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P55 SLI slot population

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cj3waker
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Sunday, December 11, 2011 6:39 PM (permalink)
I have a P55 SLI with GTX 480 SLI atm in PCIEx16 slots 1 and 2. I want to pick up an add-on sound card and NIC. but I only have to available PCIE slots. I can put one in the top PCIEx1 but the other would need to go in the PCIEx16 slot 3. My understanding was that PCI and PCIE x1 cards were controlled off the south bridge and wouldnt mess with lane bandwidth.If I populate that 3rd PCIEx16 slot with a PCIEx1 card will my SLI drop from x8/x8 to x4/x4?
 
And please dont recommend a PCI card instead, PCI is EOL and I dont want to have to replace when I upgrade

 ST75F-P 750W | P55 SLI | i5-760 | 2x4gb mushkin 1333 | GTX 480 SLI | OCZ Agility 120gb
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    KenMcC
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    Re:P55 SLI slot population Sunday, December 11, 2011 9:08 PM (permalink)
    The 3rd PCIe slot is x4 and yes, you can plug in a x1 card in that slot without impacting the 2 GTX 480's in SLI. 

    KenMcC
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    mru55
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    Re:P55 SLI slot population Sunday, December 11, 2011 9:13 PM (permalink)
    Are you sure Ken?
    Even on my P55FTW200 I can't get 2@  x16 if there is anything in any other PCIe slot, except the first X1.
     
    Just asking!

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    lehpron
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    Re:P55 SLI slot population Sunday, December 11, 2011 9:56 PM (permalink)
    A GTX480 looses barely 2% in an x8 slot and 7% in x4, so even if you rearraign your cards where both 480's get x8, it's no big deal either way.  Unless you want that 2-7% loss back.
     
    The big deal comes in a few years when future high-end has higher lane requirements.  If we're only now saturating x8 2.0, unless you upgrade to a PCIe 3.0 enabled system, you can't get high-end again.  In fact you need to get the same total number of shaders to keep from needing more space.

    For Intel processors, 0.122 x TDP = Continuous Amps at 12v [source].  

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    cj3waker
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    Re:P55 SLI slot population Sunday, December 11, 2011 10:58 PM (permalink)
    to clarify I currently have gtx 480 sli and PCIE 2.0 slots 1 and 2 running at an x8/x8 link speed. I am wondering whether populating the third PCIE 2.0 slot with an x1 add on card (NIC or sound card) will drop my GTX 480 SLI to x4/x4

     ST75F-P 750W | P55 SLI | i5-760 | 2x4gb mushkin 1333 | GTX 480 SLI | OCZ Agility 120gb
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    KenMcC
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    Re:P55 SLI slot population Monday, December 12, 2011 6:17 PM (permalink)
    No, IMO the x4 slot is feed from the P55 Chip and Slots 1 and 2 are feed from the CPU itself.  Look up the block diagram for the P55 / i7 chip combo.  It will show you have only 1 each x16 OR 2 each x8 from the CPU, all others come from the P55.  That being said, your board could have NF200 chip which could then bridge/multiply the x16 "in" to have 2 x16's out, buth they are not a "true" x16. 

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