If I understood »this article« correct, then the left and right (yellow + black) cables of a PCIe 6pin connector can deliver 75W (just 4 pins).
I'm right?
So then the above mentioned mod should work.

Pin 1 with 4 & 3 with 6 should be OK. I think manufactures may put 12v on pin 2 in the event 6-pin connector is plugged into 8-pin GPU socket.

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Monster cruncher still no ready?

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Unfortunately not.

A few cables I need to mod & connect.

Then I will make a test run, if the PCIe riser work or not.
I found someone in the web, he used the same PCIe riser and the VGA cards didn't start.
If they start, if I can install Windows, if the SETI/AP apps run fine, I will switch off and finish the build.

I modded also the Thermaltake Core X9 case.
Now it's just the frame, everything I could take away I took away (inside and outside).
Later 7 fans on the left, 7 fans on the right which push air in, and 8 fans on the top which take the air out. Maybe more fans. The monster will make much hot air...
(all 120mm 1900RPM fans)

Latest to the SETI@home-Wow!-Event 2015 he's ready to Rock 'n Roll (if everything will go like it should go (see above)). :-)

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Good luck Dirk.

It will be rather noisy with so much fans blowing.

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With each crime and every kindness we birth our future.

The dream is over - It remains just a dream...

In short: it don't work.

I installed all like it should, with PCIe riser,
the screen connected to onboard VGA output or to the DVI output of the first VGA card, both times the screen say 'no signal'.

I took all PCIe riser away and connected all the VGA cards to the PCIe slots directly, after switch on I see a 'BIOS screen' (not at the onboard VGA (here still no signal), DVI output of the first VGA card):
»PCI out of resources condition:

Error: Insufficient PCIe Resources Detected!!!

System is running with Insufficient PCI Resources!
In order to display this message some
PCI devices were set to disabled state!
It is strongly recomended to Power Off the system
and remove some PCI/PCI Express cards from the system!
To continue booting, proceed to 'Save and Exit' Menu Option
and select Boot Device or 'Discard Changes and Exit'.

Warning: If you choose to continue booting some Operating
System might not be able to complete boot correctly!«

This means 4 HD7990 VGA cards (4*2GPUs=8GPUs) are too much for the ASUS Z9PE-D8 WS board??

I took 2 VGA cards away, just 2 VGA cards installed, PCIe slot #1 and #5, after a few seconds I see something like:
'Insert bootable source and press then any key'.

I have no optical device installed via SATA or something.
Just an USB DVD writer/reader.
In BIOS correct recognized.
In the DVD device the Win8.1 Pro x64 DVD.

(I selected the boot order, 1st HDD 2nd USB DVD and then 1st USB DVD 2nd HDD, in both ways the PC don't see the Windows DVD and say 'insert bootable source'.)

I can't install Windows??

I have the 1st BIOS version which support Xeon E5-26**v2 CPUs.
Maybe a BIOS update and all 4 HD7990 could work? Or this have nothing to do with the BIOS versions?

Not a good day... :-(


BTW, maybe I'll (forced to) go with 4* R9FuryX or GTX980Ti (if I would like to have performance/RAC like 4 HD7990)...

If I look to the specs, 2*GTX970=1*GTX980Ti (performance/SETI RAC)?

If NV, then maybe 4* EVGA GTX980TiSC (max. (or other OC series)) or EVGA GTX970FTW+ (at least).

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Very tough to guess what can work, but I'm really impressed with the quality of the error message :)

I probably missed, was the number of PCIe lanes in the CPU considered?

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"Living by the wisdom of computer science doesn't sound so bad after all. And unlike most advice, it's backed up by proofs." -- Algorithms to live by: The computer science of human decisions.

Depending on what your finances are like, if you are going to chose between an NV GTX 970 and 980, I would recommend the 980Tis.

Trust me on this, you can do more with the 980s than the 970s.

my 2 cents

Zalster

I tend to agree. My 980 cost me an arm and a leg, but has been worth every cent, even though I never pushed it yet.

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"Living by the wisdom of computer science doesn't sound so bad after all. And unlike most advice, it's backed up by proofs." -- Algorithms to live by: The computer science of human decisions.

1 Xeon E5-2630v2 have 40 PCIe lanes - I have 2 installed.
»http://ark.intel.com/products/75790/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-2630-v2-15M-Cache-2_60-GHz«


I'm more confused about, that I can't install Windows... ;-)


Ohhh... - all the days for nothing.

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Yeah that's alot of CPU PCIe lanes :D. I think that investment is not wasted, only the MB perhaps.

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"Living by the wisdom of computer science doesn't sound so bad after all. And unlike most advice, it's backed up by proofs." -- Algorithms to live by: The computer science of human decisions.

if you can't install windows, can you try a different boot mode setting?

i remember three settings, legacy, uefi non-secure, and uefi secure.

1 Xeon E5-2630v2 have 40 PCIe lanes - I have 2 installed.

And how many each installed GPU takes?...

I didn't read all the BIOS release note, but this older one caught my eye. If your BIOS version is older I would probably just install the newest version.

BIOS 5304 for Z9PE-D8 WS released to public
1. Support Windows 2012 R2.
2. Improve compatibility for add-on VGAs while 2 CPUs installed.
3. Improve compatibility for add-on VGAs with Ivy-Bridge CPUs.

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AFAIK, each HD7990 have a PCIe 3.0 x16 plug.
So 2 HD7990 each CPU, 32 PCIe lanes used.

It looks like I have the v5304 BIOS installed.

Thanks for tips and hints (thanks also for PM :-) .
All the day I looked in BIOS what I could set, had set wrong, and so on...
I found no mistake.

Strange happened, I don't know maybe the BIOS is... I don't know...
Today, just 1 HD7990 installed, start, again a BIOS windows say something: 'fatal system error'.
Reboot and I see again the DOS screen.

What ever...

I got the idea, I test the 'old' Windows 8.1 x64 DVD of my J1900 PC.
And... - and... - it worked, Windows started to install. *confused*
So the Windows 8.1 Pro x64 DVD is broken?

BTW, I ordered 4* 'R9 FuryX' VGA cards.

If they are here, and I can't install the OS and/or something don't go like it should, I will never again build my own PC. *annoyed* ;-)

The PCIe riser don't work.
So I must use all HD7990 directly in the PCIe slots.
But then, just a paper can go between the VGA cards.
I installed a 3mm plastic between the VGA cards, to push them away from each other, nevertheless one fan of a VGA card had contact to the backplate of an other card and made noise.
OTOH, 4 HD7990 don't work (currently, or always with my mobo).
2 HD7990 could work, but... - it wouldn't be a 'Monster GPU Cruncher'. ;-)

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If your cards are that tight, I would remove the backplane in the middle.

The added airflow the fan get will likely help you cool both cards.

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The 7990 requires 375 Watt each which is not standard atm.
So its possible the mobo only gives 300 Watts on at least 2 or 3 slots.
I would try just one card.
If that works add another one.

Which PSU are you using ?

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With each crime and every kindness we birth our future.

AFAIK, each HD7990 have a PCIe 3.0 x16 plug.
So 2 HD7990 each CPU, 32 PCIe lanes used.

It looks like I have the v5304 BIOS installed.

Thanks for tips and hints (thanks also for PM :-) .
All the day I looked in BIOS what I could set, had set wrong, and so on...
I found no mistake.

Strange happened, I don't know maybe the BIOS is... I don't know...
Today, just 1 HD7990 installed, start, again a BIOS windows say something: 'fatal system error'.
Reboot and I see again the DOS screen.

What ever...

I got the idea, I test the 'old' Windows 8.1 x64 DVD of my J1900 PC.
And... - and... - it worked, Windows started to install. *confused*
So the Windows 8.1 Pro x64 DVD is broken?

BTW, I ordered 4* 'R9 FuryX' VGA cards.

If they are here, and I can't install the OS and/or something don't go like it should, I will never again build my own PC. *annoyed* ;-)

If you are getting random fatal system error messages then there is a problem with the system. Would be poorly seated CPU or RAM. Could also be a faulty component. If the system will not respond correctly with 1 GPU I would not expect >1 to ever work correctly. I would do further troubleshooting to get the system working normal. Then add additional GPUs.

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I asked at the manfacturer (for some weeks, because I had the same idea ;-) , if I could remove the backplate of the HD7990, the support said it's urgently recommended to let installed the backplate.
It cool the PCB and the VRAM.
The 1st VGA card, 1st GPU, just in BIOS, the backplate was so hot that I couldn't touch it.

HD7990 at PCIe slot #1 and #5 (of 7) and it could work.
I didn't tested 3 VGA cards, it wouldn't go because not enough fresh air for cooling.
I have a Super Flower 2000W PSU.

The warning appeared just one time until now.
I guess because - maybe - I changed the jumper of the onboard VGA output 3 times (off, on, off - for tests) and the last time the jumper was very wobbly (and this is a €500 ASUS board).
I think I must repar it with a pliers and press together the contacts.


I'm still confused that the "Windows 8.1 Pro x64" DVD will be not recognized as 'bootable' source.
If I test the 'old' 'Windows 8.1 x64' DVD from my other J1900 PC - it will be recognized as 'bootable' and will install the OS.
What is the problem that the 'Pro' version of Windows 8.1 x64 don't want to install the OS?

I had contact with the online shop - they said opened software they don't take back (they said also, they registered the OS as I bought it. (If I buy an OS, they send Microsoft my address?) So they can't take back also. Is this all true?).
What? I payed €150 for a damaged DVD and that's all?

EDIT: I need the 'Pro' version because it have dual CPU support.

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I asked at the manfacturer (for some weeks, because I had the same idea ;-) , if I could remove the backplate of the HD7990, the support said it's urgently recommended to let installed the backplate.
It cool the PCB and the VRAM.
The 1st VGA card, 1st GPU, just in BIOS, the backplate was so hot that I couldn't touch it.

HD7990 at PCIe slot #1 and #5 (of 7) and it could work.
I didn't tested 3 VGA cards, it wouldn't go because not enough fresh air for cooling.
I have a Super Flower 2000W PSU.

The warning appeared just one time until now.
I guess because - maybe - I changed the jumper of the onboard VGA output 3 times (off, on, off - for tests) and the last time the jumper was very wobbly (and this is a €500 ASUS board).
I think I must repar it with a pliers and press together the contacts.


I'm still confused that the "Windows 8.1 Pro x64" DVD will be not recognized as 'bootable' source.
If I test the 'old' 'Windows 8.1 x64' DVD from my other J1900 PC - it will be recognized as 'bootable' and will install the OS.
What is the problem that the 'Pro' version of Windows 8.1 x64 don't want to install the OS?

I had contact with the online shop - they said opened software they don't take back (they said also, they registered the OS as I bought it. (If I buy an OS, they send Microsoft my address?) So they can't take back also. Is this all true?).
What? I payed €150 for a damaged DVD and that's all?

EDIT: I need the 'Pro' version because it have dual CPU support.

I think I had it backwards before when you stated Os would not boot. I thought you said that the disc would boot on your J1900 system, but not the new one. I missed the fact that you were listing two different disc.
If the only problem is a damaged disc then there are several options. You could install Windows from the non pro disc without entering a key. Then once in Windows enter your Pro key to upgrade the OS & activate it.
Also you could burn a new disc from .iso. MS may allow you to download image to burn (They do this if you buy Windows from the MS Store), or maybe I could put an .iso on my server for you to try. However, I would need to know if you would want English or German language .iso.

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