AM4 board featuring generous gaps between PCIe x16 connectors
AM4 board featuring generous gaps between PCIe x16 connectors
Hello everyone, I’m planning to upgrade my CPU from a Ryzen 5 3600 to a Ryzen 9 5900x and also need to replace my motherboard. I’m leaning towards either an X570 or a B550 model. The key factor for the board should be the room between the PCIe x16 connectors. I currently have an RTX 3080 and a RTX 3070 for rendering tasks, but I’m facing challenges fitting both into my existing case. My current board (Gigabyte B450 Aorus Pro WiFi) already has fairly tight PCIe connections, and the new GPUs are quite bulky, which limits airflow in the slots. My current setup leaves little room for fresh cooling. The case I own (Lian Li O11 Air with filters) offers plenty of space and multiple fans, so I think it could accommodate both GPUs if I position them properly. Instead of using a riser cable to keep the RTX 3070 outside, I’d like the PCIe x16 slots to be closer to the CPU, ideally in the first slot. I discovered the ASRock X570 Steel Legend meets this requirement. The only drawback is its M.2 slots (only two), but overall it seems like a solid choice. I’d appreciate any recommendations for other boards with a similar layout, even if my budget allows for more options. Also, I’m happy to see one slot handling lower bandwidth (one PCIe 4.0 x16 and one PCIe 4.0 x4). Please find attached images for better understanding. Thanks! Uygar
Searching online stores for the latest ASRock X570 graphics card. Prices range from $170 to $180 depending on retailer.
Gigabyte B550 AORUS PRO V2 supports X16, X4 and X2 configurations. Some models disable SATA ports 5 and 6 when using NVMe SSDs on the second M.2 slot. For similar restrictions, the B550 AORUS PRO AC offers comparable limitations but with a different design. Higher-end options include the B550 VISION D-P, which supports x16, x0 or x8 and x8 lanes for the first two slots plus an x4 slot. Other choices are Gigabyte Aorus Master, MSI Unify-X, ASRock Taichi and more. If you need an X570 setup, consider checking available boards for that model.
Thank you for your feedback. It seems the recommended motherboards all feature the layout I wish to bypass. By examining the designs, you’ll see the M.2 slot positioned at the top. The image in the original post illustrates what you’re seeking.
Your issue lies in the narrow gap between the two PCI-E X16 slots at the top. However, on B550 boards only the first PCI-E X16 connects directly to the CPU; the other slots serve the chipset. This means you can place either video card in the top slot or the bottom one, as the chipset will handle the connection. You could run the first card in the top slot and the second in the lower slot, leaving the middle empty. The second card would typically run on PCIe x2 or x1, but for hardware encoding you don’t need many lanes—just one lane suffices. It provides over 900 MB/s and a hardware encoder won’t exceed 50 MB/s. If you prefer the second card to be low-end, at the bottom… well, it’s manageable. For hardware encoding, the bottom M.2 slot helps with cooling. Placing it below the first X16 slot can cause the M.2 drive to overheat due to airflow from the card blowing heat onto the board and its heatsink. Using a PCIe 4.0 SSD could also lead to overheating. If the bottom fans are problematic, removing a few from the bottom might help—just don’t remove all nine fans unless necessary. Note: On X570 boards, finding enough space between PCI-E slots for a second slot is tough because trace lengths are limited; using a PCIe 4.0 card would require more expensive amplifiers or closer placement, which may not be practical. The board in your first post likely connects the slot to the chipset.
Thank you for your thorough feedback. I appreciate the time you took to explain. As discussed, the lower port is positioned very close to the bottom of the case, even without the bottom fans. The thinnest GPU in this set measures only 5.2cm in thickness. It seems there are no other cards available besides the ASRock model. I’m hoping to find something truly unique—I’d love a standout choice. By the way, both my M.2 drives support PCIe 3.0.