Question : Problem: Nvidia SLI Geforce 7800 Issues before O.S. loads

Hi, sorry this is my first post asking a question, but its fresh in my mind...

I have a Dell XPS Tower in the shop:

Xp Pro
Nvidia Chipset
Current BIos firmware
Current Drivers on an Nvidia GeForce 7800 GTX 512
SLI Configuration, but the problem still occurs with only one card installed
Mobo is completely SLI ready. SLI is showing as configured correctly in the Nvida control panel
No onboard video, no video configuration settings in bios setup.

I got the machine, booted it, and immediately saw an extremely grainy display. Hard to describe, but there was a pattern of rectangle patterns that were grainy. Like certain pixels in a random pattern in rectangle sections that are in a distinct "checkerboard" pattern. The rectangles of graininess work their way across the screen in a somewhat checkerboard pattern. I would say about  20% of the screen is distorted with this graininess. The rest displays normally.

- It shows during the Bios splash screen displaying the Dell logo etc.
- It also comes up when the XP loading screen displays with the progress bar.
- NO DISTORTION when in Windows Setup, or at the F8 menu.
- The distortion dissapears after the loading screen right before the mouse cursor shows and the login screen is about to show.
- With Windows controlling the display with no driver installed, there is no distortion.
- Formatting does not help as expected since the issue arises before the O.S. is even loaded

After a clean format, using the Dell provided driver simply causes the issue even in Windows! I tried multiple times with the Dell supplied driver, so I reformatted again, installed the O.S. clean again (luckily there are manufacturer restore cd's, and Dell provides a clean O.S., the crapware is installed manually on the other cd's) and then installed the Nvidia provided driver, current version, direct from their website.

Now, again, the symptoms only show during the initial bios screen, the xp loading screen (w/ the progress bar) and then go away after that ONLY if I am using NO drivers, or the Nvidia drivers, but not the Dell provided drivers. I found it peculiar that the symptoms go away at the F8 menu. but then will come back only for the loading screen.

I have tried with only one card installed, and I have tried both cards separately with the same problems.
I hope I am not forgetting to mention anything
Thanks in advance

Answer : Problem: Nvidia SLI Geforce 7800 Issues before O.S. loads

PAQed with points refunded (500)

Computer101
EE Admin