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Hi i'm looking for build a rig for Eth, i wanna use 8 gpus i need some info between this mobo:

MSI Z170A GAMING PRO CARBON
Asus Z270 A

Both MB have 7 pcie and 1 M2 connection than we can add 8 gpu, somebody just did it?
Cause i know on MSI require a special firmware not provider by MSI (where i can found it ?) for 8 th gpu and about Asus i dont' have idea if need something special

Thanks for any info.

I traded the m.2 to pci-e adapter but could not get the gpu to detect. Used msi guard-pro. Let us know if you have more success

I actually saw someone make a custom bios for that mobo and downloaded it. I got the mobo too but haven't got my cpu yet so I haven't tested the newest official bios (which is supposed to work with 7gpu) AND I HAVEN'T TESTED THS CUSTOM MOBO BIOS

https://ufile.io/590b62

Just FYI Z170 chipset boards are going end of life from MSI mid year.

let to know us if working will be very userfull.

did you test it? :)

i have did that on  maximus v formula with m.2 to pci-e adapter, its succsessfully finds 8 gpu on device manager without error, but somehow i didnt get reliable mining, windows frequently freezing when mining @ 8gpu. for additional info i was connected 8 rx470 4gb

you must use for 8 gpu linux, there is also os optimized for this like ethos (payment) or miningOs (free) or you can try to do all by your self with a ubuntu installation.
Did you use a custum bios for you MB or you use standard bios?

i am not expert on linux systems so i decide the keep going with windows, for the MOBO i didnt update the bios rom, instead i have disable the unneccasry features like wifi, bt, onboard vga, and i have set the pci-e ver. 3.0 to 1.0. ;)

if you try miningOS (is free), there is thread on this forum you dont' need to do anything just flash os to ssd, it have web interface (then you can check system status everywhere), no linux knowledge required. 8 gpu it is better than 7 just try it :P

i will check it later on, thank you

Dude, you can go ahead with windows 10. I'm running 8 GPU on Z170A Gaming M7. 7 PCIe slots and 1 M.2 Slot.
No freezing no nothing. Only weird thing is, that the MOBO will stuck on every restart (Debugcode 96) so you need to hit the reset button several times
till it jumps from 96 to A2 which will boot your OS.
Im working on a remote solution which will be done over hardware. Because software resets dont work if windows freezes. And also if the MOBO stucks at restart
you cant do anything like Wake on Lan so i have a tailor made solution.

Anybody who is interested: I have a solution to bridge the Jumpers physically on the Mainboard for Start/reset remotely over wifi. (start your mainboard from anywhere in the world)
Costs will be 20€ for the module which needs to be hacked (cut away some things and solder some liines)
I will do it for you and send to your desired address guys. (20€ already ready to go)

Best wishes

I have same asus motherboard with 11 card using 2 m.2 to pcie and and pcie 4x splitter.

I have test same spliter and m2 adapters on msi gaming m7 without flaws

Last official firmware and Windows 10 on both.


 

I assume you already have M.2 to the PCI-Express adapter (you can get on ebay, amazon, newegg). For Asus Z270 A motherboards when using win 10, be sure to enable 4G Decoding in the motherboard BIOS so that the OS can detect the number of GPUs that you install.

MSI Z170A Gaming M7 ?!

One of the 2 m.2 adapters won't work on this board actually. There is a point in the manual which says something about the m.2 slot in combination with PCIe slot.
Furthermore the latest bios also doesnt work for me. I have to use an old one.
Please explain what exactly you did.

Best regards,

Mr.ARgful

Nothing special, manual indicates that one pcie slot is lost if you use two m2 ports but I have tested (lastest bios) and it´s false for my board.... ;D

I have tried with M.2 pcie Adapter+SSD M.2 and a gpu on indicated manual lost slot and works.

11 cards on the Asus Z270 A ? Are you seeing any hash drops per card ?

Do i get it correctly:

You tried two normal M.2 -> Pcie Adapters? What kind of adaters did you use? Pls provide a link of the adapter YOU USE, because its also about the pcie speed.
Furthermore, which PCI risers are you using? Which PCIe Spped are they?
Please see this spot in the manual, which says that :
Important
●● The M2_1 slot will only run PCIe 3.0 x2 speed when
M2_1 slot is installed with a M.2 PCIe device and
PCI_E4 slot is installed with a PCIe x1 device at the
same time.
●● Intel® RST only supports PCIe M.2 SSD with UEFI
ROM, does not support Legacy ROM.

So this might be the problem?!?!

Best regards

I make test again and works, 8 cards+SSD M2 working, I am using M.2 adapter with floppy power conector not new usb model, risers are molex model rev 003, 003s and 006, riser connected to M.2 adapter is 003.

I cant test 2 M.2 adapters because need SSD M2 to boot but this configuration should not work according to the manual

Thank you very much for you effort.
But your last sentence confirms, it is not possible to run 9 GPU (7 in pCIe Slots + 2 in M.2 Slots) and thats what i wanted to say in the beginning.
Im just able to run 1 extra GPU in M.2. To get more than 8 GPUs running, you probably need a PCIe Splitter 1 -> 3 Adapter.

Best regards,

Mr.Argful

My last sentence was bad written, my actual config ssd and m.2 adapter should not work according to manual like 2 m.2 adapters, but is working flawless. I understand if I would replace ssd by another pcie adapter it would work.

If you have and ssd m.2 you can test if same config than me is working on your machine.

I also have an asus prime 270a, z170 and z270 are similar and is working with two m.2 adapters.

Okay well so you actually think that 2 M.2 Slots can run 2 PCIe Adapters, while also every PCIe Slot is used? In fact, this will result in 9 GPU without using any splitters.
I will give it a try but last time it did not work.
Which is the bios version you are using? Windows Fall Creator Update (latest windows?)

Thanks for you patience.

By the way, check out my Hardware Remote Mining solution, which will alow you to remotely start your rig by Hardware (pins on mainboard will be shortened for restart) from anywhere in the world with hardware hacked wifi switch. There is no such product in the internet, so i invented my own solution.
I will give it to you for 15€ which are my costs, if you give a feedback here in the forum :)

Best regards

Yo everybody ,  https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/AMZDEAL-NGFF-M-2-Slot-Om-USB3-0-PCI-E-Riser-Card-M2-Slot-Extender-Adapter/32838141829.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.tQAZ16  i had great succes with this m2 usb 3 pci , very cheap and its working without any soldering !     ;D ;D ;D and also without any bios settings changed , i always keep my pci speed also on auto ,
 maybe it worked because of that  !