PCIE x16 Slot Failed?

msikora · February 23, 2014

I've been using an MSI 760 in my rig for close to 6 months and now I believe the card has failed. I did a fresh install of 8.1 and tried it on my pcie 16 and 8 slots, neither will detect the card. I will be testing it on a friend's rig soon.

However, I plugged in a wireless adapter (x1 slot usually) to my pcie x16 slot to check if it was working... and my system wont boot when the adapter is in this slot (fans spin up but no BIOS and then it shuts off, and repeats this). My system will boot if the adapter is in any of the other slots.

Is there a way to test the pcie slot other than with hardware? I'm thinking this is why my 760 failed.

Thanks

Hirad123 · February 23, 2014

Well if the wireless adapter only doesn't work in the 16x slot then I'd say that it's the 16x slot that isn't working. But, what's curious is that your card won't work in the 8x slot as well. If the wireless adapter works in the 8x slot and your video card doesn't then, you are incredibly unlucky, you probably have a dead slot and card. I'd still test the card in your friends rig to make sure but damn, that is unlucky.

EDIT: I'd also run some more tests on the pcie slot before confirming that it's dead. The reason I say this is because a reboot isn't really something a broken pcie slot would do. That sounds a lot more like over heating. If it only happens when the wireless adapter is in that slot though, I guess that could be an issue. I'm also pretty sure that there is a way to see the health of pcie slots in your UEFI. I'd try and find that as well.

msikora · February 23, 2014

Well if the wireless adapter only doesn't work in the 16x slot then I'd say that it's the 16x slot that isn't working. But, what's curious is that your card won't work in the 8x slot as well. If the wireless adapter works in the 8x slot and your video card doesn't then, you are incredibly unlucky, you probably have a dead slot and card. I'd still test the card in your friends rig to make sure but damn, that is unlucky.

EDIT: I'd also run some more tests on the pcie slot before confirming that it's dead. The reason I say this is because a reboot isn't really something a broken pcie slot would do. That sounds a lot more like over heating. If it only happens when the wireless adapter is in that slot though, I guess that could be an issue. I'm also pretty sure that there is a way to see the health of pcie slots in your UEFI. I'd try and find that as well.

Thanks for replying. I did more research and came across some posts that described my problem with the 16x slot. Apparently for some intel chipsets the 16x slot is reserved for graphics. If anything is populated in that slot the internal graphics will turn off and give the slot priority over graphics. I find it strange that I couldn't even post, but I will be borrowing a card soon so I can confirm all of this (and if my card is really dead).