What motherboard can handle two or four 1950x and is it enough?

[D Levy]

Just saw Linus's new video

So for 8 GPUs at x16 for each.... that's 128 cores... FML what motherboard can handle two or four 1950x threadrippers?

I have a few 980tis... can get a few more for cheap enough... but running all of them at full saturation/speed.... in pcie3.0 spec requires 16 lanes each right?

And is a build with 128 threads (assuming that's enough?) going to even run with windows 10? so there's more use (eg can temporarily turn off bit mining to make use as a 3D render node.. kinda need windows 10 for that option)

I know this is a multifaceted issue.. so shoot away, what are your thoughts on how to have 8 980tis or 1080tis at full speed / no bottlenecking each?

Thank you

[iRileyx]

CPU Cores and PCIe lanes are not the same thing.

 

Theoretically, 2x 1950x's would have enough PCIe lanes for 8 cards running in x16 mode. but you don't have to run them in the full x16 for mining.

[Lurick]

What?

You only need x1 PCIe lanes for mining.

Most Intel Xeon CPUs (regardless of cores) also have 40 PCIe lanes (usually) so you could run 5 GPUs at x8 speed off a single chip and you don't get any bottlenecking at x8 speed either.

[D Levy]

okay, assume I'm really stupid.. 1950x has 60+4 pcie lanes... still need 2 of them for 128 lanes.

Will that work?

[D Levy]

1 minute ago, Lurick said:

What?

You only need x1 PCIe lanes for mining.

Most Intel Xeon CPUs (regardless of cores) also have 40 PCIe lanes (usually) so you could run 5 GPUs at x8 speed off a single chip and you don't get any bottlenecking at x8 speed either.

Why do people report that there's a noticeable different at running two cards in x16 over two cards in x8?

[iRileyx]

Just now, D Levy said:

okay, assume I'm really stupid.. 1950x has 60+4 pcie lanes... still need 2 of them for 128 lanes.

Will that work?

It will but then you're blowing any profit you'll make in the next few months out the window.

 

Just run them in x1 mode, lose a few $ a day, but save over $2k start up from not buying TR's

[Lurick]

2 minutes ago, D Levy said:

Why do people report that there's a noticeable different at running two cards in x16 over two cards in x8?

Because they don't know what they're talking about or just convince themselves they see a difference?

https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Titan-X-Performance-PCI-E-3-0-x8-vs-x16-851/

https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/2488-pci-e-3-x8-vs-x16-performance-impact-on-gpus

 

[Princess Luna]

You need the Threadripper 1900x for its 64 lines with 16gb of ram, any Asus x399 motherboard for mining with tons of x1 pci-e ports and throw as much rx580's it fits.

[D Levy]

7 minutes ago, Lurick said:

Because they don't know what they're talking about or just convince themselves they see a difference?

https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Titan-X-Performance-PCI-E-3-0-x8-vs-x16-851/

https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/2488-pci-e-3-x8-vs-x16-performance-impact-on-gpus

 

Thank you for that, watched Nexus's video on the topic,

he said it may be an issue with only cards with dual GPU chip cards which he didn't have one yet to test.

So using my 980tis... would be just fine in x8 (for 3D render node use when not mining) like you wrote. Thank you.

 

5 minutes ago, Princess Cadence said:

You need the Threadripper 1900x for its 64 lines with 16gb of ram, any Asus x399 motherboard for mining with tons of x1 pci-e ports and throw as much rx580's it fits.

Any particular mobo model you recommend most?

[Princess Luna]

4 minutes ago, D Levy said:

Any particular mobo model you recommend most?

[D Levy]

Thoughts on these three radically different solutions?

https://www.tweaktown.com/news/59124/colorfuls-new-mining-motherboard-8-pcie-x16-slots/index.html

http://tomglimps.com/7_gpu_workstation-1000_octanebench/

https://www.asrock.com/MB/Intel/H110 Pro BTC+/index.asp