Intel Motherboards - Anyway to put video card in #2 & still keep x16?

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Anyway to put video card in #2 & still keep x16?

Printed From: ASRock.com
Category: Technical Support
Forum Name: Intel Motherboards
Forum Description: Question about ASRock Intel Motherboards
URL: https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2327
Printed Date: 29 Dec 2024 at 4:16pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Anyway to put video card in #2 & still keep x16?

Posted By: thegreywizard
Subject: Anyway to put video card in #2 & still keep x16?
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 12:01pm

Is there any way to run the video card in PCI #2 but still keep it at x16? Or will it always default to x8 if it's not in the 1st slot?

I have an Asrock x99m Extreme4

It has 2 PCIe 3.0 x16 & 1 PCIe 2.0 x16

It would be nice to free up the air space around the M.2 port since I will be watercooling and there will be little to no air flow around that area at all which wouldn't be good for an SSD if I end up using the M.2 slot.

Replies:

Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 1:01pm

thegreywizard wrote:

Is there any way to run the video card in PCI #2 but still keep it at x16? Or will it always default to x8 if it's not in the 1st slot?

It would be nice to free up the air space around the M.2 port since I will be watercooling and there will be little to no air flow around that area at all which wouldn't be good for an SSD if I end up using the M.2 slot.

That depends on the mother board and CPU you are using, which is... ??

I seem to recall you are using an X99M Extreme4, from another thread? Wink

If so, the PCIE2 slot is electrically x16, so a video card in that slot should run at x16.

No idea what CPU you are using. An i7-5820k with 28 PCIe 3.0 lanes might default the PCIE2 slot to x8, even with the PCIE1 slot empty. The other i7-58xxk processors won't have that concern.

You are correct that a lack of air flow over an M.2 SSD in the M.2 port will affect its temperature. If your PC case has a side fan that you can direct at the mother board, that will help keep an M.2 SSD cooler.

I've found that front to back air flow will also help keep M.2 SSDs cooler, as well as video cards.

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Posted By: thegreywizard
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 1:05pm

Yes I have the x99m Extreme4 and Intel 5820k

If I try it out and put the video card in slot 2, how can I tell if it's running x16 or x8?

Posted By: GuruNot
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2016 at 4:31am

Maybe run something like https://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/" rel="nofollow - GPU-Z :

Posted By: thegreywizard
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2016 at 5:33am

Ok I'll look into that. I have an EVGA 970 GTX and I know a bunch of Nvidia software installed with it, is there anything within the Nvidia suite that shows the bus interface?

Posted By: GuruNot
Date Posted: 31 Mar 2016 at 2:08am

Assuming you have GeForce Experience installed, right click the GeForce Experience icon in your system tray, click "Open Nvidia Control Panel"

Click System Infromation, bottom left, and you should see something like: