First time with SLi

**Exposed** · Nov 27, 2015, 10:41 PM

Alright, so just got a 65" LG 4k display. I really like how Witcher 3 looks at 4k, however, my 980 Ti just isn't up to snuff with everything maxed. I have an ASrock z87 MB that allows SLI. Thinking of getting a 2nd 980 Ti, however does it have to be the exact same card? For reference this is what I have now:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125786

SLi bridge still needed? Also, what's this about 8x/16x lanes, and is there a performance difference?

Meteor_of_War · Nov 27, 2015, 10:51 PM

Does not need to be same exact 980Ti.

Yes, you still need a bridge.

It's ok if one is only in a x8 slot. Difference is negligible.

I will however suggest to get another reference model for SLI since they blow the heat out the rear of the case. Especially if there isn't at least 2 expansion slots between them.

Cream · Nov 28, 2015, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meteor_of_War

Does not need to be same exact 980Ti.

Yes, you still need a bridge.

It's ok if one is only in a x8 slot. Difference is negligible.

I will however suggest to get another reference model for SLI since they blow the heat out the rear of the case. Especially if there isn't at least 2 expansion slots between them.

^^^ what he said. Especially about the reference card. I had 2 GTX970s none reference and it got quite toasty. Switched to a single 980Ti reference (for now ;-) )

bill dennison · Nov 28, 2015, 03:17 PM

reference cards or not top card is still going to be hotter than the other by 5c to 10c

if you have water or willing to put a rad in you could use this as your top card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-997-_-Product

**Exposed** · Nov 28, 2015, 03:56 PM

Thanks for the info guys. Luckily I found the SLI bridge in the motherboard box. From the manual it's going to be an 8x/8x configuration in Pcie slots 2 and 4. Might be cutting it close with an 850watt power supply, but I can always upgrade if necessary.

I purchased this reference design:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o00_s00

I'll definitely consider water cooling as an option going forward since I will be focusing on 4k gaming now, but I'll see how this setup works for now. I have a pretty big case (full tower, not midrange) with 12 fans and no extra addons other than basic SSD, MB, CPU, PSU and graphics card. I don't even have a CD drive, I just download from steam or stream from my office PC or USB stick.

Higgy10 · Nov 29, 2015, 08:43 AM

Whats your pci spacing like exposed, Sandwich or 1 slot breathing room?

Hapatingjaky · Nov 29, 2015, 09:32 AM

What are your specs?

**Exposed** · Nov 29, 2015, 10:16 AM

This is the motherboard layout (page11):
http://download.asrock.com/manual/Z87%20Extreme4.pdf

It looks like it will have some breathing space, but I suspect it will be a sandwich once both cards are placed.

Haswell i7 with 8GB PC 2400 memory.

Hapatingjaky · Nov 29, 2015, 11:47 AM

You will have space inbetween so you'll be alright, GPU1 will cover the PCIE3 and the, a 1" gap between PCI1 and PCIE4 which your second GPU will take up. You got nice airflow through the chassis though?

My TRI-SLI can get toasty but nothing I worry about. They are all reference so meh. My next upgrade will be either to a dual GPU variant or hybrid cooled GPU's.

**Exposed** · Nov 29, 2015, 05:21 PM

Got the 2nd card today. Installation was a breeze. Literally seat the card, snap on the sli bridge, and enable in the drivers.

Witcher 3 still isn't at 60fps @ 4k with everything maxed but I can live with it, since it's around 40-45fps most of the time. Dying Light looks great @ 4k also, performance between around 50 fps to 70.

Nov 27, 2015, 10:41 PM	#1	Advertisement (Guests Only) Login or Register to remove this ad
Exposed ESB Sports Bookie Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 7,245	First time with SLi Alright, so just got a 65" LG 4k display. I really like how Witcher 3 looks at 4k, however, my 980 Ti just isn't up to snuff with everything maxed. I have an ASrock z87 MB that allows SLI. Thinking of getting a 2nd 980 Ti, however does it have to be the exact same card? For reference this is what I have now: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125786 SLi bridge still needed? Also, what's this about 8x/16x lanes, and is there a performance difference?

Exposed's System Specs
Motherboard	ASRock Z370 Extreme 4
CPU	Intel 8700 (non K)
Graphics	EVGA XC3 Ultra 3080
Memory	16GB DDR4 3200Mhz CAS 16
Cooling Solution	Cryorig H7 air cooler
Display	65" LG 4k 3DTV
Soundcard & Speakers	7.1 1000w Home Theater
Hard-Drives	250GB Samsung 970 EVO / 3TB Seagate
Optical Drives	None lol
Power Supply	Corsair 850W Gold
Case	Corsair 780T (Big ass case)
Input Devices	Logitech wireless keyboard/mouse
Operating System	Windows 10
Extra Info	HTPC

Nov 27, 2015, 10:51 PM	#2
Meteor_of_War USA-holes Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 26,784	Does not need to be same exact 980Ti. Yes, you still need a bridge. It's ok if one is only in a x8 slot. Difference is negligible. I will however suggest to get another reference model for SLI since they blow the heat out the rear of the case. Especially if there isn't at least 2 expansion slots between them. __________________ =::GameValueNow Collection Tracker::= =::Steam::=

Meteor_of_War's System Specs
Motherboard	Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite
CPU	Ryzen R7 3700X
Graphics	MSI RTX 3080 VENTUS 3X 10G OC
Memory	G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 3600MHz 16GB CL16
Cooling Solution	Noctua NH-U14S
Display	LG 34GN850-B
Soundcard & Speakers	Schiit Modi 3+/Magni 3+, Edifier R1280Ts + T5 Sub
Hard-Drives	Intel 660p 512GB, Crucial P1 2TB, Samsung PM863 1TB, Team Group GX2 1TB
Optical Drives	Samsung 22x DVD Optical Drive SH-S223F
Power Supply	EVGA Supernova 850 G2
Case	Corsair Obsidian 650D
Input Devices	Redragon K550, Logitech G400 Mouse
Operating System	Windows 10 Pro

bill dennison's System Specs
Motherboard	Asus Zenith Extreme / C8H
CPU	1900x / 3800x
Graphics	ASRock 6900 xt /ASUS 2080 Ti Strix
Memory	32GB /16GB
Cooling Solution	water
Display	LG OLED55CXPUA
Hard-Drives	2 1tb ssd & 2 4tb HD
Power Supply	CORSAIR 1200i/HX1050
Case	CaseLabs MAGNUM TX10-D W/Pedestal
Operating System	windows 10 64b/windows 10 64b

Nov 28, 2015, 03:17 PM	#4
bill dennison Rage3D Spammer Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: phoenix Posts: 25,123	reference cards or not top card is still going to be hotter than the other by 5c to 10c if you have water or willing to put a rad in you could use this as your top card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-997-_-Product

Nov 28, 2015, 03:56 PM	#5
Exposed ESB Sports Bookie Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 7,245	Thanks for the info guys. Luckily I found the SLI bridge in the motherboard box. From the manual it's going to be an 8x/8x configuration in Pcie slots 2 and 4. Might be cutting it close with an 850watt power supply, but I can always upgrade if necessary. I purchased this reference design: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o00_s00 I'll definitely consider water cooling as an option going forward since I will be focusing on 4k gaming now, but I'll see how this setup works for now. I have a pretty big case (full tower, not midrange) with 12 fans and no extra addons other than basic SSD, MB, CPU, PSU and graphics card. I don't even have a CD drive, I just download from steam or stream from my office PC or USB stick.

Nov 29, 2015, 08:43 AM	#6
Higgy10 Radeon Arctic Islands Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 8,414	Whats your pci spacing like exposed, Sandwich or 1 slot breathing room?

Higgy10's System Specs
Motherboard	Asus Prime X-570
CPU	3700x
Graphics	EVGA 3080 HYBRID
Memory	16gig Corsair
Display	34" acer fs ultrawide
Hard-Drives	1gig nvme and 34tb mechanical
Power Supply	corsair 850
Case	corsair carbide
Operating System	os/2 warp

Nov 29, 2015, 09:32 AM	#7
Hapatingjaky Maximum Disappointment Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: New Ukraine Posts: 10,425	What are your specs? __________________ Intel Core i9 10900K @ 5.2GHz, Asus Maximus XII Apex, GSkill Trident-Z Royal DDR4 3200MHz 32GB CAS11, Asus Strix 3080Ti OC, Creative Labs SXFI Theater, Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1TB, Corsair AXI 1500i PSU, ThermalTake View 71, Corsair K95 Platinum RGB, Corsair Dark Core RGB SE, Acer Predator X34, Windows 10 Professional X64

Hapatingjaky's System Specs
Motherboard	Asus Maximus XII Apex
CPU	Intel Core i9 10900K @ 5.3GHz
Graphics	Asus Srix 3080Ti OC
Memory	GSkill Trident-Z Royal 32GB 3200MHz CAS11
Cooling Solution	Thermaltake 360 Ring LCS
Display	Acer Predator X34
Soundcard & Speakers	Creative Labs SXFI Theater
Hard-Drives	Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1TB
Power Supply	Corsair AXi 1500i
Case	ThermalTake View 71
Input Devices	Corsair K95 Platinum RGB - Corsair Dark Core SE
Operating System	Windows 10 Professional X64

Nov 29, 2015, 10:16 AM	#8
Exposed ESB Sports Bookie Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 7,245	This is the motherboard layout (page11): http://download.asrock.com/manual/Z87%20Extreme4.pdf It looks like it will have some breathing space, but I suspect it will be a sandwich once both cards are placed. Haswell i7 with 8GB PC 2400 memory.

Nov 29, 2015, 11:47 AM	#9
Hapatingjaky Maximum Disappointment Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: New Ukraine Posts: 10,425	You will have space inbetween so you'll be alright, GPU1 will cover the PCIE3 and the, a 1" gap between PCI1 and PCIE4 which your second GPU will take up. You got nice airflow through the chassis though? My TRI-SLI can get toasty but nothing I worry about. They are all reference so meh. My next upgrade will be either to a dual GPU variant or hybrid cooled GPU's. __________________ Intel Core i9 10900K @ 5.2GHz, Asus Maximus XII Apex, GSkill Trident-Z Royal DDR4 3200MHz 32GB CAS11, Asus Strix 3080Ti OC, Creative Labs SXFI Theater, Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1TB, Corsair AXI 1500i PSU, ThermalTake View 71, Corsair K95 Platinum RGB, Corsair Dark Core RGB SE, Acer Predator X34, Windows 10 Professional X64

Nov 29, 2015, 05:21 PM	#10
Exposed ESB Sports Bookie Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 7,245	Got the 2nd card today. Installation was a breeze. Literally seat the card, snap on the sli bridge, and enable in the drivers. Witcher 3 still isn't at 60fps @ 4k with everything maxed but I can live with it, since it's around 40-45fps most of the time. Dying Light looks great @ 4k also, performance between around 50 fps to 70.

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