Question on SLI setup with GB EX58-UD4P

auApex · 5th August 2010, 7:16 PM

So I'm upgrading from my 4870x2 to SLI GTX460 because it's IMO the best value mid to high-end setup on the market ($550 and it beats a 5970? bring that on).

Anyway, I have a question about the use of the cards in my motherboard. My mobo has three full-length PCI-e slots as shown in the pic below. However, I've heard that if I have two graphics cards in the top-two PCI-e slots and some other random PCI-e 1x card (like a soundcard or TV-Tuner) in the bottom (orange) PCI-e slot, the two graphics cards will run at x16 / x8, instead of x16 / x16.

Can anyone confirm this? If so, does this mean I have to leave the third (orange) PCI-e slot empty in a dual-card setup if I want to get full x16 / x16 speed?

Thanks!!!

dr_deathy · 5th August 2010, 7:20 PM

everywhere i look the 5970 is faster, and so it should be its two cherry picked underclocked 5870's in CF. dirt2 seams to like the two GTX460s... bout it tho.

ChaosMaster · 5th August 2010, 7:27 PM

A GTX460 SLI even OC'ed won't beat a 5970, other than perhaps Unigen with tessilation on Extreme as ATI don't like eye candy much.

As for your question, I believe it's true. The problem is that the i7 only has so much bandwidth. Although from what I've heard, if you have something using SATA 6 or USB3.0, it'll slow down the second card due to it not having enough lanes, but by theory, if USB3.0 will use up too many lanes, then using a third PCI-E slot most definetly will as well. This was the reason I went ASUS.

On the other hand, from memory, the difference between a SLI setup using x16 / x16 and x8 / x8 is minimal, kinda like running DDR3-1333 vs DDR3-2000. Only a few percentages in it. So I wouldn't sweat too much if I were you. Especially since your only running a GTX460SLI. If you were using GTX480 tri-SLI then maybe.

flu!d · 5th August 2010, 7:32 PM

2 x 460's in SLi running Surround will beat a single 5970 running Eyefinity....

Bertross · 5th August 2010, 8:43 PM

head to head CF 460s wont beat a 5970, ive tested this with Deathy.

Although the 460s are only 15% slower but 30% cheaper.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChaosMaster

A GTX460 SLI even OC'ed won't beat a 5970, other than perhaps Unigen with tessilation on Extreme as ATI don't like eye candy much.

As for your question, I believe it's true. The problem is that the i7 only has so much bandwidth. Although from what I've heard, if you have something using SATA 6 or USB3.0, it'll slow down the second card due to it not having enough lanes, but by theory, if USB3.0 will use up too many lanes, then using a third PCI-E slot most definetly will as well. This was the reason I went ASUS.

On the other hand, from memory, the difference between a SLI setup using x16 / x16 and x8 / x8 is minimal, kinda like running DDR3-1333 vs DDR3-2000. Only a few percentages in it. So I wouldn't sweat too much if I were you. Especially since your only running a GTX460SLI. If you were using GTX480 tri-SLI then maybe.

another good example is a P55 16x8 vs X58 16x16, bee dick difference, we talking PCI-E 2.0 here guys.

auApex nice avatar i wonder who made it

2_stroke · 5th August 2010, 9:51 PM

No you can run 3 cards but your only going to get 8x in the last, so if you had 3 460 in the mb you would have the 2 in the blue slots running at x16 and the 3rd only running at 8x. BTW its a great mb ive got one myself and read the manaul it even states running configs sli/cf. Best to use the 3rd for a psyX or sound card ect but you still have another 8x and 4x slots to use.

auApex · 6th August 2010, 5:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bertross

head to head CF 460s wont beat a 5970, ive tested this with Deathy.

Although the 460s are only 15% slower but 30% cheaper.

another good example is a P55 16x8 vs X58 16x16, bee dick difference, we talking PCI-E 2.0 here guys.

auApex nice avatar i wonder who made it

Haha, looks like we've got an old-school PCPP thread going on here!

Anyway, bought a couple of these today after work. Picked up the Gigabyte 1gb OC model (that is a difficult card to ask for in a shop - way too many gigabytes in the name). I'll set it up and OC the buggery out of them and see how close I can get to a 5970! :P

Saiyan_Overlord · 8th August 2010, 9:23 AM

This does happen unfortunately, but since I want both cards to run at full bandwidth (especially when under full load), I just moved my auzentech x-fi forte to one to the top pci-e 1x slot on my ud7.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bertross

head to head SLI 460s wont beat a 5970, ive tested this with Deathy.

Although the 460s are only 15% slower but 30% cheaper.

another good example is a P55 16x8 vs X58 16x16, bee dick difference, we talking PCI-E 2.0 here guys.

auApex nice avatar i wonder who made it

Fixed

not trying to be an ass so don't take offence to it ^^

5th August 2010, 7:16 PM	#1
auApex Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 1,073	Question on SLI setup with GB EX58-UD4P So I'm upgrading from my 4870x2 to SLI GTX460 because it's IMO the best value mid to high-end setup on the market ($550 and it beats a 5970? bring that on). Anyway, I have a question about the use of the cards in my motherboard. My mobo has three full-length PCI-e slots as shown in the pic below. However, I've heard that if I have two graphics cards in the top-two PCI-e slots and some other random PCI-e 1x card (like a soundcard or TV-Tuner) in the bottom (orange) PCI-e slot, the two graphics cards will run at x16 / x8, instead of x16 / x16. Can anyone confirm this? If so, does this mean I have to leave the third (orange) PCI-e slot empty in a dual-card setup if I want to get full x16 / x16 speed? Thanks!!! __________________ 3930K @ 4.4ghz \|\|Asrock Extreme9\|\|7970 Crossfire\|\|16GB Dominator Platinum 2133\|\|720gb SSD + 6TB HDD\|\|Strider 1200w\|\|TJ07\|\|*U3011 + 22007FP\|\|G19 & SS Sensei Pro\|\|ATH-A900X on Asus Essence STX\|\|Custom Watercooling**\|\| My PC BF3 = auApex

5th August 2010, 7:27 PM	#3
ChaosMaster Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vic, 3175 Posts: 1,220	A GTX460 SLI even OC'ed won't beat a 5970, other than perhaps Unigen with tessilation on Extreme as ATI don't like eye candy much. As for your question, I believe it's true. The problem is that the i7 only has so much bandwidth. Although from what I've heard, if you have something using SATA 6 or USB3.0, it'll slow down the second card due to it not having enough lanes, but by theory, if USB3.0 will use up too many lanes, then using a third PCI-E slot most definetly will as well. This was the reason I went ASUS. On the other hand, from memory, the difference between a SLI setup using x16 / x16 and x8 / x8 is minimal, kinda like running DDR3-1333 vs DDR3-2000. Only a few percentages in it. So I wouldn't sweat too much if I were you. Especially since your only running a GTX460SLI. If you were using GTX480 tri-SLI then maybe. __________________ 1. Lian LI A71FB \| Asus P6X58D Premium \| i7-930 @ 3.99 1.2v \| Corsair H50 \| Corsair XMS 3x2GB DDR3 1800 C8 1.66v \| Gigabyte GTX570 \| OCZ V2 120GB + 5x 1TB WD Black+ 2x 7K3000 + 1.5TB + 750GB\| QFAN 750w \| Xonar HDAV1.3 Deluxe \| Sennheiser HD555 \| G9 + Topre RealForce + G35 \| Check out my FLICKR

5th August 2010, 7:32 PM	#4
flu!d is a dad at last :D Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Mt Martha,Victoria,Oz Posts: 8,534	2 x 460's in SLi running Surround will beat a single 5970 running Eyefinity.... __________________ Show us yer HTPC! 2700k @ 4.8 1.36v, 8GB Corsair Vengeance C8, ASUS Maximus IV Extreme Z, 2 x EVGA 670FTW @ 1231/3420, Sandisk 128GB Extreme SSD, OCZ 60GB Vertex 2, 5TB WD green storage, 3 x Acer V243HQ in Surround, 1 x Acer AL718 4th accessory display, Windows 7 Ultimate, Corsair H100, Heavily modded Zalman GS1000.

5th August 2010, 9:51 PM	#6
2_stroke Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: cranbourne 3977 Posts: 932	No you can run 3 cards but your only going to get 8x in the last, so if you had 3 460 in the mb you would have the 2 in the blue slots running at x16 and the 3rd only running at 8x. BTW its a great mb ive got one myself and read the manaul it even states running configs sli/cf. Best to use the 3rd for a psyX or sound card ect but you still have another 8x and 4x slots to use. __________________ http://bfbc2.elxx.net/sig/clean1/pc/2stroke.png Successful trades Sold to: chopstick9558, jackdaw, davomaster, haksam, jomo, kingpeck Bought from: h$v, epo299, tangcla, Gillyske, winterstide, jboles, nooobs,Sainter4Life, auron1 Last edited by 2_stroke; 5th August 2010 at 9:54 PM.

5th August 2010, 7:20 PM	#2
dr_deathy Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,286	everywhere i look the 5970 is faster, and so it should be its two cherry picked underclocked 5870's in CF. dirt2 seams to like the two GTX460s... bout it tho.