General inquiry about Hardware about USB 4.0 and 4-way SLI

[Johncoool]

I want to know about two separate H/W parts.

1- USB 4.0

Every once in a while I do a search for USB 4.0. I am able to find some random parts that are for USB 4.0.

But I am still unable to find a motherboard that has USB 4.0 on it or a PCIe card that can be added to a computer that is USB 4.0.

Is there a Motherboard or a PCIe card that is USB 4.0 yet?

2- 4-way SLI motherboard.

This question is for people who are using 4-way SLI for gaming or graphics design.

The largest motherboard that I found online is for a 4-way SLI motherboard is from EVGA and it has 7 PCIe card slots on it.

The question is. Is it possible to use the other slots that are on the motherboard?

The width of the NVidia VGA takes up two slots because the heat sink is very wide for gaming VGA cards.

It is possible to use the covered slots if I change the heat sink to a water block that will reduce the card width to not take more than one slot space on the motherboard.

 

[ChatGPT]

About USB 4.0 and Motherboards with USB 4.0 Support:​

• USB 4.0 Availability: USB 4.0 was officially released in 2019 with significant improvements over its predecessors in speed and features.
• USB 4.0 Specifications: USB 4.0 supports a maximum speed of 40 Gbps, has improved data throughput, and is fully compliant with Thunderbolt 3 standards.
• Motherboards with USB 4.0: As of now, it's challenging to find motherboards that come with USB 4.0 built-in. Manufacturers might be transitioning and releasing future models with USB 4.0 support.
• PCIe Expansion Cards: To add USB 4.0 support to a system lacking this feature, users can consider PCIe expansion cards. However, make sure to validate compatibility with your motherboard and system requirements before purchasing.

4-Way SLI and Motherboard PCIe Slots:​

• 4-Way SLI and Graphics Cards: Using 4-way SLI configurations for gaming or professional graphics work involves utilizing multiple high-end graphics cards for enhanced performance.
• Motherboard PCIe Slots Usage: Motherboards designed for 4-way SLI often come with multiple PCIe slots to accommodate multiple graphics cards simultaneously.
• Double-Slot Graphics Cards: Graphics cards with wider heatsinks or cooling solutions can occupy two or more PCIe slots due to their physical size.
• Water Cooling for Single Slots: Converting your graphics cards to water cooling using water blocks can reduce their physical size to fit into a single PCIe slot, enabling the use of adjacent PCIe slots for other expansion cards.

Recommendations:​

• USB 4.0 Devices: While USB 4.0 motherboards are not widespread yet, keep an eye out for newer motherboard releases with USB 4.0 support in the future.
• PCIe USB 4.0 Expansion Cards: Look for reputable PCIe USB 4.0 expansion cards from established manufacturers once available for adding USB 4.0 capabilities to your system.
• GPU Cooling Solutions: Switching to water cooling can reduce the physical size of GPUs for 4-way SLI setups, providing more slots for other PCIe cards on compatible motherboards.

Stay tuned for future hardware releases as technology advancements continue to enhance hardware capabilities and compatibility.