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Need PCI-E Help Please

M

Martygi

Weaksauce
Joined
Jun 14, 2003
Messages
82
Hi All,
I just picked up a Crosshair IV Formula 890FX board from another member of this fine forum. I have a question on the PCI-E slots. I will be running dual HD6850 cards. According to the user guide I will need to use PCI-E slots 1 and 3 in order to get the most out of my video cards.
Now to my question...I also want to run my Ceton cable card tuner and I need a PCI-E slot. Since the 6850 in PCI-E slot 3 covers PCI-E slot 4, that only leaves PCI-E slot 2 for the Ceton card. Can I run the Ceton card in slot 2 while running the video cards in slots 1 & 3? And, if I can, would that inturn drop the second video card to X8 rather than X16?
Or, is there a way to get PCI-E slot 2 to run @ X16?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Marty
 
Can I run the Ceton card in slot 2 while running the video cards in slots 1 & 3? And, if I can, would that inturn drop the second video card to X8 rather than X16?
Click to expand...
Almost certainly the answer is that yes you can use it but doing so will indeed drop the second video card to x8.

Or, is there a way to get PCI-E slot 2 to run @ X16?
Click to expand...
Highly unlikely.

If you want to run both cards at x16 I can think of a few possibilities

1: put the tuner card in a PCI to PCIe adaptor in a PCI slot (this may involve case modding if the tuner card is not low profile)
2: use flexible riser cables along with a case modded to float the cards above the board
3: put the card on water (assuming you can find a single width water block for it)

but quite frankly I very much doubt that the cost (in both money and time) of any of those options is worth the benefit (which afaict is pretty negligable).
 
You actually gave me a great answer with the flexible riser card. I found some PCI-E X1 cables for $15 on Amazon. I have a ton of room in my case so I think this might be a great work-around. Thanks again for your ideas.
Marty
 
Dropping a 6850 from x16 to x8 will not provide you with any measurable performance difference. You are wasting that $15.

If it is an x1 card, why not put it in one of the x1 PCI-E ports? Those do not share bandwidth with the top three x16 ports.
 
I already ordered the cable so wasting my $15 is a mute point at the moment. I can't use a PCI-E X1 slot because the mobo doesn't have any. As for running the second video card @ X8 vs X16... I think I would like to get all the 6850s can give. I like to play Civ 5 on one monitor while watching TV on the other. Civ 5 runs @ 2560 X 1440.
Once I get the cable installed and everything up and running I update this post so others who might be in the same situation can learn from my experience. Thanks for your reply.
 
Look up the HardOCP x8/x8 and x4/x4 review. With GTX 480's (far more powerful than your 6850's), x8 barely bottlenecks a 480, and that's only in bandwidth intensive games and the cards being used in SLI.

*facepalm* I have the Crosshair IV Formula and never realized it had no PCI-E x1 slots xD
 
Or you could buy an PCIEx1 extender, [ame="http://cgi.ebay.com/PCI-E-express-1X-riser-card-adapter-extender-flex-/320627812981?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa6e82a75#ht_2405wt_1184"]much cheaper from china[/ame]$4, I also have one, it is x1, assuming your card is x1, and will fit no problem in the x16 slot.
 
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