Need some help with gtx 970 SLI

[xImNoah]

Hi guys, i have a problem with putting my GTX 970's in SLI, they both have very slightly different hardware but i'm not sure if this is the issue.
GPU one: https://gyazo.com/8ca1d3cd8d576134db29b499f8f4daef
GPU two: https://gyazo.com/e2451897894590488f16035c45ef1df7
This is because one was bought near the release and one is a newer card (They are both gigabyte wind-force g1 gaming editions). I am also unsure about the layout they are currently in, in my motherboard. I have an asus maximus VII Hero and they i have been told to use the red slots but not the black. Here is the layout i am currently using (Please excuse the bad quality of the photograph):https://gyazo.com/a998e41ccb295a46e77da0b31333a32d

I have seen other peoples SLI setups on my motherboard but they all seem to have a gap inbetween the cards that is larger than the gap in mine but smaller than the cap between the top slot and the bottom. I tried using the bottom slot on the motherboard but the wires at the bottom that connect to the motherboard to the case block the path of the graphics card. Thanks for any help/advice in advance guys.

 

[Rapajez]

The red slots are PCIe 3.0 x16, which you want to use for SLI, so you're plugged into the correct slots. The bottom slot is PCIe 2.0 x8, and not that it makes a huge difference, might not support SLI anyway.

I don't see a problem. You can use a utility like MSI Afterburner to ensure your cards are sufficiently cooled, and not throttling down due to heat.

On a related note, with a water cooled CPU + SLI setup like that, I'd usually recommend the biggest side case fan you can throw on there--facing in, right on the cards and the parts of the mobo a CPU air cooler would usually hit.