Topic: Process for adding multiple GPUs? (Read 158 times)

It doesn't matter how you add them. Adding one by one is just a waste of time, you can plug all the cards at once, the OS will see some add-on cards attached to the motherboard and then you'll need to install the drivers. There are a few things though that can cause some issues so that's probably where people suggesting "one by one method" are coming from.

First of all you'll want to disable the automatic driver installations in the OS. In Win 10 that's "System => Advanced System Settings => Hardware => Device Installation Settings => No". And then you also shouldn't allow Windows to download drivers via Windows Update: "gpedit.msc => Computer Configuration => Administrative Templates => Windows Components => Windows Update => Do not include drivers with Windows Updates => Enabled". These two options are probably the main reason why lots of folks go for voodoo nonsense of adding cards one by one, cause these two can (and often do) interfere with the user installing drivers from a package downloaded from the manufacturer's website. After these are configured, you just delete the previous drivers with DDU and install the new drivers for all the cards in your rig.

As for your particular problem with the 3rd card — when you say "I'm not having any luck getting the computer to recognize it" what do you mean exactly? Does the card show up in the device manager at all (as a "standard adapter" or in "other devices")? Or is it only listing two original GPUs and nothing more? Did you try switching PCI-E from gen 3 (or auto) to gen 2 in the motherboard's BIOS? Did you try different risers and different pci-e slots?

Plugging them 1 by 1 should work without any hassle at all because you are only running 3 cards. Any software / motherboard / BIOS problems should not exist at this point. You are probably having riser problems. If you have a spare riser lying around trying swapping it out. Try swapping the cable first, then the connector, then the riser board itself.

windows, 1 by 1.
linux, plug all cards at once.

Thanks! What is your process of installing them? Do you install them 1 at a time (removing them after they are installed), or do you plug them all in and install them at once?

I have the same board, recognizes all 5 plugged cards- 2x 1080ti evga  and 3x1070 zotac, the driver installation process takes some time as it detects every card one by one but in the end all good. nvidia 388.71 driver and several earlier versions were all good. Use DDU to clear the computer of previous driver versions then install the one you want. I think the board was running latest bios , will double check on that.

Some people have luck plugging them all in but I always have issues, riser, cable whatever so I just do it 1 by 1, install, reboot. First one I install in the x16 slot then the next x16, then the next, then after all x16's are filled up I move to the first x1 or whatever slot.

I currently have a GA-Z270P-D3 with 2x ASUS GTX 1070 TIs installed. I received an EVGA GTX 1070 TI today and I'm trying to add it, but I'm not having any luck getting the computer to recognize it. What is the correct procedure in adding additional GPUs? Should I unplug all GPUs from the mobo, plug in the new GPU, install it, shutdown, plug in all GPUs and turn it on? Should it be in the first PCI slot, or the one it will stay connected in?

I'm not sure why the computer isn't recognizing it. When I try to install the drivers for the EVGA GTX 1070 TI (downloaded from NVIDIA's smart scan), the other 2 cards end up having compatibility issues and I have to uninstall the drivers for the first 2 cards (and the NVIDIA software), and reinstall. Anyone else had this problem or have any feed back?

Edited to add: If I'm using the same graphics card (GTX 1070 TI), should I have to reinstall drivers each time for each one, or should I only need to do that once?

(OS: Win 10)