If I'm using a i7 4770k and I want 3-way SLI with Gtx 780s and also a Asus Essence STX Sound Card, will an Asus Maximus VI Ext

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Agathus

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Oct 24, 2014
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I have an i7 4770k running two 780s in SLI and an Asus Essence STX Soundcard. I have the opportunity to get another 780, but I know my current Asus Z87 Pro Motherboard wouldn't support that.

Would an Asus Maximus VI Extreme allow me to run the three 780s in SLI and the soundcard from my 4770k?

Will all of this fit inside of my Corsair C70, because it's a little tight as it is. I was thinking of getting a Corsair Obsidian 750D if I need a bigger case.

Thanks in advance!
 
Solution
TopLuca
No you're not , It uses PCIe x1 which won't cause any bottlenecks .

IMO I see no reason why you want to have 3 way SLI as its not really supported by most games and the scalling becomes very poor as you're only gaining about 40%.
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TopLuca

TopLuca

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You'll need a different CPU for 3 way SLI.

The 4770k supports only 16 PCI-E lanes and would bottleneck three GTX 780 .

The New Motherboard will allow 3 way SLI however I wouldn't think it will make much of a difference over what you have , so my sincere advice is to stick to your SLI 780s till they struggle.
 
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Agathus

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But wouldn't the PLX Chip in the Maximus VI Extreme allow my CPU to use the additional GPU?
 
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TopLuca

TopLuca

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The CPU supports only 28 PCIe lanes , The CPU is like the controller so it controls how things flow in your case.

Two of the three GPUs will only run at 8x regardless of the extra bandwidth covered by the PLX.
 
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Agathus

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So is there any way for me to run a third GPU then? Also I believe the 4770k only supports 16 PCIe lanes.

Also, what does the PLX Chip do if it doesn't allow more PCIe lanes than your CPU normally permits?

Could my current mobo and CPU handle two 980s?

Sorry I ask a lot of questions...
 
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TopLuca

TopLuca

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No no problems at all , You can run 3 way SLI with your supposed new motherboard but two of the 3 cards will run at 8x , which isn't a major problem in 2 way SLI but in 3 Way sli it is ( if I am correct ).

The PLX Chip allows more than 2 way SLI on CPUs which normally wouldn't support more than that ( eg. 4770K ) also it adds extra bandwidth so you could run the 2 way sli cards on 16x opposed to 8x on your CPU.

Your current motherboard will support even 3 way SLI so 2 980s should be supported too however your current setup is strong enough.
 
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Agathus

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Oct 24, 2014
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My last question then, if I'm running two GPUs at 8x each, and I have an Essence STX SoundCard, that uses a 1x slot, am I causing a bottleneck?
 
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TopLuca

TopLuca

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No you're not , It uses PCIe x1 which won't cause any bottlenecks .

IMO I see no reason why you want to have 3 way SLI as its not really supported by most games and the scalling becomes very poor as you're only gaining about 40%.
 
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Agathus

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Oct 24, 2014
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I think I've come to a decision after reading up on PCIe lanes. After learning that GPUs running at 8x can functions just as good if not better than when they run at x16, seen here

I've decided that since I can keep my CPU and Mobo, I can just buy two 980s and run them in SLI.
I've read about the diminishing gains you get from 3 and 4-way SLI, so I think I'll just stick with using 2 GPUs for now.

Thanks for the help.
 
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TopLuca

TopLuca

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You're always welcome sir ;)

I know that GPUs won't be bottlenecked at 8x however in 3 way SLI strange things occur at 8x ( especially with your current board ) , moreover you'll still need to buy a new board and a new card.

Wise Choice on your behalf :)
 
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