Advanced search

Message boards : Number crunching : 7 x PCIe x16 slots!

Author Message
Jeremy
Send message
Joined: 15 Feb 09
Posts: 55
Credit: 3,542,733
RAC: 0
Level
Ala
Scientific publications
watwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwat
Message 9729 - Posted: 13 May 2009 | 21:56:01 UTC
Last modified: 13 May 2009 | 21:56:24 UTC

http://hothardware.com/News/Asus-Debuts-P6T7-WS-SuperComputer-Motherboard/

Yes, that's correct. Seven. You can't get full x16 bandwidth on all 7 at once, but it's still damn impressive.

If only my wallet was bottomless and my power supply infinite in capacity. A 7 x GTX295 rig would be the absolute king of crunching rigs. Water cooled to deal with the heat, of course.

Who's gonna buy one of these bad boys when it comes out?

ExtraTerrestrial Apes
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester
Avatar
Send message
Joined: 17 Aug 08
Posts: 2705
Credit: 1,311,122,549
RAC: 0
Level
Met
Scientific publications
watwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwat
Message 9733 - Posted: 13 May 2009 | 22:26:59 UTC - in response to Message 9729.

Just be sure you get the new GTX 295 with a single PCB, otherwise fitting 14 slots worth of GPU into 7 slots will be.. challenging ;)

Personally I'm surely not going to buy one. Hell, my single GPU is enough of a cooling and space challenge and I don't think my power supply could handle a second.

MrS

Appendix A: specs
____________
Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

uBronan
Avatar
Send message
Joined: 1 Feb 09
Posts: 139
Credit: 575,023
RAC: 0
Level
Gly
Scientific publications
watwatwatwatwat
Message 9735 - Posted: 13 May 2009 | 23:04:03 UTC

It can run 4 gpu cards in x-crossfire OR 3 way SLI OR 3 C1060 with a graphics card
Not 7 cards together if you look at the picture you should allready understand that its gonna be hard to fit the board with 4 2slot cards on it.
Or you must try to run the whole thing in the open air like i do with test setups :D
To me it looks again to be a overdone board and think you should not put too much devices to work on that one ;)


Profile Paul D. Buck
Send message
Joined: 9 Jun 08
Posts: 1050
Credit: 37,321,185
RAC: 0
Level
Val
Scientific publications
watwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwat
Message 9756 - Posted: 14 May 2009 | 15:32:42 UTC

You can only put in 4 cards of the GTX260 and better as they are all double wide. You could put in seven cheaper cards though it looks like the reality is that you won't get good performance then on the PCI-e buss.

The last slot they have made the same mistake I have seen on a lot of other MB and there is a lot of junk at the lower edge that will also interfere with the last card. So, to be honest, I don't see this is that big of a deal ... but that is just me ...

ExtraTerrestrial Apes
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester
Avatar
Send message
Joined: 17 Aug 08
Posts: 2705
Credit: 1,311,122,549
RAC: 0
Level
Met
Scientific publications
watwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwat
Message 9780 - Posted: 14 May 2009 | 20:26:12 UTC

@double slot: I hope that's why he mentioned "Water cooled to deal with the heat, of course." They plugs better had to be parallel to the PCB, though. And no cooling for all the memory, power ciruitry, NV IO etc. ... *mhhh*

MrS
____________
Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

Jonathan Figdor
Send message
Joined: 8 Sep 08
Posts: 14
Credit: 425,295,955
RAC: 0
Level
Gln
Scientific publications
watwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwat
Message 9800 - Posted: 15 May 2009 | 13:55:17 UTC - in response to Message 9780.

all i have to say is, 20 gallons of mineral oil cooled by an aquarium cooler?

Profile Paul D. Buck
Send message
Joined: 9 Jun 08
Posts: 1050
Credit: 37,321,185
RAC: 0
Level
Val
Scientific publications
watwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwat
Message 9808 - Posted: 15 May 2009 | 20:05:42 UTC - in response to Message 9800.

all i have to say is, 20 gallons of mineral oil cooled by an aquarium cooler?

kinda yucky mess isn't it?

Profile Hydropower
Avatar
Send message
Joined: 3 Apr 09
Posts: 70
Credit: 6,003,024
RAC: 0
Level
Ser
Scientific publications
watwatwatwatwatwat
Message 10140 - Posted: 24 May 2009 | 20:17:11 UTC - in response to Message 9808.

I have already devised a cooling solution for a 7-way GTX295 (doubleslotted and hardware hacked). My main worry is the drivers, the BIOS and the lack of appropriate overclock tools from evga. The rest is already figured out. The other issue is justifying the cost.
____________
Join team Bletchley Park, the innovators.

ExtraTerrestrial Apes
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester
Avatar
Send message
Joined: 17 Aug 08
Posts: 2705
Credit: 1,311,122,549
RAC: 0
Level
Met
Scientific publications
watwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwatwat
Message 10144 - Posted: 24 May 2009 | 21:20:36 UTC - in response to Message 10140.

Judging by your driver / Os problem with "just" 4 of these bad boys I'm not sure it's worth the effort to try 7. Might as well build 2 more 4 x machines.. or leave t the way it is and be happy anyway ;)

MrS
____________
Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

=Lupus=
Send message
Joined: 10 Nov 07
Posts: 10
Credit: 12,777,491
RAC: 0
Level
Pro
Scientific publications
watwatwatwat
Message 12147 - Posted: 27 Aug 2009 | 10:54:02 UTC

If you try to run this board with 7 gtx295's on it, you still need a ~3000(!) Watt PSU... And you can turn off the heating system and the cooker! Works well for both because this thing will be HOT. Think about it, if you put all the cards in there will be no place left for the GPU-fans to blow their air! My $.02 about this board: Nice idea to show that it works, but only usable if you use 7 watercooled custom graphics cards. Now where is my bag of endless gold...? :-)

Profile Hydropower
Avatar
Send message
Joined: 3 Apr 09
Posts: 70
Credit: 6,003,024
RAC: 0
Level
Ser
Scientific publications
watwatwatwatwatwat
Message 12148 - Posted: 27 Aug 2009 | 12:22:51 UTC - in response to Message 12147.

- You will get by with 2700 Watts, divided over multiple psus, that means you have to run it from your kitchen mains connector (16 Amp@230 V in europe).
- yes, you can switch off the heating, and take off your sweater too.
- You should use risers to evenly space all 7 double-wide cards, it has been done before.
- air cooling will work just fine, watercooling only adds to the cost and complexity and does NOT solve the problem of getting rid of the heat from a total system perspective.
- On air, you will need ear-protective headphones to preserve your hearing ability long term.

Post to thread

Message boards : Number crunching : 7 x PCIe x16 slots!

//