PCI-e 3.0 running x4

[Filmic]

I'm currently running a http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814162120 which obviously supports pci-e 3.0 at x16 speed.

 

The problem i'm having is its stuck running at pci-e 3.0 x4 on my top pcie slot, I'm running a p8z77-v pro motherboard and a 3570k ivy bridge every pci-e slot is open.

 

The odd thing is that it runs full speed at x8 in the second slot, now thinking it was my motherboard i RMA'd it and received a different board from asus and its doing the same thing as my old board, (x4 top slot----x8 second slot) and i can't seem to figure out why. The only bios options i have is to set the generation of PCI-e and there is nothing to control the the actual speed.

 

I'v tried running default bios settings, reflashed my bios and changed my link state power management to off and still the same result of x4.

[DIV1D3]

It should allow the top PCI-E slot to run at 8x, do you have your computer on power saving or some other custom settings with Windows?

[Tea1337]

You should be fine at x4, you won't exactly need all of that bandwidth, there also might be a physical limitation on the motherboards PCI-e slot

 

If you have a PCI-e 2.0 card, the board will only allow it to run at x4, http://prntscr.com/317a5h

 

EDIT: It's probably being recognized by the motherboard as a PCI-e 2.0 card.

[bamerx98]

You should be fine at x4, you won't exactly need all of that bandwidth, there also might be a physical limitation on the motherboards PCI-e slot

 

If you have a PCI-e 2.0 card, the board will only allow it to run at x4, http://prntscr.com/317a5h

No that would be the last Pci-e slot on the motherboard

[Tea1337]

No that would be the last Pci-e slot on the motherboard

That's odd, are there bent pins in the PCI-e slot?

[TheTechGenius]

Do you have any other PCI-E Cards in any of the other slots?

 

With my motherboard, I can run 2-Way SLI, and a RAID Card, One of the GPUs will be running in x16, the other will be in x8, and the RAID Card will be in x8. But I cannot run 3-WAY SLI with the RAID Card plugged in, because that will put the PCI-E Slots like this: x8/x8/x4/x8

 

And SLI doesn't support x4, and neither does the RAID Card.

 

Thats why I ask, if you have other PCI-E cards in the other slots, they could be hogging up most of your bandwidth, and making your GPU run at x4.

[Xsilent(X)]

reset bios? did you placed the card on the first pci-e slot? if not do that first the reset bios.

[Filmic]

my top pci-e is the only slot being used, and my bios/ gpu-z is reading my card at pci-e 3.0 x16@ x4 3.0 even when using the render option, i tried my gpu in a pci-e 2.0 motherboard and it ran at pci-e 2.0 x16@ x16

[solarflare]

unplug / reset bios via battery removal. 

 

i had a similar issue recently with my pci-e 3.0 stuck at x8 instead of x16. 

 

I reset the bios and reseated the gfx card and its now working at a full x16 speed. 

 

gl. 

[DatCat]

Thy updating your BIOS to the latest version, this can help in some cases.

 

You can find the latest BIOS here: https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8Z77V_PRO/#support

[Leonius]

@Filmic I am pretty sure this is entirely normal. In idle state the pci slot is being downgreaded by the controller, becuase the card does not need the bandwith. If the card is also running at 4x during stress test that might be a problem... and yes 4x will reduce the performance, but tell us weather you realized this durning idle or load situations