3 PCIe x16 slots? What for?

[AmberClad]

I saw the ad for the Bad Axe 2 on the main AT page and clicked on it out of curiosity. This board really seems a bit odd to me, especially for an Intel reference model (mind you, I'm not too familiar with Intel's board offerings, so this might all be normal).

What purpose does 3 PCIe x16 slots serve? Did Nvidia/ATi come out with triple SLi/CrossFire while I wasn't looking?

Other random thoughts:
- Are those little blue things flame-shaped heatsinks ?
- Why the single red SATA connector? Special somehow?

 

[evanscnce]

3 pcie 16x slots: 2 are for sli/crossfire and the third can go to another video card, physix card, or oother item.

 

[AmberClad]

Originally posted by: evanscnce
3 pcie 16x slots: 2 are for sli/crossfire and the third can go to another video card, physix card, or oother item.

I can't imagine there're too many people running a SLi/Crossfire + PhysX rig. And yet, judging from the number of reviews, people have actually bought this thing . I think I'd rank this right up there with the Bigfoot Networks "Killer NIC" in terms of overkill.

 

[Fayd]

dude..

you could run 3 super widescreen LCD's with 3 graphics cards.

it'd be awesome. how can u deny that?

 

[Quiksilver]

SLI/Crossfire = 2 of them, Third could be used for a PCI-E RAID card. (Or whatever sound cards, tv turners, or other expansion boards come out on pci-e)
You could use 3 monitor setup each with own gfx card.

 

[shrinath1991]

2xpciex for sli\crossfire 1 for phyx card

 

[nrb]

Not a "PhysX" card, necessarily - that's still PCI only - but a physics card of some sort; more likely a slightly lower-powered video card. At the time the Bad Axe 2 was designed, Nvidia and ATI were both making a big song and dance about using graphics cards to do physics calculations.

 

[AmberClad]

Originally posted by: Fayd
dude..

you could run 3 super widescreen LCD's with 3 graphics cards.

it'd be awesome. how can u deny that?

Originally posted by: QuiksilverX1
You could use 3 monitor setup each with own gfx card.

Only 3 monitors? Don't video cards have two monitor outputs? So...6 monitors then :Q?