PCIe Problem Questions

[DnFx91]

Alas, i have finally run out of SATA ports on my lowly b85m-e. I already have my GPU in the main PCIe slot, and my boot drive in the Chipset slot, so seems a nonstarter when thinking about more expansion cards.

 

However, there is a 3.0 x4 link slot hidden underneath my GPU, and this leads me to wonder, is that covered up intentionally ? as if to say "you have used the top slot so u have no lanes left now"

 

Basically i'm wondering if i can shimmy a riser in there and chuck a SATA controller in, or is there gonna be super complicated resource allocation bullshit to deal with ? 

[Mira Yurizaki]

According to the spec sheet, there's no PCIe 3.0 x4 slot. There's a PCIe 2.0 x4 connection in a physical x16 slot though, which would  probably route to the chipset.

 

Even if it routed to the CPU, the CPU would split the 16 lanes it has into x8/x8.

[DnFx91]

1 minute ago, M.Yurizaki said:

According to the spec sheet, there's no PCIe 3.0 x4 slot. There's a PCIe 2.0 x4 connection in a physical x16 slot though, which would  probably route to the chipset.

 

Even if it routed to the CPU, the CPU would split the 16 lanes it has into x8/x8.

oh sorry just checked that myself, im referring to the smaller yellow slot, i assumed it was 3.0 because of the coloring, thats a bit cheeky ASUS

 

seems to be a 2.0 x1 then, are there even sata cards that work on x1 ?

[Mira Yurizaki]

Just now, DnFx91 said:

oh sorry just checked that myself, im referring to the smaller yellow slot, i assumed it was 3.0 because of the coloring, thats a bit cheeky ASUS

 

seems to be a 2.0 x1 then, are there even sata cards that work on x1 ?

I thought most SATA cards were x1. Either way, if the other x16 slot isn't taken up, I'd stuff it in there.

[DnFx91]

Just now, M.Yurizaki said:

I thought most SATA cards were x1. Either way, if the other x16 slot isn't taken up, I'd stuff it in there.

it seems i have been a bit mislead as to sizes of slots haha, i think im offset by a size, thinking every size is the next one up..............

 

ok so ive found an x1 sata controller, are we then saying that if i jam a riser into that x1 slot behind my GPU and stick that sata controller on it, that it will split the lanes with my chipset ? If that slot is a 2.0 slot then it must run off the chipset right, which worries me cos my boot drive is already running all the lanes of that slot

[Mira Yurizaki]

3 minutes ago, DnFx91 said:

it seems i have been a bit mislead as to sizes of slots haha, i think im offset by a size, thinking every size is the next one up..............

 

ok so ive found an x1 sata controller, are we then saying that if i jam a riser into that x1 slot behind my GPU and stick that sata controller on it, that it will split the lanes with my chipset ? If that slot is a 2.0 slot then it must run off the chipset right, which worries me cos my boot drive is already running all the lanes of that slot

Have a look at

And let me know if this clears things up.

[DnFx91]

Just now, M.Yurizaki said:

Have a look at

And let me know if this clears things up.

yeah actually that does, from what i can tell it would just share lanes with my boot drive, and that's not something i really want sharing lanes. Although, since you had me back on the webpage for my board, ive just realised what else is hidden under my GPU, TWO MORE SATA PORTS !!!!!!!!

 

Lol, dirty 3Gb/s ports though