PCIe Lanes question.

[TheModMonster]

Hello! I am considering upgrading my system to:

 

Intel Core i5 4690K Devil's Canyon

Asus Z97-AR Motherboard

 

I found that the 4690K can handle a maximum of 16 Lanes:

http://ark.intel.com/products/80811/Intel-Core-i5-4690K-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_90-GHz

 

The Asus Z97-AR only has one 16x slot. If I were to go to SLI I would just have to do dual 8x PCIe. After watching some videos, I am not too concerned. So if I used either 16x x1 or 8x x2 my CPU would support it. No big deal? No, except this:

 

I do not have wired connection to my PC. I would have to use a Wireless Network card. I have a TP-LINK WN881ND. It works great. But if I were using SLI and use ALL 16 Lanes of my CPU, Could I still handle it? Please ask questions if necessary.

[Aniallation]

I do not have wired connection to my PC. I would have to use a Wireless Network card. I have a TP-LINK WN881ND. It works great. But if I were using SLI and use ALL 16 Lanes of my CPU, Could I still handle it? Please ask questions if necessary.

The wireless card will run off the 8 PCIe 2.0 lanes that are part of the Z97 chipset. It doesn't touch the 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU. You'll still be fine running two-way SLI + a WiFi card

[TheMastr13]

Pretty sure one of your gpu's would run at 4x

Best solution would bet to get a USB wifi adapter

EDIT: I'm stupid, don't listen to me

[-rascal-]

PCI-E 3.0 X8 is completely fine. Graphics Card these days can't even fully saturate the bandwidth of PCI-E 2.0 X16.

 

The other PCI-E X1 / legacy PCI slots are provided by the chipset. They are NOT part of the 16 PCI-E 3.0 lanes from the CPU.

 

Intel's Z97 chipset diagram:

 

 

 

Specifically, "up to 8 x PCI Express 2.0" -- this is what your Network card will use.

[Giganizer300PRO]

What and how many graphics cards do you have?

[Howhurl]

Slightly off-topic, would the usb adapters be weaker in terms if connection and bandwidth compared to the PCIe ones?

[Aniallation]

Slightly off-topic, would the usb adapters be weaker in terms if connection and bandwidth compared to the PCIe ones?

I've always found PCIe adapters to be better the USB ones actually. At least with the ones that I've used (pretty much all Asus or TP-Link)