Hey guys, heres a question, i'm planning on going SLI. I've got a Leadtek 8800GT. Can I use another brand or must i stick with leadtek? Cause i'm using the 8800gt with the zalman. The only other brand which has the fan is the gigabyte which i'm planning to get because its easier to find online.

another thing is, everything in my computer is SLI ready except for my ram. I'm currently using 4gb of kingston value ram. Do i need to get SLI ready RAM as well?

the brand doesnt have to be the same as long as its the same eg.8800gt. it will work.

www.slizone.com/object/s...wto_install.html

i would try using your current ram then if you need you can buy it later on.

there is no such thing as SLI ready RAM.

Only 2 things in your system must be "SLI Ready". Your graphics cards and motherboard. Your power supply dosent need to be SLI certified, it just needs to be powerful enough to power the two cards you are putting in it and have enough power connectors.

Your RAM isnt even extra stressed due to SLI.

◄ŞKyЯЇDΣ► writes...

there is no such thing as SLI ready RAM.

really? how come there are ram which are listed as SLI ready? the few brands who are producing more of this type of ram is mainly Crucial and OCZ... even corsair is coming out with it. There is quite a number of SLI ready rams on the market already.

NVIDIA's name for EPP memory that has been qualified for performance and stability is "SLi-ready memory".

It just makes overclocking the RAM nuch easier with out any know how, but only if your motherboard supports Enhanced Performance Profiles.

WiLLy88 writes...

SLI ready RAM

marketing gimmick.

::_rapTURE writes...

marketing gimmick.

Ye. Exactly. The RAM is not stressed in the slightest by SLI. Infact the only thing that really is, is the PSU. And even that its really only in gaming.

◄ŞKyЯЇDΣ► writes...

Ye. Exactly. The RAM is not stressed in the slightest by SLI. Infact the only thing that really is, is the PSU. And even that its really only in gaming.

+1

SLi ready RAM is just a money spinner.

Cheers,
Holden Mad

Case, RAM and all the other stuf classed as SLi-Ready are because they 'look good'. Have a look on nvidia website for sli ready. if not I'll post link when i have time.

WiLLy88 writes...

I've got a Leadtek 8800GT. Can I use another brand or must i stick with leadtek?

Yes you can mate.. The only thing that MUST MATCH is the GPU.. e.g. 8800GT and the new card must be 8800GT but can be Asus and have 1 GB on board and even run at a different clock speed :)

with the zalman
If you have after market fans be sure the cards will still fit together with them installed.

Do i need to get SLI ready RAM as well

No you dont NEED to get SLI ready RAM. BUT...

Contrary to what everyone else is saying here, the "SLI ready" RAM is not a gimik and is a good idea if you are an enthusiast.

Why get it? SLI Ready = Lower Latency, Higher Quality, Specifically engineered for higher speeds and room for over clocking.. they usually also assume that you will need better cooling so they come with heat sinks installed and so on.

Willy.. if the budget allows mate.. go SLI Ready - this will ensure you have enthusiast quality memory and you will know you can push your PC way past standard manufacturers original specs.

I recommend Kingston's HyperX memory range and Corsair's Dominator series ;)

www.kingston.com/HyperX/...ucts/default.asp

www.corsair.com/partners...lt.aspx?p=nvidia

thanks for the reply guys... i'm just using it mainly for gaming. so i guess my ram is good enough. =) looks like i can save some cash... ^^

1derdog writes...

Contrary to what everyone else is saying here, the "SLI ready" RAM is not a gimik and is a good idea if you are an enthusiast.

Yes, SLI Ready RAM will give you a 0.25-0.5% difference to your frame rates, well worth the extra money

oh and if you guys are looking for SLI ready ram... if you're interested, ebay is a good place to buy it. especially from the international sellers from america. Cause the aussie dollar is so strong... the same ram i saw in Aus is about 150 dollars, but on ebay, its about 100 USD including postage. Thats about 110 aus. not too bad i reckon...

WiLLy88 writes...

oh and if you guys are looking for SLI ready ram...

Im happy with my 4GB of OCZ ReaperX 1000MHz thanks. :)

I think i read somewhere that "SLI READY" ram in addition to what "1derdog" said, helps when using graphic cards in SLI configuration. I allows the memory or something (i can't fully remember what it said) to be optimized with the graphics memory so that some of the things in the graphics are sent to the RAM leaving more space for extra things on the GPU memory (not that you'll need it..lol), but the difference isn't much at all and unless you have money to spend for the fun of it or maybe only want it for looks, (cause most SLI READY Rams look good too), then go ahead and get it, other wise its kind of a waste of money.

sli ram?? something equivalent to dual channel ram? lol

eL-Hak3r writes...

I think i read somewhere that "SLI READY" ram in addition to what "1derdog" said, helps when using graphic cards in SLI configuration. I allows the memory or something (i can't fully remember what it said) to be optimized with the graphics memory so that some of the things in the graphics are sent to the RAM leaving more space for extra things on the GPU memory (not that you'll need it..lol), but the difference isn't much at all

That is BS. Sorry mate but it is. Your RAM makes absolutely NO difference AT ALL to SLI.

You are quoting significantly more words than you have written.
Consider whether you need to quote at all -- unless you are quoting to respond to a specific statement, it's usually easier to just mention who you're responding to.
Otherwise, trim the quoted passages down as much as you can.

If I was you, I would get the cheapest ram you can find. It makes no difference if you pay more for the exact same thing in your case.

1derdog writes...

Contrary to what everyone else is saying here, the "SLI ready" RAM is not a gimik and is a good idea if you are an enthusiast.

But even if it is better than normal ram, it still has absolutely no link to sli. It's just better ram.

Otherwise maybe we could have sli ready cpus and hard drives! ;)

I found this on the SLI forum, so what it means i dont know

Q: Is SLI-Ready RAM required for SLI?
A: No, this is purely optional. SLI-ready RAM is a specialized version of EPP, or Enhanced Performance Profiles. This is a feature that is supposed to maximize performance by automatically adjusting clock speeds and timings based on the motherboard and chipset, but as some users have found, this doesn't work as advertised and adjustments are best done manually.

forums.slizone.com/index...?showtopic=17665

eL-Hak3r writes...

I allows the memory or something (i can't fully remember what it said) to be optimized with the graphics memory so that some of the things in the graphics are sent to the RAM leaving more space for extra things on the GPU memory (not that you'll need it..lol),

Umm mate.. do you realise how ridiculous that sounds. How the hell is the RAM going to determine what gets sent to it? DOes it sweet talk the GPU does it?

Puhlease.

SLI ready RAM is a total crock, RAM is doing sweet FA more in an SLI setup than it is in a standard setup. It's just fricken RAM.

1derdog writes...

Why get it? SLI Ready = Lower Latency, Higher Quality, Specifically engineered for higher speeds and room for over clocking.. they usually also assume that you will need better cooling so they come with heat sinks installed and so on.

All of which has pretty much zero to do with SLI. Therefore gimmick.

Look, This "SLI Ready RAM" is just EXACTLY the same as normal OCZ 800MHz, except with a big shiny SLI badge on it and price tag following suit.

All the stuff to do with EPP is just silly. EPP hasent made any difference AT ALL since people talked about DDR 400 like we now talk about DDR3.

shaunf writes...

Umm mate.. do you realise how ridiculous that sounds.

Sounds exactly like a marketing gimmick ;)

Sounds exactly like a marketing gimmick ;)

Nail on the head mate. :)

I think you are all focusing on the performance and speed factors here.. SLI certified = better heat dissipation + lower latencies + more over clocking capabilities..

No one in the office environment overclocks their pc so word cranks harder.. so throw in cheap as chips.. but in the gaming arena you may well find the enthusiast wanting to over clock.. so throw in ram that has heat sinks and better chips with low latency for longer life and harder thrashing.. simple really..

you dont gotta have it.. but it isnt a gimmik

1derdog writes...

you dont gotta have it.. but it isnt a gimmik

Is that that hard to understand that technically there is NO SUCH THING AS "SLI READY RAM" ??

It's just good RAM. RAM with awesome timings, great heat dissipation etc.

What the HELL has it got to do with SLI!?

WiLLy88 writes...

another thing is, everything in my computer is SLI ready except for my ram. I'm currently using 4gb of kingston value ram. Do i need to get SLI ready RAM as well?

Ive used SLi setups with generic ram and its worked fine. So-called "SLi-Certified" memory is generally a step above a companies budget ram. If you have the money sure go for it, but then again if youve got the money it would be better spent on higher specced ram.

shaunf writes...

That the HELL has it got to do with SLI!?

You can sit it on your SLI configuration and it does nothing : D

shaunf writes...

It's just good RAM. RAM with awesome timings, great heat dissipation etc.

The best summed up comment so far. SLI ready is a nice marketing term to suck in nieve buyers.

It is no different to standard high quality RAM. A shiny badge and gimmicky features do not justify the additional cost.

Even if SLI ready RAM offered slightly lower latencies and slightly better overclockability, this only translates to a bees dick of a difference compared to good quality RAM.

Anyways i'm off to MSY to buy an sli ready burner, sli ready power cables, and of course - an sli ready northbridge cooler. Should provide a modest increase in performance.

◄ŞKyЯЇDΣ► writes...

That is BS. Sorry mate but it is. Your RAM makes absolutely NO difference AT ALL to SLI.

Which is why i said don't get it, i just said what i heard about it from someone else, that doesn't mean thats its true though, i also agree that its BS and that it doesn't make any or HARDLY any difference at all, so if you buy it, you'll only buy it for "LOOKS", thats all OTHERWISE THEY ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN NORMAL RAM AND ARE JUST MONEY WASTERS.

eL-Hak3r writes...

i just said what i heard about it from someone else, that doesn't mean thats its true though, i also agree that its BS

So you like posting BS? lol ;-) That's how BS spreads dude.

WiLLy88 writes...

everything in my computer is SLI ready except for my ram.

uh so you have "SLi ready" HDD, DVDROM, Monitor, Keyboard & Mouse too?

Don't fall for "SLi Ready" marketing tricks. It's just as dodgy as "HD Ready" TV's.

shaunf writes...

So you like posting BS? lol ;-) That's how BS spreads dude.

True, I didn't think of that..lol, But i just thought that it might be right, I DID SAY THAT IT WAS SOMETHING I HEARD FROM SOMEONE ELSE so, i thought maybe it was something that i didn't know about but anyway the main thing now is that i'm 150% sure that SLI READY RAM doesn't make any difference. SO UNLESS and i'll say this again, UNLESS YOU WANT TO EITHER WASTE MONEY OR GET IT FOR IT'S LOOKS THEN GO AHEAD AND BUY IT OTHERWISE NORMAL RAM (which are cheaper) PERFORM THE SAME!!!

PS. No offense to anyone who has SLI READY RAM.. :)

Lets just draw a line under this now.

It is not SLI RAM. Your RAM cannot effect your SLI setup. It just a BS marketing term.

And to whoever said it has better heat dissapation. Rubbish. It has EXACTLY the same heatsink as normal premium OCZ RAM.

◄ŞKyЯЇDΣ► writes...

And to whoever said it has better heat dissapation. Rubbish.

I think they were implying that the RAM labeled SLI ready, may have heat spreaders on them, whereas generic RAM has nothing at all.

◄ŞKyЯЇDΣ► writes...

Your RAM cannot effect your SLI setup Your ram certainly will affect your SLI system when you have overclocked the timings, been gaming hard for hours and the cheap shite overheats.
Think outside the square dude.. no one is saying the ram is for SLI alone or that there is some magical link between the two.. its just a certification that says you can crank this ram hard for gaming, overclock it, it has heat spreaders and lower latency, and better quality than normal.

1derdog writes...

Your ram certainly will affect your SLI system when you have overclocked the timings, been gaming hard for hours and the cheap shite overheats.

That can happen on ANY system not properly OC stress tested.

1derdog writes...

its just a certification that says you can crank this ram hard for gaming, overclock it, it has heat spreaders and lower latency, and better quality than normal.

It's still no different to saying the ram is 'Quad core certified'.

Some of the responses in this thread..are quite a laugh.

SLI certified is just a marketing gimmick for EPP (Enhanced Performance Profile). It's much the same as Intel's XMP profiles on RAM.
It does have some value though...it's not just a term.

All they do is add extra info to the SPD table for the RAM besides the usual JEDEC standards.
Which simply means NVIDIA based motherboards can read the EPP profile and adjust settings accordingly to the specifications, including voltage, timings and memory ratios.

DDR3 2000MHz is a good example. The kits currently available are SLI certified only. On a 790i motherboard, you can run these kits out of the box at 2000MHz and everything will be done automatically because of the EPP added profiles.
You wouldn't be able to do that on an X48 board. It would boot to whatever the JEDEC standard in the SPD is, then you would have to overclock the RAM to 2000MHz (assuming the board can handle that speed) and adjust the voltage/timings etc.

With EPP (SLI ready) and Intel's own XMP..it just makes things easier for the average user.

rockqc writes...

With EPP (SLI ready) and Intel's own XMP..it just makes things easier for the average user.

Very well said rock.

But my point being that it still makes no difference to SLI vs any other type RAM.

Its a gimmick marketing term. Also anyone who dosent know how to OC their DDR3 2000MHz, shouldn't be buying 2GHz DDR3. :P

So its just good RAM.

Also, to another poster, it dosent cerify anything about OCing or that. It just says "SLI certified". Implying, it will cause an SLI setup to run faster/better than with other RAM. Which is totally untrue.

If you want to REALLY OC, you should be considering 800MHz anyway. You should be looking at the likes of the OCZ ReaperX 1000MHz like i have.

THATS OCing RAM. It has a proper heat spreader on it. Only problem is that the heatsink is sooo wide, that you can only fit 2 RAM sticks on your mobo because of it. I have 2x 2GB.

◄ŞKyЯЇDΣ► writes...

to another poster, it dosent cerify anything about OCing or that. It just says "SLI certified". Implying, it will cause an SLI setup to run faster/better than with other RAM. Which is totally untrue.

Quoted Rockqc: All they do is add extra info to the SPD table for the RAM besides the usual JEDEC standards. NVIDIA based motherboards can read the EPP profile and adjust settings accordingly to the specifications, including voltage, timings and memory ratios.

What's untrue about saying it will handle gaming and overclocking better than average RAM (ref. Rockqc) and that it is above average memory? I don't think anyone said it would make it faster did they?

www.pccasegear.com/index...products_id=4808

OMG it makes SLI scale better because it has sli sticker

I think a better way to put the whole situation is not whether SLI Ready makes a difference (which it still doesn't :P) but whether you should even care and/or look for it as Willy asked and 1derdog recommends (if the budget allows mate.. go SLI Ready). It's a bit like dual channel certified; you'd wouldn't care if it was or wasn't just cos you know 99.9% if you buy two separate non-kit sticks it'll work given it's the same memory off the assembly line (heck even if not).

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

1derdog writes...

I don't think anyone said it would make it faster did they?

1derdog writes...

SLI Ready = Lower Latency, Higher Quality, Specifically engineered for higher speeds and room for over clocking.

1derdog writes...

I don't think anyone said it would make it faster did they?

1derdog writes...

SLI Ready = Lower Latency, Higher Quality, Specifically engineered for higher speeds and room for over clocking.
lol?