Got 18x6870 - Need Advice on MOBO/PSU/Risers

jaywaka2713

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Quote from: ecliptic on May 12, 2013, 04:52:51 PM

The second you use PCI risers you're doing things that the standards are not made to handle.

They're expecting to be able to pull wattage from the PCI slot. Combine this with OC'ing and running them 24/7.. it can be dangerous.

That's why we recommended POWERED x1 to x16 risers. They compensate for all that extra power. The PCIe x16 slots provide more than enough power, so a riser won't provide an issue if it isn't powered.

ecliptic

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Quote from: jaywaka2713 on May 10, 2013, 09:38:34 PM

Quote from: computerparts on May 10, 2013, 09:26:30 PM

Quote from: jaywaka2713 on May 10, 2013, 07:38:58 PM

Quote from: computerparts on May 10, 2013, 07:12:02 PM

Quote from: endriuska on May 09, 2013, 09:57:53 PM

Hi,

I just placed an order for 18x 6870. Those should arrive early next week.

I would like someone to give me advise on what MOBO's should i get? I would like to keep it in 3 rigs (6 cards each(preferably)). What about PSU? Also RAM? how much ram do i need for LTC mining?

More importantly psi x extenders, which ones should i get? how many powered extenders?

Also, can i use 1x to 16x extender on 16x slot? or does it have to be 16x to 16x?

Any information would be really helpful.

I will send few LTC if your post is helpful, I might need to split the coins for multiple people.

Thanks alot!

Here comes a fire Cheesy

No fire. I've seen massive GPU farms that run more than 12 rigs at once. Just google mining rigs and hold your eyes in. People make some insane stuff man. 3 rigs is nothing

I'm implying a fire as a result of OP's lack of experience. Why anyone would start big when they clearly have no clue what they're doing is beyond me.

Lack of experience doesn't mean anything. I assembled my first computer not knowing one iota of how to do it. All I had was an anti-static wristband and that was it. Got it assembled, BIOS programmed, and everything done on my own. OP is perfectly able to build three rigs. I'm sure he will come asking questions when he receives the hardware. Also, who knows if he has built a computer before? He came asking for hardware dedicated to the purpose of mining Bitcoins and Altcoins. I came asking about how >4 GPU rigs even worked, and got multiple answers. This board is a source of help, so we give help. He'll be fine.

The second you use PCI risers you're doing things that the standards are not made to handle.

They're expecting to be able to pull wattage from the PCI slot. Combine this with OC'ing and running them 24/7.. it can be dangerous.

computerparts

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Quote from: BitshireHashaway on May 11, 2013, 11:09:03 AM

Just wondering why would you order if you haven't researched exactly what components your going to need yet, just seems like a bad decision to me. However, for LTC mining, you don't need too much ram if you use cgminer so just around 2 gb should suffice. Best of luck with your rig!

Exactly. FIRE FIRE!

jaywaka2713

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Quote from: mercSuey on May 12, 2013, 01:46:56 AM

Quote from: jaywaka2713 on May 11, 2013, 11:33:11 AM

Quote from: BitshireHashaway on May 11, 2013, 11:09:03 AM

Just wondering why would you order if you haven't researched exactly what components your going to need yet, just seems like a bad decision to me. However, for LTC mining, you don't need too much ram if you use cgminer so just around 2 gb should suffice. Best of luck with your rig!

He came here for advice on the hardware he has picked out. He has picked good hardware. This was his research.

Also about the RAM. 4GB for any rig these days is almost a must. 4GB will ensure it stays stable and is just hassle free.

Agreed. It's good equipment. I am going to build similar setup with 7950's.

That'll work out with all of the hardware he is using as well. Any GPU setup will. If you guys wanted to, you can use cards from various series 7950, 6990, 5870, etc... you just can't use crossfire. Mining code will utilize whatever combination there is

mercSuey

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Quote from: jaywaka2713 on May 11, 2013, 11:33:11 AM

Quote from: BitshireHashaway on May 11, 2013, 11:09:03 AM

Just wondering why would you order if you haven't researched exactly what components your going to need yet, just seems like a bad decision to me. However, for LTC mining, you don't need too much ram if you use cgminer so just around 2 gb should suffice. Best of luck with your rig!

He came here for advice on the hardware he has picked out. He has picked good hardware. This was his research.

Also about the RAM. 4GB for any rig these days is almost a must. 4GB will ensure it stays stable and is just hassle free.

Agreed. It's good equipment. I am going to build similar setup with 7950's.

jaywaka2713

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Quote from: BitshireHashaway on May 11, 2013, 11:09:03 AM

Just wondering why would you order if you haven't researched exactly what components your going to need yet, just seems like a bad decision to me. However, for LTC mining, you don't need too much ram if you use cgminer so just around 2 gb should suffice. Best of luck with your rig!

He came here for advice on the hardware he has picked out. He has picked good hardware. This was his research.

Also about the RAM. 4GB for any rig these days is almost a must. 4GB will ensure it stays stable and is just hassle free.

BitshireHashaway

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Just wondering why would you order if you haven't researched exactly what components your going to need yet, just seems like a bad decision to me. However, for LTC mining, you don't need too much ram if you use cgminer so just around 2 gb should suffice. Best of luck with your rig!

jaywaka2713

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Quote from: bassclef on May 11, 2013, 02:25:51 AM

Quote from: notaek on May 09, 2013, 10:07:49 PM

Whaaaat how did you get an order in???

As far as your questions, 4gb of ram should be fine. I have 6950's and they use 500mbs each. That x 6 = 3gb which should give you a little left over for your operating system.

If you want to stick to one PSU, your looking at something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817494006
They actually have it on Bitcoinstore for a little cheaper + free shipping. Just note that you will need to use 2 molex to 6pin adapters, because that psu only has 10 pcie connectors.

Motherboards, there are threads on here discussing good mining mobos+mobos that can hold 6 cards. You might be able to find some good stuff in there.

Amazon has the Lepa G1600 for $288. Just in case

He is using a dual 750W PSU for better and safer power spread.

bassclef

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Quote from: notaek on May 09, 2013, 10:07:49 PM

Whaaaat how did you get an order in???

As far as your questions, 4gb of ram should be fine. I have 6950's and they use 500mbs each. That x 6 = 3gb which should give you a little left over for your operating system.

If you want to stick to one PSU, your looking at something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817494006
They actually have it on Bitcoinstore for a little cheaper + free shipping. Just note that you will need to use 2 molex to 6pin adapters, because that psu only has 10 pcie connectors.

Motherboards, there are threads on here discussing good mining mobos+mobos that can hold 6 cards. You might be able to find some good stuff in there.

Amazon has the Lepa G1600 for $288. Just in case

jaywaka2713

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Quote from: computerparts on May 10, 2013, 09:26:30 PM

Quote from: jaywaka2713 on May 10, 2013, 07:38:58 PM

Quote from: computerparts on May 10, 2013, 07:12:02 PM

Quote from: endriuska on May 09, 2013, 09:57:53 PM

Hi,

I just placed an order for 18x 6870. Those should arrive early next week.

I would like someone to give me advise on what MOBO's should i get? I would like to keep it in 3 rigs (6 cards each(preferably)). What about PSU? Also RAM? how much ram do i need for LTC mining?

More importantly psi x extenders, which ones should i get? how many powered extenders?

Also, can i use 1x to 16x extender on 16x slot? or does it have to be 16x to 16x?

Any information would be really helpful.

I will send few LTC if your post is helpful, I might need to split the coins for multiple people.

Thanks alot!

Here comes a fire Cheesy

No fire. I've seen massive GPU farms that run more than 12 rigs at once. Just google mining rigs and hold your eyes in. People make some insane stuff man. 3 rigs is nothing

I'm implying a fire as a result of OP's lack of experience. Why anyone would start big when they clearly have no clue what they're doing is beyond me.

Lack of experience doesn't mean anything. I assembled my first computer not knowing one iota of how to do it. All I had was an anti-static wristband and that was it. Got it assembled, BIOS programmed, and everything done on my own. OP is perfectly able to build three rigs. I'm sure he will come asking questions when he receives the hardware. Also, who knows if he has built a computer before? He came asking for hardware dedicated to the purpose of mining Bitcoins and Altcoins. I came asking about how >4 GPU rigs even worked, and got multiple answers. This board is a source of help, so we give help. He'll be fine.

computerparts

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Quote from: jaywaka2713 on May 10, 2013, 07:38:58 PM

Quote from: computerparts on May 10, 2013, 07:12:02 PM

Quote from: endriuska on May 09, 2013, 09:57:53 PM

Hi,

I just placed an order for 18x 6870. Those should arrive early next week.

I would like someone to give me advise on what MOBO's should i get? I would like to keep it in 3 rigs (6 cards each(preferably)). What about PSU? Also RAM? how much ram do i need for LTC mining?

More importantly psi x extenders, which ones should i get? how many powered extenders?

Also, can i use 1x to 16x extender on 16x slot? or does it have to be 16x to 16x?

Any information would be really helpful.

I will send few LTC if your post is helpful, I might need to split the coins for multiple people.

Thanks alot!

Here comes a fire Cheesy

No fire. I've seen massive GPU farms that run more than 12 rigs at once. Just google mining rigs and hold your eyes in. People make some insane stuff man. 3 rigs is nothing

I'm implying a fire as a result of OP's lack of experience. Why anyone would start big when they clearly have no clue what they're doing is beyond me.

jaywaka2713

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Activity: 266

Merit: 250

aka 7Strykes

Quote from: endriuska on May 10, 2013, 08:20:28 PM

Thanks alot!

So i decided to go with ram:
http://www.microcenter.com/product/382074/Ballistix_Sport_4GB_DDR3-1600_(PC3-12800)_CL9_Desktop_Memory_Module_Kit_(Two_2GB_Memory_Modules)

I will be getting 9 QTY 1x to 16x pci e powered risers, and will also order 16x to 16x, but those will take more time to arrive.

So the bottom line for add2psu - do i need it or no? I understand that one of the psu would be just power the other 3 cards, nothing else?

Thanks

2 sticks of 2GB of RAM on each rig should be sufficient. Remember to install 64 bit OS of whatever you choose. I recommend Ubuntu or Debian.

And for the add2psu, I wouldn't get it. I'd get what notaek recommended.

And yes, one psu would only power 3 cards.

Quote from: notaek on May 10, 2013, 08:23:49 PM

Or you could use this: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5637/cpa-167/Lian_Li_Dual_Power_Supply_Adapter_Cable.html

Doesn't matter really, as long as you have some way of powering the second PSU on when you turn the first one on.

That would work perfectly.

notaek

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Or you could use this: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5637/cpa-167/Lian_Li_Dual_Power_Supply_Adapter_Cable.html

Doesn't matter really, as long as you have some way of powering the second PSU on when you turn the first one on.

endriuska

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Thanks alot!

So i decided to go with ram:
http://www.microcenter.com/product/382074/Ballistix_Sport_4GB_DDR3-1600_(PC3-12800)_CL9_Desktop_Memory_Module_Kit_(Two_2GB_Memory_Modules)

I will be getting 9 QTY 1x to 16x pci e powered risers, and will also order 16x to 16x, but those will take more time to arrive.

So the bottom line for add2psu - do i need it or no? I understand that one of the psu would be just power the other 3 cards, nothing else?

Thanks

jaywaka2713

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Activity: 266

Merit: 250

aka 7Strykes

Quote from: computerparts on May 10, 2013, 07:12:02 PM

Quote from: endriuska on May 09, 2013, 09:57:53 PM

Hi,

I just placed an order for 18x 6870. Those should arrive early next week.

I would like someone to give me advise on what MOBO's should i get? I would like to keep it in 3 rigs (6 cards each(preferably)). What about PSU? Also RAM? how much ram do i need for LTC mining?

More importantly psi x extenders, which ones should i get? how many powered extenders?

Also, can i use 1x to 16x extender on 16x slot? or does it have to be 16x to 16x?

Any information would be really helpful.

I will send few LTC if your post is helpful, I might need to split the coins for multiple people.

Thanks alot!

Here comes a fire Cheesy

No fire. I've seen massive GPU farms that run more than 12 rigs at once. Just google mining rigs and hold your eyes in. People make some insane stuff man. 3 rigs is nothing

computerparts

sr. member

Activity: 378

Merit: 250

Quote from: endriuska on May 09, 2013, 09:57:53 PM

Hi,

I just placed an order for 18x 6870. Those should arrive early next week.

I would like someone to give me advise on what MOBO's should i get? I would like to keep it in 3 rigs (6 cards each(preferably)). What about PSU? Also RAM? how much ram do i need for LTC mining?

More importantly psi x extenders, which ones should i get? how many powered extenders?

Also, can i use 1x to 16x extender on 16x slot? or does it have to be 16x to 16x?

Any information would be really helpful.

I will send few LTC if your post is helpful, I might need to split the coins for multiple people.

Thanks alot!

Here comes a fire Cheesy

jaywaka2713

sr. member

Activity: 266

Merit: 250

aka 7Strykes

Quote from: Marrs on May 10, 2013, 06:56:20 PM

Quote from: jaywaka2713 on May 10, 2013, 06:37:54 PM

Quote from: endriuska on May 10, 2013, 06:17:58 PM

4.1) Do I need ADD2PSU to connect those two PSU's? http://www.add2psu.com/store/
That would work very nicely, but (Not sure, check me on this one) the only purpose to using two power supplies is to use the extra pcie connectors to power the cards. That ADD2PSU thing is mainly used in server motherboards.

The benefit of ADD2PSU is making sure your chained PSUs start simultaneously, or as close to it as possible. Otherwise, you may run into problems if some of your cards aren't getting power when the motherboard is POSTing, so they don't get detected.

Also, make sure the molex cable and PCI-E power cables for a card on a powered riser all comes from the same PSU. Again, this can be a source of trouble if you mix the sources.

Thank you for clarifying the ADD2PSU purpose. And he is correct, I forgot to mention the power supply allocation for the risers. Make sure each card is connected to the same PSU, don't crosswire the cards between PSUs.

Marrs

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Quote from: jaywaka2713 on May 10, 2013, 06:37:54 PM

Quote from: endriuska on May 10, 2013, 06:17:58 PM

4.1) Do I need ADD2PSU to connect those two PSU's? http://www.add2psu.com/store/
That would work very nicely, but (Not sure, check me on this one) the only purpose to using two power supplies is to use the extra pcie connectors to power the cards. That ADD2PSU thing is mainly used in server motherboards.

The benefit of ADD2PSU is making sure your chained PSUs start simultaneously, or as close to it as possible. Otherwise, you may run into problems if some of your cards aren't getting power when the motherboard is POSTing, so they don't get detected.

Also, make sure the molex cable and PCI-E power cables for a card on a powered riser all comes from the same PSU. Again, this can be a source of trouble if you mix the sources.

jaywaka2713

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Quote from: endriuska on May 10, 2013, 06:17:58 PM

1) Will my MOBO handle 6 GPUS? Anyone has this particular board? or at least something close to it? Would you recommend it?
Mobo will handle 6 GPUs, but you will need 3 x16 to x16 risers, and 3 x1 to x16 *powered* risers to handle all of the 6 cards.
2) Do i really need CPU for LTC mining? will this celeron work?
Almost any CPU will work for LTC mining, this one will be slower than the core iX series processors, but it will handle everything else fine.
3) 4GB ram per rig should be plenty?
4GB of RAM will require a 64 bit OS, and if you go the 4 GB per rig route, I recommend using two sticks of 2GB, as it will allow the rig to function a lot faster. Two smaller cards are always faster than one RAM card. Make sure the two cards are in slots 1 and 3.
4) I would use 2 PSU's per rig - will that work?, UNLESS YOU KNOW A BETTER(CHEAPER) ALTERNATIVE?
2 PSUs would be a lot safer and reach the power requirements of the 6 cards easily. That is the best way to go but please note, you still will need the x1 to x16 powered risers.
4.1) Do I need ADD2PSU to connect those two PSU's? http://www.add2psu.com/store/
That would work very nicely, but (Not sure, check me on this one) the only purpose to using two power supplies is to use the extra pcie connectors to power the cards. That ADD2PSU thing is mainly used in server motherboards.
5) will 3 powered extenders per board is enough?
3 powered *x1 to x16* powered risers for the x1 slots is required. powered x16 to x16 risers aren't required, but will ensure that those cards reach their theoretical maximum hashpower. I don't believe the cards will have issues getting to max without them though so you won't need them.
5.1) Should i get powered 1x extenders or 16x(powered)?
Powered x1 to x16 risers are a requirement. You can't get around it.

endriuska

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Grim, jimmy3dilta, Jama, Marrs, notaek, Cryptocables - Thanks for the advice! It was really helpful. I have spent some time and 'built' a rig which i would think(hope) it would support 6 GPUS? Do you think it will work?

Mobo:
3x http://microcenter.com/product/401768/Z77A-G45_Socket_1155_ATX_Motherboard

CPU:
3x http://microcenter.com/product/408967/Celeron_G1610_26GHz_LGA_1155_Boxed_Processor

RAM:
1.5x http://microcenter.com/product/401550/Hyper_X_Red_8GB_DDR3-1600_(PC3-12800)_CL_9_Desktop_Memory_Kit_(Two_4GB_Memory_Modules)

( I would use 4GB per rig)

PSU:
Option #1: 6x http://www.microcenter.com/product/404598/SuperNOVA_NEX750B_750_Watt_ATX_12V_Power_Supply

GPU(already being shipped):
18x http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202032

PCI E Extenders:
9x Powered ones: http://www.cryptocables.com/
9x Non powered ones: from ebay.

-------

1) Will my MOBO handle 6 GPUS? Anyone has this particular board? or at least something close to it? Would you recommend it?
2) Do i really need CPU for LTC mining? will this celeron work?
3) 4GB ram per rig should be plenty?
4) I would use 2 PSU's per rig - will that work?, UNLESS YOU KNOW A BETTER(CHEAPER) ALTERNATIVE?
4.1) Do I need ADD2PSU to connect those two PSU's? http://www.add2psu.com/store/
5) will 3 powered extenders per board is enough?
5.1) Should i get powered 1x extenders or 16x(powered)?

Thank yous

Topic: Got 18x6870 - Need Advice on MOBO/PSU/Risers (Read 3091 times)