X99 Multi GPU & Soundcards

[andrewohare]

Just Ordered the 5930K chip and EVGA FTW X99 board i already have an Asus Xonar D2X sound card (PCI-E) and 2 x GTX 980

Once i install the 2 x GTX 980 and plug in the Soundcard will it disable SLI, i was thinking of plugging it into the PCI x 4 slot

Reason i ask is on my Z87 Board when i used a free PCI lane that wasn't a x1 slot it wouldn't let me enable SLI and the only other options were the x 1 slot on top of the first GPU or x1 slot inbetween the 2 GPU .. neither were ideal from a cooling point of view

sorry I'm new to the X99 platform

 

[Nelly]

3930K = 40 PCI Express 3.0 Lanes

x16 = GTX 980 (Use PCI-E slot 1)
x16 = GTX 980 (Use PCI-E slot 4)

x4 or 1 = Soundcard. (Use any spare slot)

I think that's how it's supposed to work out, someone else can confirm.

 

[andrewohare]

3930K = 40 PCI Express 3.0 Lanes

x16 = GTX 980 (Use PCI-E slot 1)
x16 = GTX 980 (Use PCI-E slot 4)

x4 or 1 = Soundcard. (Use any spare slot)

I think that's how it's supposed to work out, someone else can confirm.

Great thanks bud ,That's what I was thinking just wondered if it prevented sli working

 

[LambChop]

Great thanks bud ,That's what I was thinking just wondered if it prevented sli working

Check your manual, it will depend on where you are plugging up your soundcard, if you put it in a certain slot for example it may disable one of your pcie's (where your gpu is pluged up) or cause it to run a lot slower. For my x99, I need to use the X4_1 slot.

 

[andrewohare]

Nuts !! the manual for the EVGA board is a pile of POO .. about 4 pages for the whole thing! and doesn't say

i plugged the GPU into slot 1 and 4 as they are 16 x slots, this covers up the x4 slot so only have an 8x slot free in PCI- 5 (or inbetween the GPU) - can't test yet .. still waiting on the memory to arrive

Spoiler

 

[LambChop]

Right, it looks like you dont want to use PE3 as that will pull down your second GPU to x8. to me it looks like you can use PE6 if PE2 cant be used due to your 1st GPU and the X1 due to your 2nd GPU.

 

[andrewohare]

yep i stuck it in PE6 .. on the Z87 board if i used any of the slots except the x 1 slot it bummed out SLI and couldn't enable it even though the Driver read both cards being there

i use the sound card plugged into a Sony 810 amp so really don't want to go down the onboard route

hopefully the Memory will turn up Friday and i ll know for sure

Thanks for your help

 

[rtho782]

SLi wouldn't enable on the Z87 because one slot dropped to x4, nVidia require x8 or above for SLi.

No matter where you put it, you won't have that issue with X99 and a 40 lane chip.

 

[andrewohare]

SLi wouldn't enable on the Z87 because one slot dropped to x4, nVidia require x8 or above for SLi.

No matter where you put it, you won't have that issue with X99 and a 40 lane chip.

Thats great thanks for the info , still waiting on the Memory to arrive, looks like monday now

Itching to get this puppy up and running its just a big door stop atm

 

[andrewohare]

Memory arrived today and guess what the board wont post ! error B7

tried reseating cpu, memory in different slots, tried 1 stick even different monitors

just wont boot spent ages building the frikking thing and now its stripped out again