Placement of expansion slot cards

**Joefireline** · 08-21-2009, 07:03 AM

Ok, I have a bit of an issue with the setup I have with the expansion slot cards. Currently I have 2 graphics cards, which are dual slot so take up 4 slots between them, and a fairly big sound card on PCI E 1X, and a small wireless card on PCI E 1X.

The setup on my motherboard is like this:
1 PCI E 16x
2 PCI E 1x
3 PCI E 16X
4 PCI
5 PCI E 16X
6 PCI
7 PCI E 16X

According to my manual, to get the full 16x for the 2 graphics cards, it needs to be on slot 1 and 5, and the other PCI E 16 shouldn't be used. (It switches all to 8X if you use all 4 or 3 of the PCI E 16X slots.)
Currently, I have the graphics cards in slot 1 and 3, the wireless card in slot 5 and the sound card in slot 7, so the PCI E 16X slots are running all at 8X, unfortunately, if I had the graphics cards in slots 1 and 5, it wouldn't run as 16X 1X 16X 1X, it has to run at 16X 0X 16X 0X.

Another problem I have is that the graphics cards are running hot, as they don't have room to breath, see image below:
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/8893/dsc00948t.jpg

No matter how I arrange the cards, it will not allow one of the graphics cards to breath properly, and so it will run hot, and LOUD!
However, I was thinking that maybe I could do some modding, if I got hold of something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ribbon-PCI-Exp...d=p3286.c0.m14
I could move the sound card to an alternative place in my case, I could get hold of a PCI wireless card, then that would allow me to have the graphics cards in the correct places, allowing them room and running them at 16X.
However, where would it be possible for me to move this sound card? I thought that maybe I could put it on it's side, or something.
I could do with some help on this!
Anyone have any ideas? Or any alternatives? I wouldn't mind spending up to £50 on something to get past the problem, if there is an alternative. I did have a look for some alternative graphics card cooler, but as my graphics cards do not hold the reference layout, there are none that would fit!

Here's a few more photos if it helps:
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2608/dsc00947z.jpg
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4043/dsc00950kcx.jpg

Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

shotgn · 08-21-2009, 09:46 AM

After reading you mother board manual I found this
a. the PCIE x16 slots (PCI_E1 & PCI_E4) support up to PCIE 2.0 x16
speed

So right now you have one in x16 and the other x8.
Move the bottom one down to the next pcie slot that will give you plenty of airflow.
Plus both will be running at the x16 speed instead of x8

**Joefireline** · 08-21-2009, 01:00 PM

Hi,
Sorry I didn't explain very clearly, but if I use the slots on E1 and E4 (1st and 5th) for the graphics cards, I still need my sound card and wireless card in, and I can't put either in the PCI E 1x slot, so they have to go in the other two PCI E 16X slots, which makes the E1 and E4 (1st and 5th slot) run in 8X. I don't think there is a way of making the graphics cards run at 16X when the other two are running at 1X.
Thanks anyway, but still need help on this.

**Tyree** · 08-24-2009, 09:43 AM

Use one high performance graphics card. You'll see very little, if any, decrease in graphics performance.

**Joefireline** · 08-24-2009, 03:23 PM

If I could afford to spend out on a 4890 or GTS295 I would! Haha.

I'm thinking though, if I can get the PCI E 1x riser long enough, I could attempt to mount the sound card into my 5.25" bay.

08-21-2009, 07:03 AM	#1 (permalink)
Joefireline Enthusiastic TSFer~Joseph Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Portishead (Bristol) England Posts: 5,319 OS: Windows 7 64bit(Desktop) / XP Home SP2(laptop) My System	Placement of expansion slot cards Ok, I have a bit of an issue with the setup I have with the expansion slot cards. Currently I have 2 graphics cards, which are dual slot so take up 4 slots between them, and a fairly big sound card on PCI E 1X, and a small wireless card on PCI E 1X. The setup on my motherboard is like this: 1 PCI E 16x 2 PCI E 1x 3 PCI E 16X 4 PCI 5 PCI E 16X 6 PCI 7 PCI E 16X According to my manual, to get the full 16x for the 2 graphics cards, it needs to be on slot 1 and 5, and the other PCI E 16 shouldn't be used. (It switches all to 8X if you use all 4 or 3 of the PCI E 16X slots.) Currently, I have the graphics cards in slot 1 and 3, the wireless card in slot 5 and the sound card in slot 7, so the PCI E 16X slots are running all at 8X, unfortunately, if I had the graphics cards in slots 1 and 5, it wouldn't run as 16X 1X 16X 1X, it has to run at 16X 0X 16X 0X. Another problem I have is that the graphics cards are running hot, as they don't have room to breath, see image below: http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/8893/dsc00948t.jpg No matter how I arrange the cards, it will not allow one of the graphics cards to breath properly, and so it will run hot, and LOUD! However, I was thinking that maybe I could do some modding, if I got hold of something like this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ribbon-PCI-Exp...d=p3286.c0.m14 I could move the sound card to an alternative place in my case, I could get hold of a PCI wireless card, then that would allow me to have the graphics cards in the correct places, allowing them room and running them at 16X. However, where would it be possible for me to move this sound card? I thought that maybe I could put it on it's side, or something. I could do with some help on this! Anyone have any ideas? Or any alternatives? I wouldn't mind spending up to £50 on something to get past the problem, if there is an alternative. I did have a look for some alternative graphics card cooler, but as my graphics cards do not hold the reference layout, there are none that would fit! Here's a few more photos if it helps: http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2608/dsc00947z.jpg http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4043/dsc00950kcx.jpg Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

08-21-2009, 09:46 AM	#2 (permalink)
shotgn Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 196 OS: xp My System	Re: Placement of expansion slot cards After reading you mother board manual I found this a. the PCIE x16 slots (PCI_E1 & PCI_E4) support up to PCIE 2.0 x16 speed So right now you have one in x16 and the other x8. Move the bottom one down to the next pcie slot that will give you plenty of airflow. Plus both will be running at the x16 speed instead of x8 __________________ Do or do not, there is no try -yoda-

08-21-2009, 01:00 PM	#3 (permalink)
Joefireline Enthusiastic TSFer~Joseph Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Portishead (Bristol) England Posts: 5,319 OS: Windows 7 64bit(Desktop) / XP Home SP2(laptop) My System	Re: Placement of expansion slot cards Hi, Sorry I didn't explain very clearly, but if I use the slots on E1 and E4 (1st and 5th) for the graphics cards, I still need my sound card and wireless card in, and I can't put either in the PCI E 1x slot, so they have to go in the other two PCI E 16X slots, which makes the E1 and E4 (1st and 5th slot) run in 8X. I don't think there is a way of making the graphics cards run at 16X when the other two are running at 1X. Thanks anyway, but still need help on this.

08-24-2009, 09:43 AM	#4 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,602 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: Placement of expansion slot cards Use one high performance graphics card. You'll see very little, if any, decrease in graphics performance. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

08-24-2009, 03:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
Joefireline Enthusiastic TSFer~Joseph Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Portishead (Bristol) England Posts: 5,319 OS: Windows 7 64bit(Desktop) / XP Home SP2(laptop) My System	Re: Placement of expansion slot cards If I could afford to spend out on a 4890 or GTS295 I would! Haha. I'm thinking though, if I can get the PCI E 1x riser long enough, I could attempt to mount the sound card into my 5.25" bay. Last edited by Joefireline; 08-24-2009 at 03:25 PM.