Help! Is it really necessary to install my 970 GTX in the PCI-E primary slot?

[Caveman]

EVGA instructions say to install the single card in the PCI-E primary slot...

The slot nearest the CPU is "1" and it's primary but it's nearly running into my Noctua NH-14 CPU Heatsink....

I want to put it in the 2nd slot to give it some thermal breathing room.

Does it matter what PCI-E slot I use?

 

[Sabrewings]

It shouldn't. I don't have mine in the "primary" slot due to proximity to my RAM cooler. As long as you still get 16x bandwidth I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Fallen Kell]

You need to check your motherboard's manual and see what slots have full PCI-E bandwidth to them, especially if you have other PCI-E devices/cards installed. Once you know what slots get 16x or 8x, you should be good to install it in that slot.

 

[JimmiG]

As long as it's a 16x slot it should be OK.

My GTX 970 sits pretty close to my Phanteks PH-TC14PE and it doesn't cause any problems. Since hot air rises, the air will travel the same way regardless of which slot you put it in - up towards your CPU cooler and the top/rear exhaust fans. You could add one of those expansion slot blowers above the video card, but they just create a lot of noise and get clogged with dust.

 

[Charlie98]

I've got a backplate on my GTX970 and it's about 1/4" from the bottom of my 212Evo... it's OK.



EDIT: That's a photo of my GTX760, but the dimensions of the current GTX970 are the same, and both have the backplate.

 

[Caveman]

Thanks for the inputs...

I ended up installing it in the first PCI-E slot nearest the CPU, just to "be sure" though I suspected it didn't make any difference since there are 3 PCI-E 16X slots on the ASUS Z-87 Pro MoBo... It just looks like any residual heat from the card will now effectively help "bake" my CPU... The Noctua NH-14 cooler sits about 0.5" away...

 

[sxr7171]

Thanks for the inputs...

I ended up installing it in the first PCI-E slot nearest the CPU, just to "be sure" though I suspected it didn't make any difference since there are 3 PCI-E 16X slots on the ASUS Z-87 Pro MoBo... It just looks like any residual heat from the card will now effectively help "bake" my CPU... The Noctua NH-14 cooler sits about 0.5" away...

I know it's frowned upon but AIO water solves this problem.

 

[Charlie98]

Thanks for the inputs...

I ended up installing it in the first PCI-E slot nearest the CPU, just to "be sure" though I suspected it didn't make any difference since there are 3 PCI-E 16X slots on the ASUS Z-87 Pro MoBo... It just looks like any residual heat from the card will now effectively help "bake" my CPU... The Noctua NH-14 cooler sits about 0.5" away...

I don't think it will be a problem... the NH-14 is good at what it does and unless you are just thrashing the GPU, I think very little heat will transfer.

 

[Papa Hogan]

I've got a backplate on my GTX970 and it's about 1/4" from the bottom of my 212Evo... it's OK.



EDIT: That's a photo of my GTX760, but the dimensions of the current GTX970 are the same, and both have the backplate.

Did you seal the sides of your 212 Evo to the fans? Does it keep your CPU cooler than without it? I've never seen that.