What happens when you SLI with 2 cards that have different Vram capacity?

[Saido77]

Idk i always wanted to know what could happen. I'm just curious. Thanks

[Lazirus]

both cards will use the lower of the two capacities.
i.e. if you run a 2GB card and a 1GB card together, both will use just 1GB each.

[Maverick]

per Nvidia sli will not work if the gpu's have different amounts of vram.
I have ran sli since 2009

https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/469402/sli/faq-quot-will-these-two-cards-work-in-sli-quot-sli-what-works-with-what-/

[banzaigtv]

The SLI will not work if both GPUs have different vRAM amounts. For example, attempting to SLI a GTX 680 4 GB with a GTX 680 2 GB will impair the 2 GB GPU and only the primary GPU will be active. The SLI will only work if the second GPU is also a 4 GB variant.

[_I_]

sli and crossfire will work with the same cards even if they have different ammoutns of vram
1g card + 2g card = 1g used on each card
since they clone the ram across both cards

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/sli/faq#c19

Can I mix and match graphics cards with different sizes of memory?

When purchasing a second graphics card, you should try to match the memory size so that you are ensured full value and performance from your purchase. However, while it is not recommended, NVIDIA does offer the flexibility to run graphics cards with different sized memory by using CoolBits. Using CoolBits (value set to 18), you can force both of the cards to use the lower of the two memory sizes and operate them together in SLI mode. When dissimilar memory sizes are enabled to work together using CoolBits, the effective memory size for each card becomes the smaller of the memory sizes.


When I configure two graphics cards in SLI mode, do the graphics cards work together to create double the memory size?

No. In SLI mode, each graphics card uses its own frame buffer memory to render a 3D application. The operating system will report a graphics card frame buffer memory size that is found on a single graphics board.

[[☥] - CJ -]

The reply in that post is saying that you dont get 4GB of total VRAM from 2 2GB GPUs if im reading that right.

either way, its best to not mismatch hardware.

[Saido77]

Thank you guys! Appreciate it

[The Grapist]

If your asking about the two cards you already have, you can try. But it most liekly wont work.
Just use the other card (lesser) as a physX card!

[HEX|S]

Different VRAM quantities would denote different model cards, as very seldom do cards have the same clock/mem speed but different quantities of VRAM. Rule of thumb is to keep to identical cards. NVIDIA is very picky regarding SLI, as the cards have to be almost the exact same; I have read on forums of people mix-n-matching cards like EVGA/ASUS and the results are horrible. AMD, from what I understand, can mix cards of the same series (HD77xx w/ HD77xx) but it will clock down to the lowest speed.