GTX280 Tri-SLI on 790i Ultra

I'm posting this thread mostly so that it will be google'able in the future. I hope it helps some folks.

Before I bought my three Tieton's from Danger Den for my three EVGA GTX280s I searched for hours and was never able to know for sure whether the PCI slots near the edge and between the cards on a 780i or 790i motherboard were usable once you had the waterblocks installed. In other words, were three Tieton's truly a single slot solution?

The answer is yes, as long as you use either the aluminum or copper backplate instead of the default ramsinks. Both slots become usable, although the one in the middle is a squeeker. For a couple of extra bucks DD will supply you with the single slot dual DVI connector bracket.

Here are some photographs of my three Tietons shortly after assembly. I fetched my HT Omega Claro Plus+ sound card (awesome sound card by the way) and stuck it in the middle and the end PCI slots on my EVGA 790i motherboard.

The back of the sound card lightly touches the top of the waterblock when it's in the center slot where I'm going to place it, so I'll probably hot-glue a thin sheet of FR-4 fiberglass to the back of the sound card to prevent the screw heads on the waterblock from shorting the sound card out. On the edge PCI slot it didn't touch at all and I might not even insulate it there. However, in that slot it obscures your waterblock and why would you want to do that?? :D

Anyhow. Danger Den Tieton's in tri-sli are a single slot solution for 780i and 790i motherboards and probably 680i as well. It works and I'm very happy.

EDGE SLOT --
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/5245/1001829zv9.jpg

MIDDLE SLOT --
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/9914/1001826ql1.jpg

BACKPLATES --
http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/2200/1001830pb1.jpg

AtlasShrugged

Ay Ya!!!(In very corny Chinese accent) WoW, that is nice. All I have to say is: :shocked::shocked::shocked:

EDIT: Nice crunching machine to your father. You'll be at the top one day...

RRR, I'm a newb so I don't have personal preferences yet. Given the blocks that are available now ('cause I'd like to be finished one day), the Tieton is the slimmest. It genuinely is a single slot with the backplate on it. The only other contender is the Aqua Computer block, but it doesn't have pass-through SLI fittings so... here we are.

If I had my choice of any manufacturer I suppose I'd chose EK or D-Tek. My D-Tek Fuzion v2 is very high quality.

AtlasShrugged

Sweet...thanks for posting on this! :up:

Cool that it doesn't stop you from using the other slots. :up:

looks like there is no open slots left. il be folding soon enough :)

very nice indeed

Hardware :banana::banana::banana::banana: At It Best!http://elouai.com/images/yahoo/a30.gifhttp://elouai.com/images/yahoo/a11.gif

yep. +1!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AtlasShrugged

RRR, I'm a newb so I don't have personal preferences yet. Given the blocks that are available now ('cause I'd like to be finished one day), the Tieton is the slimmest. It genuinely is a single slot with the backplate on it. The only other contender is the Aqua Computer block, but it doesn't have pass-through SLI fittings so... here we are.

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Thanks for the info and pictures, Atlas!

Anybody have information whether EK FC-280 GTX is single slot as well? The heads of the screws are lowered into the delrin side. Is it enough to be a single slot card?

http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/images...cetal-ver1.jpg

Very, very nice. Me wantee.
EK blocks are usually a little thicker than single-slot. If this is still true for the GTX280 block, I don't know.

/drools nice system you got there mate :up:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RealRedRaider

Nice... Not a big DD fan, but still, very nice.... :up:

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Danger Den makes nice stuff!
They are certainly no zalman lol

Yes, that is one copper :banana::banana::banana::banana: fest.. just gorgeous

Very nice!

You should upgrade your sound card to the X-fi Titanium PCI-E card, which you can place above your first video card, and which you would never have had to worry about spacing.

Like I said before, the uppermost PCI-E 1X slot is available, and Creative and Asus designed PCI-E soundcards expressedly for Tri SLI. That cover was designed to prevent all possibility of shorting.,

This one is not the same old card, and this one is better than the Auzentech, and may be better than the Elite Pro, which I understand is being upgraded further.

very impressive!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IanY

You should upgrade your sound card to the X-fi Titanium PCI-E card, which you can place above your first video card, and which you would never have had to worry about spacing.

Like I said before, the uppermost PCI-E 1X slot is available, and Creative and Asus designed PCI-E soundcards expressedly for Tri SLI. That cover was designed to prevent all possibility of shorting.,

This one is not the same old card, and this one is better than the Auzentech, and may be better than the Elite Pro, which I understand is being upgraded further.

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IanY this is the second time you've recommended that I "upgrade" to this card.

My opinion is that Creative makes extraordinarily mediocre products. I've been using their stuff since my first CD-ROM drive back in the mid-late 80's when it took a dedicated card to interface to a CD-ROM so I have a large cross-section from which to comment.

I have a Creative Fatality X-Fi Platinum in my air cooled computer right now and I detest it. I didn't like the Audigy before it and I'm not buying another Creative product if there is a competing product, even if it costs more.

Read the reviews of the HT Omega Claro Plus+ card, go to newegg or just about any site that allows customer reviews (of which I'm sure you'll be quite dismissive) and compare what is said about the two cards. You'll find that this Creative card is just another gimick from Creative to capture some SLI sound card market.

http://www.htomega.com/images/claroplus_pic1.jpg

My recommendation was only based on you having Tri SLI. I did mention that Asus Xonar is another option.

I'm not here to promote Creative, just to state that its possible to use double wide water blocks with Tri-SLI and yet have a good sound card.

You stated that dedicated sound cards are not possible with Tri-SLI, and its just not true. DD Tietons are not the only excellent model of water blocks out there.

There are many other great PCI sound cards that cost a lot and all are great, with several costing close to four figures.

The Titanium card is an upgraded card. Its not the usual X-fi. I know that for sure, although I don't own one. Nor do I plan on buying one.

Good luck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 0xdeadbeef

Thanks for the info and pictures, Atlas!

Anybody have information whether EK FC-280 GTX is single slot as well? The heads of the screws are lowered into the delrin side. Is it enough to be a single slot card?

http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/images...cetal-ver1.jpg

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Exactly my first tought :D
Is the EK single slot?

Wow . . .

Tom over at chilledpc.co.uk has been using his CNC machine to thin EK blocks down to truly single slot so yeah, they can be but they need work.

Oh god. I'm not sure making DarthBeavis say "Wow" on my first water cooling build is a good thing.

Nothin annoys me more then when a company makes a great "single slot" GPU full cover block, and then because of not using counter sunk screws makes it dual slot. I just wouldnt be comportable with the card touching the tops of the screws.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IanY

You should upgrade your sound card to the X-fi Titanium PCI-E card, which you can place above your first video card, and which you would never have had to worry about spacing.

Like I said before, the uppermost PCI-E 1X slot is available, and Creative and Asus designed PCI-E soundcards expressedly for Tri SLI. That cover was designed to prevent all possibility of shorting.,

This one is not the same old card, and this one is better than the Auzentech, and may be better than the Elite Pro, which I understand is being upgraded further.

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I highly doubt they designed sound cards expressly for Triple-SLI.
Also, Creative? good? since when?!?!! Both Xonar and Prelude have better DACs and opamps.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by majestik

Also, Creative? good? since when?!?!! Both Xonar and Prelude have better DACs and opamps.

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Listen, I don't have this card and I only relay what I'm told out of Singapore. This one is supposed to be better than both the Xonar and Prelude.

Don't have a cow here because I don't have a vested interest in this.

Great post... im currnetly thinking of getting some thin plexi tops made for my ek8800fc blocks... i need a pci slot

what psu r u using to power those beasts?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by b@llz0r

Great post... im currnetly thinking of getting some thin plexi tops made for my ek8800fc blocks... i need a pci slot

what psu r u using to power those beasts?

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B@llz0r, I'm using two PSU's in the build, but the electronics is powered by a 1200W Thermaltake Toughpower. I have a separate 650W PSU for the water pumps and fans (14 Yate Loon D12SM-12s).

Atlas

cheers mate, i was looking round for a psu that has 3xpcie 8 pins and 3 6 pins... hard to find

i wanted to just buy another 8 pin cable for my ST1200 but silverstone didnt respond

B@llz0r,

Had to scratch around a bit, but nVidia themselves have a list of recommended power supplies for the 200 series:

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_build_psu.html

Atlas

I am installing the last of six nickle-plated DD Tieton blocks with back plates on 280s right now for this week's build . . .I am using a total of three Koolance 1300/1700 watt liquid-cooled PSUS for the build . . .


You did a great job . . .keep up the nice logs

nice work :)

can you use this:
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catal...cnt-vd2_01.jpg

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catal...ducts_id=21541

I've got that same sound card! It's a great card and much better then the creative crap. Shame they don't make a PCIE one though.