Installing dual cards in x8/x8 SLI boards

[MechaSheeba]

Does the drop from x16 to x8 only apply when using SLI? For example, if I were to install two different cards, one for gaming and one for multi monitor use, would it still drop to x8/x8? Could I also set it up to run say, x12/x4 or x16/x1?

 

[lifeblood]

In the case of my Biostar SLI board, in normal mode the first 16X slot operates at 16X while the second one operates at 1X. A 1X video card would work in it (Matrox has a 1X vid card but nobody else I know) as well as any other 1X PCI-E card. In SLI mode, both slots operate at 8X. Those are the only two modes supported so it's either 16X/1X or 8X/8X.

It depends on the board, but I think most SLI boards are like mine.

I have 3 monitors so I have a PCI-E video card in the 16X slot driving my high end monitor, and a PCI video card in one of the PCI slots driving two older monitors. This works great for multiple monitors.

 

[lifeblood]

I forgot to mention, my board requires that a switch a card to set SLI mode or normal mode. It does not autoconfigure itself.