5 x PCI-e x16 slots

[Assoul]

Maybe I need some brushing up on custom desktop building, but why do manufacturers make motherboards with so many PCI-e x16 slots? Take a look at this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G3KG5322

Do they really expect the end-user to fill all those up with video cards? Or, maybe I'm so behind that there's another purpose for all of them.

Please clarify.

 

[theAnimal]

The board supports 3 way CF/SLI so this just allows for more options depending on the width of the graphics cards.

 

[Assoul]

The board supports 3 way CF/SLI so this just allows for more options depending on the width of the graphics cards.

How common is that? And do any games support 3-way video graphics? Seems really extreme, especially at the cost that you probably won't be able to install any other expansion cards.

 

[RaistlinZ]

Maybe I need some brushing up on custom desktop building, but why do manufacturers make motherboards with so many PCI-e x16 slots? Take a look at this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G3KG5322

Do they really expect the end-user to fill all those up with video cards? Or, maybe I'm so behind that there's another purpose for all of them.

Please clarify.

I guess it's just to offer the flexibility to the user. Besides, 5 PCI-E is weak. 7 is where it's at.

 

[theAnimal]

Not too many people actually do 3 (or 4) way SLI/CF but there are quite a few mobos and games that support it. And also not very many people install cards besides video nowadays.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Flexibility. Most motherboards use a mix of x16 and x1 slots - which sucks if you have, say, a pair of GPUs and an x2 RAID card or something.

Options and choices.

 

[Deders]

Some might use ig for a mining rig where you could use multiple graphics cards without the need for Xfire/SLI.

 

[master_shake_]

My board has 4 pci-e 16 slots and one 4x slot.

Z97-ws.

2 gpus and a raid card.