NVIDIA: PCIe 3.0 and X79 Will not be Supported with GTX 670/680

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sk3tch

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After saying they were "certifying" for months...they finally came out and admitted - no support for PCIe 3.0 on X79 with the GTX 670 and 680. Big problem for mGPU users like myself (tri-SLI or higher) - as SLI and others see little benefit from PCIe 3.0...

GeForce GTX 680 and GTX 670 GPUs support PCI Express 3.0. They operate properly within the SIG PCI Express Specification and have been validated on multiple PCI Express 3.0 platforms. Some motherboard manufacturers have released an updated SBIOS to enable the Intel X79/SNB-E PCI Express 2.0 platform to run at up to 8GT/s bus speeds. We have tested GeForce GTX 680 and GTX 670 GPUs across a number of X79/SNB-E platforms at 8GT/s bus speeds, but have seen significant variation in signal timing across different motherboards and CPUs. Therefore we’ve decided to only support and guarantee PCI Express 2.0 bus speeds on X79/SNB-E with our standard release drivers. Native PCI Express 3.0 platforms (like Ivy Bridge) will run at 8GT/s bus speeds with our standard release drivers.

Though we cannot officially support or guarantee 8GT/s speeds for X79/SNB-E, you can manually enable faster 8GT/s bus speeds (at your own risk) on GTX 680 or GTX 670 GPUs using the following executable: force-enable-gen3.exe

If you would like to revert back to 5GT/s bus speeds you can do so by running the following command from the DOS command line: “force-enable-gen3.exe –revert”

You will need to reboot your system for the changes to take effect.
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Source: http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=232153&st=0

FYI - the tool they provided just performs the PCIe 3.0 registry hack that has been floating around for a couple of months...causes my RIVE to go bonkers. I'm moving to Z77.

EDIT: also note that AMD supports PCIe 3.0 with X79. My 7970 CFX rig is PCIe 3.0.
 
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Doesn't sound like their fault.

They were probably trying to work with MB manufacturers to fix it, but finally gave up and decided to only officially support it on certain platforms.

Though this doesn't say whether the variation from MB to MB was in or out of spec. That to me is key. If the MB makers were staying in spec then nVidia was too strict. If they were out of spec nV has done nothing wrong.
 
Even the Intel literature only states PCI Express 2.0 for the X79 platform, so I'm not sure how you can blame Nvidia. It may work, but if it isn't certified it isn't certified.
 
I guess it depends on what literature you refer to on X79. :) I've always seen PCIe 3.0 - and if AMD can do it with their 7970s...why not NVIDIA? It's just laziness. They're "giving up" - granted, tri-SLI and quad-SLI is a small percentage. But we're loyal customers.

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sk3tch said:
I guess it depends on what literature you refer to on X79. :)
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The literature I'm referring to is the datasheets available at Intel.com. The ones available here

And you can still do, they even provide a tool, they just won't certify it for use. So basically the same as using beta drivers.
 
Can someone explain what the issue can be? Is this an intel issue with their CPUs ( I think the pci controller is on the CPU now and not on the chipset). I am just curious how this could happen out of the blue with the X79 and not with the Z77. Appareltly the Ivy Bridge CPUs are ok. You would think Ivy Bridge E would be fine right?
 
Mr Mean said:
Can someone explain what the issue can be? Is this an intel issue with their CPUs ( I think the pci controller is on the CPU now and not on the chipset). I am just curious how this could happen out of the blue with the X79 and not with the Z77. Appareltly the Ivy Bridge CPUs are ok. You would think Ivy Bridge E would be fine right?
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its more likely an issue on nvidia's side not getting the coding required for nvidia's PCI-E 3.0 to intel fast(or could just be pure laziness on Nvidia's end who knows) enough to add it to the x79 chipset. AMD's graphic department and intel have always worked closely together given that Intel's chipsets have supported crossfire since the socket 775 days vs not supporting SLI(thanks to nvidia). i think the problem solely lands on nvidia's feet and isn't really a problem on intel's end.
 
sirmonkey1985 said:
its more likely an issue on nvidia's side not getting the coding required for nvidia's PCI-E 3.0 to intel fast(or could just be pure laziness on Nvidia's end who knows) enough to add it to the x79 chipset. AMD's graphic department and intel have always worked closely together given that Intel's chipsets have supported crossfire since the socket 775 days vs not supporting SLI(thanks to nvidia). i think the problem solely lands on nvidia's feet and isn't really a problem on intel's end.
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It's a standard. Either Intel implements the standard or they don't. Intel themselves say that it isn't supported, but that some motherboard manufacturers can implement 8 GT/s speed if they want to. It's not Nvidia's fault (or Intel's) if the motherboard manufacturers implement it poorly. Maybe AMD has better tolerances for out of spec conditions than Nvida, or maybe Nvidia is stricter on what they will accept. Either way, if Intel doesn't implement the standard, they don't implement it.

Notice the difference in the wording from the Socket 2011 CPU datasheet - it supports PCIe 1.0 and 2.0, and is capable of PCIe 8 GT/s (it doesn't even call it PCIe 3.0):
Support for PCI Express* 2.0 (5.0 GT/s), PCI Express* (2.5 GT/s), and capable of up to PCI Express* 8.0 GT/s.
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Auch, it would not have been bad if it had been on the 77 boards, but people who buy X79 have probably invested in that platform for the lanes and bandwidth.
 
Intel does not officially rate socket 2011 SB-E + X79 platform as PCI-E 3.0

Ivy + Z77 is their first cosumer platform for PCI-E 3.0
 
Raudulfr said:
It's the same tool as linked by the OP.
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OP should update his BIOS and test again.

Code: 
Rampage IV Extreme 1005 BIOS
1. Enhance PCIe 3.0 Support Capability.
2. Enhance DRAM Compatibility.
3. Enhance CPU OC capability.
4. Enable VT-d support for VT-d enabled processor.
5. Speed up S3 resume time

Rampage-IV-Extreme BIOS 1101
Improve system stability.

Rampage-IV-Extreme BIOS 1202
1.Improve system stability.
2.Improve memory compatibility.
3.Enhance compatibility with some USB devices.
4. Fix PCIEx16 VGA card HD 7970 cannot be detected when the temperature of VGA less than -40.

Rampage IV Extreme
1.Improve system stability.
2.Improve memory compatibility.

Rampage IV Extreme BIOS 1404
Improve system stability.
 
And here I thought that patch was supposed to work... black eye team green. Then again I am still using an I7-9 so its not like it matters to me.
 
Very surprising announcement for Intel's flagship chipset. In my eyes, this is twice now that the X chipsets have gotten the shaft. The X58 supported true 2 or 3 PIC-E 2.0 16x lanes and triple channel memory, but the socket 1366 was abondoned in a year and replaced with Sandybridge which simply did everything better and faster thus making the expensive X58 motherboards and CPU's worth almost nothing, now it looks like the their poised to the same with the X79 chipset and socket 2011.
 
Filiprino said:
OP should update his BIOS and test again.

Code: 
Rampage IV Extreme 1005 BIOS
1. Enhance PCIe 3.0 Support Capability.
2. Enhance DRAM Compatibility.
3. Enhance CPU OC capability.
4. Enable VT-d support for VT-d enabled processor.
5. Speed up S3 resume time

Rampage-IV-Extreme BIOS 1101
Improve system stability.

Rampage-IV-Extreme BIOS 1202
1.Improve system stability.
2.Improve memory compatibility.
3.Enhance compatibility with some USB devices.
4. Fix PCIEx16 VGA card HD 7970 cannot be detected when the temperature of VGA less than -40.

Rampage IV Extreme
1.Improve system stability.
2.Improve memory compatibility.

Rampage IV Extreme BIOS 1404
Improve system stability.
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Thanks. I will do so. Just waiting on my cards, now. Perhaps I won't need to go Z77 after all! I did not notice the 6/15 new BIOS.
 
Blkout said:
Very surprising announcement for Intel's flagship chipset. In my eyes, this is twice now that the X chipsets have gotten the shaft. The X58 supported true 2 or 3 PIC-E 2.0 16x lanes and triple channel memory, but the socket 1366 was abondoned in a year and replaced with Sandybridge which simply did everything better and faster thus making the expensive X58 motherboards and CPU's worth almost nothing, now it looks like the their poised to the same with the X79 chipset and socket 2011.
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Yes. They advertise CPU's and mobos as PCIE 3.0 compatible , nvidia graphics are compatible aswell but yet they work only on pcie 2.0 and what i've read lately is that the Ivy Bridge-E CPU's will be released not faster than in 2nd half of 2013... I mean seriously this is makeing a joke of all people who bought X79 since mostly they buy it to run 3 or 4 GPU's so either nvidia is lying and they are just makeing a revenge on intel or they are lazy enough or intel and motherboard manufacters are makeing a joke...
 
Hardware can be found in my signature. Running v301.42 of the NV drivers. Fresh install of Win 7 x64.

After executing "force-enable-gen3.exe" and restarting GPUZ does report PCIE 3.0. However, I've noticed that in at least on game I'll occasionally receive a "Could not restart Direct3D device!" error message. I've never received this error prior to running the new NV tool. Running the tool with "-revert" seems to have solved the issue. I'm disappointed.
 
Psychor said:
Hardware can be found in my signature. Running v301.42 of the NV drivers. Fresh install of Win 7 x64.

After executing "force-enable-gen3.exe" and restarting GPUZ does report PCIE 3.0. However, I've noticed that in at least on game I'll occasionally receive a "Could not restart Direct3D device!" error message. I've never received this error prior to running the new NV tool. Running the tool with "-revert" seems to have solved the issue. I'm disappointed.
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I wouldn't worry about it too much - for SLI (two cards) there's very little gain for PCIe 3.0. You really just need to be concerned for tri-SLI and higher configurations.

With that said, I received 3x EVGA GTX 680 FTW+ 4GB on Friday and replaced by vanilla quad-SLI EVGA GTX 680 2GB cards (waiting on a 4th FTW+ 4GB to be shipped to me by a friend) - did a fresh OS install, updated my RIVE to the latest BIOS, and pulled 16GB of RAM (to run leaner for OC), installed the beta drivers, used only one monitor, and ran the NVIDIA PCIe 3.0 tool - it works! Has been working nicely. BF3 gaming is improved IMMENSELY. And this is with the same settings as my prior cards (so not necessarily any 4GB advantage there).

So, I'm tentatively not as pissed off with this. As long as it remains stable. I guess it does not like NV Surround and it's best to do a fresh install of Windows.
 
sk3tch said:
I wouldn't worry about it too much - for SLI (two cards) there's very little gain for PCIe 3.0. You really just need to be concerned for tri-SLI and higher configurations.

With that said, I received 3x EVGA GTX 680 FTW+ 4GB on Friday and replaced by vanilla quad-SLI EVGA GTX 680 2GB cards (waiting on a 4th FTW+ 4GB to be shipped to me by a friend) - did a fresh OS install, updated my RIVE to the latest BIOS, and pulled 16GB of RAM (to run leaner for OC), installed the beta drivers, used only one monitor, and ran the NVIDIA PCIe 3.0 tool - it works! Has been working nicely. BF3 gaming is improved IMMENSELY. And this is with the same settings as my prior cards (so not necessarily any 4GB advantage there).

So, I'm tentatively not as pissed off with this. As long as it remains stable. I guess it does not like NV Surround and it's best to do a fresh install of Windows.
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Nice. I take it you didn't order the 3x EVGA GTX 680 FTW+ 4GB from EVGA since they have that stupid order limit. I might throw my two huge Asus cards up on eBay if I can get my hands on two EVGA Classifieds. We'll see.
 
Psychor said:
Nice. I take it you didn't order the 3x EVGA GTX 680 FTW+ 4GB from EVGA since they have that stupid order limit. I might throw my two huge Asus cards up on eBay if I can get my hands on two EVGA Classifieds. We'll see.
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lol I did, actually...took 4 people to order for me. That's why the 4th isn't here yet - had to go out of state! lol...damn limits.
 
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