Help! My slow PCIe is slow - Maximus VI GENE

[UncleJoe]

Hi. I got a Maximus VI GENE yesterday. One of the first tests I did was run the GPU bandwidth test (from CUDA SDK), but I only get a disappointing ~3 GiB/s. This was the same speed I was getting with my previous PCIe 2.0 motherboard and GTX 680 in x8 mode.

I looked in the BIOS under the N.B. PCI express configuration and noticed it said x4 for 1 port and empty for another port. If it was really operating in x4, then that would explain the sluggishness (4 x 8 Gbit/s = 4 GB/s). I also tried setting the link speed from auto to gen3, but that didn't help.

I have the following plugged in:

1. GTX 680 in x16 slot
2. RevoDrive 1 in x4 slot
3. Intel 6200 Wifi/Bluetooth in MPCIe slot

Please help !

[HiVizMan]

At one level I am sorry to hear that and at another I am quite happy that it was not the motherboard. It just did not feel like a motherboard or CPU issue.

Are you able to get a RMA?

[UncleJoe]

"Are you able to get a RMA?"
I doubt since I replaced the thermal paste with Coollaboratory Liquid Pro

[HiVizMan]

Here is what you do, remove the heat sink again, remove the coollab stuff and put on a wad of that gunky grey paste they use on cards.

Then try and RMA it.