2 Slot Card X-Fire/SLI Motherboard?

[vetraptor]

Considering a 5970 graphics card, but in the event I can't, going to go with a 5870 and maybe a 2nd one down the line, even if I don't need it.

Suggested was a GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard. Reviews from people on newegg, not sure how reliable said for double spaced cards X-Fire or SLI them and there is no space between them. So I'm looking for whether this is true or not before I finally commit. EZ overclocking for nubs would be nice as well.

X-Fire I'm assumed is bridged like SLI, don't know if I need a board that does X16 across 3 PCI-E ports...or if I can use PCI 1 and 3. Guess I'm just easily confused lol

 

[tecmo34]

I wouldn't worry about the spacing! Very few boards provide adequate spacing for dual slot GPU's. You might just have to increase your fan speeds on the GPU's, if temps become an issue. I would go with the Gigabyte board.

The GPU or MOBO will come with the appropriate brides for Crossfire, so that isn't an issue. You install your GPU's in PCIEX16_1 & PCIEX16_2 for dual cards, which is you look at the board, it is slots 1 & 3. Slots 2 & 4 are PCIEX8_1 and PCIEX8_2.

 

[abhishekk89]

how much are u willing to spend... a lot of options can be given based on ur budget...

 

[vetraptor]

I was willing to go up to 300, but so far haven't found the actual need for it. Want the possibility of SLI/X-Fire if I go that way, and USB 3.0 and Sata 3 is nice, but not exactly necessary. Ease of overclocking since I have never done it again. But this Gigabyte board looks sound, if not there are 2 others that look the same for it. Was also looking at the EVGA boards too. But this one looks sound as long as it doesn't come DOA.

 

[saint19]

Like tecmo34 says, the space is just enough for install both GPUs, but you need rise the speed of both GPU fans.

Also, bear in mind that when you use Crossfire in that mobo, the USB 3.0 is downgrade to USB 2.0.

 

[abhishekk89]

Like tecmo34 says, the space is just enough for install both GPUs, but you need rise the speed of both GPU fans.

Also, bear in mind that when you use Crossfire in that mobo, the USB 3.0 is downgrade to USB 2.0.

even in a x58 mobo will the usb 3.0 downgrade to 2.0 ??

Fish !! I didn't know that..

 

[tecmo34]

No... it is just that Gigabyte MOBO that will downgrade to USB 2.0 when running SLI/Crossfire. The ASUS's and higher-end Gigabyte MOBO's don't downgrade.

 

[vetraptor]

That does put a little hitch into that

 

[tecmo34]

You can go with the ASRock X58 Extreme 3 for the same price and have no issues with USB 3.0 or SATA 6.0 Gb/s

 

[saint19]

No, the problem is only in the Gigabyte mobos. ASUS and another brands works fine.

 

[vetraptor]

Gonna look into that one next. It's pretty bad when I go from ordering stuff in a week..to about 2-3 now lol