Build Specific SLI Question

[ButteredToast]

I tried reading through the SLI information guide, but I want a definite answer specific to my build. Here is what I'm currently running:

• i7-4790
• ASUS z-97 Pro (wifi/ac)
• EVGA GTX 760 SC (2GB GDDR5)
• 16GB (2x8GB) Kingston RipJaw
• 256 GB Samsung EVO SSD
• 1TB Seagade HDD

 

I want to buy a second gtx 760 and run SLI, but some people have been saying that my CPU can only use 16 total PCIe channels so it will only be using 8 from each card. Is this normal for SLI? Will this mean I wont get the full effect of SLI?

[Hman1250]

Consumer grade CPU's usually have about 16-20 PCI-E lanes, some even less. It's how it works, you won't get both 16x for each GPU but it will barely or won't affect it what so ever.

Here's a video explaining it:

[ButteredToast]

He has a video for everything doesn't he! So what you're saying is I'll still get a huge performance boost by adding one GTX 760 to my current system?

[danixdlolz]

He has a video for everything doesn't he! So what you're saying is I'll still get a huge performance boost by adding one GTX 760 to my current system?

Yes, you will. You will almost be unaffected by the lack of 16x PCIe connection on both cards. 8x will be as smooth as it would be on 16x.

[Najuno]

He has a video for everything doesn't he! So what you're saying is I'll still get a huge performance boost by adding one GTX 760 to my current system?

You will have with PCIe 3.0 x8x8 the same as if you´d had PCIe 2.0 x16x16 which is perfectly fine and the performance loss is marginally to be honest. It will be compared to PCIe 3.0 x16x16 about 3-5% in total. This is right now only interesting for highend benchmark system such as mine in my sig. But to achieve this you´d need a CPU that supports 40 native CPU lanes which, as already correctly stated, is not available on the consumer grade side.