Maximus VI Formula problem hooking monitor to second PCI Express slot.

[Kasmeri]

Hello everyone!

I am very happy with my Maximus VI Formula, fantastic motherboard! I have however what must be a simple question for which I can find no answer:

I have two 7970s, both work fine and my crossfire as everything else works fine. But for testing purposes I wanted to hook my (single) monitor to my second 7970 at the second PCI Express slot but the motherboard doesn't initialize the display when I do that. If I hook my monitor to the first PCI Express slot it powers the monitor and all is good, but not if I hook it to the second PCI Express slot instead.

In an older Asus motherboard i had, the P5Q3, there was in BIOS a booting option to boot from PEG instead of PCI that made it possible to put the monitor on either slot, first slot would be PCI, second slot would be PEG. There is no such option here that I could find. In System Agent there is only the option to choose iGPU or PCI express, which only powers the first slot. In the NB PCIe configuration there is an option for PEG-ASPM, I tried auto but the second slot still doesn't initialize the monitor.

So is it possible to put a single monitor on the second graphics card on the second PCI Express slot or can I use ONLY the first card and first PCI Express slot when crossfiring?

Thanks in advance!

Alan 🙂

[HiVizMan]

That is an interesting question and something I have never tried.

Let me see what I can find out when I pull out my crossfire system this afternoon and post back.

[Kasmeri]

Thank you very much for your quick reply! I couldn't find an answer anywhere, hopefully you can find the answer...

[Kasmeri]

Hello, anyone? It can' be that difficult to get an answer from Asus, many people use 2 cards.

[HiVizMan]

Hello my friend, you could go ask this question over at the AMD forum, there maybe more folks who are active in the VGA section. This forum is pretty much a motherboard support forum. I have not had the opportunity to test as my CPU was dead as a doornail when I set up the other day. The replacement is shortly to be fitted.

[Kasmeri]

HiVizMan wrote:
Hello my friend, you could go ask this question over at the AMD forum, there maybe more folks who are active in the VGA section. This forum is pretty much a motherboard support forum. I have not had the opportunity to test as my CPU was dead as a doornail when I set up the other day. The replacement is shortly to be fitted.

This issue was indeed a motherboard issue, as Praz's answer proves. It had nothing to do with the cards themselves. Why advise people to move to an AMD forum for an Asus motherboard issue???

[Kasmeri]

HiVizMan wrote:
Hello my friend, you could go ask this question over at the AMD forum, there maybe more folks who are active in the VGA section. This forum is pretty much a motherboard support forum. I have not had the opportunity to test as my CPU was dead as a doornail when I set up the other day. The replacement is shortly to be fitted.

This issue was indeed a motherboard issue, as Praz's answer proves. It had nothing to do with the cards themselves. Why advise people to move to an AMD forum for an Asus motherboard issue???

[Praz]

The Maximus VI Formula will always initialize the video card in the first PCIe x16 slot. This is seen as the primary card and there is no option to change this. If you wish to test with the second card it will need to be moved to the first slot.

[Kasmeri]

Praz wrote:
The Maximus VI Formula will always initialize the video card in the first PCIe x16 slot. This is seen as the primary card and there is no option to change this. If you wish to test with the second card it will need to be moved to the first slot.

As this is a motherboard with preinstalled watercooling, it follows that many will be using it with custom loops, as I am. Moving my second card to the first slot is not an option unless I tear my whole loop apart. I must say, not being able to initialize the video card in the second slot is a strange oversight by Asus and a weird limitation.

Thank you very much for the reply though and clearing this up for me! I appreciate it a lot.

[kkn]

set up your cards as stated in the manual.