Hey everyone! I'm currently using a single Nvidia 4090 for my personal AI assistant, but I've just bought a second one to handle a larger model. I'm considering the MSI MEG X670E ACE motherboard to support this setup. Along with the two 4090s, I'm planning to use an AMD Ryzen 9 CPU, a large SSD, and 128 GB of RAM since Deepseek can really hog up the RAM. I'll also need a 1400 watt power supply and am thinking about using an open case to manage heat with two powerful GPUs. I'm curious if anyone has experience with dual GPU setups? Are there major challenges or pitfalls I should be aware of that differ from a single GPU setup? I've only built a single-GPU gaming PC before.
3 Answers
If you’re serious, consider enterprise-grade hardware. Most consumer motherboards aren't built for dual GPU systems. Ryzen 9 only supports a limited number of PCIe lanes which isn't ideal for a solid dual-GPU setup. You've got to check out W790 motherboards with Xeon CPUs—they're engineered for your kind of use case and can handle a ton of RAM and GPUs without breaking a sweat. I built a system on that and it runs everything lightning fast!
For a dual GPU setup, you really want a motherboard that can handle an X8/X8 configuration and also has enough space between the slots for proper cooling. With your needs, you might want to consider jumping into Threadripper territory. It'll make it much easier for managing 128GB+ of RAM at higher speeds, which can be a hassle on Ryzen.
That's good to know! I guess I have some research to do now.
When you're looking for a motherboard, make sure it has two full PCIe x16 slots. Typically, you want to stick with full ATX motherboards that come with a lot of features. The MSI MEG X670E ACE does meet your needs, but remember that while it has 3x PCI-E x16 slots, the lanes might be shared. Only the first GPU can run at full x16, while the second GPU may end up functioning at x8, which could affect performance. Just something to keep in mind!
Yeah, that split might be a concern. Most consumer boards won't support 16+16 for dual GPUs, so you're likely looking at an 8+8 setup. Just thought I'd mention that!
Thanks for the heads up! I definitely want to avoid performance drops.
That sounds promising! I’ll definitely look into W790 motherboards. Thanks for the tip!