pcie x1 on pcie x16

[Jeruzalem]

so i just found out something interesting today. i was frustrated that gigabyte didnt think of pcie layout. my graphics card obscures a small pcie slot. so i thought i'd just google for fun. "can you put a small pcie on a big pcie slot?"

appearently, the answer is yes. the pins of a x1 are in the same order as a x16 slot, so you can put it in a big slot. now, i find this weird. im...averagely knowledable about pc's. atleast i know how to google info over a person who asks how does it work. but this, seemingly simple and obvious thing, was never known to me.

 

so there you have it. you learn something new every day. 

[Parideboy]

Ready to be blown away?

You can actually fit a x4 card in a x1 slot

 

[FloRolf]

I mean, it's like having a toaster with 4 slots but you only put 1 bread in it. It will still toast the bread just fine. 

[Jeruzalem]

yea, but thats the thing, its not common knowledge. atleast, not common enough. until you ask yourself if its possible. and that vid is from 2012. man, have they come a long way. but damn. it really is that easy. 

[Parideboy]

2 minutes ago, Jeruzalem said:

yea, but thats the thing, its not common knowledge. atleast, not common enough. until you ask yourself if its possible. and that vid is from 2012. man, have they come a long way. but damn. it really is that easy. 

Back in the day, it was common knowledge, as even manufacturers shipped boards with "open" pci-e slots. Nowadays it's basically useless to the average consumer, that's why nobody knows about it.

 

 

[Enderman]

Yeah sorry but pretty much everybody on this forum knows you can put a device smaller than x16 in an x16 slot.