I've been failing to install my GTX 1070s with ribbon cables and they're driving me crazy.

[BigLouis1971]

I recently upgraded my motherboard to Asus Z87-WS so I can install 4 GTX-1070s for rendering. Right now I only have 3 of them and a mid tower case. I plan to get the 4th one soon. I assembled the PC with just 3 cards because my case only has 7 expansion slots but, they run pretty hot because they are too close to each other.

To make them run cooler, I made a wood frame a la bitcoin mining style. I also ordered some cheap PCI-E 16X ribbon cables from eBay so the PCI-E slots are able to run at 8X. When they finally arrived, I reinstalled everything in my frame but, the PC started to hang up at the desktop. I decided to install the cards directly to the PCI-E slots leaving a space between the cards and I used 2 PCI-E riser cards to install the other 2 cards in the remaining slots. The computer is working OK with the cards installed like that and they run cool but, the cards are working at just 8X, 1X, 8X, 1X.

I wanted to make another try with the PCI-E ribbon cables so I browsed for more quality ribbon cables. I found some better ones on Newegg so I returned my previous cables and ordered the new ones. I received the cables and installed them but, the PC is hanging up again at the desktop.

I really want to have my 4 cards working at 8X so I need a solution for freezing problem of the desktop. Does somebody knows why the PC is freezing with the cards installed on the ribbon cables? Beside the PCI-E riser cards, what other alternatives do I have to install my 4 cards separate from each other and still have them work at 8x? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[zyh1987]

is your power supply enough to handle 4x 1070?

 

[BigLouis1971]

is your power supply enough to handle 4x 1070?

I believe so. Is a EVGA 1300 watts Gold PSU.

 

[zyh1987]

i'm still thinking it's related to the power supply. 1600w should be enough, also did you update to the latest bios and driver?

 

[BigLouis1971]

i'm still thinking it's related to the power supply. 1600w should be enough, also did you update to the latest bios and driver?

I updated the mobo bios recently to the latest but reversed the driver to 397.31 from 397.64 because I thought that was the problem but it wasn't.

 

[zyh1987]

the hang, does it happen when you load your application? or just hangs at as soon as you enters windows.

 

[BigLouis1971]

the hang, does it happen when you load your application? or just hangs at as soon as you enters windows.

Windows looks to load correctly but the PC freezes a few seconds after it reaches the desktop.

 

[zyh1987]

and i suppose you disabled sli and are not using the sli bridge?

 

[BigLouis1971]

and i suppose you disabled sli and are not using the sli bridge?

Correct for both.

 

[zyh1987]

as you mentioned that 3 card works?
1. have you tried to put use the last pci-e slot to see if you are having issue with the board?
2. can you boot into safe mode with four cards installed without hanging? if you can it's likely a driver issue. else its likely a hardware issue.

 

[BigLouis1971]

as you mentioned that 3 card works?
1. have you tried to put use the last pci-e slot to see if you are having issue with the board?
2. can you boot into safe mode with four cards installed without hanging? if you can it's likely a driver issue. else its likely a hardware issue.

I have not tried 4th slot without ribbon cables. I tried slots 1st and 3rd with the cards installed directly into the slots. I guess that I can try slots 2nd and 4th the same way to take that out of the possibilities.I can also try to install the 3 cards again directly to the slots and my old GTX 970 into the 4th slot to also take that out of the possibilities. If everything goes correctly that way, then I'll try to install the cards one by one with the ribbon cables once again to see how it goes. I can also try to boot into safe mode with the cards installed with the ribbon cables like you said to see how it goes.