MBoard Recommendation request for AV server

[4EverLearning]

Appreciate your wisdom, as I've searched plenty and not found the board I'd like for an AV server I'd like to build using a server case and 6 disk SATA RAID array. Processing power is not that important to me, so I have no preference for AMD or Intel.

It needs to be able to support:
- (3) high-end Nvidia or Radeon cards (using x16 PCIe slots running at least at x8 speeds)
- (1) SATA RAID adapter (using at least a x4 PCIe slot)
- If it includes integrated audio, it needs SPDIF optical out. If it doesn't include integrated audio, it needs at least one other PCI or PCIe slot available after the above has been added
- prefer at least (1) 1000BaseT integrated adapter, though (2) would be better

Challenge:
Many of the multi-x16 boards seem to not include enough space for these larger graphics cards, which consume the physical space of two slots. In addition, few mainboards include x4 or x8 slots in locations that graphics cards in the x16 slots do not already physically block.

Advice sincerely appreciated -- I've run out of hair to pull!

 

[classy]

AV?

Anti-virus or audio-visual

 

[MrTransistorm]

Sandy Bridge is right out since it only offers 16 lanes for the GPU. Even with a NF200 chip, it's still limited.

As for AMD, maybe something like this? It looks like using every other slot would give you x16/x8/x4 for your GPUs and x4 for your SATA card.

There are also high end Intel s1366 boards that may work for you, but they are quite expensive. It's also effectively a dead end platform. Wait for SB-E (s2011) if you're considering this route.

 

[4EverLearning]

As for AMD, maybe something like this? It looks like using every other slot would give you x16/x8/x4 for your GPUs and x4 for your SATA card.

Yep, that answers the mail for my audio-visual server. I'd seen Gigabyte's less expensive version, which based on 3 serious graphics cards, gives up the x4 slot I wanted for a separate RAID adapter.

Thanks - you rock, MrTransistorm. <bow>

 

[MrTransistorm]

I'm glad I could help. In fact I'm seriously considering that board myself for my home server. I plan to add several drives, so I will probably need a few slots for SATA adapters.

It seems that so many other boards (and entire platforms) sacrifice so much usable slot space with PCIe x1 slots, PCI slots, CMOS batteries, heatsinks, or even nothing at all!

Right now I'm just twiddling my thumbs to see how Bulldozer turns out.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Sandy Bridge is right out since it only offers 16 lanes for the GPU. Even with a NF200 chip, it's still limited.

As for AMD, maybe something like this? It looks like using every other slot would give you x16/x8/x4 for your GPUs and x4 for your SATA card.

There are also high end Intel s1366 boards that may work for you, but they are quite expensive. It's also effectively a dead end platform. Wait for SB-E (s2011) if you're considering this route.

That's a really sweet board, I might get one. Would be a nice replacement for a K9A2 Platinum MSI board (with 4x PCI-E x16 @ x8).