Combination possible or no?

[CanesVenetici]

So here's my dilemma. I'm currently rocking a custom water loop that is way overkill for what I'm currently doing. It's sitting in a corsair 900d, so it's massive. I moved into my fiances and there simply isn't room for this system so I was looking at getting a new case and using an aio cooler for just the cpu. I figured while I was at it I'd like to retire some of my older hard drives and step up to some m2 nvme drives while lightening the system that much more.

With that in mind I was looking at getting a Maximus XI Extreme because it can support 4 m2 drives, but the more research I do the more conflicting info I find.

Here's what I wanted to do:
maximus xi extreme
8700k
1 970 pro 512Gb for system and programs
1 970 evo 1tb for my steam library
2 mushkin pilot 2tb drives for storage in the dimm 2 card
2 evga 1080ti FTW3 in sli

If what I'm reading is right I'd have to scrap one of the video cards?
Been scouring the web for a couple hours and can't find anything definitive. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Paladin21]

It should *work*, but your cards are going to be losing PCIe lanes to the third and fourth m2 slots. Looking at the manual for that board, the DIMM expansion slot for those drives uses 4x PCIe from the CPU, so your cards won't be x8/x8. They don't specify how that split occurs, but it's likely you'll end up splitting the 16 lanes off the CPU as x8/x4/x4 for video, video, and m2.

 

[hititnquitit]

would this open the lane/lanes back up?

 

[wings2004]

hititnquitit Looking at the specs of the board the 3rd PCIe slot runs x4 off the PCH and switches with some SATA ports or lowers it's speed to x2. The second M.2 on the linked card is SATA and wouldn't work with the drives mentioned.


CanesVenetici I don't think your proposed system will work. Each M.2 chip needs x4 in the DIMM.2. The on board ones drop SATA ports and are likely split on the PCH so won't be full speed if you go that route.

From the Manual -

So if you have the DIMM.2 both populated (as you proposed) the system disables the second graphics card.


You are effectively trying to get x32 lanes out of a system that allows you to use x20 on a good day. Sorry if you want to go with all the peripherals, you will likely have to go x299 and an X-series chip... This is the same decision I've had to make recently . Also if you do go that route, be careful with some of the X series CPUs that only have 28 lanes, you would be in a similar boat there likely.