Lan Party UT Ultra - D - Lower PCIe slot

[HateEternal]

I just put together this machine last week:

 

A64 3000+ Venice

DFI Lan Party UT Ultra - D

MSI Radeon X800 non pro

2x512 PC3200 OCZ Enhanced Latency (2-3-2-6)

WD 120GB ATA + WD 250 ATA (Both from my last PC which got fried)

 

When I installed everything, I had problems getting the video card to line up with the case correctly, it seemed to be a flaw with the case because the motherboard is lined up with the slots but when you try to seat the video card in the 1st PCIe slot it won't go down all the way because the case hits the video card on the top of the metal dealy... you know the part that you typically screw in. Anyways, I got the video card to work in that slot but it was way tilted, so much tilted that it stuck into the chipset fan and prevented it from spinning. I tried the card in the 2nd PCIe slot and it fit a lot better (still not perfectly). The other PCI card I have in there fits fine. I didn't want to have to deal with a return because I really wanted to get to using this computer. So I have left the video card in the bottom slot.

 

My question is: Is the lower slot crippled in any way when there is only one card present? The manual states that (on the non SLI boards) when two PCIe cards are present the bottom slot runs at 2x rather than 16x.

 

Although things seem fine I just want to know for sure that the card is running at its maximum capacity.

 

Thanks.

[spdiscus]

The bottom slot is never 16x. It is 2x by default, and can be switched to 8x by changing one of the jumpers.

[Messudieh]

I think it's time to get a new case. Although the card might work in the second slot, I don't think it'll run at full efficiency, since it's only an X2 slot.

 

I really think it's time for a new case...

[oliveryochest]

I think it's time to get a new case. Although the card might work in the second slot, I don't think it'll run at full efficiency, since it's only an X2 slot.

if you switch the jumpers to SLI, it will run @ 8x in the second slot.

[technic58]

hmm...i also had some trouble aligning the NF4 Ultra-d with my case, which is a standard antec sonata. the PCI slots werent too bad, but getting the board to fit into the backplate on the case was a nightmare...i thought id break the board tryin to get the screws in.

 

i guess since not everyoens having this problem, it only happens on a few cases. go out a pick up a good cheap case(yea good AND cheap). i wouldnt settle for an X800 running at 2x speed....

 

good luck

 

EDIT: if u can get it runnin at 8x that shoudl b fine...PCIe 8X is just AGP8x right? were nto even usin that bandwith yet....i woudl still look into a new case tho to prevent damage to yoru card.

[HateEternal]

Wow OK thanks guys...

 

I guess I was so used to butt frame rates in CS this seemed a whole lot better.

 

The wording in the manual had me thinking it only went 2x when there were 2 cards.

 

I guess I will get a new case.

 

Thanks again.

[PoppyMcShotgun]

EDIT: if u can get it runnin at 8x that shoudl b fine...PCIe 8X is just AGP8x right?

 

I don't believe that is correct. I was under the assumption (as well as I thought I read somewhere) that PCI-E 1X is faster then AGP 8X.

 

-------------------------

 

I just looked it up, and yes, each PCI-E lane can push about 2.5GB/s, which AGP 8X pushes about 2.1 GB/s.

 

So even if your video card was only getting PCI-E x2, you would have more then double the bandwith of an AGP counterpart.

[HateEternal]

HOLY CRAP!!

 

I figured out what the problem was, on the the end of the motherboard that goes up against the back of the case it was sitting to low, so the front end of the video card sits up too high when it is aligned with the case properly. So what I did:

 

I took the motherboard out of the case, took out the 3 mounting screws on the back side of the by the expansion card area. Crimped part of the thread of those screws so I could get them tight but make them higher off of the case (i didn't have any washers). Put the motherboard back In and now it fits like a charm and doesn't stick into the chipset fan anymore.

 

Frame rates _seem_ to be a lot better, I forgot to run benchmarks before and after but I tried out CS:S and it seemed to play a lot better.

 

Thanks for your wisdom guys.

[Worm]

I had a similar problem with the HIS X800 XL IceQ I've got in my machine. The mounting screws on the bottom of the Arctic Cooler forced the HSF off the chipset completely and I eventually took a hacksaw to it and removed the end screw mounting completely

I also had to file off the teeth on the corner of the PCB because they were catching on the fan as it spun.

Works perfectly now though

[Shards_of_glass]

Whow i'm getting ready to purchase a HIS X800XL for my DFI are you saying that it will not fit ? I don't think thats the same card I'm getting but will I have to mod the fan unit ? SOrry for hijacking your thread.

[Worm]

Whow i'm getting ready to purchase a HIS X800XL for my DFI are you saying that it will not fit ? I don't think thats the same card I'm getting but will I have to mod the fan unit ? SOrry for hijacking your thread.

Yes, what happens is that the screw mounting at the bottom of the Arctic Cooler protrudes 5mm below the level of the card, That forces the HSF off the chipset so that it sits at an angle. I phoned DFI about it and they suggested applying some extra thermal paste to the bottom of the HSF, but that seemed a bit drastic to me, so I sawed off the offending screw mounting instead.

 

You can see the problem with even an ordinary card here:

 

But that extra 5mm protrusion causes all sorts of problems if you don't get rid of it.

 

Link to HIS here in case you need it.

[Bladesinger7x]

I have a Leadtek 6600GT Extreme sitting in the lower PCI-E slot (this is the

only expansion card I have).

 

Holy crap :confused: does this means the video card is not running at its full

capacity??? Is there a way to see if the card is running full x16 lane or slower

in video card drivers?

 

I intent to put the Thermalright NB-1 chipset cooler on nF4 chip, but will have

to verify this first. Havent noticed any difference recently when I changed the

slots.

 

Will post results later today (should 3DMark05, Doom3 and FarCry bench show

different results if slots are changes)?

 

Greetings from Slovenia