I recently built a new PC using two GTX 970 graphics cards and tried to enable SLI. However, the computer freezes when I run FurMark or even launch Steam. The mouse still moves, but I can't do anything else. Interestingly, when SLI is disabled in the Nvidia control panel, everything works perfectly. Here's my setup:
- CPU: 7350K
- Motherboard: STRIX Z270-H GAMING
- RAM: XPG D10 3200 C16 (8GB x2)
- Graphics Cards: Gigabyte GTX 970 Windforce (x2)
- System: Windows 11 25H2
I've tried updating the drivers and resetting the BIOS, but nothing seems to help. I'm looking for suggestions on what I can do to fix this issue.
5 Answers
Welcome to the tricky world of SLI! It sounds like your PC freezes when launching a game, rather than immediately when enabling SLI. Make sure you're using the right SLI bridge; the one you mentioned is listed for GTX 10 series cards, which could be part of the issue. Also, have you tried using DDU to completely uninstall the current drivers before reinstalling them? That can help sometimes!
Have you tried using older Nvidia drivers? They tend to have better support for SLI setups since Nvidia has been phasing out SLI compatibility over time. Some users have found that using older versions can resolve these freezing issues. Also, using technologies like lossless scaling might be a more effective way to improve performance without SLI.
That's an interesting suggestion! I just tested a different setup with 2x GTX 980Ti and the latest drivers, and SLI worked fine there, so I wonder if it is something specific to the 970s.
SLI is pretty much a relic at this point. If you're looking for better performance, selling the 970s and investing in a newer, single GPU might yield better results in the long run.
Honestly, if you're facing issues with SLI, you might want to consider not using it at all. It's becoming pretty outdated, and you could get better performance from a single, more powerful GPU instead.
It might sound like power isn’t an issue here, but have you checked your PSU ratings? Many people think 1700W is more than enough, but sometimes the power distribution can affect performance.
Thanks for the tips! I have tried reinstalling the drivers, but I'll look into using DDU as well. Just want to make sure everything's set up right!