As a positive alternative consider doing a CMB article on PCIE switches. I’ve known about these for years, but seems as though it’s still not common knowledge. They don’t work with all card, Nvidia for instance, however they work with all the AMD cards I’ve tested. It’s a pretty good deal for getting a $40 5 slot PCIE board and then adding one of these. Other options include getting cheap 4 slot boards (miniatx) and adding a couple of these.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PCI-e-Express-1X-to-3-Port-1X-Switch-Multiplier-HUB-Riser-Card-USB-Cable-1PC-/141865200790?hash=item2107d32c96:g:zTwAAOSwa-dWhMvm

It opens up quite a bit more possibilites then buying $200 motherboards.

What cpu was used? Does it require a xeon?

update urgent
the z270-A have only 6 pcie sot
it’s the z270-E ROG-STRIX-Z270E-GAMINGhoo have 7 slot pcie ( https://www.asus.com/fr/Motherboards/ROG-MAXIMUS-IX-CODE/specifications/ )
Slots d´extension
2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x16 ou dual x8)
1 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (mode x4)
4 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x1

We have tested the Asus Prime Z270-A with two M2 to PCI-E adapters, unfortunately it does not work with 9 GPUs this way, the maximum for this motherboard is still 8 GPUs and we can confirm that it works for sure.

You need to enable 4G Decoding in BIOS for all card to be detected and work properly.

i plan to get 2 of them

I just set up mine today. You can find the Above 4G option in “Boot” in Advanced mode. ((If I don’t remember it wrong….
—————–
My miner:
G4400
Prime Z270-A
3x RX580 (~29Mhs for eth each)
2x RX570 (~27Mhs each)
—————–
Planning to get 3 more after I break half of the cost.

Thanks for giving us info. I was gonna buy some random cheap 6 slots z270 mobo if I didn’t see this post.

i have prime -AR z270 with kabylake 7700k i think running win 7 , i have great problems with win 10 once it buggers up after upgrades from win 7 my hdd is useless unless i reinstall win 7 on another HDD

i can only get 3-4 gpus but maybe im running diff gpus, also i have a fury r9 in the GPU slot not risers.

have same problem on z170 but all same gpus but two gpus are in case and slotted in.
its the 3900 g cpu skylake please help

Problem sorted, x6 GPUs work indeed!

Adhered to previously advised BIOS update to v0906
Installed Risers in Slot from 1 to 6, but 7th slot (PCIE_X4_1) left blank.
PCIe setting in BIOS can be used PCIe_x16/x8_1.
Make sure you have Above 4G option enabled.
Reinstalled GPU drivers up to: non-whql-win10-64bit-radeon-software-crimson-relive-17.5.2-may17

I have seen videos of 9 and 10 GPUs running but only 8 mining in Win 10. I watched this video (below) of a Russian guy booting up with all 9 GPUs displaying in device manager but when mining he unplugged the 9th one. I am guessing it is in fact a limitation of Win 10. Can anyone confirm this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDN2vkGPRW4

Thanks!

WD

Hi – awesome build, I am aiming to do the same.

Some questions though:
1. How do you power all those cards off the single Corsair 1000? Does it come with all the required power cables?
2. What PCIE risers did you use – did you have to use powered risers?

Would be great to see Part II :)

Hi i am a newbie, i cant seem to run 6 gpus’ on my asus prime z270-a motherboard.. i am using Palit GTX 1060 6g driver version 382.33… am running windows `10 64 bit…it only detects 4 gpus…can somebody guide me thru this….thank you

Yes, I have also tried connecting 9 GPU on this board. 9 of them can be successfully recognized, but it can only mine with 8 cards plugged. Anyone have tried that on Linux?

Hi,

ccw, could you tell me what cpu you have, Skylake or Kaby Lake?
What u mean by “Win 10 dev”, Insider version?
I have the same motherboard but impossible to get more 3 gpu detected.

See below my details:
Is it possible to run 6 GPU MSI RX580 Gaming 8 Go on the motherboard Asus Prime Z270-P?
Up to know i only get 3 GPU with success, as soon as i try 4 or 5 or 6 GPU, the result i see only 1 or 2 GPU, no more, it’s sound like my config meet limitation hardware somewhere.
I see on this motherboard it is Chipset Intel Z270 Kaby Lake and the controllers of PCIE are also Intel Kaby Lake, and my cpu is Skylake-S, may be there is an compatibility issue?

My config:
Asus Prime Z270P (Last Bios 0808)
CPU G3900 Skylake-S
Memory DDR4 PC4 19200 G-SKILL 2 x 4 Go
6 GPU MSI RX580
6 Risers
Supply x2 750W (Synchronised)
Windows 10 64 Bits (version 1703)
Driver 17.6.2

In Bios 4G Decoding Enabled, PCIE Gen1.
I read this topic, and i try all suggestions i have seen, but, nothing to do, always get only 3 GPU, no more detected.
I believe i will give up, and i will order new motherboard Z270A or new CPU Kaby Lake, because i am too bad at this moment…, i need help for sure.

So I have the prime z270-a motherboard with 7 gpus running just fine. My 8th gpu which is on a m.2 to pci is not showing up. Can someone suggest what may be wrong? I’ve tried different m.2 adapters and changes in bios from x2 to x4. Not sure what else I can do since 4g decoder is already enabled that’s how the only 7 are working.

I am having the same problem. I am unable to get the m.2 to pcie adapter to recognizing device manager. I also tried changing the BIOS from x2 to x4, and I have 4g enabled.

I can’t seem to get the m.2 to pcie recognized either, I’m running the z270-p as well. Windows 10, nVidia….

I have the prime Z270-A board and I can tell get the GPU to work on the M.2 slot I set the M.2_1 to PCIE but still doesn’t work. Is someone willing to troubleshoot with me? Ftlkid24@yahoo.com

Currently have 7 gtx 1070s running.

mine doesn’t even recognize the 5th card on m.2 to pcie adapter. The fan doesn’t spin at all. It doesn’t get enough power? Do we need to power the adapter too or just the usb riser

Why do you have the Intel graphics enabled, you do not need it…

Fellow Miners
I can only get

2 of GTX-1070 to work on my Asus Strix Z270F Gaming MoBo
3 of them will mine but have had a crach (Blue screen)
4 of them is visual in Windows Device manager, but after mining in about 25 minuts my PC crashes

I have used days to get 6 of them installed – but never even close

I will mine for the one that can help me out here. (Days – but not forever as I have promised my girl friend we can make money for our future).

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100023708330722

Does anyone read the Mobo manual?
There it says about M.2 settings and interference with SATA drives and the PCIe16x.
Read the damn manual.
The correct steps are:
-don’t install any GPU, just use the mobo’s video port (CPU with graphics required).
-use SSD in a SATA port free of interferences (read manual).
-upgrade bios to last ver.
-reset bios settings to default and restart.
-in bios set Above 4G decoding enabled, let PCIe on auto, put M.2 port on PCIe mode, DMI on auto.
-fresh install win 10 pro x64 (last version from a stick made with the utility provided on microsoft site – on download windows 10 page).
-update win 10, restart, disable windows update, hibernation, defender, sleep mode for system and hdd, etc, and UAC account control to off.
-shut down.
-install first card with pcie riser.
-start, install nVidia drivers (no need for experience, hd audio pr physix).
-open task manager and watch nVidia processes finish their work (CPU activity 0).
There will be nvidia installer, nVidia containers etc. They install your card.
-shut down the rig.
-install second card. Start the rig and wait for nvidia processes finish.
-shut down and repeat for each card.
The order of installation is not important. Do not unplug the installed cards, before to install new cards.
After the last card, restart and now you can install the utilities, afterburner, gpu-z, cuda, miners. You order of the cards as seen by the system is: 1.the 16x slot, 2.the 8x/4x slot, 3-6. 1x slots.
In GPU-Z you can see the gen(version) at witch each card connected. If it is set in bios gen 2, gen 3 or auto, you can see some of them connected at gen 3, others at gen 1.1, or some at gen 2 and others on gen 1.1. So the actualy settings dosen’t really matters. I personaly experimented this with pcie risers gen 007c on Asus Prime Z270-P, with nVidia 1060 3GB cards from variois brands. So even if you set all to gen 2 or gen 3, they will link at their speed anyway; and more… after each restart, they can link on other gen. So… I tink you can forget the pcie settings. Only the Above 4G is important. Of course, if you use older risers, or some cards are not detected, you csn put pcie on gen 1, just to be sure there is not a problem. I found instead 4 risers out of 6 as defectiv/ bad, even thoug they had thiers leds on. If you can’t see a card, just connect the usb cable from one that is visible in the system to it, of course with the rig shut down. If you can see it installing, there is a problem with your system. If it dosen’t install, the riser is bad. Unpluging an working card and connecting a new one with the same usb cable, it gives you the same number of installed cards, so the system has to detect it, if the riser is good. When switching usb cables, you don’t need to unplug the power from the desconected card or riser. You manipulate only the usb cables. The old card stays without an usb cable. I think I explained it very clear :))
You can have a total of 8 video processors in windows 10, the cpu graphics included.
If you use the cpu for connecting the monitor, the system is more stable when overclocked, you can handle it better and oc more…. but you can’t add the 8th card. Is your choise. If you take the risk and install the 8th card, disable first the cpu hd graphics in bios and use the card pluged in the 16x slot for monitor.
One problem I couldn’t solv yet: with each card added, the hashrate drops for all cards. I used XMrig for mining cryptonight coins… etn, xmr… With 1 card I had 480 H/s. With 6 cards I have 350 H/s on some, 420 H/s on others and between on others.
If you find this usefull, thank me in BTC:
1EPXYAE3CxEmyFs4rk41NJBNNYSXSSLaJW
or ZEC
t1azWYNDwkjBiiLeMiWhZcujKbJGpC8vt2J

It seems that nVidia telemetry service is the cause of a lot of problems, lag and hashrate drops. It is best to stop the service and disable it.

Got 9 cards on asus prime Z270-A, CPU G4600, WIN 10
2×1070 (EVAGA FTW+SC)
7×1060 (all Gigabyte 6Gb G1+AURUS+WF)
All connected through risers + 2 ptc m2-pciex

I put one-by-one and every time made shut down before adding a new other card.
I use internal video, summary in manager 10 GPUs
Bios settings doesn’t matter, only enable above 4g decoding

Monstrosity. Buy a chassis that fits 8 gpu, instead of leaving the fans open to gather dust:

https://www.asus.com/au/Commercial-Servers-Workstations/ESC8000_G3/