noticeable with vendors, the sli connector is slightly smaller and clevo sli bridge has a hard time connecting with out it coming off, it doesnt even click in

 

I'm starting to see what you mean. I did some searching and I noticed that the Dell/AW and Clevo GTX 260M, 280M and 285M connectors are different from eachother. Here's a couple of pictures:

GTX 285M from Clevo (same PCB as the 280M from Clevo):

Imageshack - img1101q.jpg

Ebay listing of GTX 280M pulled from an AW M17x-R1 (click on enlarge to see pictures of the connector)

NVIDIA GTX 280M - MXM III B Alienware M17x M15x | eBay

The GTX 2xxM clevo card connectors seem to have an "I" shape connector, while the Dell/AW cards seem to have two small sockets at the ends of the connector.

However, if you look at the newer nVidia MXM cards, the SLi connectors actually look more like the Dell-type connectors, including the cards used in Clevo cards. Here are examples:

GTX 460M:

http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww19/kingkong888_2009/gtx460m-2.png

GTX 470M:

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/2717/470mfront.jpg

GTX 480M:

http://www.sfvogt.de/CLEVO_D900F/Clevo_D900F_480M_eingebaut.jpg

GTX 485M:

Imageshack - 485mmmm.jpg

Notice how although they're all Clevo cards, the "new" SLi connectors have the same box sockets at the two ends of the connector. What cards did the X8100 you have now come with originally because it seems as it's using the old SLi connectors...

 

I just spent about 10 minutes comparing the two 280M card pictures you showed, and I don't get the difference. Can you outline where these connectors are?

 

They're the beige rectangular rods towards the left end of the card. If you look at the short ends of the Clevo versions, they have no rectangular sockets, but for the Dell/AW and newer nVidia cards, the connectors do have them.

 

Maybe I just can't see... as much as I look, they're the same.