motherboard for 3 GPU?

[forumhero]

looking for recommendations on a motherboard that have sufficient spacing between cards so that they don't choke each other.

saw this EVGA Z68 SLI 130-SB-E685-KR LGA 1155 Intel Z68 but not sure how close each cards will be.

any suggestions?

[mastercracker]

looking for recommendations on a motherboard that have sufficient spacing between cards so that they don't choke each other.

saw this EVGA Z68 SLI 130-SB-E685-KR LGA 1155 Intel Z68 but not sure how close each cards will be.

any suggestions?

With the motherboard you suggested, you can probably get away with it if you have 3 single-slot card and good cooling. If you are planning to do extensive hash cracking then your card are not single slot for sure unless they are water cooled. In that case, I would recommend using 2 double-slot cards: 1 at the top and 1 at the bottom but you still need good ventilation. I strongly recommend investing in liquid cooling. It ease pretty much everything once you are settled and the system is still good if you do card upgrade. So instead of cramming 3 high end card, I would put 2 and use the money of the third card in watercooling equipment. Then, if you have the money later, add the third card to your system.

[forumhero]

forgot to mentioned i already have the cards (hd 5970). water cool is an option but sourcing water blocks for this old card is difficult nowadays. my preference is to keep it simple with stock cooling. i find that sufficient spacing between the cards is working good for me currently, and would like to make use of the 3rd card

[med]

I use ASUS RAMPAGE EXTREME 4.

[forumhero]

wow that's expensive. and i would need to change cpu (currently have socket 1155)

[clasicunlock]

the best option that i recommend is that you buy any cheap motherboard with at least 3 pci-e and then get a pci-e extender wich is 5$ one and you can put any space between the cards. I will attach here a picture of my own.

[forumhero]

i have pci-e extender cables and can do that now with existing MB, but it's a pain to mount the cards in side the case, jumpering the pcie x1 slot, etc. i like the convenience factor of "set it and forget it".

[clasicunlock]

i did not jumpered any pci-e 1 slot with the 1x riser cable.works without jumper

Last sistem that i had build with cheap motherboard is this :



This motherboard is 98$. The processor i have bought AMD - Athlon II X3 Triple Core 455(BOX).AMD CPU Athlon II X3 455 3,3GHz 1,5MB

wich have same price like motherboard.But also i think that you can find one more cheaper at 50$ the processor not 100$ like this one that i had bought.

The Motherboard have 2 pci-e x16 and i have used this type of riser :



And for the third GPU i have bought one of this riser 1x to 16x :



The sistem works perfect

[bhgsmservis]

Hi

I also use cheap MB whit PCIex riser cable.
Work normal, also you can put more space (more air flow) between the cards, results low temp.

BR

[braindead]

Anyone tested PCI riser cable with hd7970 ??? i think this cards don´t ike riser cables....