Well a PCIe x16 card work in an 8x slot? (Not SLI related)

[SunnyD]

I have just been tasked with obtaining a quote for a workstation that will need to handle 6 (six) monitors. Of course, we order through Dell, so I can't just put stuff together on my own here.

What I want to know, assuming I get 3 single width PCIe video cards, would a system with 2x PCI x16 slots and 1x PCIe 8x slots work?

 

[SunnyD]

nevermind... PNY makes a PCIe x1 video card that will suit my needs.

 

[Matthias99]

If you have an x4 or x8 slot that is physically able to take an x16 size card, it should work. In theory. You may have problems if you try to run anything really bandwidth-intensive (at least in an x4 slot).

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Matthias99
If you have an x4 or x8 slot that is physically able to take an x16 size card, it should work. In theory. You may have problems if you try to run anything really bandwidth-intensive (at least in an x4 slot).

Yeah, I was looking at the specs of the Dell systems and they're saying x8 wired for x4. I assumed a physical x8 slot, which is why I looked for a different solution.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: SunnyD

Originally posted by: Matthias99
If you have an x4 or x8 slot that is physically able to take an x16 size card, it should work. In theory. You may have problems if you try to run anything really bandwidth-intensive (at least in an x4 slot).

Yeah, I was looking at the specs of the Dell systems and they're saying x8 wired for x4. I assumed a physical x8 slot, which is why I looked for a different solution.

Yeah. I have heard that some people have modded those slots so they can fit x16 cards (cutting out the plastic piece at the end of the slot), but I wouldn't do something like that on a workstation machine, and it would certainly void the warranty...

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Matthias99

Originally posted by: SunnyD

Originally posted by: Matthias99
If you have an x4 or x8 slot that is physically able to take an x16 size card, it should work. In theory. You may have problems if you try to run anything really bandwidth-intensive (at least in an x4 slot).

Yeah, I was looking at the specs of the Dell systems and they're saying x8 wired for x4. I assumed a physical x8 slot, which is why I looked for a different solution.

Yeah. I have heard that some people have modded those slots so they can fit x16 cards (cutting out the plastic piece at the end of the slot), but I wouldn't do something like that on a workstation machine, and it would certainly void the warranty...

Definitely can't do that, as this will be a production system at work for a very large corporation.