3 PCIe slots for graphics?

2007-01-01 17:03:17

#1

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7038|SE London

I've just bought an EVGA 680i Motherboard. I'm very pleased with it so far, it's stood up remarkably well to all sorts of horrible overclocking I've been doing on it. I've got my 3DMark06 score from 7000 to over 9000 so far, with complete stability at reasonable voltages.

One thing I haven't worked out about this board how the 3 PCIe slots work together. There are 2 configured for SLI and another slot (for graphics, trust me, it is for graphics) in between. Apparently with a setup including 3 VGA cards you can run upto 6 monitors, or use the extra graphics card purely for physics processing. In the pictures I've seen of this being done it seems that a different card is used to supplement the SLI configuration.

My question is, would it be possible to stick another (different) card in, without having an SLI setup? If so, what sort of card?

I'm running an 8800GTS right now and have no plans on getting another one of them, but if I could stick one of my older Nvidia cards in to deal with physics and handle extra displays, that'd be great.

Here are some pics of the board layout.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage … %2D+Retail

The 2 black slots are for SLI, the blue one is the one I'm talking about.

Hopefully I won't get loads of idiots claiming it's a 1xPCIe slot not for graphics.

Last edited by Bertster7 (2007-01-01 17:06:18)

2007-01-01 17:13:38

#2

The Stillhouse Kid: Licensed Televulcanologist; +126|7099|Deep In The South Of Texas

Maybe just a rumor, but It looks like its 2 cards for rendering and one for physics.

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?s … 4&st=0

2007-01-01 17:16:08

#3

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7038|SE London

The Stillhouse Kid wrote:
Maybe just a rumor, but It looks like its 2 cards for rendering and one for physics.

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?s … 4&st=0

That's what I just said. Also it's not going to work for that, because that link is about crossfire and this is an SLI board with an Nvidia chipset.

Cheers anyway.

2007-01-01 17:17:36

#4

burton: Member; +9|6877|Da Bay, California

does the sli bridge connect to 2 cards or three?

2007-01-01 17:19:11

#5

CommieChipmunk: Member; +488|7027|Portland, OR, USA

You have 2 PCI-e for your gfx card and then one for either an HD audio card or a physics card, I was wondering the same thing when i got mine

EDIT: you would have to buy an independent physics card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage … %2D+Retail

I'm pretty sure you can't just stick in an old one

Last edited by CommieChipmunk (2007-01-01 17:23:07)

2007-01-01 17:21:35

#6

Jbrar: rawr; +86|6999|Winterpeg, Canada

The ATI site has some info: http://ati.amd.com/technology/crossfire … index.html

It's possible Nvidia cards could run the same way, but I've got no damn clue.

Last edited by Jbrar (2007-01-01 17:22:20)

2007-01-01 17:22:12

#7

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7038|SE London

burton wrote:
does the sli bridge connect to 2 cards or three?

Just 2.

CommieChipmunk wrote:
You have 2 PCI-e for your gfx card and then one for either an HD audio card or a physics card, I was wondering the same thing when i got mine

Nope. It's definately for graphics. I've checked. On the EVGA site they say there are 2xPCIex16 SLI ports and a graphics expansion slot. On reviews I have seen them running 6 monitors connected to 3 graphics cards, I just can't find any details on what sort of card you need to put in, or if it can only be done while running SLI.

2007-01-01 17:23:33

#8

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7038|SE London

Jbrar wrote:
The ATI site has some info: http://ati.amd.com/technology/crossfire … index.html

It's possible Nvidia cards could run the same way, but I've got no damn clue.

I doubt it. Crossfire and SLI run on totally different technologies.

Confusing, isn't it.

Last edited by Bertster7 (2007-01-01 17:24:05)

2007-01-01 17:23:52

#9

jcurts: Member; +25|6822|Coventry, UK

PCI-E is the type of port, so you can plug a VGA card or an Ethernet card or a RAID card, meanwhile those cards are made for PCI connections.

If what you want is to have 3 VGA cards, you can. What happens with this mobo is that when you set 2 into sli, those 2 ports stay in 16x mode, and the 3rd one goes down to 8x, instead of the old sli type, which made both sli ports 8x. If i didnt explain myself,

PCI-Express pathways allow the 680i SLI to support two x16 cards at full bandwidth and a third x16 card in x8 mode, leaving eight more lanes for other devices. Indeed, all three boards provide three x16 slots, and the chipset's total of nine links assures support for six additional devices.

from http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/12/21/ … omparison/

Hope this helps man.

Last edited by jcurts (2007-01-01 17:31:46)

2007-01-01 17:30:18

#10

GR34: Member; +215|7002|ALBERTA> CANADA

The Stillhouse Kid wrote:
Maybe just a rumor, but It looks like its 2 cards for rendering and one for physics.

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?s … 4&st=0

y spend that much money when u can just get a physics processer thar costs half of another GFX card to do physics

2007-01-01 17:30:25

#11

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7038|SE London

jcurts wrote:
PCI-E is the type of port, so you can plug a VGA card or an Ethernet card or a RAID card, meanwhile those cards are made for PCI connections.

What do you want to plug?

I know what a PCIe port is and I know the difference between a 1x, 8x and 16x port. This is a PCIe port designed for graphics (or for a high bandwidth physics card). I know it is possible to run 3 graphics cards on the board, 2 in SLI and 1 not.

I want to plug in an older GPU, maybe a 6600GT or a 7600GT or a 7300GS (all PCIe naturally), that I've got lying around and use them for physics processing. I don't know what sort of card I could plug into it or whether I need to run an SLI setup to use this feature.

2007-01-01 17:32:58

#12

Bell: Frosties > Cornflakes; +362|7006|UK

I just put in the exact same mobo today (least I think it is, this one right http://www.scan.co.uk/products/producti … tID=491417 which didnt go smoothly 8-)) and from what I know, it has to be a purpose physics card like an AGEIA PhysX for example. Wouldnt a lesser card than a GTS merely underclock it's self by being put in with one of you older cards.

Martyn

2007-01-01 17:33:32

#13

CommieChipmunk: Member; +488|7027|Portland, OR, USA

Bertster7 wrote:
jcurts wrote:
PCI-E is the type of port, so you can plug a VGA card or an Ethernet card or a RAID card, meanwhile those cards are made for PCI connections.

What do you want to plug?
I know what a PCIe port is and I know the difference between a 1x, 8x and 16x port. This is a PCIe port designed for graphics (or for a high bandwidth physics card). I know it is possible to run 3 graphics cards on the board, 2 in SLI and 1 not.

I want to plug in an older GPU, maybe a 6600GT or a 7600GT or a 7300GS (all PCIe naturally), that I've got lying around and use them for physics processing. I don't know what sort of card I could plug into it or whether I need to run an SLI setup to use this feature.

I'm pretty sure you cant just shove in another gfx card.. ati works like that but I'm pretty sure nvidia doesnt. Every tech expert I've talked to said that 2 are for SLi and the third is for HD audio or a physics card..

2007-01-01 17:35:28

#14

jcurts: Member; +25|6822|Coventry, UK

I dont think you will have a problem with an older card if its PCI-E.

that is a demo for ATI cards, Ill see if I can find one for Nvidia

http://ati.amd.com/technology/crossfire … sdemo.html
_____________

nevermind the demo, not usefull if you are looking for a tech answer.

Last edited by jcurts (2007-01-01 17:37:35)

2007-01-01 17:38:00

#15

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7038|SE London

Bell wrote:
I just put in the exact same mobo today (least I think it is, this one right http://www.scan.co.uk/products/producti … tID=491417 which didnt go smoothly 8-)) and from what I know, it has to be a purpose physics card like an AGEIA PhysX for example. Wouldnt a lesser card than a GTS merely underclock it's self by being put in with one of you older cards.

Martyn

Nope. That's why it's outside the SLI array.

Have a look in your manual, the picture on page 70.

Also look at this.

2007-01-01 17:40:14

#16

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7038|SE London

CommieChipmunk wrote:
Bertster7 wrote:
jcurts wrote:
PCI-E is the type of port, so you can plug a VGA card or an Ethernet card or a RAID card, meanwhile those cards are made for PCI connections.

What do you want to plug?
I know what a PCIe port is and I know the difference between a 1x, 8x and 16x port. This is a PCIe port designed for graphics (or for a high bandwidth physics card). I know it is possible to run 3 graphics cards on the board, 2 in SLI and 1 not.

I want to plug in an older GPU, maybe a 6600GT or a 7600GT or a 7300GS (all PCIe naturally), that I've got lying around and use them for physics processing. I don't know what sort of card I could plug into it or whether I need to run an SLI setup to use this feature.
I'm pretty sure you cant just shove in another gfx card.. ati works like that but I'm pretty sure nvidia doesnt. Every tech expert I've talked to said that 2 are for SLi and the third is for HD audio or a physics card..

They're wrong (not about SLI - which does require matched cards, no longer need to be exactly matched (memory sizes can differ, manufacturers can differ etc.), but they do require the same model GPUs). I work in IT a lot and did my degree in Computer Engineering, yet I'm a bit baffled by this one.

http://www.vr-zone.com/index.php?i=4215&s=3

Last edited by Bertster7 (2007-01-01 17:41:59)

2007-01-01 17:42:30

#17

jcurts: Member; +25|6822|Coventry, UK

Bertster7 wrote:
Also look at this.

You've got all the info from there.

2007-01-01 17:46:32

#18

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7038|SE London

jcurts wrote:
Bertster7 wrote:
Also look at this.
You've got all the info from there.

I've got more info from other places too. But nothing that specifically mentions which GPUs will work with it and if you can use another card for physics without running an SLI setup. Are G80 GPUs needed for the physics processing, since they are the only ones specifically designed for it (I doubt this is the case)? Can you run one GPU for graphics and another for physics (i.e. no SLI)?

Last edited by Bertster7 (2007-01-01 17:47:42)

2007-01-01 17:54:12

#19

The Stillhouse Kid: Licensed Televulcanologist; +126|7099|Deep In The South Of Texas

Bertster7 wrote:
The Stillhouse Kid wrote:
Maybe just a rumor, but It looks like its 2 cards for rendering and one for physics.

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?s … 4&st=0
That's what I just said. Also it's not going to work for that, because that link is about crossfire and this is an SLI board with an Nvidia chipset.

Cheers anyway.

The concept works for both SLi and Crossfire, I gave that link because it was the most to-the-point one I could find with any ease.

2007-01-01 18:03:27

#20

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7038|SE London

I've now discovered that you can use any Nvidia PCIe card in there (as I expected). Now I just need to find out if you can use one card for physics and one for rendering (not 2 in SLI).

Apparently 2 8800s in SLI saturates the PCIe bus anyway, so a 3rd GPU would be a bit of a waste.

2007-01-03 17:28:48

#21

GR34: Member; +215|7002|ALBERTA> CANADA

Bertster7 wrote:
I've now discovered that you can use any Nvidia PCIe card in there (as I expected). Now I just need to find out if you can use one card for physics and one for rendering (not 2 in SLI).

Apparently 2 8800s in SLI saturates the PCIe bus anyway, so a 3rd GPU would be a bit of a waste.

not to mention the fact that with 3 G80 or 2 G80 and another card u will need a 2000W power supply

2007-01-03 17:34:17

#22

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7038|SE London

GR34 wrote:
Bertster7 wrote:
I've now discovered that you can use any Nvidia PCIe card in there (as I expected). Now I just need to find out if you can use one card for physics and one for rendering (not 2 in SLI).

Apparently 2 8800s in SLI saturates the PCIe bus anyway, so a 3rd GPU would be a bit of a waste.
not to mention the fact that with 3 G80 or 2 G80 and another card u will need a 2000W power supply

Not true. I don't know where these bloated power consumption figures for G80 cards come from, but at most you will need a 1100PSU.

You can run an SLI 8800GTX setup on a 750W supply quite comfortably.

BF2S Forums 3 PCIe slots for graphics?

The Stillhouse Kid wrote:

burton wrote:

CommieChipmunk wrote:

Jbrar wrote:

The Stillhouse Kid wrote:

jcurts wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

jcurts wrote:

Bell wrote:

CommieChipmunk wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

jcurts wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

jcurts wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

The Stillhouse Kid wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

GR34 wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

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