Hi all,this is the correct way to install and setup crossfire for them that dont know.

Vista users make sure you have these updates:
KB940105
KB936710
The third and only available by request form from Microsoft KB945149

1. Start by removing drivers with the ATI uninstall utility via the add remove programs in control panel.

2. Then uninstall the current display adapter (s) via device manager.

3. Power down and remove second card (if applicable).

4. Boot normally and install catalyst version of choice.

5. Power down and install second card (do not connect crossfire bridge at this point!)

6. Boot and cancel out hardware installation wizard. (xp users only).Vista will install drivers for second card automaticly.

7. Find second card in device manager (the display adapter with the yellow triangle) and right click to "update drivers. (xp users only).

8. Power down and connect crossfire bridge (s).

Your now good to go.

PS one or two interconects, you use 2 to give more bandwidth between the 2 cards.

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AMD 965BE @4.032GHZ 24/7 VCORE 1.528v TEMPS 32C/52C
MSI 790FX GD70
3 X SAPPHIRE 4890 OC's 991/1100
4 GIG G-SKILL RIPJAWS 1600 @ 7 7 7 24 1.65v RUNNING @1680MHZ
4 SAMSUNG F1 750 GIG SATA II HDD's 2X RAID 0
THERMALTAKE ARMOR+ FULL TOWER CASE
THERMALTAKE TOUGHPOWER MODULAR 850W
THERMALTAKE BIGWATER 760IS WC
28" HANNS-G LCD 1920X1200 3ms
WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE 32bit OS


Edited: 03/20/2009 at 12:45 PM by moorhen2

how much difference dose it make?

i have 4 x ATI 3870's and how i install on vista as is follows :

all four cards and bridge's installed and connected
install ati drivers from windows / after install driver prompts for the computer to be restarted and bingo vista loads CCC loads up on the crossfire section showing you that all four cards are in crossfire and give me the option tab of how many GPU's i can use ... default it loads up in quadfire using all for GPU's

it runs fine .... i dont remove cards unless im cleaning dust from pc an parts ... when i update i just uninstall drivers delete the old ati driver folder then install new drivers ... thats how ive always done it?

is this wrong? and please exlplain in detail why

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AMD Phenom II 940BE - M3A32MVP WiFi edtion - 4 X 2 Gig Geil Black Dragon 4-4-4-12 @ 800Mhz - 2 X Asus ATI HD4870 512MB Cross Fired - Sound Blaster Extreme Gamer Pro - 2 X SATA 250Gig Maxtor HDD Set In Raid 0 Running VISTA64Bit - 1 X SATA Samsung 500Gig HDD Set In IDE Mode Running VIST32Bit - 1 X IDE Pioneer Dual Layer DVD Burner - Hipper 880Watt - 32inch HD TV

Ok, if you want to run a crossfire setup you should only have one card installed to start with,then follow the procedure stated,do you have the updates i mentioned above,one is a must have and only available by request form from Microsoft KB945149 if you dont have the updates mentioned your crossfire setup is not running to its full potential.

KB940105 =pertains to Virtual Address space/memory usage.
KB936710 =for multi gpu scenarios.
KB954149 =assresses how the DMA (direct memory access)packet schedules work to the LDA (linked display adapter).

You should also make sure you have these updates as well KB938194 and KB938979.

-------------------------
AMD 965BE @4.032GHZ 24/7 VCORE 1.528v TEMPS 32C/52C
MSI 790FX GD70
3 X SAPPHIRE 4890 OC's 991/1100
4 GIG G-SKILL RIPJAWS 1600 @ 7 7 7 24 1.65v RUNNING @1680MHZ
4 SAMSUNG F1 750 GIG SATA II HDD's 2X RAID 0
THERMALTAKE ARMOR+ FULL TOWER CASE
THERMALTAKE TOUGHPOWER MODULAR 850W
THERMALTAKE BIGWATER 760IS WC
28" HANNS-G LCD 1920X1200 3ms
WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE 32bit OS

hmm, back in the 2900 days the way I set up our customers CF setup was that first I would put the frist 2900 in the primary slot and them fire it up install drivers and blaah and then stuck in the 2nd 2900 in the secondary slot and connected the two bridges and thats that,hehe I wonder if that dudes pc is still running or even if he has one, that setup was done a crummy TT purepower 500w , dont ask why, I almost got fired because of that guys idiocy towards psu's(he kept saying watts is what counts, amps mean nothing{this is tatooed in my head}) if I wast that guys assembler I would've hit his head with that 500 psu.




I wonder how moorhen's name is pronounced, {more hen?}

What's crummy about the 500W TT PSU's, I use one of those in my HTPC - 9950BE, M3A32-MVP, Zalman 9700 HSF, 8800GTS, 4GB (4 x 1GB) DDR2-800 RMA, ASUS Xonar D2X Soundcard, Hauppage DVB-S2 TV Tuner, 2 x HDD's, DVD-RW, 2 x 120mm Case fans, Vista HP 32-bit...never had any trouble with it at all...though it doesn't get used for gaming at all, it does do a lot of video conversion..

Is there a particular problem I should know about the TT 500W PSU..???

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3DMark06 = 20717 / 3DMark Vantage = P13618 / My Overclock Guide / My Troubleshooting Guide

ok i'll give it a try... i downloaded all the updates you said but it says "Dose Not Apply To Your System" ? when i try to install any on them ? ... so i'll try your way to see if any difference .. thx for advise ... the only bugger , is four cards are a tight fit and cant be bothered at the moment ... but i will try it just to see if any difference

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AMD Phenom II 940BE - M3A32MVP WiFi edtion - 4 X 2 Gig Geil Black Dragon 4-4-4-12 @ 800Mhz - 2 X Asus ATI HD4870 512MB Cross Fired - Sound Blaster Extreme Gamer Pro - 2 X SATA 250Gig Maxtor HDD Set In Raid 0 Running VISTA64Bit - 1 X SATA Samsung 500Gig HDD Set In IDE Mode Running VIST32Bit - 1 X IDE Pioneer Dual Layer DVD Burner - Hipper 880Watt - 32inch HD TV

is that TT 500w a purepower or a Toughpower, coz I was refering to a PR 500w, which had an efficiency rating of 70% and was of dual railed design rated @ 12v1(15A),12v2(14A) and that guy had the guts to run two 2900's with that along with 2gb's of cheap"o pqi rams and 3 hdds, in a chinese case which had only a 80mm exhaust fan at the back.

Hi Orn...

Its a Toughpower version I have... got a 750W Toughpower in main PC and 500W Toughpower in the HTPC...

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3DMark06 = 20717 / 3DMark Vantage = P13618 / My Overclock Guide / My Troubleshooting Guide

no wonder it's holding up so well, and WHY THE HECK IS THERE A 8800GTS FOR A HTPC!

LOL>.. it was going spare, so I just dropped it in, probably wouldn't get much for it on eaby anyway...its the old 320MB version though..!!

I've got a 3870 in the bedroom HTPC as well...LOL..!!

All my main PC hand me downs...!!

-------------------------

3DMark06 = 20717 / 3DMark Vantage = P13618 / My Overclock Guide / My Troubleshooting Guide

this is not fair, not fair at all!

orn your display pic is trippy

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I7-975 at 4.2ghz//noctua ND-H14//Gigabye X58-UD5// Gskill 6gb ddr3 at 2ghz// intel x25 80gb// 1 1TB seagate hdd// antec tpq 1200 watt psu// CM stacker 832 case/ ECS GTX 460 1GB black edition



Opteron 165 at 2.2ghz 1.4Vcore//Asus formula HD4770//2gb OCZ platinum 2-3-2-5//Asus A8VE-SE//Seagate 2x 250gb SATA2 RAID0// thermalrock dragon gaming case 5 90mm fans// XP pro SP2//

yeah its trippy!

Orn,thats what i say to the wife "more hen".lol.

-------------------------
AMD 965BE @4.032GHZ 24/7 VCORE 1.528v TEMPS 32C/52C
MSI 790FX GD70
3 X SAPPHIRE 4890 OC's 991/1100
4 GIG G-SKILL RIPJAWS 1600 @ 7 7 7 24 1.65v RUNNING @1680MHZ
4 SAMSUNG F1 750 GIG SATA II HDD's 2X RAID 0
THERMALTAKE ARMOR+ FULL TOWER CASE
THERMALTAKE TOUGHPOWER MODULAR 850W
THERMALTAKE BIGWATER 760IS WC
28" HANNS-G LCD 1920X1200 3ms
WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE 32bit OS