Asus M3N78-EMH HDMI: NVIDIA technology

This chapter tells how to use the Hybrid

®

SLI

feature.

®

NVIDIA

technology

4

support

®

®

4.1 NVIDIA

Hybrid SLI

Technology

®

®

The motherboard supports the NVIDIA

Hybrid SLI

technology that includes two

®

®

primary features: GeForce

Boost and HybridPower™. GeForce

Boost enhances

the performance of NVIDIA discrete Graphics Process Units (dGPU) when they

work with the onboard motherboard GPU (mGPU). HybridPower™ unleashes the

graphics performance of the dGPU and enables low-power operation when the

performance of the dGPU is not needed. You can switch from the dGPU(s) to the

mGPU for a quiet, power-saving computer environment.

®

• Hybrid SLI technology is supported by Windows

Vista™ only.

• GeForce Boost supports up to two displays simultaneously (both connected

to either the mGPU or the dGPU).

• When two or more displays are connected to both the mGPU and the

dGPU, the Hybrid SLI mode is disabled and the multi-display mode is

enabled. In the multi-display mode, up to four displays could be connected

(up to two displays driven by the mGPU and up to two displays by the

dGPU).

• HybridPower requires displays to be connected to the mGPU. HybridPower

cannot be enabled when displays are driven through the dGPU.

• HybridPower and GeForce Boost are supported by certain set of dGPUs.

Go to www.nvidia.com/hybridsli to learn the supported GPUs.

4.1.1 System requirements

Before using Hybrid SLI, ensure if your system meets the following requirements:

For best GeForce Boost performance

• AMD Phenom 9600 CPU (operating at 1800Mhz or higher)

• 2 x 1024MB of DDR2-800 DRAM

• Discrete GPU recommended for GeForce Boost

• At least 256MB of Frame Buffer carve out for the motherboard GPU

For best HybridPower benets

• AMD Athlon X2 3800+ CPU (operating at 1800Mhz or higher)

• 2 x 1024MB of DDR2-667 DRAM

• Discrete GPU recommended for HybridPower

• At least 256MB of Frame Buffer carve out for the motherboard GPU

®

4-2 Chapter 4: NVIDIA

technology support

4.1.2 Enabling Hybrid SLI

• Before enabling GeForce Boost and HybridPower, ensure that you have

installed a dGPU recommended for GeForce Boost on your motherboard.

• Ensure that you have connected your display to the dGPU. Otherwise, the

motherboard cannot detect your display and no image appears.

To enable Hybrid SLI

1.

Turn on the system and press <Del> during the Power-On Self-Test (POST)

to enter the BIOS Setup Utility.

2. Go to

Advanced > Chipset > SouthBridge Conguration.

Set the

Primary

Graphics Adapter

item to [Internal VGA First], and

Hybrid SLI Mode

item to

[mGPU always enable]

.

See section

2.4.3 Chipset

for details.

SouthBridge chipset Conguration

Options

PCI VGA Card First

Primary Graphics Adapter [Internal VGA Firs]

Internal VGA First

Hybrid SLI Mode [mGPU always enable]

PCIE VGA Card First

Hybrid SLI Frame buffer Size [128MB]

AZALIA Audio [Internal codec+E}

Front Panel Select [HD Audio]

Onboard LAN [Auto]

OnBoard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]

SouthBridge ACPI HPET TABLE [Enabled]

3. Save your changes and Exit Setup.

4. Turn off the system, disconnect your display from the dGPU, and connect

your display to the onboard VGA port at the rear panel.

5.

Turn on the system and press <Del> during the Power-On Self-Test (POST)

to enter the BIOS Setup Utility.

6.

Go to

Advanced > Chipset > SouthBridge Conguration.

Set the

Hybrid

SLI Frame buffer Size

item to

[256MB]

. See section

2.4.3 Chipset

for

details.

SouthBridge chipset Conguration

Options

PCI VGA Card First

Primary Graphics Adapter [Internal VGA Firs]

Internal VGA First

Hybrid SLI Mode [mGPU always enable]

PCIE VGA Card First

Hybrid SLI Frame buffer Size [256MB]

AZALIA Audio [Internal codec+E}

Front Panel Select [HD Audio]

Onboard LAN [Auto]

OnBoard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]

SouthBridge ACPI HPET TABLE [Enabled]

4-3ASUS M3N78-EMH HDMI

7. Save your changes and Exit Setup.

®

8. From the Windows

desktop, go to

Start > Control Panel > User Accounts

and Family Safety

to turn off

User Account Control

.

9. Place the support DVD into the optical drive, and go to the

Drivers menu to

install the NVIDIA Chipset Driver Program.

10. Restart the system.

11. If the driver is correctly installed, you will nd the

Hybrid SLI icon on the taskbar.

The Hybrid SLI icon indicates that the system is

in Performance mode and that GeForce Boost

is enabled. The onboard GPU will share the

rendering load with the dGPU and boost the

performance of the dGPU.

12. Click the Hybrid SLI icon and select

Save Power

item.

13. The icon will change state (from

to ) to

indicate that the system is in Power Saving

mode, which means that the dGPU is turned off

and the mGPU is both rendering and displaying.

14. When the Power Saving mode is enabled, the dGPU does not show in the

®

Windows

Device Manager.

Power Saving mode is disabled. When the Power Saving mode is enabled, the

dGPU is turned off and does not appear in the

Device Manager.

®

4-4 Chapter 4: NVIDIA

technology support