Need help with Nvidia SLI and SSD installation.

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Jacob Linao

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Dec 31, 2013
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Hi guys I registered today because I need your help. So recently I sold my PS4 and games because of the recent Sony announcements. I just ascended with the help of a friend. I am sporting a GTX 1080 and I have some money left over to buy another. I have a few questions about Nvidia's SLI system. First, I have an MSi Aero OC version of the 1080 and a Z170 Gaming Pro Carbon motherboard.

Will a normal Msi SLI bridge (from Amazon) be enough to utilize the Pascal architecture of dual 1080s? Or will I have to buy Nvidia's high bandwidth SLI bridges? Will I have to connect the second GPU to the monitor as well? I apologize for these dumb questions. I'm seriously at this.

Also When he was installing the video card, he connected a custom sleeved cable from the video card to a cord on the power supply. So you need two cords to connect the video card to the power supply? What type of cord and pins do I need to buy to install the video card? I have a Corsair RM850i PSU. It's fully modular he said.

I only have a 1TB HDD (I had to set aside the SSD at the time). I am planning to buy a 500GB Samsung 850 Pro for my rig as well. I know of the SATA cables but I noticed the power cables were too short.
How would I remedy that issue? What type of cord do I buy?
I use a Corsair 750D full tower case.

I am a Chemist and intern at Argonne National Laboratory (Chicago) and I game A LOT and I also need a strong PC to run hours of simulated stereochemical and electrochemical reactions. Which partly explains my rig.
Here are my specs: CPU: i7-6700K 4.0 GHz Memory: 16GB of RAM GPU: MSi GTX 1080 Aero OC 8GB PSU: 850W RM850i from Corsair

I need your help guys. Thank you!!
 
Solution
warhead0
The SLI bridge you are looking for is this type: https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Bridge-2-Way-short-100-2W-0023-LR/dp/B00X5X3LQY
because you have a dual slot GPU, you will want a 'short' bridge. the cheaper 'flexible' bridges are much better at fitting multiple sizes.

Just to be safe its always worth checking your motherboard.

2 Way (short): 2 cards with no slot between cards.
2 Way (long): 2 cards with single slot between.


expensive i know, but the cheaper flexible ones will work in the mean time, however these high bandwidth bridges actually can help increase your in-game FPS.


Now the power cable, you mentioned you have a 6+2 labled PCI-E? That's the cable you want, and it's exactly what you want to plug into the GPU.
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warhead0

warhead0

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The SLI bridge you buy does matter, but not by much, the new high bandwidth bridges are the way to go.

As for the monitor, you would plug that into video card number 1, but once again it doesn't matter a great deal.

I believe the 1080 required two 6-pin cable from your PSU to properly function. I imagine your PSU qould already have these cables ready to go, if not you should talk to your friend. its very simple to install these 6-pin plugs, they can only go in one way and they are very easy to ID.

for your HDD power you will want a SATA extension cable. now I'm not a huge fan of using extension cables and converter cables, but sometimes you gotta do it.


Hopefully that helps clear up some of these questions a little.
 
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Jacob Linao

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Dec 31, 2013
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I need help picking out an SLI bridge or more like I need to know which size? I was planning on skimping on it, and just get the flexible ones. I looked up my PSU cable slots and I see a 6+2 pin PCI-E. Thats for the 1080 right? MY current 1080 has 8 pins on it. I'm planning to buy a red custom sleeved cable from cablemod to match my current color scheme. I only need that right; another single 6+2 pin connector from video card directly to PSU?
 
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warhead0

warhead0

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The SLI bridge you are looking for is this type: https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Bridge-2-Way-short-100-2W-0023-LR/dp/B00X5X3LQY
because you have a dual slot GPU, you will want a 'short' bridge. the cheaper 'flexible' bridges are much better at fitting multiple sizes.

Just to be safe its always worth checking your motherboard.

2 Way (short): 2 cards with no slot between cards.
2 Way (long): 2 cards with single slot between.


expensive i know, but the cheaper flexible ones will work in the mean time, however these high bandwidth bridges actually can help increase your in-game FPS.


Now the power cable, you mentioned you have a 6+2 labled PCI-E? That's the cable you want, and it's exactly what you want to plug into the GPU.
The reason for having the weird +2 part dangling off the side, is for the people who's cards only need the 6-pin. (sorry for suggesting it might only be a 6-pin, my mistake).

You can absolutely buy a mod cable for the GPU, just be sure you buy the 8-pin version.
 
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Jacob Linao

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Dec 31, 2013
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OMG thank you! I have the Z170 Gaming Pro Carbon motherboard. It has a small PCI slot in between the metal PCI-E gpu slots. Sli bridge brands are compatible with all GPU despite varying brands right? MSI GPUs with EVGA bridges?

For the PSU cable. I dug around, will any 8 pin connector work with my RM850i PSU? Or should I strictly buy it off from corsair?
 
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warhead0

warhead0

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yes any brand SLI bridge will work with any branded GPU. they don't discriminate.

And finally the 8-pin MUST be a PCI-E cable, if you look very closely at your 8-pin you will notice each individual plug is a different shape, this is to help prevent plugging it into the wrong spot. so if it fits, it's probably the right one. if it dosn't fit, don't force it. or don't get the idea to 'cut it into shape'.

For the most part you will find most 8-pin cables are for PCI-E, the only other possibility is its a CPU cable. but they will usually come in a 4+4 cable.

Hope that helps.
 
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Jacob Linao

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Dec 31, 2013
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Thank you so much for addressing my concerns. One more thing, I won't need an adapter or extension, so long as the cablemod 8-pin connector is long enough right? I see PC builds on youtube where they connect their modded cables from the GPU and connect it to another cable from the PSU. I was really confused.
 
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warhead0

warhead0

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i dont belive you will need any other adaptions or cables, the cable mod cable on one end is female, so you plug your PSU cable into it, you hide all the ugly cables somewhere out of sight, like behind the motherboard tray (if you case supports it) then the other end of the cable mod cable will come out from hiding and plug straight into your GPU.

so to summarize the cable will be like this...

PSU---- PCI-E Cable----><--- Cable Mod Cable -----><--GPU.

pretty simple really.
 
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