Modify x16 riser cable to be x1 to x16?

ypsylon

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Well I never said that I wanted to move one card did I? Wink

Minimum 2 maybe 3. But to be honest it hit me yesterday: why not utilize DimasTech Easy XL testbench for mining. It will be slightly more expensive option, but I think, in the long run well worth it. Must carefully think about pros and cons.

Browsed yesterday all products (shame to admit for few hours lol) on DT site and I'm completely sold on that blue super-duper sexy bench. Plenty of room for spacing + superbly simple way of adding more fans with FlexFan mounting system.

Of course biggest advantage is that inside EU I don't need to bother myself with absurd shipping/customs cost from US. Nice.

Miracek

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I'm definitely not saying that it won't work. I just wanted to point out by extending the cable in this manner without shielded cabling greatly increases your chance of interference of data flowing across the cable as well as crosstalk. So if you notice any strange behavior, try shortening the cable and see if that helps.

zackclark70

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ADT developer

Quote from: Miracek on May 31, 2013, 03:34:57 PM

yeah, just the last one that connects to the gnu should be enough. One this to to be aware of, just by adding a single riser, you are basically adding an antenna to the device that can pick up and insert interference in the data communication with the Mobo. By adding 2 or even 3 cables together you are essentially doubling the potentially for getting interference on the device. If you notice random crashes or alot of missed hashes you may want to reduce the number of risers and see if the issue improves.

when i used 3 unpowerd rises in a row on a croshair iv fomila m board it made no difrents to having 1 riser the card just had 5mv less on the 12v

Miracek

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yeah, just the last one that connects to the gnu should be enough. One this to to be aware of, just by adding a single riser, you are basically adding an antenna to the device that can pick up and insert interference in the data communication with the Mobo. By adding 2 or even 3 cables together you are essentially doubling the potentially for getting interference on the device. If you notice random crashes or alot of missed hashes you may want to reduce the number of risers and see if the issue improves.

deslok

sr. member

Activity: 462

Merit: 250

It's all about the game, and how you play it

Quote from: ypsylon on May 31, 2013, 01:53:11 PM

@zackclark70

Exactly what I wanted to hear for my 7950 he he

@deslok

That is the nature of my dilemma. There are boards which have issues with more than one. Hmm... need to obtain powered riser then, or two, even better whole 3 or 4. Just to be sure Cheesy

no need to power every riser just the last one in the chain

ypsylon

newbie

Activity: 27

Merit: 0

@zackclark70

Exactly what I wanted to hear for my 7950 he he

@deslok

That is the nature of my dilemma. There are boards which have issues with more than one. Hmm... need to obtain powered riser then, or two, even better whole 3 or 4. Just to be sure Cheesy

deslok

sr. member

Activity: 462

Merit: 250

It's all about the game, and how you play it

Quote from: ypsylon on May 31, 2013, 09:53:50 AM

On a similar note I have a question. How many x16 extenders I can use without problems with power supplied via PCI-Ex slot? I want to move mining VGAs below motherboard (Mountain Mod case with horizontal tray), away from hot RAID controller. I'm currently at the stage of thinking the mounting system (slightly more sturdy than zip-ties Wink

) for cards right next to 2 exhaust fans which are bored blowing out cold air. I want to 'employ' them in, let's say, more productive manner. Grin

One extender is ~15 cm long. Thinking that 4-5 will do the trick without the need to overstretch cables (+ possibly right x16 riser at the end). My only worry is potential drop in power supplied with each extender added to the line.

I can't say i'd reccomend that many without the last one being a powered riser(every inch is more resistance) but i don't know of any spec that would discourage it offically

zackclark70

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Merit: 1000

ADT developer

Quote from: ypsylon on May 31, 2013, 09:53:50 AM

On a similar note I have a question. How many x16 extenders I can use without problems with power supplied via PCI-Ex slot? I want to move mining VGAs below motherboard (Mountain Mod case with horizontal tray), away from hot RAID controller. I'm currently at the stage of thinking the mounting system (slightly more sturdy than zip-ties Wink

) for cards right next to 2 exhaust fans which are bored blowing out cold air. I want to 'employ' them in, let's say, more productive manner. Grin

One extender is ~15 cm long. Thinking that 4-5 will do the trick without the need to overstretch cables (+ possibly right x16 riser at the end). My only worry is potential drop in power supplied with each extender added to the line.

i have linked 3 together before and it worked ok ( 7950 )

ypsylon

newbie

Activity: 27

Merit: 0

On a similar note I have a question. How many x16 extenders I can use without problems with power supplied via PCI-Ex slot? I want to move mining VGAs below motherboard (Mountain Mod case with horizontal tray), away from hot RAID controller. I'm currently at the stage of thinking the mounting system (slightly more sturdy than zip-ties Wink

) for cards right next to 2 exhaust fans which are bored blowing out cold air. I want to 'employ' them in, let's say, more productive manner. Grin

One extender is ~15 cm long. Thinking that 4-5 will do the trick without the need to overstretch cables (+ possibly right x16 riser at the end). My only worry is potential drop in power supplied with each extender added to the line.

deslok

sr. member

Activity: 462

Merit: 250

It's all about the game, and how you play it

the 3/4 psu issue depends on your specific cards the calculation is easy to do once you know that and the power supplies rail split (on the side of some in the manual for most)

Miracek

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Quote from: ReCat on May 30, 2013, 09:37:01 PM

Agh, your pictures are forcing me to tilt my head sideways.

Really sorry about that, not sure why it's done that. When i open the link directly in my browser the images are right side up. But when i put them in here there all sideways.

ReCat

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Agh, your pictures are forcing me to tilt my head sideways.

Miracek

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Quote from: zackclark70 on May 30, 2013, 06:28:00 PM

3 card is ok 4 if pushing/ will blow psu

I was pretty sure of this, but was hoping Grin

, thx for the confirmation, I'll wire up a 400W I have laying around from an old PC, I have it setup just for the 4th card.

zackclark70

legendary

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ADT developer

3 card is ok 4 if pushing/ will blow psu

Miracek

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Activity: 142

Merit: 100

So I ended up trying again. This time I only added one card. Cut the male end of the x16 riser and removed most of the cables not being used by it. left a couple as I didn't want to get to close the last pin needed for the x1 and have to start again. Figured while I was at it might as well make it a powered riser so did the connected it to a Molex plug. End result there are now 3 cards on the one motherboard all working. Sorry for the pics being sideways, for some reason when I look at the them in Dropbox there ok but here there rotated 90 degrees.

Thx for all the help everyone. I will be adding the 4th card tomorrow from the other motherboard. just gotta figure if I can run all 4 from my 850 watt supply or should I add a 2nd power supply for that last card.

ssateneth

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Quote from: ReCat on May 29, 2013, 11:03:10 AM

Quote from: swordfish6975 on May 29, 2013, 07:42:18 AM

not the link i remembered but some good info:

http://blog.zorinaq.com/?e=42

It is not very well known, but the PCIe specification electrically supports down-plugging a card in a smaller link connector, such as an x16 card in an x1 connector.
However PCIe mechanically prevents down-plugging by closing the end of the connector, for a reason that I do not understand.

Some motherboards require pins A1 and B17 to be shorted for an x16 card to work in an x1 connector.

Wait. So if I remove the end of a PCI-E 1x connector on the motherboard, so that a PCI-E 16x card will slide into the slot, it would just work?!

Don't mangle your $150 motherboard. Get some 1x risers instead. They are CHEAP.

Miracek

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Activity: 142

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Quote from: deslok on May 30, 2013, 10:42:13 AM

Quote from: Miracek on May 30, 2013, 09:46:53 AM

very logical, i'm actually disappointed in myself for not thinking of that earlier.

you get credit for considering that the riser could be modified in the first place Tongue

Cheers mate, Grin

deslok

sr. member

Activity: 462

Merit: 250

It's all about the game, and how you play it

Quote from: Miracek on May 30, 2013, 09:46:53 AM

very logical, i'm actually disappointed in myself for not thinking of that earlier.

you get credit for considering that the riser could be modified in the first place Tongue

Miracek

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Activity: 142

Merit: 100

very logical, i'm actually disappointed in myself for not thinking of that earlier.

deslok

sr. member

Activity: 462

Merit: 250

It's all about the game, and how you play it

even if you can't use the full 16x riser on board, cutting it to a 4x length with the slot cut back eliminates the possibility of damaging anything in the 1x portion of the connector(and if you damage a pin that's not connected who cares?)

Topic: Modify x16 riser cable to be x1 to x16? (Read 5203 times)