Brand New 6800GT.... SLi?

[Aprox]

I just got my XFX 6800GT in the mail today. I have tons of research on video cards to make sure I got the best value and performance for the money. I was under the impression that this card was SLi compatible. Upon opening the box up and getting the physical card out of the box I have found a large metal clip running the entire length of the card covering up the SLi connector slot. (will ul screeny later)

Model number: PVT45GUD
XFX 6800GT PCI-E

Please, any insight is highly appreciated. I really hope I didnt mess up and get a non SLi card... that would really burn me. Rep to those who can help.

 

[ShepsCrook]

This looks to be pretty common with some of the cards. You can just unscrew the metal bars covering the SLI to get to the SLI connection. I shouldn't say common, but it's been seen before.

It's like the 5th post down..,
http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/38623/?o=200
By Simon Kingsbury

 

[Aprox]

Hrm, thats interesting but doesnt anwser the question. It actually creates more of them

I attached a pic of the metal peice.
For a larger picture:
http://img169.echo.cx/img169/9006/videocardfull3lk.jpg

 

[zeke_mo]

Dont be such a baby and take it off

 

[ElementalDragon]

yeah....... what zeke said. lol. it's probably just there to make sure some idiot doesn't get one and somehow snap the SLI connector off. never know. SOMEONE might have done it somewhere, at some time.

 

[Aprox]

Yeah, perhaps... I am just getting bad vibes off this for some reason. Not a very reasurring feeling when you just spent 400 bucks

I shot an email to XFX, hopefully they can clear this all up and make me feel good about my purchase again

 

[Taggert_LOA]

i'm not sure why they would use metal. i'd be afraid of it touching the pins and shorting the card among other things.

 

[Sazar]

I wonder if that bar has anything to do with reducing the flex of the card?

I saw a similar bar on that massive dual core ultra pics that were floating around and it was designed to strengthen the card. Covering the sli connector with a little placebo clip would have protected it, not sure why they put a bar there.

Hopefully XFX can answer it for you.

By the way, does it appear you can unscrew the bar, clip on the SLi connector and then pop the bar back on? Is there suficient clearance?

 

[ElementalDragon]

Sazar, in the pic he posted, it doesn't look like there's anywhere near enough room to get the SLI bridge connector on there.

 

[Sazar]

Yah I know, but from that angle it doesn't shw the clearance (or lack thereof) so I just wanted to find out

To actually use the connector, he would have to take it off regardless if contact was made because of the material (as has been pointed out by others).

Just makes no sense to make a product like that, unless SLi is not enabled?

 

[Kush]

whats sli? :nervous:

 

[Aprox]

There is not enough clearence to install the SLi bridge. I did take the metal peice off and everything seems fine. It wasnt coving any parts or anything.

Just makes no sense to make a product like that, unless SLi is not enabled?

Thats what I am afraid of....

 

[ElementalDragon]

http://www.xfxforce.com/product_view.php?sku=PVT45GUD

right there it says that it's SLI Ready, and in the pic of the card there it does not appear that the metal piece is there, so i'm assuming that the metal bar is just there for a slight amount of extra added support if you're not using SLI.

themafia, if you're NOT kidding, SLI = using 2 video cards linked together using a small bridge chip between the two to show the image on a single monitor, so that you can have one card process one frame, and the other card process the next, and back and forth like that. or you can have them both generating the frames at the same time, but one card working with one half of the monitor, and the other card working with the other half, so it's split top-to-bottom. if you WERE kidding....... shame on u. :lick:

 

[gonaads]

It is called "Scalable Link Interface" (SLI)

If ya wanna know more go here

 

[Aprox]

Ok, I finally got an email back from XFX.

Dear customer:

The metal bar is for protection of the SLI connector.

Sincerely,

VGA Technical Support

Thanks for your input guys.

 

[ElementalDragon]

yeah. had a feeling that's all it was really there for. there must have been someone that busted that off once before.

taggert, referring to your post, it takes quite a bit of a shock from static to short something out. usually why most people choose to set whatever they're working on on top of the anti-static bag it ships with just to cut down on the chance. but in reality, it does take quite much. i've never shorted anything out, nor do i know anybody that has shorted out a part due to static, and 80% of our house is carpeted. i usually just have my arm touching somewhere on my case when i'm doing something inside my computer. dunno why.... guess it's just a habit. only time i don't really do that is when i install/take out a motherboard or somethin like that since.... well..... it'd be kinda hard assuming most mobo's take up almost the entire case from bottom of the PSU to the bottom of the case. kinda hard to squeak a mobo out with my arm touchin the case.

 

[ShepsCrook]

Woohoo! good news huh? Glad that's all it was. That basically seemed to be a general decision with my friends and I.

 

[Aprox]

Yeah, thats what I was thinking it was too.... but I just wanted to be sure.