Question about motherboards in general (PCI Express)

[OEM]

So I am looking to build a cheap PC, but I have been searching for a board with 2 PCI Express x16 slots. My question is, would this board be my only option for at least 2 PCI Express slots operating at x16 speed? I can't seem to track any other down. (This board has 3 PCI Express Slots)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130236

Would love to find one with 2 PCI Express Slots, support sli, tri sli...and cheaper lol.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[OEM]

just found another one that has two dual x16 (4 PCI Express slots tho) and its cheaper...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131363

wont support SLI, no dice for me...also hate the sata ports on this one, longer cards will get in the way (happened with an old board)

 

[Theocnoob]

The MSI board is much better. Nicer MOS cooling as well as better power phasing for RAM by the look of it.

Your motherboard and powersupply are your skeletal structure and heart. They matter. I wouldn't even think about it I'd just get that MSi board if you're sure those are your only two choices in price range.

EDIT: Apparently I was confused regarding the number of PCI lanes on a current AMD stock chipset :S

Expensive motherboards are expensive because they're better and offer more overclock and connectivity options . Almost always the case.

 

[OEM]

The MSI board is much better. Nicer MOS cooling as well as better power phasing for RAM by the look of it.

Your motherboard and powersupply are your skeletal structure and heart. They matter. I wouldn't even think about it I'd just get that MSi board if you're sure those are your only two choices in price range.

I am open to anything within that price range. I think the MSI Board is the best I have found and your 2 cents strengthens my belief lol.

Ready to pull the trigger, just want to make the best decision possible.

thanks for quick response.

 

[Theocnoob]

I am open to anything within that price range. I think the MSI Board is the best I have found and your 2 cents strengthens my belief lol.

Ready to pull the trigger, just want to make the best decision possible.

I say let it rip. Look at the ASUS Crosshair IV formula first though, because it is spectacular. Heatsinks are all FORGED. Wicked.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131644&Tpk=crosshair IV formula

Nobody seems to have ever been unhappy or underwhelmed with it. Did I mention you can overclock it from a laptop or iphone via cable?

Only thing is, it supports AMD cards in crossfire, not Nvidia. Honestly... I like AMD/ATi cards better anyways. Crack a pair of 6870's in there. Or overclocked 6850s. Good times.

As Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear would say, THIS mother board.... is a Cross-hair-four.... FORMULA. And THIS, is the (something) motherboard...... in the world....

 

[OEM]

I say let it rip. Look at the ASUS Crosshair IV formula first though, because it is spectacular. Heatsinks are all FORGED. Wicked.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131644&Tpk=crosshair IV formula

Nobody seems to have ever been unhappy or underwhelmed with it. Did I mention you can overclock it from a laptop or iphone via cable?

Only thing is, it supports AMD cards in crossfire, not Nvidia. Honestly... I like AMD/ATi cards better anyways. Crack a pair of 6870's in there. Or overclocked 6850s. Good times.

As Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear would say, THIS mother board.... is a Cross-hair-four.... FORMULA. And THIS, is the (something) motherboard...... in the world....

Haha, I will check that board out when I get home to make a final decision. (On my phone)

I like the idea of remote overclocking.

I must admit that I am a bit of an nvidia fanboy, and my main motivation for going for a complete new build was because arkham asylum and mirrors edge did not perform well with physx turned on. Would love to cranks everything on high with physx on metro 2033

 

[Theocnoob]

Haha, I will check that board out when I get home to make a final decision. (On my phone)

I like the idea of remote overclocking.

I must admit that I am a bit of an nvidia fanboy, and my main motivation for going for a complete new build was because arkham asylum and mirrors edge did not perform well with physx turned on. Would love to cranks everything on high with physx on metro 2033

You don't want a crosshair. Press buy on the MSi board.

 

[OEM]

You don't want a crosshair. Press buy on the MSi board.

thank you for your suggestions, I just bought the MSI Board and soon my budget build will be complete.

Case, Motherboard, and Power Supply all down. 5 More days until everything else is bought, I can't wait...I feel like I did when I first got my SNES when I was 7 years old lol.

 

[Theocnoob]

thank you for your suggestions, I just bought the MSI Board and soon my budget build will be complete.

Case, Motherboard, and Power Supply all down. 5 More days until everything else is bought, I can't wait...I feel like I did when I first got my SNES when I was 7 years old lol.

I was 7 too! High five!

 

[QuietIce]

The only AMD chipset boards that can do SLI are Fusion boards, the Crosshair IV Extreme and MSI Fusion. Otherwise, you need an nVidia chipset board. Your MSI link is nVidia chipset, the ASUS link has an AMD chipset and won't run SLI - though it will run any single video card. I'm glad you happened to make the right choice for SLI.

It isn't that the board with 3 PCIEX16 slots won't do tri SLI. It's a chipset limitation. By default you have less PCI lanes on an AM3 system vs, say, a 1366 system. The Nforce chipset adds additional PCI lanes. You CAN run 3 cards, it'll just be 16/8/8 rather than 16/16

You're going to have to back that up with some external evidence or clear up what you're saying. The 790/890FX chipsets have 36+4 PCIe lanes. I went looking and couldn't find any 1366 boards with any more lanes than that. I don't know Intel hardware very well so maybe I missed something???

I don't think you'll find any nVidia chipsets with any more than 36+4 either ...

 

[Theocnoob]

40 PCIe lanes:

16
16
8

32
+2 PCIe X1 cards, ie a firewire card and a sound card

34

onboard controllers for various things, remaining lanes.

 

[Apht3rThawt]

There is a patch for amd sli that supposedly works without hydra fusion. I'm considering it. Looks bulky with boot mods.

http://xdevs.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.30

 

[QuietIce]

40 PCIe lanes:

36+4 = 40

You stated: "By default you have less PCI lanes on an AM3 system vs, say, a 1366 system."

All 790/890FX AMD systems have 36+4 PCIe lanes and I couldn't find any other systems - including 1366 - that have more than that. You've said AMD has less so show me one that has more than 36+4 (40) or please edit your previous post for clarity.

There is a patch for amd sli that supposedly works without hydra fusion. I'm considering it. Looks bulky with boot mods.

http://xdevs.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.30

I've heard of some people having no problem using that and others that can't seem to make it work at all. Don't know if that's lack of experience for some people, or a hardware difference, or ...???

 

[Apht3rThawt]

Actually I think the intel has only 36 lanes and amd has 40. From what I can tell that is only the x58 and qpi.

 

[Theocnoob]

I was under the impression that it was the other way around but post was edited regardless.

 

[QuietIce]

Actually I think the intel has only 36 lanes and amd has 40. From what I can tell that is only the x58 and qpi.

I saw 36 for Intel but assumed they weren't counting the command lanes. Not familiar with Intel hardware, though, so you could be very right - they may have only 36 total instead of 36+4.

I was under the impression that it was the other way around but post was edited regardless.

Thank you!