pastrychef's Asus ROG Strix Z370-G Gaming (WI-FI AC) build w/ i9-9900K + AMD 6600 XT

[JCMunsonII]

Where did you find the map? I'm curious concerning the Maximus X. I'm also curious on how to read that correctly (some of it is clear to me) - does the "xN" refer to how many lanes are used by the port?

 

[fadis96]

No, it is not generic. Each motherboard is different in how the PCI lanes are utilized. For example, the ROG Strix Z370-G Gaming without Wi-Fi AC will probably use less PCI lanes than my motherboard because mine has the M.2 slot for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth.

might be a dumb question but why use the M.2 slot for wifi and bluetooth? from your guide, i understand you hopped around chips but finally settled on what? I can't find a link to it?

 

[pastrychef]

Where did you find the map? I'm curious concerning the Maximus X. I'm also curious on how to read that correctly (some of it is clear to me) - does the "xN" refer to how many lanes are used by the port?

That image was found by malm123.

The first place I would look is in the motherboard manual.

Yes, the N in xN is the number of lanes used.

 

[pastrychef]

might be a dumb question but why use the M.2 slot for wifi and bluetooth? from your guide, i understand you hopped around chips but finally settled on what? I can't find a link to it?

There are different types of M.2 slots. On this Strix Z370-G motherboard, there are a total of three M.2 slots. Two are meant for M.2 SSDs and one is meant for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth cards. The difference in the slots is in the way they are keyed. Wi-Fi/Bluetooth cards will not fit in the M.2 slots meant for SSDs and vice versa.

I started off with a Dell DW1830 but later switched to an Apple BCM94360CS2. I liked that the Apple card only needed two antennas so I could just reuse the antenna mounts of the Asus bracket and that I didn't need any extra kexts or patches to make it work. More info is here.

 

[fadis96]

There are different types of M.2 slots. On this Strix Z370-G motherboard, there are a total of three M.2 slots. Two are meant for M.2 SSDs and one is meant for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth cards. The difference in the slots is in the way they are keyed. Wi-Fi/Bluetooth cards will not fit in the M.2 slots meant for SSDs and vice versa.

I started off with a Dell DW1830 but later switched to an Apple BCM94360CS2. I liked that the Apple card only needed two antennas so I could just reuse the antenna mounts of the Asus bracket and that I didn't need any extra kexts or patches to make it work. More info is here.

nice, so I have two m.2 slots but not sure what you mean by "The difference in the slots is in the way they are keyed", is that the holes in which the screw sits in? or the actual slot itself. i don't know to to tell which is which.
I may go for a PCI-E card, just pure laziness. what you think?

Side note: my mobo is full ATX i believe and just like yours, I have two x16 PCI slots and three X1 PCI slots

 

[pastrychef]

Is that a generic map for all Z370 boards, or just particular to the AORUS Gaming 7?

Here is a more generic image of how the PCI lanes are used in Coffee Lake.

Source: https://www.tweaktown.com/guides/8482/intel-z370-motherboard-buyers-guide/index.html

 

[pastrychef]

nice, so I have two m.2 slots but not sure what you mean by "The difference in the slots is in the way they are keyed", is that the holes in which the screw sits in? or the actual slot itself. i don't know to to tell which is which.
I may go for a PCI-E card, just pure laziness. what you think?

Side note: my mobo is full ATX i believe and just like yours, I have two x16 PCI slots and three X1 PCI slots

Here are some examples of the differences in keying, notice the different locations of the notches in the connectors:

Source: M.2 Interface, Keys and Sockets Explained | ATP Electronics

Source: M.2 - Wikipedia

 

[fadis96]

Here are some examples of the differences in keying, notice the different locations of the notches in the connectors:
View attachment 320730
Source: M.2 Interface, Keys and Sockets Explained | ATP Electronics

View attachment 320734
Source: M.2 - Wikipedia

yes, i just read the manual and it states it only takes M key edge. Thats so interesting, you learn something new everyday.
I have a question that might be a little random, but my TUF Z370-Plus gaming MOBO states that it supports multiGPU
"Multi-GPU support: Supports AMD® CrossFireXTM Technology"
doesn't state that it supports SLI, Im planning to buy another 1080TI, does this mean that the SLI will not work. and according to the digram, are the GPUs going to be running at 16X each??? or 8X?? in short, is it worth the upgrade? for a 3D designer ?

 

[pastrychef]

yes, i just read the manual and it states it only takes M key edge. Thats so interesting, you learn something new everyday.
I have a question that might be a little random, but my TUF Z370-Plus gaming MOBO states that it supports multiGPU
"Multi-GPU support: Supports AMD® CrossFireXTM Technology"
doesn't state that it supports SLI, Im planning to buy another 1080TI, does this mean that the SLI will not work. and according to the digram, are the GPUs going to be running at 16X each??? or 8X?? in short, is it worth the upgrade? for a 3D designer ?

View attachment 320737

As far as I know, macOS has no support for SLI or CrossFire. However, for GPGPU usage, SLI and CrossFire are not needed. For example, if your software utilizes Cuda, it will benefit from two GTX 1080 Ti cards without having to connect the two cards via SLI.

I don't know if you will be able to connect both video cards via SLI for gaming in Windows. I never really read much on the topic since macOS didn't support it.

On Z370, I have to assume that two video cards means both will be running at x8.

My suggestion is to wait and see if macOS 10.13.4 addresses some of the issues that have been plaguing Nvidia cards before sinking more money in to it. If the issues are resolved, it's up to you to decided if your workflow will justify the purchase of a second video card. Everyone's needs are different...

 

[fadis96]

As far as I know, macOS has no support for SLI or CrossFire. However, for GPGPU usage, SLI and CrossFire are not needed. For example, if your software utilizes Cuda, it will benefit from two GTX 1080 Ti cards without having to connect the two cards via SLI.

I don't know if you will be able to connect both video cards via SLI for gaming in Windows. I never really read much on the topic since macOS didn't support it.

On Z370, I have to assume that two video cards means both will be running at x8.

My suggestion is to wait and see if macOS 10.13.4 addresses some of the issues that have been plaguing Nvidia cards before sinking more money in to it. If the issues are resolved, it's up to you to decided if your workflow will justify the purchase of a second video card. Everyone's needs are different...

Yes I was thinking on Windows, GPU render. If what you're saying is correct, there is no harm in having the 780 with 1080 since they don't need to SLI?? I guess I'll have to research that.

well, I just made the installer key and about to install mac OS X on my new machine, I already have windows 10 installed on another drive, should I take it out completely??