eVGA X58 w/ SLI and PCIe 1x slot...

guitarslingerchris

guitarslingerchris

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A quick search I did so far has given me mixed information and I was hoping to clear it up here.

I'm running an eVGA X58 3X SLI board with a single GTX 285 right now and the 2nd in the mail. The problem is, I already had to move my GTX 285 to the 2nd PCIe slot on the mobo to fit my X-Fi Titanium Pro in the only PCIe 1x on the board, and when the 2nd GTX 285 arrives I'll have to stick it in the 3rd slot, leaving me running at 8x on both cards as I understand it.

I'm looking for a solution here OR real-world figures that say I won't see a performance hit whatsoever running 8x on both cards. The solution might be ditch the X-Fi and get a PCI card instead of a PCIe sound card or it might be something different, I'm all ears. Just try to leave conjecture out of your argument in terms of performance here, worst case the other 285 will be here this week and I can test SLI performance in slots 1/2 vs. 2/3.
 
I suppose I forgot to mention that the 3rd x16 slot, which in my case would likely be the top x16 slot, will hopefully be taken up by a single slot card so I can run an extra pair of monitors. I have a 3007WFP-HC in the mail and 2x 2007WFPs already on my desk so I'd need that 3rd x16 slot for a non-SLI card. Otherwise I could just slap the X-Fi into the 3rd x16 slot on it's own right?
 
You are correct on all counts.

I cannot answer if the SLI will even work correctly using slot 2 and 3, but the 8-8 configuration would be correct and dictated by the use of the third PCI-e slot with your 285.

Most people I've seen run the GPUs in the top 2 slots and a PCI-e sound card in the bottom PCI-e slot.

I have not read anywhere where there is performance degradation running 8-8 versus 16-8, with minor exceptions of a frame or two.

I have this board, run 285s in slot 1 and 2 and a PCI X-Fi in the legacy slot.

As I said, my biggest concern is that SLI may not work at all if you use slot 2 and 3, but I've not tried it.
 
Thanks for the response, I suppose I will find out later this week if 2/3 slot SLI will even work and how the performance is hit if any. If it doesn't work out then I may just be running the 2x 2007WFPs off my server box instead.
 
Whoa, wait a tic.

Why not just put the sound card in the 3rd x16 slot? Just because its an x1 card does not mean it has to go in the x1 slot. Its backwards compatible.

Put the Video cards where they are suppose to go. and put the sound card in the other x16 slot.
Then get a 9400gt PCI Card to run the 2007's

OR

Put the video cards in all three x16 slots and get a PCI based sound card.
Honestly maybe im deaf from shooting too many guns but I cant tell a difference in sound between onboard sound, and a soundcard on computer speakers.

Try the onboard, if its good enough keep it, if not get a PCI Sound Card or Video Card.
 
He can't use the bottom PCI-e slot for sound because he wants to use another PCI-e GPU to run a third monitor.:eek:
 
Hadn't looked at straight PCI video cards for dual-monitors, but that 9400gt doesn't look too bad. I had an old 6600gt laying around I was going to use, but that might be worth it.
 
Why couldn't EVGA allow 16x+16x+1x operation for 3x16x slots... I know some other boards do that (like Biostar)
 
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