PCI slots to use for graphics cards in Mac Pro 2009

[Dark Goob]

Currently I have a GTX 285 in Slot 1, and a GT 120 in Slot 3. Slot 2 is the faster slot, which I would think would benefit the GT 120, but then it's closer to the GTX 285 that leads to overheating concerns. I'm going to run anything graphics intensive on the GTX 285-connected monitor, so any real drawback then to having the GT 120 in Slot 3? Thanks.

 

[300D]

The GT 120 is not long enough to interfere with GTX 285 cooling.

 

[Dark Goob]

The GT 120 is not long enough to interfere with GTX 285 cooling.

So in other words, put it into Slot 2 eh?

 

[Cindori]

Isnt slot 3 a 8x slot? that does not saturate a gt120 in any way.

 

[Dark Goob]

Isnt slot 3 a 8x slot? that does not saturate a gt120 in any way.

Nope, not on the 2009 Mac Pro. Slots three and four are 4x slots. Now, obviously, Apple has no problem putting GT 120s into 4x slots, if you get the three- or four-card configs of the BTO Mac Pros. But I mean, if you have just two cards, is there any advantage to putting either of them into a 4x slot when there is an open 16x slot? If heat is not an issue, which the other poster seems to think it isn't, then... why would it matter? Wouldn't it just run 4x faster to put the GT 120 into the 16x slot?

After all, NVIDIA says the GT 120 supports 16.0 GB/sec of memory bandwidth, which actually would require a 32x slot to fully take advantage of, if I am understanding this correctly. I mean, isn't faster always better?