Mini ITX B550 motherboards PCIE Bifurcation Support

[Jinu]

Hi folks

 

I am planning to build a SFF gaming PC with a AMD B550 motherboard. But i also need 10Gbe network connectivity in the PC. The only way i can do this is by putting a PCIE card (10Gbe network card) , But the mini ITX boards have only 1 PCIE X16 slot which will be occupied by the Graphics Card.

 

One other option is to use a PCIE splitter which cases like Sliger SM580 support. Here the PCIEx16 slot is divided into  2 x8 slots. From what i have read the performance difference in graphics by running it in a x8 slot is not that significant. But using this feature requires support from the Motherboard BIOS. I know the ASROCK motherboard supports PCIE bifurcation. Do any of you know if the following mini ITX motherboards support PCIE Bifurcation

- ASUS ROG STRIX B550-I Gaming 

- GIGABYTE B550I AORUS PRO AX

 

If you have any other solution for providing 10Gbe capability to a mini itx board please advice. No Thunderbolt to 10g converters as i have considered it and rejected that option based on Cost and Thunderbolt performance/stability issues i have read about

 

Thanks

[mariushm]

You can get a small adapter board that converts the M.2 connector to a pci-e x4 slot.

You can then use a pci-e riser cable  to convert the x4 to x8 or x16 if the 10g card needs more than a x4 slot.

 

example adapter card :  https://www.ebay.com/itm/NGFF-to-PCI-E-riser-card-M-2-port-to-PCIE-expansion-card-1X-X4-slot-adapter-2280/362763664782

The power cable is to introduce 12v into the pci-e x4 slot, because the m.2 connector only has 3.3v in it.

 

pci-e riser cable (x4 to x4) : https://www.ebay.com/itm/PCI-Express-4X-Riser-Card-Ribbon-PCI-E-X4-Extender-Graphics-Card-Extension-Cable/143436591417

 

You could also get a pci-e  x1 to pci-e x4 riser cable and plug your 10g card into the riser cable, if the motherboard has a pci-e x1 slot. The card will run in pci-e x1 slot, so obviously you won't get the maximum speed - you'd be limited by the x1 lane, which tops at 970 MB/s  - so the network card will probably peak at around 900 MB/s when running on pci-e x1.

Not a lot of ITX motherboards with pci-e x1 slots, but some may have a miniPCIe slot in which the wireless card is plugged in, so you could get a miniPCIe to pci-e x1 adapter card and plug the network card in that pci-e x1 slot (with reduced maximum speed of course)

 

You can use regular SATA SSDs for storage, instead of M.2 ... it won't be significantly less performance in games or a big hindrance.

[Jinu]

Thanks will need to figure out how to fit this in a Mini ITX case

[danchilt]

On 12/20/2020 at 8:44 AM, Jinu said:

Hi folks

 

I am planning to build a SFF gaming PC with a AMD B550 motherboard. But i also need 10Gbe network connectivity in the PC. The only way i can do this is by putting a PCIE card (10Gbe network card) , But the mini ITX boards have only 1 PCIE X16 slot which will be occupied by the Graphics Card.

 

One other option is to use a PCIE splitter which cases like Sliger SM580 support. Here the PCIEx16 slot is divided into  2 x8 slots. From what i have read the performance difference in graphics by running it in a x8 slot is not that significant. But using this feature requires support from the Motherboard BIOS. I know the ASROCK motherboard supports PCIE bifurcation. Do any of you know if the following mini ITX motherboards support PCIE Bifurcation

- ASUS ROG STRIX B550-I Gaming 

- GIGABYTE B550I AORUS PRO AX

 

If you have any other solution for providing 10Gbe capability to a mini itx board please advice. No Thunderbolt to 10g converters as i have considered it and rejected that option based on Cost and Thunderbolt performance/stability issues i have read about

 

Thanks

yes ASUS ROG STRIX B550-I Gaming ITX dose support PCIE bifurcation but it is only x8/x8 bifurcation.

 

found it hear https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/luke-hill/asus-rog-strix-b550-i-gaming-mini-itx-motherboard-review/all/1/ at time 6:32.

 

I was looking for my self might help some others.

[Squeeb]

On 1/16/2021 at 12:13 PM, danchilt said:

yes ASUS ROG STRIX B550-I Gaming ITX dose support PCIE bifurcation but it is only x8/x8 bifurcation.

 

found it hear https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/luke-hill/asus-rog-strix-b550-i-gaming-mini-itx-motherboard-review/all/1/ at time 6:32.

 

I was looking for my self might help some others.

My god that's an obscure find!

 

Thanks so much for sharing with others.

How is this information not in the ROG STRIX B550-I manual?

 

 

When you say "only x8/x8" bifurcation, I thought that's what bifurcation was, a straight 50/50 split on a single PCIE 16x lane slot. Are there other configurations usually?
 

 

Edited January 23, 2021 by Squeeb
Forgot to ask a question