Z97M OC Formula PCIe 3.0 use

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   You?�re correct that the Samsung SSD SM951 would require an M.2 to PCIe 3.0 adapter for full performance, especially if the motherboard?�s M.2 slot is limited to PCIe 2.0 or fewer lanes. The SM951, whether in AHCI or NVMe mode, needs at least four PCIe 3.0 lanes to perform at its maximum potential.

To address your concern about the PowerColor Radeon R9 285 and the SM951 working simultaneously at their full capacities, you need to check the PCIe lane distribution on your motherboard. Most consumer-grade motherboards have a total of 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU, typically allocated as follows:

x16 for a single GPU, or
x8/x8 for dual GPUs, or
x8/x4/x4 for a GPU and two other PCIe devices.
If you?�re running a single GPU, the R9 285 will usually occupy x16 lanes. Adding the SM951 via a PCIe adapter would typically use 4 additional lanes, but this setup depends on the motherboard chipset and how it shares lanes between devices.

Check your motherboard manual for specific lane allocation when multiple PCIe slots are populated. Some boards reroute lanes dynamically based on the devices installed.
GPU Placement: Install the R9 285 in the primary PCIe x16 slot. This ensures the GPU gets the full 16 lanes (or 8 if lanes are shared).
SM951 Placement: Use a secondary PCIe x4 slot for the SM951 (via an adapter). If the board lacks a dedicated x4 slot, an x16 slot that shares lanes with the primary GPU can often operate in x4 mode.
As for additional storage like a SATA 6Gbps SSD/800GB-MU-2.5Inch, SATA drives https://serverorbit.com/solid-state-drives-ssd/sata-6gbps-ssd/800gb-mu-2-5inch operate independently of PCIe lanes and use the motherboard?�s SATA controller. You can connect this SSD to any available SATA port without affecting PCIe bandwidth.

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jackhicks121 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 21 Dec 2024 Status: Offline Points: 15	Post Options Post Reply Quote jackhicks121 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Dec 2024 at 12:58am
	You?�re correct that the Samsung SSD SM951 would require an M.2 to PCIe 3.0 adapter for full performance, especially if the motherboard?�s M.2 slot is limited to PCIe 2.0 or fewer lanes. The SM951, whether in AHCI or NVMe mode, needs at least four PCIe 3.0 lanes to perform at its maximum potential. To address your concern about the PowerColor Radeon R9 285 and the SM951 working simultaneously at their full capacities, you need to check the PCIe lane distribution on your motherboard. Most consumer-grade motherboards have a total of 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU, typically allocated as follows: x16 for a single GPU, or x8/x8 for dual GPUs, or x8/x4/x4 for a GPU and two other PCIe devices. If you?�re running a single GPU, the R9 285 will usually occupy x16 lanes. Adding the SM951 via a PCIe adapter would typically use 4 additional lanes, but this setup depends on the motherboard chipset and how it shares lanes between devices. Check your motherboard manual for specific lane allocation when multiple PCIe slots are populated. Some boards reroute lanes dynamically based on the devices installed. GPU Placement: Install the R9 285 in the primary PCIe x16 slot. This ensures the GPU gets the full 16 lanes (or 8 if lanes are shared). SM951 Placement: Use a secondary PCIe x4 slot for the SM951 (via an adapter). If the board lacks a dedicated x4 slot, an x16 slot that shares lanes with the primary GPU can often operate in x4 mode. As for additional storage like a SATA 6Gbps SSD/800GB-MU-2.5Inch, SATA drives https://serverorbit.com/solid-state-drives-ssd/sata-6gbps-ssd/800gb-mu-2-5inch operate independently of PCIe lanes and use the motherboard?�s SATA controller. You can connect this SSD to any available SATA port without affecting PCIe bandwidth.
	Jack Hicks