Hi there.  I just went and read the whole way through the thread about having two cards run at x16/x16
 
I have a single video card in PE1 that's running at x8 instead of x16.
 
Since x16/x16 with two cards can only be done through PE2+PE4, does this mean that PE2 is the slot that runs off the CPU and not PE1? Should I move my single card to PE2?
 
I'm trying to find a configuration that will allow it to run at x16, but I really don't want the card to be running through PLX as it has some latency AFAIK, and latency is more important to me than raw performance.  (I'd rather have x8 with the CPU rather than x16 with PLX)
 
I have a sound card in PE3 (initially it was in PE4; I tried moving it up see if that would change anything, but it didn't), I also have a USB card in PE5 and NIC in PE6.  All of these cards are x1.
 
Can someone fill me in as to what the "proper" configuration would be here, in order to get my graphics card running at x16 with the CPU lanes, and still have my other cards work?
 
Thanks a bunch.
 

I just got done trying pretty much every combination of slots, with no desirable outcome.
 
I guess I'll have to settle for putting my sound card in the x1 slot and ditch my nic/usb cards for onboard... Oh well.

The way I understand it, if you populate any other slot (with the exception of the pci-e x1 slot), it will activate the PLX chip and cause slot 1 to run at x8.  Ditch the sound card and use the MB on-board sound. It's pretty good.

I haven't read up on this in a while but is it still true that difference between x16 and x8 together vs x16 and x16  or even x8 and x8 together is pretty negligible?

Thanks!  Was wanting this board but the spacing was bothering me on the 2 x16 but I don't mind if it runs at 2 x8 sli so it's still in the running.

I won't look if I go this route...that's the only way it wouldn't bother me.  Forced ignorance.  :)

In three way would the layout be spaced 1 3 and 6?  I read the stuff above and i can't see a reason why not.

Duh me...of course...I missed the most basic thing.  
 
Yeah I have the EVGA 3 way sli bridge and the nvidia special 60 mm (GYN70) is hard to come by.  Won't be getting 3 way for a while, maybe not at all, so no problem.
 
Thanks again.