Stupid question regarding PCIe slots...

[Mousepotato]

Ok so I haven't built a machine myself since AGP was the architecture of choice for GPU interfaces.  All this PCIe stuff has me a bit confused.  I went looking at mobos yesterday at Fry's and saw a bunch that had full sized PCIe and really short (maybe 1") PCIe slots.  Now supposing I wanted to build a 3-4 video card rig... would I have to find a mobo that has 3-4 of the full-size PCIe slots?  Or would I be able to use like an HD5870 in one of the short slots? 

Sorry for the dumb question.  It's been years since I've even looked at the inside of a computer, literally.

[sirky]

Ok so I haven't built a machine myself since AGP was the architecture of choice for GPU interfaces.  All this PCIe stuff has me a bit confused.  I went looking at mobos yesterday at Fry's and saw a bunch that had full sized PCIe and really short (maybe 1") PCIe slots.  Now supposing I wanted to build a 3-4 video card rig... would I have to find a mobo that has 3-4 of the full-size PCIe slots?  Or would I be able to use like an HD5870 in one of the short slots? 

Sorry for the dumb question.  It's been years since I've even looked at the inside of a computer, literally.

Video cards are designed to go into the long slots (PCIe x4,x8, and x16). But you can buy cables that allow you to use the short slots (PCIe x1) for mining. Or you can take a file to it.

[Mousepotato]

Video cards are designed to go into the long slots (PCIe x4,x8, and x16). But you can buy cables that allow you to use the short slots (PCIe x1) for mining. Or you can take a file to it.

That scares my inner child.

[sirky]

Video cards are designed to go into the long slots (PCIe x4,x8, and x16). But you can buy cables that allow you to use the short slots (PCIe x1) for mining. Or you can take a file to it.

That scares my inner child.

Well, the card won't physically fit unless you remove the end of the slot

[mouser98]

most likely there is not enough room between the x1 and the x16 slots to mount a card.  you will likely need slot extenders to use those slots.  see cablesaurus.com

[Freakin]

The extension cables are probably best for you.  Basically the 1x slots are designed for cards besides GPUs, like NICs and soundcards.  

For gaming, these 1x slots would not work with a GPU.  For mining, however, we do not need the massive bandwidth that a 16x slot provides, so you can use the card with only the 1x section of the card.

Since the graphics card has the full pins for a 16x slot, you would have to file off the right-side of the 1x slot so the card will physically fit into the slot.  

You can either get a 1x-->1x extension cable, then file the end off of that, or you can get a 1x-->16x extension cable that you won't need to file.  

The only way to get a bunch of 16x slots on one board is to get a higher end board like the MSI one everyone here uses.  If you do this, you'll have heat problems anyway, so probably best to start with 2x cards in 16x slots then add more via extension cables away from the other cards if you want to expand.

[Mousepotato]

The extension cables are probably best for you.  Basically the 1x slots are designed for cards besides GPUs, like NICs and soundcards.  

For gaming, these 1x slots would not work with a GPU.  For mining, however, we do not need the massive bandwidth that a 16x slot provides, so you can use the card with only the 1x section of the card.

Since the graphics card has the full pins for a 16x slot, you would have to file off the right-side of the 1x slot so the card will physically fit into the slot.  

You can either get a 1x-->1x extension cable, then file the end off of that, or you can get a 1x-->16x extension cable that you won't need to file.  

The only way to get a bunch of 16x slots on one board is to get a higher end board like the MSI one everyone here uses.  If you do this, you'll have heat problems anyway, so probably best to start with 2x cards in 16x slots then add more via extension cables away from the other cards if you want to expand.

Awesome!  Thanks for the explanation.  My only question is, if I get a 1x-->16x cable extension, where do I put the actual video card?  I guess that would depend on my case?

[Man From The Future]

The ASUS ROG motherboards already have the slot ends removed

[Freakin]

The extension cables are probably best for you.  Basically the 1x slots are designed for cards besides GPUs, like NICs and soundcards.  

For gaming, these 1x slots would not work with a GPU.  For mining, however, we do not need the massive bandwidth that a 16x slot provides, so you can use the card with only the 1x section of the card.

Since the graphics card has the full pins for a 16x slot, you would have to file off the right-side of the 1x slot so the card will physically fit into the slot.  

You can either get a 1x-->1x extension cable, then file the end off of that, or you can get a 1x-->16x extension cable that you won't need to file.  

The only way to get a bunch of 16x slots on one board is to get a higher end board like the MSI one everyone here uses.  If you do this, you'll have heat problems anyway, so probably best to start with 2x cards in 16x slots then add more via extension cables away from the other cards if you want to expand.

Awesome!  Thanks for the explanation.  My only question is, if I get a 1x-->16x cable extension, where do I put the actual video card?  I guess that would depend on my case?

Look at the thread of mining rig pictures for ideas.  A lot of people try to basically build a rail to suspend the cards a few inches above the rest of the cards.  There really isn't any standard way to do this.  If you're handy, you could build something out of wood or PVC.  If you're not, you could use a lot of duct tape and twine

[Mousepotato]

Look at the thread of mining rig pictures for ideas.  A lot of people try to basically build a rail to suspend the cards a few inches above the rest of the cards.  There really isn't any standard way to do this.  If you're handy, you could build something out of wood or PVC.  If you're not, you could use a lot of duct tape and twine

TY sir, I will check out that thread!