Z-97-ws?

[Heini]

1- Is there another Z-97 board that will run PCI Express 3.0 dual at x16 / x16?
2- If I add a sound card will it affect the gpu's running at PCIe 3 x16/x16?

[Myk_SilentShado]

Hey mate, a quick result turned up a yes to your question.

The Z97 Deluxe(NFC/WLC variant also) and the Z97 Pro Wifi/AC also allow Dual x16 configs. You should also be able to use a sound card in any of the other slots, that is if you're not using a 3 VGA AMD setup for Trifire.

[Heini]

Thanks Myk! I oredered the WS since I don't need all of the goodies that the other boards offer. Since adding the PB278Q I'd like to get all I can out of the SLI setup. I know 2@x16 is not much better than 2@x8 but I want all I can sqeeze, lol. Maybe I'll get some faster memory some day too.

[HiVizMan]

The CPU determins how many lanes are available for PCIex16 lanes. Some boards of the 1150 chipset need to have a special NTF200 chip included in the design to offer more PCie lanes than the CPU provides.

The LGA2011 is really the only platform that can offer the kind of PCIe lane power that you want.

[Myk_SilentShado]

HiVizMan wrote:


The LGA2011 is really the only platform that can offer the kind of PCIe lane power that you want.

Can't say the same for 2011-3 though, while the 5960X and 5930K will both have 48 lanes, the 5820K will only have 28 lanes

[Heini]

HiVizMan wrote:
The CPU determins how many lanes are available for PCIex16 lanes. Some boards of the 1150 chipset need to have a special NTF200 chip included in the design to offer more PCie lanes than the CPU provides.
The LGA2011 is really the only platform that can offer the kind of PCIe lane power that you want.

To make sure I understand correctly........ The Z97 WS + 4790K won't allow two gpu's in x16 because of the cpu?

[XJP05]

Heini wrote:
To make sure I understand correctly........ The Z97 WS + 4790K won't allow two gpu's in x16 because of the cpu?

My understanding was that the lanes get split x8 + x8 with two GPUs in SLI. Someone please step in here and correct me or confirm?

[Praz]

XJP05 wrote:
My understanding was that the lanes get split x8 + x8 with two GPUs in SLI. Someone please step in here and correct me or confirm?

Hello

The configuration per number of x16 PCIe slots used is:

1 card - x16
2 cards - x16/x16
3 cards - x8/x8/x16
4 cards - x8/x8/x8/x8

[HiVizMan]

http://ark.intel.com/products/80807/Intel-Core-i7-4790K-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-4_40-GHz

PCI Express Configurations ‡ Up to 1x16, 2x8, 1x8/2x4

[Heini]

HiVizMan wrote:
http://ark.intel.com/products/80807/Intel-Core-i7-4790K-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-4_40-GHz

Thanx HiViz!
Seems the Z97 WS that brown dropped off today was a waste of thought as it would give me nothing that the Sabertooth already is. I am befuddled that ASUS would put out a board to support something that the processor won't. Guess that board won't see the inside of my case.