Anyone successfully running Minisforum BD895i-SE + bifurcation x8x8 + dual GPUs?

A Minisforum BD895i-SE owner reports that a dual discrete GPU setup using a 10Gtek PCIe 5.0 x16 to dual MCIO 8i bifurcation card with retimer chip fails to enumerate both AMD AI PRO R9700 GPUs simultaneously, with only one card detected randomly regardless of BIOS settings or power configuration. The user seeks real-world experience from the Level1Techs forum to find a working bifurcation card or configuration, hoping to avoid a $1500+ desktop AM5 platform upgrade.

marat https://forum.level1techs.com/u/marat 1 Hi everyone, I’m trying to run a true dual discrete GPU setup no iGPU on a Minisforum BD895i-SE BD795i-SE - same motherboard basically and hitting a wall with pcie connection setup and device detection. Hardware: - Motherboard: Minisforum BD895i-SE Ryzen 9 8945HX or BD795i-SE equivalent - Bifurcation card: 10Gtek PCIe 5.0 x16 → 2× MCIO 8i XRET5032 retimer chip, slot-powered only - Cables: standard SFF-TA-1016 MCIO cables 50 cm - Two downstream adapters: MCIO-to-PCIe 5.0 x16 full-height boards each with own aux power - GPUs: 2× AMD AI PRO R9700 ≈300 W each, RDNA4 - PSU: be quiet Power Zone 2 1200 W native 12V-2×6 connectors + dedicated power lines to each downstream board - BIOS: 1.15 , bifurcation set to x8/x8 tested Auto / Gen5 / Gen4 / Gen3 , iGPU + Hybrid Graphics disabled, ReBAR enabled Problem: - Single R9700 direct in slot or any side of bifurcation → works perfectly Gen5/Gen4 x8, full speed in lspci - Both GPUs powered on → only one card enumerates randomly lspci shows only one device . The other card doesn’t show up at all. Unplugging power from one GPU makes the other work instantly. This happens 100% of the time, no matter the order of permutations. I already ruled out basic power delivery PSU is overkill, every component has its own aux power . Question: Has anyone here successfully run two discrete GPUs on the BD895i-SE / BD795i-SE using a retimer/MCIO bifurcation setup? - Which host bifurcation card worked for you? ADT-Link / JMT F36B-F37B-D8S with aux power? LR-Link LRSV9501-2E? C-Payne? something else? - Did you need to drop to Gen4 or were you able to stay on Gen5? - Any special BIOS tricks or kernel parameters that made dual dGPU stable? I’m trying to avoid dropping $1500+ on a full desktop AM5 platform B850 AI TOP + 9900X + DDR5 if I can salvage this setup with a better-powered retimer card < $300. Would really appreciate any real-world experience. Thanks in advance — this forum has saved me many times before hey - any success or more information? I’m looking at doing the same thing with the same motherboard. Thanks