MSI RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio does not run PCIe x16 (keeps running x8)

[Codehack]

Hello.

 

I purchased a brand new MSI RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio and I just built a computer from the ground up. Motherboard and CPU are also new (specs below).

For some reason which I cannot understand the GPU refuses to run on PCIe Gen 4 x16 and keeps using x8 no matter what. I do not have an NVMe disk inserted in the M2_CPU slot so I don't think my GPU is sharing lanes with something.

 

What I have tried but still facing the issue:

 

• Remove all NVMe M2 disks
• Fiddle with PCIe configuration in mobo (force Gen 4 or even Gen 5)
• Clear CMOS, reset default settings on mobo BIOS
• Update mobo BIOS
• Reinstall GPU and clean PCIe socket
• Run render test on GPU-Z to check if GPU switches to x16 under load

What could possibly be the issue? Is it possible there's some defect in my hardware?

 

Thank you!

 

 

My specs if relevant:

 

• Gigabyte Aorus Z790 Elite AX (upgraded to latest bios)
• i7 13700K
• MSI RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio
• 2x Samsung Evo 980 NVMe M2 SSDs
• 1x Kingston NVME M2 SSD
• Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360

Posting some logs on pastebin for brevity:

 

System Information: Pastebin - System Information

CPU-Z Logs: Pastebin - CPU-Z Logs

 

Thanks a lot.

[CommanderAlex]

Welcome to the forums!!

 

Do you have a GPU-Z screenshot when this is occurring? Also, by placing a load on the graphics card with a synthetic benchmark open or a game that is rendering, post those results here. 

[_Omega_]

38 minutes ago, Codehack said:

Hello.

 

I purchased a brand new MSI RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio and I just built a computer from the ground up. Motherboard and CPU are also new (specs below).

For some reason which I cannot understand the GPU refuses to run on PCIe Gen 4 x16 and keeps using x8 no matter what. I do not have an NVMe disk inserted in the M2_CPU slot so I don't think my GPU is sharing lanes with something.

 

What I have tried but still facing the issue:

 

• Remove all NVMe M2 disks
• Fiddle with PCIe configuration in mobo (force Gen 4 or even Gen 5)
• Clear CMOS, reset default settings on mobo BIOS
• Update mobo BIOS
• Reinstall GPU and clean PCIe socket
• Run render test on GPU-Z to check if GPU switches to x16 under load

What could possibly be the issue? Is it possible there's some defect in my hardware?

 

Thank you!

 

 

My specs if relevant:

 

• Gigabyte Aorus Z790 Elite AX (upgraded to latest bios)
• i7 13700K
• MSI RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio
• 2x Samsung Evo 980 NVMe M2 SSDs
• 1x Kingston NVME M2 SSD
• Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360

Posting some logs on pastebin for brevity:

 

System Information: Pastebin - System Information

CPU-Z Logs: Pastebin - CPU-Z Logs

 

Thanks a lot.

at this point i would contact the seller, it can be a hardware problem when it runs on 8 lanes. Der8auer had the same problems with i think a 4080 not long ago

 

[Codehack]

9 minutes ago, CommanderAlex said:

Welcome to the forums!!

 

Do you have a GPU-Z screenshot when this is occurring? Also, by placing a load on the graphics card with a synthetic benchmark open or a game that is rendering, post those results here. 

 

Thank you! I've tried placing a load on the GPU but it still runs x8 4.0 - I don't have a screenshot but GPU-Z also reports it as x8. The difference is it reports as x8 1.1 when idle and x8 4.0 when loaded.

 

 

8 minutes ago, _Omega_ said:

at this point i would contact the seller, it can be a hardware problem when it runs on 8 lanes. Der8auer had the same problems with i think a 4080 not long ago

 

 

I am aware of that, I sent a ticket to both MSI (GPU Vendor) and Gigabyte (Mobo Vendor). Waiting for their response. In the meantime, I am trying to figure out whether it could be misconfiguration on my part.

[CommanderAlex]

2 minutes ago, Codehack said:

 

Thank you! I've tried placing a load on the GPU but it still runs x8 4.0 - I don't have a screenshot but GPU-Z also reports it as x8. The difference is it reports as x8 1.1 when idle and x8 4.0 when loaded.

 

 

 

I am aware of that, I sent a ticket to both MSI (GPU Vendor) and Gigabyte (Mobo Vendor). Waiting for their response. In the meantime, I am trying to figure out whether it could be misconfiguration on my part.

Hmm ok. I was going to saw if it is x8 5.0, then it's running x16 4.0 as PCIe 5.0 can support double the bandwidth of PCIe 4.0. The graphics card is installed in the closest PCie slot to the CPU and not the other two slots at the bottom of the motherboard?

[Codehack]

2 minutes ago, CommanderAlex said:

Hmm ok. I was going to saw if it is x8 5.0, then it's running x16 4.0 as PCIe 5.0 can support double the bandwidth of PCIe 4.0. The graphics card is installed in the closest PCie slot to the CPU and not the other two slots at the bottom of the motherboard?

Yes, it's installed in the correct slot. Topmost slot.

 

GPU-Z Screenshots, one with load and one without attached below.

[DigitalGoat]

2 minutes ago, Codehack said:

Yes, it's installed in the correct slot. Topmost slot.

 

GPU-Z Screenshots, one with load and one without attached below.

Just as a test try the card in the second slot and see what is reported.

[CommanderAlex]

1 minute ago, Codehack said:

Yes, it's installed in the correct slot. Topmost slot.

 

GPU-Z Screenshots, one with load and one without attached below.

~Snipped~

Thank you for the screenshots. That's pretty weird that it's not using x16. One more thing I would try is to run DDU and install an earlier version of the Nvidia drivers to see if this is just a driver issue or just reinstall the drivers and nuke these with DDU. 

 

If this doesn't work, I'd suspect something is wrong with the card unless you are able to test it out in another system and see if the problem moves with it on that system (signaling it's a problem with the physical graphics card). 

[Codehack]

3 minutes ago, DigitalGoat said:

Just as a test try the card in the second slot and see what is reported.

I can't place the card in any other slot because it's humongous in size and won't fit in the lower slots.

 

3 minutes ago, CommanderAlex said:

Thank you for the screenshots. That's pretty weird that it's not using x16. One more thing I would try is to run DDU and install an earlier version of the Nvidia drivers to see if this is just a driver issue or just reinstall the drivers and nuke these with DDU. 

 

If this doesn't work, I'd suspect something is wrong with the card unless you are able to test it out in another system and see if the problem moves with it on that system (signaling it's a problem with the physical graphics card). 

 

Could this be a driver issue? The card also gets reported as running in x8 in the motherboard BIOS too. However, it does recognize it as x16 capable.

[CommanderAlex]

Just now, Codehack said:

I can't place the card in any other slot because it's humongous in size and won't fit in the lower slots.

 

 

Could this be a driver issue? The card also gets reported as running in x8 in the motherboard BIOS too. However, it does recognize it as x16 capable.

In BIOS, no drivers are loaded so anything you see there will be as "pure" (I guess a good term, just referring to how basic it is) as it gets. You can check your Link State power management under advanced power settings in your Windows power plan and check to see what setting it is (this changes the bandwidth link to conserve power and is dynamic to address the whole bandwidth of the slot). It's a long shot of being a driver issue, which can occur, so it's something I would try and determine if this is what is causing it to only do 4.0 x8. 

[191x7]

8 minutes ago, Codehack said:

I can't place the card in any other slot because it's humongous in size and won't fit in the lower slots.

 

 

Could this be a driver issue? The card also gets reported as running in x8 in the motherboard BIOS too. However, it does recognize it as x16 capable.

Does your motherboard run the latest Bios?

 

Do other tools report the same x8 being used? GPU-Z might not be fully updated to support PCI-E5 and my idea is that it might be showing 4 x8 instead of 5 x8.

[Ralf]

1 hour ago, CommanderAlex said:

Hmm ok. I was going to saw if it is x8 5.0, then it's running x16 4.0 as PCIe 5.0 can support double the bandwidth of PCIe 4.0.

1 hour ago, 191x7 said:

GPU-Z might not be fully updated to support PCI-E5 and my idea is that it might be showing 4 x8 instead of 5 x8.

Why would it show or run at 5.0 when the gpu only supports 4.0?

[CommanderAlex]

4 minutes ago, Ralf said:

Why would it show or run at 5.0 when the gpu only supports 4.0?

Stupid moment...forgot the cards are only Gen 4.0 but the slot is Gen 5.0.

 

 

[QuantumSingularity]

If you are sure the GPU is seated properly in the slot, is not hanging down and doesn't have tape left on its PCIe interface try changing the SATA drives you have connected to your SATA ports. The M2_CPU slot is limited to just PCIe 4 x4/x2 so no common lanes with the PCIe 5. According to the block diagram for you mobo, nothing should disrupt the x16 mode for the PCIe 5.0 slot, but you never know...

[Codehack]

15 hours ago, 191x7 said:

Does your motherboard run the latest Bios?

 

Do other tools report the same x8 being used? GPU-Z might not be fully updated to support PCI-E5 and my idea is that it might be showing 4 x8 instead of 5 x8.

 

Yes, I've updated to the latest BIOS. It made no difference. I've checked before and after the update.

Aida64 reports the card as PCIe x16 @ x8 as well. Attaching screenshot below.

 

13 hours ago, Ralf said:

Why would it show or run at 5.0 when the gpu only supports 4.0?

 

Funny, I had the same answer given on Reddit and the insists it's running PCIe 5 x8.

 

13 hours ago, CommanderAlex said:

Stupid moment...forgot the cards are only Gen 4.0 but the slot is Gen 5.0.

 

 

 

I think I've read somewhere that the RTX 4000 series are PCIe 5 ready but not yet officially supported through some BIOS update.

 

9 hours ago, QuantumSingularity said:

If you are sure the GPU is seated properly in the slot, is not hanging down and doesn't have tape left on its PCIe interface try changing the SATA drives you have connected to your SATA ports. The M2_CPU slot is limited to just PCIe 4 x4/x2 so no common lanes with the PCIe 5. According to the block diagram for you mobo, nothing should disrupt the x16 mode for the PCIe 5.0 slot, but you never know...

 

Yes, the GPU is seated properly. I also installed its support bracket to make sure it's not bent at all. I cleaned its PCIe interface too and also cleaned the PCIe slot on the motherboard with isopropyl alcohol too, no difference. I don't use any SATA drives, I have 3 NVMe M.2 SSDs installed and I removed all of them to make sure it's not them causing the issue but the GPU still runs x8 with just the CPU and the RAM on. I am starting to believe I should either RMA the motherboard or the GPU. I will test later with my old 3080 Ti and the same motherboard to determine if it's the GPU causing this.

 

[QuantumSingularity]

Well.. sometimes you just have to be the "unlucky" one. That's why there is warranty. I it's the same with another GPU, then it's clearly a mobo fault.

[Codehack]

22 minutes ago, QuantumSingularity said:

Well.. sometimes you just have to be the "unlucky" one. That's why there is warranty. I it's the same with another GPU, then it's clearly a mobo fault.

I hope it's a mobo fault because if it's the mobo I could get a replacement quickly without staying computerless for some time. On the other hand, I won't be able to get an RTX 4090 in reasonable time.

[QuantumSingularity]

Well at least you are not the other way around - with a Gigabyte GPU and MSI mobo. Then you wouldn't get a replacement GPU for really REALLY long time knowing the history of GB's RMA system.

[CommanderAlex]

8 hours ago, Codehack said:

I think I've read somewhere that the RTX 4000 series are PCIe 5 ready but not yet officially supported through some BIOS update.

Again, check the graphics card in another computer if you can, maybe a friend's and see if it still only goes to 4.0 x8 and not 4.0 x16.

[191x7]

4 hours ago, Codehack said:

I hope it's a mobo fault because if it's the mobo I could get a replacement quickly without staying computerless for some time. On the other hand, I won't be able to get an RTX 4090 in reasonable time.

 

11 minutes ago, CommanderAlex said:

Again, check the graphics card in another computer if you can, maybe a friend's and see if it still only goes to 4.0 x8 and not 4.0 x16.

 

I agree with @CommanderAlex- test the card in another system and another card in the system. That will tell you if it's the board or the card.

[Codehack]

4 hours ago, CommanderAlex said:

Again, check the graphics card in another computer if you can, maybe a friend's and see if it still only goes to 4.0 x8 and not 4.0 x16.

 

3 hours ago, 191x7 said:

 

 

I agree with @CommanderAlex- test the card in another system and another card in the system. That will tell you if it's the board or the card.

 

I tested my previous RTX 3080 Ti on the same system, it seems like it's also identifying this one as PCIe Gen 4 x8 instead of x16. I tested it with NVMe SSDs on and without, both cases, x8. I assume it's a problem with the motherboard, will create a ticket with Gigabyte first to see if it's something that needs to be fixed with a BIOS update since the Z790 chipset is relatively new and I'll also call the store I bought it from for a potential replacement. I suppose this qualifies as DOA.

[CommanderAlex]

7 minutes ago, Codehack said:

I tested my previous RTX 3080 Ti on the same system, it seems like it's also identifying this one as PCIe Gen 4 x8 instead of x16. I tested it with NVMe SSDs on and without, both cases, x8. I assume it's a problem with the motherboard, will create a ticket with Gigabyte first to see if it's something that needs to be fixed with a BIOS update since the Z790 chipset is relatively new and I'll also call the store I bought it from for a potential replacement. I suppose this qualifies as DOA.

Yes, it's a motherboard problem. If the motherboard is within the return period, I'd prefer returning it to the retailer and telling them it's broken while getting a new board, no need to deal with RMA and let the retailer deal with RMA. 

[dilpickle]

Some BIOS have a setting to choose the PCIE lane config

 

 

[Codehack]

50 minutes ago, dilpickle said:

Some BIOS have a setting to choose the PCIE lane config

 

 

 

I've searched for it but I couldn't find any setting relevant. Unless it's somewhere I haven't noticed.

 

4 hours ago, CommanderAlex said:

Yes, it's a motherboard problem. If the motherboard is within the return period, I'd prefer returning it to the retailer and telling them it's broken while getting a new board, no need to deal with RMA and let the retailer deal with RMA. 

 

Yeah, I am thinking of buying a new one and asking them to RMA and return the money if possible. Should save some time.

[rijzen]

4 hours ago, Codehack said:

 

I've searched for it but I couldn't find any setting relevant. Unless it's somewhere I haven't noticed.

 

 

Yeah, I am thinking of buying a new one and asking them to RMA and return the money if possible. Should save some time.

On that board the bios setting is under settings>IO>PCIE bifurcation . not sure if that helps but its an easy thing to check