Anyone running SLI on mATX? I need advice and pics

[1ceTr0n]

Ok, im thinking about going SLI for the first time so I have some more GPU power for upcoming games but i'm running a mATX Asus Maximum IV Gene-Z mobo and im real concerned about the spacing for cooling down two hot running GPU's that close together. I'm currently sporting an evga GTX 670 FTW so i'd be running two of them. And no, im not buying a 690 for obvious reasons.

I could really use some pictures of peoples setups with SLI on mATX boards so I can see what kinda spacing i'll have and what kinda cooling setups people are using along with temperatures and any suggestions people running them can give me for doing this. I just can't justifiy trying to sell my mATX Gene-Z and plunk down money for an ATX board, especially since my Gene-Z is running so well and intel changing sockets for the new CPU's AGAIN....

And yes, I realize I will have to get a riser cable to move my soundcard, and no, I'm not going onboard.

 

[[Ion]]

I have the same board running a pair of GTX470s. There is very little spacing between them, and the top card in particular gets ferociously hot. Fortunately, it has a lower voltage, so it is only ~5C higher than the bottom one (~85C running Folding@home w/ the fan @ ~80% --I don't remember game temperatures)

 

[15th Warlock]

I have the same board on a smaller case (with plenty of air circulation) and a couple 680s, and temp never gets higher than 83 degrees (for me anything under 90 degrees is pretty safe in the long run), and that's after running 3dMark for an hour for stress testing, GK104 runs pretty cool, so you should be OK

I've had multiple SLI setups on this same board (GTX285s, 480s, and 580s, you name it) and those cards are still rocking on other PCs, so it should be OK

 

[1ceTr0n]

Wow, no room even for a backplate either. This sucks, wish I never went mATX now

 

[15th Warlock]

Wow, no room even for a backplate either. This sucks, wish I never went mATX now

The 680 closer to the CPU in my board has a back plate, that lowered the temp by 3 degrees on average, there's no room for a plate on the 2nd card though, and even if there was, it would severely limit air flow to the 1st card

 

[terrastrife]

With the standard nvidia blower design you wont have problems. Run your main display off the card with more air.

You won't fit a ribbon extension in for your sound card.

The Sniper M3 fits SLI + pcie sound, but the GPU overhangs the bottom of the motherboard.

 

[Grnfinger]

I have the Gene Z and it sucks for Crossfire
Bottom card is cool but top card runs 90c under heavy load.

I'm on the fence for either a new board or waterblocks.

 

[RejZoR]

I used to have soundcard below gfx card but it turned out to block too much airflow. So i placed soundcard in the first (top) slot and graphic card on the second slot below the soundcard. Not many use such configuration but i don't care since both CPIe slots have equal speed (PCIe 2.0 x16) so thats that.

I think you should water cool the graphic cards as well as that would eliminate the cooling problem. Also use the exhausting graphic cards for such configurations, you can modify their intake slightly so it can such the air from the side of the "fan barrel". Can't do that with aftermarket coolers.

 

[Grnfinger]

Water cooling will cost 150.00 using MCW82 and fittings and full coverage blocks are 200.00
New board is 275.00 then with the resale of Gene Z puts new board right in line with waterblocks price wise. New board = new chip set Z77

Tough choice to make $$ wise

 

[Geofrancis]

Put a small spacer between the cards at the back where the fan is this will open up a couple of extra millimetres that will let more air through. But don't bend the cards too much you don't want to damage them.