Purchased a EVGA 780i SLI FTW board, and i've got a question regarding the PCIe Slots.
 
I have an X-fi titanium sound card, and it requires a PCIe x1 slot, the Motherboard has that slot, but its between 2 PCIe 16x slots
 
So, this being the case I need to play my 2 GTX285's on the bottom 2 slots. So, my question is this.
 
I've read that 1 of the PCIe x16 slots are only 1.0, as opposed to the other two that are 2.0, i'm wondering if the very bottom pcie slot is the gimped slot? and if this is the case, then my GTX285 will be hindered due to the slower port.
 
Basically the question is, are all 3 pcie x16 slots 2.0? or is the very bottom one 1.0?
 
Thank you.

VistaHead

The answer to your question is in your manual.  Two slots are 2.0, one slot is 1.0.  See page 2 of the below link.
http://www.evga.com/support/manuals/files/132-YW-E178.pdf

Actually, this did not answer his question.  He already knew that two were 2.0 and one was 1.0.  He was asking specifically which slots were which, and that is not explained in the manual.  I'm guessing the middle slot on this board is the one that is 1.0 spec as most people would plug a Phys-X car here.  The reason I'm replying is that I have a similar question and this thread is the only one that came close to what I'm needing to know.  I essentially have the same problem, a PCI-e X-Fi Titanium with no place to go.  I know a 1x card will fit in a 2x, 4x, 8x, or 16x slot, therefore I should be able to put my two 8800GTX cards in slots 1 and 3 and my X-Fi in slot 2.  This is how I have it on my Striker Extreme and it's been working just fine except that my Striker Extreme finally died and this is the highest end DDR2 mobo I can find to replace it.   My real question is this: are these PCI-e slots locked to work with video cards only?  I know that some mobo makers do that.
 
Thanks,
 
Eric

VistaHead
The answer to your question is no, they are not locked to work with video cards only.  If you are running a single card, it must go in slot #1, but any PCI-E device can go in the remaining two x16 slots.  If you are running SLI, then the video cards must go in slots #1 & #2.  As I'm sure you are aware the slots are numbers 1-3-2 (from closest to the CPU out).

Actually no, I wasn't aware of the numbering, thank you for that.  I have not yet bought this board as I wanted to make sure these slots had not been locked to video cards.  I'm hoping to find someone that still has some in stock, otherwise I'll have to upgrade my other hardware and I just can't afford to do that right now.  :/

VistaHead

The board is getting hard to find....so is the 790i series.  EBay has it - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170526227856&rvr_id=128143987680&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=%3F*F%3F&GUID=9a18d7c512a0a47a0701cab1fe1d3a82&itemid=170526227856&ff4=263602_263622

I found the non-ftw version at futurepowerpc: http://www.futurepowerpc.com/scripts/product.asp?PRDCODE=1884-132-CK-NF78-A1&REFID=FR
 
If I decide to forgo overclocking, that one should work just fine, am I correct?

Hi.......not to hi jack.....but it was stated that for sli....run cards in slot 1 and 2.  i have my cards i slot 1 and 3...will this make a difference in performance?
thanks

there is a empty x16 between them.

oh....alright...just thought i would check to be sure. Thanks again.

VistaHead

Looking at the link that you provided, my question is, do you really want to pay almost $200.00 for "dated" technology (socket 775 platform)?

 
The main reason I was looking into that is so I wouldn't have to upgrade everything else.  It's $200 for a mobo, or close to a grand or more for new mobo and memory.  But now I'm not completely sure what's wrong with the machine.  It started locking up and throwing various BSODs.  I thought it was because I updated my X-Fi drivers so I rolled them back.  Didn't help.  The last BSOD it threw was REFERENCE_BY_POINTER or something similar.  Now it won't even POST.  No beep codes, no video.  I take that back, if I pull all the RAM, I get the RAM error beep code.  If I pull the video cards, no beep.  Same with pulling the proc.  The only beep code that works is the RAM error.  I even tried different known good RAM and a new video card just in case.  That didn't help.  This is (was) my system that's been working since spring of '07:
 
OS:       Win 7 Pro 64 bit
Mobo:     Asus Striker Extreme  BIOS 1305
Proc:     QX6700  Water cooled
RAM:      Hell, I can't remember now.  I think 8GB OCZ 4x2G DDR2 SLi ready.  I put my Corsair Dominators back to check if that was the problem
Video:    2x EVGA 8800GTX in SLi
PSU:      Galaxy 1000W
Sound:    X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty PCI-e 1x
The DDR2 is the main thing that's keeping me from upgrading past the 780i chipset.

VistaHead

Try using just 4GB (2X2GB) of RAM first.....if it still does it, leave the 4GB installed and uninstall your sound card and pull it from the PC.

Forgot to mention that part, the sound card was the first thing I pulled and never put back in.  I thought it had crapped out just like the X-Fi I had that was PCI based.  I'm thinking of calling up my local custom pc shop (where I bought the mobo) and ask if they have a test system in which they can test my CPU.

Try this - Turn the PC off.  Install only 4GB of RAM.  Unplug the PSU.  Press and hold the PC start button for 10 seconds.  Remove the MB battery for 10 minutes.  Reinstall the MB battery.  Clear you CMOS.  Plug the PSU back in.  Boot into your BIOS and manually set your RAM timings and voltage to the manufacturer's recommended specifications, save your changes and exit your BIOS to your desktop (hopefully). 
Edit - make sure that all of your hardware is firmly seated.

Well, I ordered it.  Then about 15 minutes after I ordered I said to myself "You dumbass, you didn't get the meter out and check your PSU voltages first!"  And then by the time I got home from work I forgot to do it again.  Crap.  I'll just have to hold off til this weekend when I have spare time.  The wife'll be out of town so I won't pulled all over the place hangin' things on walls and other stuff.  WOOHOO!!