Sound card and gpu too close together

[Qu9ke]

I need confirmation if my sound card is too close to my gpu as shown in the picture. I am currently using my soundcard on my second PCIe x16 slot (the blue slot below the gpu) instead of the first PCIe x1 slot like in the picture to avoid possible consequences, but if I'm able to get away with what is shown in the picture then that'd be great. The sound card is the Asus Xonar Essense STX which comes with an EMI shield already built onto it. You can see the top part of the shield that has "ASUS" labelled on it. That is the part that touches the back side of the gpu. I don't worry so much about my sound card in this situation as I do about my gpu since its back is exposed. If I were to put a back plate on it, that would probably take up the very little remaining room allowing the soundcard to even occupy that space. There is a PCIe x1 slot below the gpu, but I figured that would be even worse. I didn't bother with that one. Would I be able to get away with what is being shown, or should I stick with how I currently have it set up?

Sort of related question while I'm here. Is it possible to put my gpu in a different PCIe x16 slot so that my sound card has more room up top? I read that it is recommended to put it in the one closest to the cpu since that slot is the primary slot, but I have also read that you can somehow change your primary. How would one go about doing that? Thanks for your time.

 

[Wall Street]

Are you having stability problems? Running the soundcard in the slot right above the GPU should not cause problems. This is always better than running the soundcard right below the GPU and blocking the fan intakes.

 

[Ketchup]

I doubt you are blocking the fan intake on the video card with the way you have it now, unless you have a picture that shows us otherwise. Most video card will get air from the front so that it can pass it over a heatsink and out the back. For your situation, I think you would be better off having the video card on top. While air is being blown out the back, there is still considerable heat coming up off the back of the card. I would rather heat go up to a CPU heatsink which is made to handle it, than to a sound card, which is not.

 

[Qu9ke]

I doubt you are blocking the fan intake on the video card with the way you have it now, unless you have a picture that shows us otherwise. Most video card will get air from the front so that it can pass it over a heatsink and out the back. For your situation, I think you would be better off having the video card on top. While air is being blown out the back, there is still considerable heat coming up off the back of the card. I would rather heat go up to a CPU heatsink which is made to handle it, than to a sound card, which is not.

The way I have it now doesn't seem to pose any problems. My gpu runs at the same temp as it has been before the sound card installation. I just wished I could put it above the gpu for sake of space.... And not worry about what might happen lol. I would have put it in the lower PCIe x1 slot immediately below my gpu to save space, but the card was practically blocking the gpu fans entirely. At least it all works!

 

[ronopp]

I believe the way you have it is the only choice UNLESS.....you use onboard sound.