Problem running 4x 5830, please help!

[MufflerMan]

Hi guys, new to forums and have a problem I hope you can help with.

I was running 2x 5830's on a P55A-UD4P (Gigabyte) mobo and decided to order 2 more 5830's and couple of 1x > 16x adapters to use the two x1 slots. So everything got here and I tried adding the new cards using dummy plugs - the system would fire up, but could not get a video signal. With 3 cards the same thing happened. So I decided to go back to just 2x cards to see if it would get a signal.. it did, but now everything is really messed up. Everything is very slow to load, anti-virus won't load at all, internet only connects for a second, then stops.. just a big mess really.

Any reason the 1x slots would not handle these cards and any idea why it messed my computer so badly??

I don't know as much about this stuff as you guys do, so any help is appreciated beyond comprehension. 

Thanks!

[Meatball]

What OS and what's your PSU?

[MufflerMan]

What OS and what's your PSU?

Windows 7 64
Antec TP Quattro 1200w

[Meatball]

Found this on another forum.

If you plan on x-fire with two GPUs down stream and plan on using sata6/USB3, the P55a is not for you. If you enable USB3/Sata6 (1) you downgrade the 1st pci-e slot from 16 X to 8 X (not a biggie), HOWEVER, (2) you totally lose the 2nd PCI-e slot.

Any chance you can try disabling the USB3/Sata6 in the bios?

[MufflerMan]

Found this on another forum.

If you plan on x-fire with two GPUs down stream and plan on using sata6/USB3, the P55a is not for you. If you enable USB3/Sata6 (1) you downgrade the 1st pci-e slot from 16 X to 8 X (not a biggie), HOWEVER, (2) you totally lose the 2nd PCI-e slot.

Any chance you can try disabling the USB3/Sata6 in the bios?

I was under the impression that when using the second PCIe x16 slot it would automatically disable USB3/SATA6. I'm pretty sure there isn't an option in BIOS, but I'll check to make sure. You think it could have an effect on the x1 slots?

I finally got most of my desktop to load and fired up Phoenix to see what would happen. The main card will not hash, but the slave card will. This is very strange to me..

Thanks for the help so far.

[Meatball]

Yeah, I'm not sure.  I've never seen USB/Sata disabling PCIexpress slots before, so I'm guessing it's sharing interrupts or the bus or something.

Also, I've had luck running Catalyst 11.5's and Stream 2.4 or 2.1 on Win7 x64

[MufflerMan]

Yeah, I'm not sure.  I've never seen USB/Sata disabling PCIexpress slots before, so I'm guessing it's sharing interrupts or the bus or something.

Also, I've had luck running Catalyst 11.5's and Stream 2.4 or 2.1 on Win7 x64

Yea, I'm using 11.5 and 2.4 atm.

So I checked BIOS and there were some USB3 options. Disable controller and ability to choose EHCI or XHCI.  You think either would help? I may try to put the adapters and cards back in if you think it's worth a shot.

[Freakin]

Yeah, I'm not sure.  I've never seen USB/Sata disabling PCIexpress slots before, so I'm guessing it's sharing interrupts or the bus or something.

Also, I've had luck running Catalyst 11.5's and Stream 2.4 or 2.1 on Win7 x64

Yea, I'm using 11.5 and 2.4 atm.

So I checked BIOS and there were some USB3 options. Disable controller and ability to choose EHCI or XHCI.  You think either would help? I may try to put the adapters and cards back in if you think it's worth a shot.

try diasbling the controller

[twitcoins]

Have you done the pinout mod on the PCIe extenders?  Poke around the forums, something about voltage you need to bump up or short out or some such.  Can't recall exactly, I'm not using ribbons myself.

[pokermon919]

Have you done the pinout mod on the PCIe extenders?  Poke around the forums, something about voltage you need to bump up or short out or some such.  Can't recall exactly, I'm not using ribbons myself.

For some mother boards you will have to short 2 pins on the 1x slot to get it to work. I had to do this, but I find it strange that you're 16x slots won't work.

Here's the blog that details this, http://blog.zorinaq.com/?e=42

[twitcoins]

That's the one, thanks pokermon

[pokermon919]

Just here to help and learn with fellow miners   

[Meatball]

Yeah, I'd disable those controllers and see if that helps.  If not, try that shorting the pins that poker mentioned.

[MufflerMan]

Thanks, I will try both of these suggestions when I get home..