SLI Question?

Question

I'm shopping around for computer parts, and I think I have settled on an EVGA 680i TR version motherboard.

http://www.evga.com/products/moreinfo.asp?pn=122-CK-NF63-TR&family=20

My question is this - the board says it comes with 2 pci E x16 slots, and one pci E x1 video sli expansion slot.
Does that mean that if I run two matched cards in SLI mode, they will both still run at 16x ? Or is the 1x expansion SLI slot going to run one card way slower than the other?

Thanks for the help :)

Thanks for the help!

So, are all MoBo's configured so that a SLI graphics setup uses one 16x and one 1x PCI E slot?

Answer 1

The PCI Ex1 has nothing to do with SLI. It is one of the three card slots in your motherboard.

The two PCI Ex16 slots are where you will place the two Video Cards for SLI. You have two slots for two cards and the 680i allows for SLI. Now, the PCI Ex1 is a separate card slot. This is designed so that you can add a THIRD video card. (Specifically, the AGEA PhysX card.) Not too many games utilize the PhysX card, but the games that do look awesome. Two video cards in SLI have nothing to to with the PCI Ex1 slot. A PCI Ex16 is physically different than a PCI Ex1. If you fit a PCI Ex16 into the PCI Ex1 slot, you will break one or the other.

You are using the TR version? Have you built a PC before, and do you have all the extra wires and bells and whistles laying about? I am asking this because I bought the EVGA 680i for my computer. I used the A1 version for my build, because it's got everything together. Yes, it's about $50 more, but it is worth it to have all of the little stuff. If you want to save a little money, purchase the LT version of the motherboard.

Answer 2

the 1x would be slower yes , two sli vid cards will rock, since one card handles only half of the screen lines, and the other covers the other half , this effectivly cuts GPU speeds think time in half .. go duel sli's , and you wont be unhappy..

Answer 3

the cards will compile the graphics at 16x, each handling a process on their own, and then pass it down to SLI which will run it at 1x

Answer 4

They'll both run at the slower speed.