Hi,
I am considering adding another HD 6970 to my rig. Here is my configuration:
Corsair Obsidian 800D
I7 2600K OC to 4.6GHZ
Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler
Asus Maximus Extreme - Z
Corsair Vengeance 4 x 4 gb kit 1688 LP
Corsair AX 1200 Gold Standard
Crucial 128 GB SSD
WD Black Cavier 1 TB
Asus HD 6970 Direct CU II
I have also added 3 120mm Noctua fans at the top of the case as exhaust fans, as well as replaced all stocking 140 mm fans to Noisebreaker PK-3.
Here are my questions:
1. When I insert the graphic card into the first PCI-E slot (the one closest to CPU), it runs really hot: 50 at idle and 80+ at full load. While I use the 2nd PCI-E slot, it runs quite normal (idle at around 40 and never goes over 60 at full load). Does anyone know why this is? I would have imagined better air flow with the card being installed at the first PCI-E slot, as it gives more space for air flow (800D has a 140 mm fan as main air intake at the bottom).
2. As Asus HD 6970 Direct CU II takes 3 expansion slots, I will have to pick up another 2 slot version of HD 6970 as I am running out of space. I am eyeing at 2 options: Asus EAH HD 6970 2 GB reference version, or Sapphire HD 6970 dual fan edition. Which one would you guys recommend and why?
3. Further to the 2 questions above, I am thinking installing the 2 slot HD 6970 at the top PCI-E slot, and install Asus 6970 DCU II at the 3rd PCI-E slot. The reason that I do not use the 4th PCI-E slot is because it litterally leaves no space between the GPU and the metal that divides the MB department and PSU. So that leaves only one slot between the 2 GPUs. Would that be sufficient for cooling? I am not looking into water cooling at all.
This is my first time posting here. been a long time lurker on this site. Thanks for your insights in advance.
I am considering adding another HD 6970 to my rig. Here is my configuration:
Corsair Obsidian 800D
I7 2600K OC to 4.6GHZ
Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler
Asus Maximus Extreme - Z
Corsair Vengeance 4 x 4 gb kit 1688 LP
Corsair AX 1200 Gold Standard
Crucial 128 GB SSD
WD Black Cavier 1 TB
Asus HD 6970 Direct CU II
I have also added 3 120mm Noctua fans at the top of the case as exhaust fans, as well as replaced all stocking 140 mm fans to Noisebreaker PK-3.
Here are my questions:
1. When I insert the graphic card into the first PCI-E slot (the one closest to CPU), it runs really hot: 50 at idle and 80+ at full load. While I use the 2nd PCI-E slot, it runs quite normal (idle at around 40 and never goes over 60 at full load). Does anyone know why this is? I would have imagined better air flow with the card being installed at the first PCI-E slot, as it gives more space for air flow (800D has a 140 mm fan as main air intake at the bottom).
2. As Asus HD 6970 Direct CU II takes 3 expansion slots, I will have to pick up another 2 slot version of HD 6970 as I am running out of space. I am eyeing at 2 options: Asus EAH HD 6970 2 GB reference version, or Sapphire HD 6970 dual fan edition. Which one would you guys recommend and why?
3. Further to the 2 questions above, I am thinking installing the 2 slot HD 6970 at the top PCI-E slot, and install Asus 6970 DCU II at the 3rd PCI-E slot. The reason that I do not use the 4th PCI-E slot is because it litterally leaves no space between the GPU and the metal that divides the MB department and PSU. So that leaves only one slot between the 2 GPUs. Would that be sufficient for cooling? I am not looking into water cooling at all.
This is my first time posting here. been a long time lurker on this site. Thanks for your insights in advance.