Question Cases that support a 3 wide GPU in a 7+3/9+3 expansion slot configuration?

[Fallen Kell]

I'm just trying to find out what cases exist out there that would allow for the placement of modern 3 slot GPUs away from the motherboard using a PCIe extension cable so that the other slots on the motherboard are not rendered useless due to the new 3 (and 3.5) slot GPUs that now exist. I believe the Fractal Design Define 7XL supports 3, but was hoping to see more options, especially cases that are not full towers (don't know why I have not seen mid-towers just go a little wider to support such a thing, heck it even makes it easier for them to support hard drives as they would fit even with motherboard trays) as well as be wide enough for to easily support 140x280mm and 140x420mm radiators on the top (possibly even 200x400mm)...

 

[aigomorla]

Do you have a board which can even handle that config would be my first question.

Then you can probably use risers and use a GPU rack 4U to get it done.

like this for example:

GPU mining Rack case

 

[Fallen Kell]

That is a good point. This was more of a generic "most efficient use case" for dealing with these larger multi-slot GPUs that now exist without blocking the rest of the motherboard. At least looking on AMD side of things I think you are correct in that there are very few boards out there that it really matters as there are so few spare PCIe lanes for expansion slots. The only place that it would seem to make a difference is on threadripper boards, but CPU wise, threadripper needs 50% more cores to match the CPU performance of the Zen4 7xxx series (and you will pay 4x as much). Personally I think AMD really should have included 8 more PCIe lanes in the CPU on Ryzen 7xxx to have 36 total (16 for GPU, 8 for M/U2, 4 for network (1x10GbE+WiFi or 2x2.5GbE+WiFi) and audio, and 8 for an expansion card).

I guess I am still stuck "in the old days" where you would easily have a graphics card (possibly 2), a sound card, a RAID controller, and a network card filling all those expansion slots.

 

[The red spirit]

I guess I am still stuck "in the old days" where you would easily have a graphics card (possibly 2), a sound card, a RAID controller, and a network card filling all those expansion slots.

I still use wireless card and last year just retired Audigy 2 ZS as DAC. In microATX case I have filled up every slot. I find it a bit weird how no one even remember SSD cards, they used to be the fastest not a long time ago.

 

[aigomorla]

I think AMD really should have included 8 more PCIe lanes in the CPU on Ryzen 7xxx to have 36 total

Careful kell, your starting to play the same violin i have been playing in the entire AMD thread. 😎
Meaning i totally agree with you.
At least on the 7950 give us 48+ PCI-E lanes.... that cpu makes no sense with that high of a core count without the PCI-E lanes for a true workstation setup.