Attached Link: -----> guu3d

you might want to try Driver Cleaner Pro, from guru3D. i loaded the beta 174.74 and P7 was vanishing when moving the cam and just the mouse pointer crossing over the preview window. uninstalling and going back to 169.21 didn't help, even tho it was fine before. Driver Cleaner Pro fixed me up. read the instructions, gotta use it in safe mode, and disconnect from the net. hope it works for you.  8-)

PS: it's free.

There is allot of settings in the bios with these nvidia boards, more than any other comp that
I have in the house. And a wrong setting can give you trouble, or no boot.

Just enable SLI and forget about it, mine is on all the time. I notice a slight momentary pause
when I first start to move the camera in poser. Then it moves in real time no matter how much
I have in there. Thant's when you'll see a boost, it's not like a 100% or 50% boost. But more
like 20 -30%. But I think that USB link is gonna slow you down. With computers you have to
think along the lines, that your only as fast as your weakest link. And that USB connection
is your weak link. The only things I have on my comp that'll use the SLI is one game and my
3d apps. And with the 3d apps it only kicks in when your moving the camera around, or moving
objects around. But your up to speed from your original post and that's a good thing.

BTW: what heatsink did you put on the CPU? I got a Zalman 9700 and I'll tell ya, ya gotta keep
on top of the dust collecting in the fins. Hope you got a door the swings open on your case.
I'm cleaning mine every month. Think I'm gonna change it out for a Tunic Tower tho.  8-)

8-)

Forgot to mention, the 8800 card's heatsink fan is set at 59% operation (default DOH). In the nvidia control panel go to "Adjust GPU Settings" you'll see the "GPU fan settings". Select "Direct fan control" then set to 100%, have to do this for both cards. The second card can take several tries to stick. It'll lower the running temps 6-10c. And these cards run HOT! They'll  operate at 80c with no problem, but that's hot. I got em running pretty comfortable, and it's 73°  F ambient in my room at the moment, but that's at 99% fan speed. You'll notice when  you select 100% it'll set at 99%. This setting isn't permanent either, have to do it upon every boot. They need to fix that, but you can get fan control apps that stay. 

8-)

Good deal on getting a return on your old board. The only boost you experience with SLI is when your moving around in 3D space, not during a render or browsing your object folders. But you have to have it set to opengl in the render prefs, not sreed. Opengl is what wakes up the slave card. And set the accumulation buffer to hardware. Poser is also a heavy swap file user, and XP64 allows you to set a big one. I have the swap file set at a fixed size (equal min & max values) so it doesn't resize or fragment. Poser being on a USB external may give you speed issues (access times).  I run it on my main drives, two WD 150gig raptors set in raid-0.

Are you familiar with going into the bios and set settings? There are some CPU setting that you
can disable, like the power down when idle, and speedstep. Think I only have one setting for
CPU enabled. Think the PCIe setting you want is default for nvidia chipsets. And the SLI ready
memory setting should be enabled, that way you get linked with the FSB and it's running at
at the CPUs frequency. But if I recall correctly you got 800 memory and not 1066, but you can
overclock the memory, but that's a whole nuther monster to tackle.

As for the "Manage 3D Setting" the default global settings is pretty good, you can add a profile
for poser (a profile just sets an app at the settings you want). I've set a profile for poser and you
can manage to crash poser selecting settings it doesn't like, it's a trial and error thing. That
screen shot of poser with the "SLI Visual Indicators" I didn't have a profile set for poser, but
you have to set the SLI Performance Mode setting to "Split Frame or either of the Alternate
rendering modes" in the global settings. And that's only because the Visual Indicator will only
display in those settings.

Just keep an eye out for Bios updates, it's a new chipset and they'll come along quick. Nvidia
is good about that, that last one was a microcode update and also Sata related.

Also, change your undo settings in poser. 30 is just way ridiculous. I got it set at 5.

That slowness you originaly posted about is gone now right?   8-)

LOL, I get this graph that automagically shows up in the preview window when I turn on the SLI visual indicators. It's shows how much of the load is being split up to the cards, and the green line will move up and down depending on the load. But you do have to change one setting, to get it to show. Bottom line poser is using SLI, and for me it's faster. SLI is driver and opengl driven.

softcris there was a new bios released at the end of March for the 780i, and new mother board
drivers are due out soon, if not already. Check you bios version on post, then go to the XFX site
and see what the latest is, and look for the MB drivers.

8-)

The 780i is probably allot more, but over at the EVGA forums people are saying it's agood
chipset. But they did have early problems just like anything else, BIOS updates fixed the
early issues. That board will set you up for later upgrades 8-).

I was looking at Samsung Plasma tvs when I was looking for a monitor for this rig. Went with
a lcd monitor tho. That's too bad they giving you trouble returning that board, keep trying tho
talk to someone higher up the ladder.

8-)

Sorry, didn't get an e-bot that you had replied. DOH!

Either one, the BFG or XFX boards you linked to will do. Looks like svdl got the skinny on
that Abit for ya. I paid $259.oo US a year ago for my board, and it's dropped to $200.oo
only if you can find em.  Have the shop make sure the bios is up to date and you'll be fine.

I use to do Asus, like three builds back, and your correct in saying thier support is whacked.
The Asus Striker I was considering getting for my newest build, but that board is/was full
of problems, but when working right is wicked.

Just a matter of time now. You'll get it!   8-)

Attached Link: Nvidia page for certified boards

650i chipset a big NO! Don't step back get current, can't stress 680i enough!

Again, that board isn't listed as certified. There are two Abit boards on the list but not that one.
Nvidias list use to have more boards listed, but got smaller with time. SLI is thier baby and
as development went along the 680i is the top of the dual SLI chips. Now they're getting into
the tri SLI and 700 chips.

The Abit they list is the "Abit IN9-32X (SBIOS=M622a 11.B01) the bios # indicating it needs
flashing. I have a abit comp running, I still use it and it's 10 years old.

But bottom line I'd difinitly be looking to get a 680i board and not a 680i LT, why step backwards
The MB ties everything together and you want the best there.

Tiger Direct has a EVGA 680i listed for sale
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2945260&Sku=E145-2012

If you looking local for the board see if you can find a "BFG NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI"
This board again is an EVGA 680i A1 with BFG on it 8-)
BFG is rather the newkid on the block, but I like em. Even have one of thier video cards.
http://www.bfgtech.com/bfgrinf680is.aspx

But what ever you do don't settle for what they got, get a 680i even if you have to have it
shipped. In the EVGA forums I've seen some guys in europe waiting weeks for thier order
to arrive tho.

Keep us posted with you progress  8-)

Attached Link: Link to -->XFXforce 680i SLI

Okay, good you haven't read that yet. I was tired when I typed it, just had woken up. To be clear, don't get the XFXforce 680i LT SLI, I had said T1and it was misleading. But do get the XFXforce 680i SLI, that's the same board as the EVGA 680i A1. The XFX 680i LT SLI  model isn't nvidia certified, and the XFXforce 680i SLI is certified. So most likely the LT might be running x16 and x8 in SLI.

Okay where straight then, you'r getting the "XFXforce 680i SLI " right?  LOL  8-)

Looking at a pic of that XFXforce 680i SLI, it's an EVGA A1 board! EVGA must be making them
for XFX, they're not the only company to have EVGA make their boards. Reason being EVGA
works directly with Nvidia when designing the boards. The lay out of that XFX is identical to
mine. I would ask the guys that put it in for you to make sure the latest bios is in, and if not
to flash it for you. You'll be a happy camper after you make the switch.  8-)

The XFXforce 680i SLI is listed on the Nvidia site as SLI Certified so go and get it! But make
darn sure it's not the XFXforce 680i T1 SLI, that one isn't listed as certified. Those are the only
two 680i boards XFX make, so again don't get the T1 model.  8-)

Your either gonna have to spent alot more if you stay with MSI, only their top of the line board
790i has 2x x16. Get an EVGA 680i A1 board, only $50.oo US more than the one you have.
It's a popular board and on back order on the EVGA site, but probably can find one somewhere.
But don't get the T1, it's the older brother to the A1 and had problems from the get go. They
replaced every board they sold and paid all shipping costs, it was that bad. And I think the T1s
on the market now are just the old ones but fixed. You got plenty of computing power, but you
gotta get the cards working to their potential. That's about typical pricing to go high end SLI, but
way better price than a store bought one like alienware. Good luck, and give a shout when you
get it all working!  8-)

PS: just look for the Nvidia SLI certified sticker on the mother board box or advertising. If it's
certified it's 2x x16.

whole reply didn't post hmmmmmmm.

The MSI 680i board spec from the MSI webpage shows (   Support Dual PCI Express 16X
interface with either 1x16 + 1x8 or 2x8 operation.) so your basicaly in the same boat. MSI
seems to be cutting edges for cost. Go to the nvidia web site and in the SLI section you 
can get a list of SLI certified hardware, make you decision on that. I don't think these MSI
boards are certified, you want 2x -x16 PCIe in SLI bottom line.      

Hmmmmm...  this is wierd, the MSI specs for 780i board shows  2 PCIe 2.0 at (1x16+1x8)
when the EVGA 780i shows both at x16. either a typo or MSI is cutting edges . The EVGA boards
are alittle more in cost, but I like. I have the 680i A1, works great. Plus EVGA gave me a lifetime
warranty on the MB and both 8800gtx's.

There's a new driver at nvidia 174.74, but it's beta all tho I'm hearing good things about it.
might try it, but who wants to do beta testing yuck.  8-)

Egg Zactly what I would do, think that chipset was back when all cards were only 8X and just
x16 ready. A board with the 680i chipset will be fine. The 780i 790i is for tri SLI (openGL 3) and
the new 9 series cards which you don't need. Never looked into intel chipsets for a SLI board
so no comments about them, but intel is good. As for the new 700 series with PCIe 2.0 you
get into the same dilema, have to go 790i for 2 x16 in SLI. Don't know why they do that, but the
700s are backwards compatible with PCIe 1.0 cards that's something at least. BTW you never
mentioned you CPU, when building a SLI system one should never scimp on the CPU. Get the
fastest core 2 you can afford, hope you did. With lesser CPUs going SLI can cause what they
 call CPU Bound, the cards end up waiting on the CPU to catchup. Good luck, hope everything
works out for you.  8-)