Alienware Aurora R3 and GTX 970 SLi

[Skyrim_Gamer74]

Hey guys, I need some input big time. I have an R3 that has the stock Sandy Bridge chipset.
My specs are:

I7 2600K 3.40 GHz (Overclocked @ 4.40 GHz)
My CPU is liquid cooled and runs at a reasonable temp under load.
16 GB Corsair Vengeance System RAM
2 x Geforce GTX 970 SLi

I upgraded from a single GTX 580 not long ago.I haven't tried overclocking my GPUs as Ive not felt the need to do so at this time. My concern is a possible bottleneck with my stock R3 motherboard. Other than the liquid cooling system and motherboard, nothing else is original in the R3. Especially after changing cases to a smaller mid tower. I cant seem to find a straight answer regarding a possible bottleneck with my mobo. I don't feel that Im getting the performance that I should be getting out of two 970s running SLi. some help would be greatly appreciated. thanks

 

[Thelps]

Alienware aren't forthcoming on their exact Motherboard specifications so it's difficult to point out specific bottlenecks. Your CPU is certainly an older component but shouldn't necessarily represent a bottleneck in and of itself. You can always monitor its activity via Task Manager to see if it's overworked.

I'd recommend downloading a GPU Benchmarking Program such as 3D Mark or any recent game with an FPS counter or benchmarking mode. Compare your stats to reports of others running GTX 970 SLI setups. You'll be able to ascertain where your bottleneck (if any) lies through a process of deduction. It will either be your CPU or possibly your Motherboard. It could be due to an underpowered PSU (GTX 970 SLI setup should have 700w or more) resulting in slower than optimal GPU clock speeds.