Dual SLI- 3 monitors- 3 vga's

[bjveee]

I'm looking for motherboards with PCIe 2.0 slots in the pci1, pci4, & pci7 positions. The only one I'm aware of is the: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136067. An AM3 solution with questionable stability.

I want to do 2x 275GTX's x16/x16 with my 2nd and 3rd monitors running on a 9800 GT in the x4 slot. See example: http://www.slizone.com/object/sli_multi_monitor.html#confoptions

Dual width vga's effectively need 3 slots to breathe. I also want to run 3 or 4 virtual machines on a regular basis so I would prefer the x58 I7 boards with 8 threads. Asus P6T and MSI Eclipse have the x16/x16/x4 locked down but the 3rd vga won't allow the 2nd vga to breathe. I'm uncomfortable with the new water cooled 295's. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143202

I'm leaning toward the GA-X58A-UD5 (sales statistics GA-X58-UD5 don't lie) with USB 3.0, SATAIII, and 24 phase voltage regulation. I guess I sacrifice the dual 275's, go with a single 295 on air and run the 9800 GT in the x4 slot.

Hoping someone can tell me what I'm missing. Is my logic flawed?

 

[MikeJRamsey]

http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=132-BL-E758-A1&family=Motherboard%20Family

Notice that all three PCIe slots are double wide.

 

[bjveee]

That's the problem! They are ONLY double width slots. You really need 3 slot widths for double width cards if you are going with just air cooling. That's why I'm trying to see if anyone knows of any motherboards with the pci1, pci4, and pci7 positions as the DFI LP DK 790FXB-M3H5. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136067

I just don't like the voltage regulation on the DFI. Also want to preferably go with an x58.

Thanx for your extra clock cycles......

 

[vmardegan]

I have the exact system you're trying to do. 2xGTX 275 plus a 8800GT on the third PCIe slot for Physx.

I'm using a GA-EX58-UD4P, BUT my 8800GT is single slot, not dual.

However, I believe a GTX295 would make more sense for you... I just went 2xGTX275 because I bought one first and a few months later I decided to add another one. If I were building from scratch, I would have gone GTX295.

 

[MikeJRamsey]

That's the problem! They are ONLY double width slots. You really need 3 slot widths for double width cards if you are going with just air cooling. That's why I'm trying to see if anyone knows of any motherboards with the pci1, pci4, and pci7 positions as the DFI LP DK 790FXB-M3H5. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136067

I just don't like the voltage regulation on the DFI. Also want to preferably go with an x58.

Thanx for your extra clock cycles......

I think that I see your problem. I would recommend this card http://www.evga.com/PRODUCTS/enlarge.asp?PN=141-BL-E760-A1&I=5
and the Cooler Master HAF 932 case with maxed out fans.

I haven't looked hard at any of the single PCB versions of the GTX 295 but you might want to take a closer look.
http://www.sudhian.com/index.php?/forums/viewthread/106294/

 

[bjveee]

This would allow the use of any one of the x58's with the double width slots back to back as they all seem to want to build. I just don't see that an extra $350 just for water on one card is logical. The obvious solution is to build the motherboards to accommodate air breathing. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143202

I use the PC-A70B. Actually two of them. http://www.mwave.com/mwave/SkuSearch_v3.asp?scriteria=ba24896. The four intake fans in a push & pull through the hard drive wall pretty much negates every other case on the market. Two exhaust, double power supplies and its relatively cheap. When you go with just the one intake and one exhaust, you have to pump up the cfm/fan, pressure/fan, and worst of all the db/fan. There are lots of fans that will do it but not the most comfortable to live with. With more fans, the cfm are additive, the pressure is reduced and best of all the db/cfm are generally only multiplied by factors of 1 to 2 as you go from two to six fans. This guy makes a better argument than I want to right now. http://www.devhardware.com/forums/pc-cooling-8/case-fan-selection-cfm-addition-171744.html

I just don't like water. I had one. It's a pain. It seems I'm in the case every couple of months and I'm not going to deal with it again.

Thanx for your thoughts.....

 

[bjveee]

I have the exact system you're trying to do. 2xGTX 275 plus a 8800GT on the third PCIe slot for Physx.

I'm using a GA-EX58-UD4P, BUT my 8800GT is single slot, not dual.

However, I believe a GTX295 would make more sense for you... I just went 2xGTX275 because I bought one first and a few months later I decided to add another one. If I were building from scratch, I would have gone GTX295.

vmardegan: Thanx for your input. I really want to use a couple of the MSI 275's. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127429. They are relatively speaking the right price/performance. I was also thinking buy one and wait for the second to drop into the $125 to $150 spot they always do. It happens so fast.

Have you run your 8800GT separate from the SLI with a second monitor? I'm curious how functional the nvidia drivers are running a second monitor with webpages at the same time you are gaming on the SLI monitor.

bjveee......

 

[MikeJRamsey]

I intended to send you to the air cooled version here http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=141-BL-E760-A1&family=Motherboard%20Family

The water cooled version is here http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=141-BL-E769-A1&family=Motherboard%20Family

Most folks at the high end do seem to choose water cooled. But with the Classified you have four PCIe slots to choose from; you should be able to find some spacing there.

They are expensive but well built.

The HAF 932 uses lots of big slow moving fans to push air. I'll stick with my recommendation.