sli/crossfire

[dams3]

hey guys
this will seem odly specific, but i want to know how to tell if a motherboard can support multiple gpus only by looks and if a motherboard can support both crossfire and sli configs.. Forgive me, im a noob

[Jumper118]

It will say on the specs if it supports sli or cf

[Shd0w2]

What motherboard were you thinking about?

[dams3]

1 minute ago, Shd0w2 said:

What motherboard were you thinking about?

this one https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-LGA1151-Intel-Motherboards-GA-Z170-HD3P/dp/B012N6LOZS

[Shd0w2]

3 minutes ago, dams3 said:

this one https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-LGA1151-Intel-Motherboards-GA-Z170-HD3P/dp/B012N6LOZS

It supports SLI and Crossfire.

[dams3]

Just now, Shd0w2 said:

It supports SLI and Crossfire.

thnx

[-rascal-]

20 minutes ago, dams3 said:

hey guys
this will seem odly specific, but i want to know how to tell if a motherboard can support multiple gpus only by looks and if a motherboard can support both crossfire and sli configs.. Forgive me, im a noob

In a way, yes.

 

95% of scenarios, you just need to look at the number of PCI-Express X16 slots (no matter if its Gen 1.x, 2.x, or 3.x).

 

Because ATi / AMD Crossfire only requires the PCI-E X16 slot to run at X4 electrically at the minimum -- and no "strict" certifications required -- is it commonly supported.

 

How to physically tell if the board operates at X16, X8, or X4 electrically (even though they are X16 in physical size)

Spoiler

The red PCI-E X16 slot on the left is X4 electrically, and the PCI-E X16 slot on the right is full X16.

The electrical components go all the way to the end of the  PCI-E X16 slot for X16....half way for X8, and 1/4th of the way for X4.

 

As for nVidia Crossfire, it is slightly more complicated.

• The PCI-Express X16 slots must run at X8 electrically at the minimum and,
• The motherboard must be nVidia SLI certified.

For an example, say a motherboard has three PCI-Express X16 slots, and all operate at X16 speeds electrically. If it is NOT certified by nVidia, it will not work for SLI.

 

Another simple way is to look for the "AMD Crossfire" and "nVidia SLI" branding logos found on the packaging, or marked on the physical mtoerhboard itself.

 

AMD and SLI comparability / certification logos found silk-screened on the physical motherboard (GA-Z170 Gaming 5 motherboard shown)

Spoiler

 

[Carlos1010]

But in crossfire you would have to put the GPU's in the x4 slots.

[Jumper118]

1 minute ago, dams3 said:

thnx

It only supports cf

[-rascal-]

12 minutes ago, dams3 said:

thnx

 

12 minutes ago, Shd0w2 said:

It supports SLI and Crossfire.

 

The Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3P DOES NOT support nVidia SLI.

 

The top-most PCI-E slot is X16, and the second one below is X4 only.

 

 

[dams3]

1 minute ago, -rascal- said:

 

 

The Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3P DOES NOT support nVidia SLI.

ok thats fine

[-rascal-]

1 minute ago, dams3 said:

ok thats fine