SLI + PCIe help!

[Uncle Julian]

This is my mobo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=p8p67-m%20pro

And this is my two graphics cards i just recieved:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...60%20gtx%20ssc

So I'm about to hook them up in SLI, however if I try to do the top blue and middle white slots, there's only a few millimeters of space inbetween the cards (like to keep them as cool as possible). It would make alot more sense (aesthetically) if I put the 2nd graphics card on the bottom black slot on the mobo (plus I already have an SLI bridge that would fit the bigger gap). With these two graphics cards, would I be losing any performance by doing this? Is it recommended? Will it work?

FYI: My monitor's max resolution is 1680x1050, 22-inch wide screen.
CPU: i5-2500k @ 4.6 GHz
RAM: g.skill 6 gigs @ 1600MHz

[ispano]

That black slot can only do a Max of PCIe 4x. When you use the two other slots for SLI, they both drop to 8x PCIe, which for 99% of cards is fine, but going down to 4x "might" be an issue. It's also possible it might not even work. Plus SLI is probably overkill for your monitor's resolution anyways.

[Wries]

Yeah think the black one is 4x.

Plus SLI is probably overkill for your monitor's resolution anyways.

Deps on game?

Using a GTX 460 for same res (though dual displays but no gpu intensive on second screen) and I can witness to that one GTX 460 isn't enough for Need For Speed Shift 2 (example) if you want high settings and 60FPS. Though I don't know how very well optimized Shift 2 is nor if the SLI profile, if any, is good enough to make two GTX 460 pull off 60FPS at high.

For WoW, two 460's it could pretty much be a waste. Though I don't raid anymore so can't tell how much GPU the new encounters sometimes may require. I recall that during the few visits I had in BWD, thinking about Maloriak in particular, that my 460 got stressed a lot during a phase transition and that my fps dipped because of it.

[xsistor]

Isn't that a reference card and/or with vapour chambers? If so it will intake the air and push it around the vapour chambers and spew it out the back grill. That should help with the heat worry as far as spacing is concerned. However it is common for temps to be a bit higher at least on 1 card when you use SLI. The spacing is problematic but sadly most mainboards have similar spacing. The card being reference can help if the air is vented out of the case through the grills rather than being vented downwards into the case.

edit: http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-460-review/6
It says here the card is reference. It does look like it sucks the air in and pushes it out htrough the backgrill. so the small spacing should be plenty. On the other hand I have a GTX 460 which uses the ASUS DIrectCU cooler. While the cooling is amazing often keeping things at 43-50 C under gaming, it does vent air into the case which isn't ideal for SLI. The reference cooler will have higher temps but it will be better for SLI in closely packed spaces.

hope this helps.

edit2: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3809/n...the-200-king/4
This article takes a look a the 460. IF you read the sectipon on teh 460 cooler it says that it does not fully vent out the back. It sits somewhere in between the likes of Asus GTX 460 which vents everything into the case, and the standard NVIDIA reference design which vents all the air out hte back. This vents some air out hte back and soem into the case.

Not ideal, but better than a non-reference card given the close spacing. At any rate, the 460 runs pretty cool and you should easily maintain well before the 105C max temps even with a good overclock/overvolt.

[Uncle Julian]

For WoW, two 460's it could pretty much be a waste. Though I don't raid anymore so can't tell how much GPU the new encounters sometimes may require. I recall that during the few visits I had in BWD, thinking about Maloriak in particular, that my 460 got stressed a lot during a phase transition and that my fps dipped because of it.

Heheh everyone on mmo assumes people only play wow ^.^ I actually play oblivion, crysis, all of Valve's Steam games, plus more. Going to purchase skyrim when it is available as well

---------- Post added 2011-04-12 at 07:28 PM ----------

Isn't that a reference card and/or with vapour chambers? If so it will intake the air and push it around the vapour chambers and spew it out the back grill. That should help with the heat worry as far as spacing is concerned. However it is common for temps to be a bit higher at least on 1 card when you use SLI. The spacing is problematic but sadly most mainboards have similar spacing. The card being reference can help if the air is vented out of the case through the grills rather than being vented downwards into the case.

Yea the fan is on the center of the card, and exhaust is on the back of my case. Still feel like having the botton slot taken up makes more sense, but I won't do it if I lose performance. I'm decently knowledgable about computers as a whole -except- pci express related terms / benchmarks etc

---------- Post added 2011-04-13 at 10:21 AM ----------

Can anyone else confirm / deny the option to stick it in the bottom slot of my mobo? I'd like to get a little more input if possible

[pansertjald]

you will loose way to much by using the black slot(x4)........ if you are going SLI you will aleast want 2x x8 slots.

your best option is to either get a mobo with more space or just try out the two gtx 460 in the first two slots and see how hot there get.

the better airflow you have in your case, the colder your cards will be........ what case do you have?