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I'm looking to build a 7 cards rig and I'm quite conflicted about what mainboard to get. There's scarce information about this as people usually try to limit their rigs to a maximum 6, so I've decided to make a short list of what I found on the interwebs during my research:

Working:

MSI Z77A-GD65 - link: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=186877.msg2206520#msg2206520
MSI Z77 MPOWER - link: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=285303.msg3049743#msg3049743
MSI Z87-G45 Gaming - link: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=449085.msg5469213#msg5469213
MSI Z87-G55 - link: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=449085.msg5700500#msg5700500
MSI Big Bang XPower (X58) - link: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=285303.msg3049743#msg3049743
ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Killer - link: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=36061.msg4369450#msg4369450


Not Working:

MSI Z77A-G45 - link: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=97154.msg1069726#msg1069726


Unknown:

MSI Z77A-GD55 (probably not working, configuration similar to the Z77A-G45)
MSI Z87 Series (GD65, MPOWER) (probably working, configuration similar to the Z87-G45 Gaming / Z87-G55)
MSI Big Bang XPower II (X79)
ASRock X79 Extreme11
Gigabyte Z77X-UP7
Asus Z9PE-D8 WS


If you have any information on any of these boards or any other 7 PCIe boards, please let me know.

Hope this has been helpful for people looking for the same thing as I am.

It might be more of a help to get the rest of the setup though. Many people are having issues geting 6x 290X working, where as 6x 7950 is easy. So its not so much a motherboard problem, as it is a software or BIOS ram problem.

Actually in the case of the MSI Z77A-G45 it's a hardware limitation, confirmed by MSI (check details in the link posted next to the board's name).

Well i dont think windows even supports more than 6 GPUs so buying a 7 pcie slot mobo would be a waste.

Who said anything about windows...

Will test the MSI Z87-G55 in the following days.

Please let me know how that goes.  I will be happy if it does 6

Currently doing 3 Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X on all 16x slots due to lack of risers with no problem. Hope to get some within a week.

Good luck burning the board. Stop trying to save every penny on this.
5 to 6 card builds are best.
Thanks for the list though.

Keep those cards cooled well. Without risers there is no room for fresh air, the cards will not last very long.

The board won't last long either.

Currently each card seems to pull a max of 25-30W per PCIe out of the board + 240-250W out of the 6/8 pin power connectors, measured at the wall. Temps are 75-85 while mining at about 810 kh/s (underclocked core clock to 900/1250).

z87 g45 confirmed working with 7 R9 280x cards. z87 g55 and z87 mpower should work fine too.

Rig config :

- windows 8.1
- lbr modified 13.12 amd drivers
- All cards on 1x 16x usb risers.

z87 g45 don't have 7 pci e

btw what is the best card with 6 pci e slot? i don't need the risers, i'm planning to do a different kinda of mining

Pretty sure it does have 7 PCI-E, both the MSI official page (http://www.msi.com/product/mb/Z87G45_GAMING.html#specification) as well as the pictures of it confirm it:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/486760_4220021153748_1064197880_n.jpg

Burninj, on the z87 g45, did you have to short any of the pins in the PCI-e slots to get all 7 GPUs to work/be recognized?

No shorting

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=296581.msg3182604#msg3182604

MSI Z87-G55  - not working with x1 risers in the x16 slots! Hot plug doesn't help me, but some peoples says it is

try modify pcie gen in bios
and disable everything that is not needed in bios as well

MSI Z77A-GD65

I have this one,6*7970 gigabyte,no problem with windows 8.1,but 7 there is no chance to make them all working.....

Z87-G55 confirmed to work with 7x R9 290 (using modded driver from https://litecointalk.org/index.php?topic=11761.0) with Windows 8.1:

https://i.imgur.com/DqXhkvV.png

Getting some blackscreens sometimes though, either when shutting down, booting up or closing the miner. Can't figure out why yet.

What kind of risers you used? This mobo can't work with x1 risers in the x16 slots. Doesn't it?

gen 1, gen 2 , gen 3 - all not working.

The only way is use the x16-x16 risers?

Using all x1-x16 except main GPU (first x16 slot).

hotplug? what bios version?

hotplug on all except main, bios A30

you should at least see them in bios

Thx, aliens and Burninj. I'm successfully launched using hotplugged riser and selecting PCI-E gen 2 in bios.

AWESOME :D THANKS

hi,
can you plz give me an update about PCie Mainboards that work with 7 GPU
Thanks a lot

The best one I used was the MSI Z77A-GD55. It is much cheaper than the MSI Z77A-GD65  You need lbr mod to make it work.

Thank you for your answer, only I can not find the MSI Z77A-GD55 market is poof why I ask you another.

regards

Well make it 5x to 7x PCIe motherboards list and it would be good to know too, since most people are going to use 5-6 graphics cards in a mining rig at the maximum. The list is pretty helpful though, I like it.

Why just motherboards? Maybe a list of even the branded computer systems (like of Dell or Lenovo) would be good to know carrying at least 5 PCIe slots.

how to setup msi z87 gd65 on 7 gpu.now i setup 6 gpu test working.but i setup 7 gpu not working.Please help?????

I currently have a 7 sapphire nitro rx 480 8gb rig running off of an msi gaming 5 mobo. If I were you, I'd invest in a 6x gpu rig and then build another one on top of that if you want more mining power. I'm currently building a new 6x gpu rig and one of the cards will be moved from my 7x rig to the new one so they both have 6x each. Also, save yourself a huge headache and use windows 10.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130770&cm_re=msi_gaming_5-_-13-130-770-_-Product

Again, I spent hours trying to mod the drivers on windows 7 and 8 to support 6+ gpu's, windows 10 is like $100 and no matter how many rigs you have, you'll never have to buy it again. The first rig is always the most expensive because there is a pretty steep learning curve. Also, I initially bought a 1200w psu for like $220 and it runs all 7 480s pretty well, but you can get 2 700w-850w psu's for like $75 each and the connection adapter is only about $10 or so.

Hi, what about Biostar Racing Z270GT6, has anyone ever tried? I see it has 7 slots, right?
http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=859

+1 for confirmation on the Biostar Racing Z270GT6

It's on sale in my country atm, but there don't appear to be any mining reviews available yet

@VincentZA Thanks for sharing!

@soulmachine

It's very unlikely anyone here is from South Africa, but here you go: http://www.wootware.co.za/biostar-z270gt6-ver-5-x-intel-lga1151-z270-kaby-lake-atx-desktop-motherboard.html

I have it, only was able to get 6 GPUs to work.

TOLUD to 3.5 only got me from 4 to 6 GPUs, 7 had errors.

Messaged their support, nothing.

Always blows my mind when MB companies put 7 ports, when only 6 work. Other manufacturers like ASUS solved this with above 4G decode. Biostar is too cheap for that.

look at your temps...no wonder you're getting blackscreens...

got problem with H270 Plus, I put 7 cards, 6xPCIe and 1xM.2, everything works fine until I turn on machine via AC power loss option, than windows recognizes only 6 cards. Reset win doesnt help..When I turn on board via Power switch everything is fine, 7 cards are shown but on AC power loss (power on) there are only 6, any idea?

so, is this mb( MSI Z77A-GD55) supports 7 GPU for mining ,because in another post someone says that it can support only 6 gpus?

Hi Guys,

I was wondering if anyone actually got a MSI Z87-G55 working with 7 GPU`s? If i connect 6x cards everything is great, but when adding the 7th card i only get a screen with all weird colored artifacts (see picture). I also checked the risers and changed every BIOS setting i could find but sadly no joy :-( . Very curious if someone succeeded because it seems some say it should work and others say it can`t.

https://imgur.com/a/jNug1

artifacts mostly because of less virtual mem or not using igpu or dongle or maybe reduce intensity???

The artifacts come before any bios or windows screen. It's directly before boot up.

7th card plugged in > Artifacts before BIOS POST

7th card disconnected > Boots perfectly and without any errors and mines days after days.

did u you change ur 7th card with one of the six running atm to see if maybe the 7th card is the problem?

Otherwise i would try to ask the support of MSI...