Search for a motherboard supporting two graphics cards.
Search for a motherboard supporting two graphics cards.
I'm looking for a good single and multithreaded CPU setup for Adobe After Effects and Cinema 4D. I also rely heavily on external monitors, currently using six displays across two GTX 970 graphics cards. GPU power isn't my main concern. You're thinking about the AMD Ryzen 7950X and need guidance on the motherboard. You want to support two GTX 970s for six displays, use a Mellanox Connect-X 2 at 10Gbps for NAS storage, and have space for at least two M.2 NVMe SSDs. Your current Intel i7 5960X with an Asus X99 Deluxe board works but only has one M.2 slot. I suspect newer boards have fewer PCIe slots than your current setup, making it tricky to fit everything. I need advice on which options might work without breaking the bank.
An alternative approach could be skipping the second 970 and opting for an iGPU. Modern Ryzen 7000 chips include integrated graphics, allowing boards with two display outputs while utilizing four from the 970 to drive the remaining four. Many affordable motherboards accommodate this setup. The main challenge lies in securing eight lanes for the 10Gb network card. Based on calculations, it should function adequately with just four PCIe lanes; however, confirming this would be prudent before committing. Testing would be straightforward—adjusting the BIOS to Gen 1 speed or switching to an x4 slot makes network transfers easier. For specific recommendations, consider the X670E Carbon from MSI, which offers extensive expansion and supports the required PCIe configuration despite its high cost ($500). At a lower price point, the B650 Pro RS from ASRock provides two display ports and a flexible PCIe layout (x16/x1/x4), making it viable if you pair it with an iGPU and ensure your network card uses four lanes. If Gen 5 is needed, the X670E PG Lightning fits for $270, though its features are less impressive compared to the Pro RS.
They possess just 24 PCIe lanes, whereas the 5960X offers 40. This limitation rarely matters since multi-GPU setups aren't common for consumer use. You should still be able to run the 970-series in an x4 configuration, as full performance isn't required. Additionally, some GPUs feature numerous display outputs, such as the AMD FirePro W600 and Gigabytes RTX 3070(Ti)/3080(Ti) Master, each with six digital displays.
It looks like there might be a mix-up in the numbers. The "Current Link Width" being 4x and "Maximum Link Width" at 8x suggests a scaling factor of 2, not 4. Double-check the specs to confirm. Also, x4 should support sustained 10Gb transfers, which aligns with your experience.
You use "could be" to reflect uncertainty about the exact status. HWINFO64 may not verify the specific hardware configuration, so it might not confirm the system is running at x4.
This likely explains why it's operating at x4 instead of the maximum x8 the card supports. It seems like a possibility rather than a certainty.