Motherboard for 4+ GPUs

[gabo77]

Hey!

Since I just registered an account on bitcointalk, I can't post this anywhere else . Anyways.

So I am looking to build my first mining rig, probably for litecoin, and will be purchasing 4 7950s. I wanted to know which motherboard are known to work with 4 GPUs. I know litecoin mining uses a lot of the ram thus GPUs pumping more power from the motherboard. I read some horror stories where one's motherboard would burst into flames because of that so if I had a 5th PCIe slot on the motherboard, I would definitely use it as a power riser. I will be buying a cheap Athlon cpu so it needs to be a AM3 socket.

So, anybody mining with 4 GPUs on the same motherboard? If so, which model (if it is AM3 socket)? Bitcoin or litecoin mining? Are you using power riser?

Thx  

edit: I would like to pay under 150$ but even if your's is higher, I'd like to know !!

[eyesore]

I think you're asking for trouble   Why not just get 2 cheap computers, with good power supplies?

[gabo77]

Well, that would add another 100$ to the rig + more maintenance. If a good a sub 150$ mobo that will handle 4 GPUs is too much asking, I'd rather get a sub 200$ one. I saw some cool rigs with 4 GPUs on the same board, only it was intel sockets or expensive AM3 ones. But I totally understand what you say, I did think about it  

[plutuswd]

Hey!

Since I just registered an account on bitcointalk, I can't post this anywhere else . Anyways.

So I am looking to build my first mining rig, probably for litecoin, and will be purchasing 4 7950s. I wanted to know which motherboard are known to work with 4 GPUs. I know litecoin mining uses a lot of the ram thus GPUs pumping more power from the motherboard. I read some horror stories where one's motherboard would burst into flames because of that so if I had a 5th PCIe slot on the motherboard, I would definitely use it as a power riser. I will be buying a cheap Athlon cpu so it needs to be a AM3 socket.

So, anybody mining with 4 GPUs on the same motherboard? If so, which model (if it is AM3 socket)? Bitcoin or litecoin mining? Are you using power riser?

Thx  

edit: I would like to pay under 150$ but even if your's is higher, I'd like to know !!

That's exactly what I wanted to do. I found a mother board that had 4 pci slots and ordered 4 7870's as well. When I get the mother board I can see that there is no way I can fit the cards onto the board. The cards are double wide. There is not enough space between the pci slots.

[plutuswd]

So I got just three cards and while they fit there is still very little room. Who cares if there is not much room? Well it's bad. It means a lot of heat which slows down the chips and risks damaging them.

[plutuswd]

I'm thinking of building the mining rig without a case. Mount the mother board to a 2x4 wood frame. Get some pci connector cables and suspend the video cards above or beside the mother board. This way there is lots of space for air flow.

[gabo77]

Hey!

Since I just registered an account on bitcointalk, I can't post this anywhere else . Anyways.

So I am looking to build my first mining rig, probably for litecoin, and will be purchasing 4 7950s. I wanted to know which motherboard are known to work with 4 GPUs. I know litecoin mining uses a lot of the ram thus GPUs pumping more power from the motherboard. I read some horror stories where one's motherboard would burst into flames because of that so if I had a 5th PCIe slot on the motherboard, I would definitely use it as a power riser. I will be buying a cheap Athlon cpu so it needs to be a AM3 socket.

So, anybody mining with 4 GPUs on the same motherboard? If so, which model (if it is AM3 socket)? Bitcoin or litecoin mining? Are you using power riser?

Thx  

edit: I would like to pay under 150$ but even if your's is higher, I'd like to know !!

That's exactly what I wanted to do. I found a mother board that had 4 pci slots and ordered 4 7870's as well. When I get the mother board I can see that there is no way I can fit the cards onto the board. The cards are double wide. There is not enough space between the pci slots.

As plutuswd said, you need PCIe risers. Like the ones here: http://cablesaurus.com/

[plutuswd]

PCIe x1 -> x16 Adapter Extender Cable w/ Molex Connector (Back-Ordered)
$17.50

Wow they are expensive. There has got to be a better place.

[Nomdeplume]

I wish I could run my two 7990's could run next to each other. I have a large atx board with 4 pcie slots, but because the cards are so close due to taking three slots each they are still not far enough apart to allow heat dissipation. I ordered BFL Asics in January and February. Hopefully they show up soon! Heat is quickly escalating in the pacific northwest for summer. I can't keep my house cool enough for long running two 875 watt video cards in two computers.

[dennis97519]

PCIe x1 -> x16 Adapter Extender Cable w/ Molex Connector (Back-Ordered)
$17.50

Wow they are expensive. There has got to be a better place.

Get ASUS M5E or P8Z77-V Premium. Those board can play games and have 4 PCIe slots But for mining dedicated ASIC and FPGAs are better and cost effective than GPU right?

[Ljubisa]

An am3 socket motherboard having quad crossfire would be a problem.
On one (or even two on some boards) of the gpus you will get half of the performance because it would run at 4x speeds instead of the 8x or 16x speeds.
if you want quad crossfire please go with a motherboard that has pci express 3 and has atleast 4 of them.
i dont think you will find a pci express 3 motherboard that has an am3 socket, sorry
you will have to get a newer one.

on pci express 2 you need to have the gpus to run at 8x, atleast, to get full performance (unlikely to get 4 fast cards running full speed on pci exress 2.)
on pci express 3 you can have them running at 4x and you would get full (or almost full, negligible loss) performance.

if you want to run 4 cards on a pci express 2 you will need very old cards (one 7970 would be faster than all four of them combined so i dont recomend you get 4 old cards)

listen, a new budget cpu on a motherboard that has pci express 3, and has enough slots, will be your best bet.
instead of buying an old cpu(slow, power wasting, pci express 2 only)   buy a new one (same speed, more effecient, pci express 3 support) for the same price and you could run 4 7970s on it.

Not quite true.... Im using AsRock 990FX Fatal1ty Professional MB which has three PCIE slots running at 16x, 16x, 4x and Im using three video cards for mining and have absolutely no problems at all. And I think that ASUS 990FX Chrosshair V has 5 PCIE slots and supports for 4 graphic cards.

[timmmmay]

Not quite true.... Im using AsRock 990FX Fatal1ty Professional MB which has three PCIE slots running at 16x, 16x, 4x and Im using three video cards for mining and have absolutely no problems at all. And I think that ASUS 990FX Chrosshair V has 5 PCIE slots and supports for 4 graphic cards.

What power supply do you use ?

[Ljubisa]

well Chieftech 650W modular

[timmmmay]

well Chieftech 650W modular

Wow, that can handle 3 cards?  Mind if I ask what cards?

[Ljubisa]

yes, for the moment Im using three 6790s on this rig but i will connect one 6870x2 and four 6790s on this motherboard and PSU once I get extenders for PCIEx1 slots

[timmmmay]

yes, for the moment Im using three 6790s on this rig but i will connect one 6870x2 and four 6790s on this motherboard and PSU once I get extenders for PCIEx1 slots

Nice setup...!

[Ljubisa]

well I got the cards pretty cheap with garantee and they draw small amount of W except 6870x2 but in exchange the together give around 1.5 GHs/s

[Ljubisa]

Well so far Im using three 6790s and one of them is in x4 slot on motherboard and has the same hash rate as others do at x16 so that theory is busted

[BitshireHashaway]

Whatever you get, realize that heat will be a big problem, and you need to work on taking care of any heat problems that will arise with the setup. I do not think they make a lot of mother boards like that, if you want a dedicated bit coin set up, why not just by a specific bit coin setup, it is probably cheaper and more efficient, with less of a risk.

[RetardedMonkey]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157262

Asrock 970 Extreme4 - $99 and 5x PCI-e slots.

Get some PCI-e extenders that are x1 -> x16 and you're done.