Help me figure out how to add two GPUs in my rig

[college_student]

Hi folks,

I built a really nice rig a little while back with a GTX 980 and the following motherboard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157541

I also have one of those nice intel pcie SSDs:
http://images.anandtech.com/doci/9090/carusel_678x452.jpg

Finally, I also have an M.2 drive in my system.

A friend of mine recently upgraded his system to AMD, and has a 980 that he just gave to me. I'm trying to figure out how to add it to my system. That is to say, which PCI slots should I add all of this too. I have an 860W power supply, so that should not be an issue. I currently have the M.2 in the M.2 slot, the GPU in the bottom most slot, and the intel drive in the PCIe x16 slot in the middle. Idk what the little PCIe slots are (x1?). What is the point of those? Can I put my intel drive in one of those?

I was naively thinking I could move the intel drive to the top most PCIe slot, and then add the GPU to the slot that the current Intel drive is in. But my friend told me that some of the slots stop working with M.2 or something like that. I should mention that I have a 5930k. Can someone experienced explain to me which slots I should add everything to make it work, instead of me guessing and screwing it all up?

Thanks so much!

 

[dave_the_nerd]

The GPUs should be in the x16 slots, top down (closest to the cup, then next closest.)

Other stuff can go in whatever slots they'll fit in.

X1 slots are most commonly used for sound cards and network cards.

 

[college_student]

The GPUs should be in the x16 slots, top down (closest to the cup, then next closest.)

Other stuff can go in whatever slots they'll fit in.

X1 slots are most commonly used for sound cards and network cards.

Thanks. Just a quick follow up; doesnt the mobo have 3 PCI-E x16 slots (the bottom one, the one closest to the CPU, and one in the middle). Why cant I put the Intel drive closest to the CPU, and then the two GPUs in the middle and the bottom slot respectively? That will make it much easier to put the bridge, instead of looping over the M.2 drive.

 

[nsafreak]

That's going to depend on your motherboard. Some motherboards don't supply x16 speed to all slots. As long as it supplies at least x8 speed to all slots it should be just fine no matter which slot you put it in.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

wot 'e sed.

Depending on how your motherboard splits of the lanes (which differs depending on which slots are populated)

According to the newegg page, it's:

3 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slots (PCIE1 @ x16 mode; PCIE3 @ x16 mode; PCIE5 @ x8 mode)*
*If you install CPU with 28 lanes, PCIE1/PCIE3/PCIE4 will work at x16/x8/x4 and 3-Way SLI is not supported. To support 3-Way SLI, please install CPU with 40 lanes.

So depending which CPU you have, it's either 16/16/8 or 16/8/4. So you want your GPUs in the two "fast" slots.

 

[college_student]

wot 'e sed.

Depending on how your motherboard splits of the lanes (which differs depending on which slots are populated)

According to the newegg page, it's:



So depending which CPU you have, it's either 16/16/8 or 16/8/4. So you want your GPUs in the two "fast" slots.

I have a 5930k, so I guess, regardless, I should be using the top two slots, yes?

Thanks!

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I have a 5930k, so I guess, regardless, I should be using the top two slots, yes?

Thanks!

Yes.