7950 GX2 Question

Hi All,

I've just purchase a New Dell XPS 700.

Of course I have been reading up on the Graphics Card I purchase and it is an Nvidia 7950 GX2 monster...great news :laugh4:

After checking out Anandtech and a few other sites it seems as if you need a specific Motherboard to support this Dual Card / 1 PCIe slot concept.

The question I have is how do I check the Motherboard type when I get the machine?...I know that is obviously a little late as I will already have the machine, but I assume Dell would not ship a GPU that requires a specific Motherboard and settings to make it work correctly and then not do this...of course I do want to check though. (I'm not a very trusting person you see :inquisitive:)

I have gone to the Nvidia website and found the supported Motherboard section so I have a list...the specific issue is...all Dell Machines use a generic "Dell" Motherboard model rather than the manufacturer they are using.

How do I really find out what Motherboard I have? And how do I make sure in the bios on the the board is configured correctly?

Thanks in advance for everyone's help.

Ugh, another Dell problem. Why? Why why why? Friends don't let friends buy Dells.

To answer your question, the best thing would be to contact Dell directly, and ask the nice Hindustani people about compatibility. Other than that, I can't think of a good resource. Dell does what Dell does, and it is not our place to question them.

Thanks Lemur.

It is not so much a problem as it is a paranoid type guy (me), wanting to make sure the Monster Graphics card I purchase with the machine is going to work correctly.

I'm getting closer I beleive.

I googled my Board part number and ended up getting a match on the following;

Dell Original Replacement Motherboard for Dell Dimension 8400 Series Intel 925X Express or Intel 925XE Express Chipset P4 775 Socket DDR2 BOARD ONLY.

So it seems Intel provided the Motherboard.

A question Lemur.

How do you go about pruchasing machines?

Intel mobos are usually quite stable, so you should be in luck. Next question is whether the power supply can handle the card ...

I can tell you how I bought my latest rig. I spec'd out my gaming rig at ibuypower and Monarch Computer, printed out the final prices, and took the printouts to my local rig-building geek. I asked him if he could equal those prices. He said no, so I ordered from the cheaper place (ibuypower). It came, a couple of things were wrong with it (wrong soundcard installed, a couple of loose cables, nothing major). I fixed the rig, got it working, and now I'm throwing my rig-building friend some cash by having him install an aftermarket cooler on the videocard.

Sure, I could have done it myself, but it's not a bad thing to slosh a little bit of cash around the local economy.

Nice thing about doing it this way is I chose every little component, got exactly what I wanted, and go the rig assembled for less than buying parts off NewEgg would have cost.

Thanks for the details Lemur. Certainly that is the best way to go about it.

I just don't have the time or patience to do it like you have.

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Originally Posted by Lemur

Ugh, another Dell problem. Why? Why why why? Friends don't let friends buy Dells.

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What is wrong with dell? If they are providing a rig with a GX2 then it will be as good as an Alienware rig with a GX2 and same CPU, RAM and mobo, the Alienware would usually cost twice the price as well . . .

Yes, but Alienware don't use proprietary mobos/PSUs. Upgrading Dells is a bitch.

As to the thread starter, there's no way that Dell are going to ship you a machine with a mainboard that doesn't support the graphics card.

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Originally Posted by Big King Sanctaphrax

Yes, but Alienware don't use proprietary mobos/PSUs. Upgrading Dells is a bitch.

As to the thread starter, there's no way that Dell are going to ship you a machine with a mainboard that doesn't support the graphics card.

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Thanks Big King S. You basically told me what I wanted to hear...which was someone easing my nerves about the situation. I'm just being a little paranoid.

Of course it helps that you are a mod..adds a little extra validitiy...cheers

The write ups from Anantech indicated that the card requires a specific mother board that supports certain things. I'm sure Dell will do that.

But again here is Tomshardware again saying that you require a special Motherboard plus a BIOS Flash to make sure the switch works:

"One other thing we would like to point out is that most motherboards will require a BIOS flash. Most boards do not recognize the PCIe switch that Nvidia uses on the GX2 series boards, even though that is part of the PCIe standard. Until recently, most companies have not produced consumer products utilizing this kind of device." This is what I would like to double check somehow.



Follow up question.

Does anyone know if the 1 Gig of ram will register on the PC or will it just show 512mb as the second card is basically mounted behind it on the same PCIe slot?

If you need a specific BIOS version, Dell will make sure it's there. Can you imagine how many complaints they'd get if you had to flash the BIOS to get the machine to work out of the box?

Ok...your right. I'm in paralysis by analysis at the moment!!

Thanks BKS.

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Originally Posted by Shaun

What is wrong with dell? If they are providing a rig with a GX2 then it will be as good as an Alienware rig with a GX2 and same CPU, RAM and mobo, the Alienware would usually cost twice the price as well . . .

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Hi Shaun,

I'm not clear on how my plaintive cry against the non-standard parts in Dell machines translated into support for Alienware. Which is owned by Dell.

Loved you in that movie with the zombies, BTW.

You're a bit too paranoid, I agree with BKS on this.:laugh4: