EVGATech_DaveB

NO_sauce
Just remember that you wont get FULL speed out of the 950 from a Z97 as the PCI lanes are Gen2, not Gen3. Z97 uses four PCI-Express 2.0 lanes which run at 500MB/sec each. This will affect the speeds you get from the drive.

Actually, that is incorrect.  Any slot running from CPU or PLX will be running at PCIE Gen3, as a PLX only replicates at Gen3, also why they conflict with devices that are PCIE Gen2 only.  You will only get Gen2 if you are pulling from the PCH.

I see I could have read your previous post more carefully where you explained this already! Haha. So the limitation for z97 is when running 4 way SLI? I have some reading to do on this. Thanks for catching my mistake.

So if I was to get a Intel 750, run it in the 1st slot I am assuming since it is native to the cpu pcie lanes? Also if I had 2 980 ti's cards, where should I place these 2 cards?
 
Will they all run at full speeds?
 
Will I run at Pcie 3.0 on the ssd and all cards?
 
 
lastly if not would the 2nd card run at x8 and the 1st card run at x16
 

cdc-951
So if I was to get a Intel 750, run it in the 1st slot I am assuming since it is native to the cpu pcie lanes? Also if I had 2 980 ti's cards, where should I place these 2 cards?
 
Will they all run at full speeds?
 
Will I run at Pcie 3.0 on the ssd and all cards?
 
 
lastly if not would the 2nd card run at x8 and the 1st card run at x16
 

Here is the slot breakdown for the Z97 Classified.
 
PCI-E Lane Distribution

• 
  PE1 – x16 (x8 if PE2 is used)

PE2 – x16 (x8 if PE3 is used)

PE3 – x8

PE4 – x16 (x8 if PE6 is used)

PE5 – x1

PE6 – x8

 
So in essence, PE1 is fueled by the CPU and its 16 Lanes.  The PLX chip will take 8 lanes from PE1 leaving it with 8, and those 8 are used for lane replication, giving 16 lanes to PE2 and PE4.  Both PE2 and PE4 share their lanes as needed, (much like the 2 primary slots on the FTW board which only supports 2x SLI due to no PLX) if PE3 is populated both PE2 and PE3 will get 8 lanes, and if PE6 is used then PE4 and PE6 both get 8 lanes, PE5 is pulled form the PCH and is as such 1xc of Gen2 and is in effect completely removed form lane allocation for this discussion.
I hope that clarifies the function of the lanes and PLX.
CPU lanes are ALWAYS faster (similar bandwidth, but no PLX latency) but PLX does allow 3x and 4x SLI on boards that would otherwise have no means of supporting them.  So for optimal setups it is always best and fastest to use the least PLX, however, PLX can, not always, but can argue with SSD's and other devices.  So for optimal speed I would run the cards like this:
PE1 - GPU1
PE2 - empty
PE3 - empty
PE4 - GPU2
PE5 - empty
PE6 - SSD
And if this gives you problems try this configuration instead:
PE1 - SSD
PE2 - GPU1
PE3 - empty
PE4 - GPU2
PE5 - empty
PE6 - empty
 
Hope this helps.
 
**edit for formatting issue**

PE1 - SSD
PE2 - GPU1
PE3 - empty
PE4 - GPU2
PE5 - empty
PE6 - empty
 
This seems to a more visual appealing look I might go with this
 
 
 
But you also said
 
So for optimal speed I would run the cards like this:
PE1 - GPU1
PE2 - empty
PE3 - empty
PE4 - GPU2
PE5 - empty
PE6 - SSD
^^ Is this the best speed? Or is either config fine and no performance degradation occurs with either?

None of the speed differences will be large, but Slots 1 and 4 were tested as the fastest solution for 2 way SLI.  So when possible I would go with that, I made the compatibility suggestion as sometimes SSDs don't like PLX slots, if that is the case run the setup with the SSD in the top slot.
 
On an unrelated note, I dig the Hornet avatar :)

Thanks man :) love my super Hornet. You should add me on Start Citizen would love to have someone to play with :P
 
 
cdc951 
no dash
 
What ship you got? Or planning to get
 
Related to Thread: So what do you mean the 2 cards in sli run faster? Like 16x and 8x speeds? Specifics would help me lol
 
 
So for optimal speed I would run the cards like this:
PE1 - GPU1
PE2 - empty
PE3 - empty
PE4 - GPU2
PE5 - empty
PE6 - SSD
 
So this is the fastest set up right ^?

By the cards running faster, in testing engineering tested 2x SLI in slots 1&2, 1&4, and 2&4, although 2&4 technically had more lanes, it was ALL PLX so there is some latency to deal with, 1 and 4 gave the best performance.  Now a additional PCIE device will likely skew that some, but I think the baseline will persist.  The performance was measured with benchmarks like 3D Mark and Heaven  and Valley.

So the Pcie Nvme ssd should work in full speed in uefi also in pe6 right if it is in this config
 
 
PE1 - GPU1
PE2 - empty
PE3 - empty
PE4 - GPU2
PE5 - empty
PE6 - SSD

Dear EVGA Fans,
On my 4SLI configuration and using PCI Ex Lanes  only for Graphics, I am Running x8 - x8 - x16 - x8  for each respective
PCI Ex 3 Lane, Is the Card No3 Running x16 not the one sitting on the No.1 slot, should I remove monitor HDMI Cable to the
No3 Card? 
Is it true that only No1 card / Slot  delivers Video?
 

cdc-951
So the Pcie Nvme ssd should work in full speed in uefi also in pe6 right if it is in this config
 
 
PE1 - GPU1
PE2 - empty
PE3 - empty
PE4 - GPU2
PE5 - empty
PE6 - SSD

That should work fine.  The SSD will use 4 lanes out of the 8 available, so for optimum performance (still likely small gains) you are more concerned with best from the video cards, as the SSD well have peak performance anywhere on this board.  This config should do it.