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X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU?

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kram36
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2020/08/22 13:30:58 (permalink)
Is there any difference in the way the X299 Dark addresses PCIe lanes with a Cascade Lake 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs a Skylake X 44 PCIe Lane CPU? What is EVGA having the X299 Dark do with the extra 4 PCIe Lanes on the Cascade Lake CPU? There is no information about the Cascade Lake CPU PCIe Lane addressing in the manual that came with the motherboard or the downloadable pdf manual.
 


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    ZoranC
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/22 13:57:10 (permalink)
    I believe this has been discussed several times. Bottom line: Extra lanes do not exist on mb so there is nothing that can be done with extra ones on CPU. You can pretend as if they don't exist.  
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    Ravenmaster
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/27 05:41:31 (permalink)
    This is why we need a successor to the Dark mobo. Or even a successor to X299 in general.

    Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero | Intel Core i9-14900KF | RTX 4090 FE | 2x32GB Corsair Dominator Titanium DDR5 RAM (7200mhz) | 2x Samsung 990 Pro 4TB M.2 NVMe's for main OS and backup) | Windows 11 Pro 64-bit 23H2 |Klipsch 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos speakers + Denon AVR-X2800H Receiver | LG 42" C2 OLED | EVGA ASSOCIATE CODE: JRKV0L1B1GY3ADW

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    wmmills
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/27 08:15:44 (permalink)
    Ravenmaster
    This is why we need a successor to the Dark mobo. Or even a successor to X299 in general.


    I think theres one thats going to drop relatively soon the way the pricing has been plummeting. You may get your wish sooner than you think.

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    ZoranC
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/27 09:57:48 (permalink)
    Ravenmaster
    This is why we need a successor to the Dark mobo. Or even a successor to X299 in general.



    Yes and no. While it is always in nature of people like me to want every last drop CPUs specs allow for when I reason about it X299 Dark with 4 more lanes is not -truly- needed, at least not by majority of people out there. I mean, even in my setup I still have lanes left even though my setup is far from average (5 NVMe drives, plus video card of course).
     
    When you weigh that, how many buyers would be, against cost of producing new mb there likely wouldn't be any financial benefit from it, it likely would be huge loss.
     
    At the same time PCIe 4 and DDR 5 are on the horizon.
     
    So what we really need, and will likely see, is Intel's successor to X299 chipset for the next generation.
    post edited by ZoranC - 2020/08/27 13:48:30
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    kram36
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/27 14:33:06 (permalink)
    ZoranC
    Ravenmaster
    This is why we need a successor to the Dark mobo. Or even a successor to X299 in general.



    Yes and no. While it is always in nature of people like me to want every last drop CPUs specs allow for when I reason about it X299 Dark with 4 more lanes is not -truly- needed, at least not by majority of people out there. I mean, even in my setup I still have lanes left even though my setup is far from average (5 NVMe drives, plus video card of course).
     
    When you weigh that, how many buyers would be, against cost of producing new mb there likely wouldn't be any financial benefit from it, it likely would be huge loss.
     
    At the same time PCIe 4 and DDR 5 are on the horizon.
     
    So what we really need, and will likely see, is Intel's successor to X299 chipset for the next generation.


    EVGA could actually make PE6 use CPU lanes whether you use a video card or not in that slot.
    #6
    ZoranC
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/27 14:56:55 (permalink)
    kram36
    EVGA could actually make PE6 use CPU lanes whether you use a video card or not in that slot.



    Without physically altering the board though?
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    kram36
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/27 16:03:33 (permalink)
    ZoranC
    kram36
    EVGA could actually make PE6 use CPU lanes whether you use a video card or not in that slot.



    Without physically altering the board though?


    Why would they need to physically alter the board? What difference does it make whether you are running a video card in that slot or a NVMe card as to use CPU or PCH lanes?
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    ZoranC
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/27 17:03:27 (permalink)
    kram36
    ZoranC
    kram36
    EVGA could actually make PE6 use CPU lanes whether you use a video card or not in that slot.



    Without physically altering the board though?


    Why would they need to physically alter the board? What difference does it make whether you are running a video card in that slot or a NVMe card as to use CPU or PCH lanes?




    -I- wouldn't know that is why I am asking are you sure there is nothing that would physically prevent it.
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    EVGA_Lee
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/28 10:19:35 (permalink)
    Per TiN:
     
    TiN_EE
    [....]
    CascadeLake-X are drop-in processors refresh for all existing X299 boards (given BIOS is updated to support CLX microcode/functions).
     
    Additional 4 lanes on CLX-X are NOT connected to anything on X299 Dark, so those cannot be used. Hence PCIe routing/mapping/functionality is exactly same as original 44-lane Skylake-X processors. I don't think it's big enough deal to warrant board design change and revalidation cycle, and further confusion for owners who would need to know which board "version" is it to use those extra 4 lanes. 
     
    Hardened security from CLX also fully supported on X299 Dark with new BIOSes, as it's processor feature, not the motherboards.

    https://forums.evga.com/FindPost/3001037
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    ZoranC
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/28 11:07:22 (permalink)
    EVGATech_LeeM
    Per TiN:
     
    TiN_EE
    [....]
    I don't think it's big enough deal to warrant board design change and revalidation cycle, and further confusion for owners who would need to know which board "version" is it to use those extra 4 lanes. 

    https://forums.evga.com/FindPost/3001037



    Agreed, I don't see company would have any "return on investment" by pursuing it.
     
    Now, speaking of PE6 that kram36 mentioned, is there an easy (firmware?) way to get both it and M.2 PM2 to both use their own, separate, four CPU lanes when both are populated? If yes I could see a benefit to that. Or that too is impossible without physical alterations?
    #11
    EVGA_Lee
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/28 11:08:35 (permalink)
    It would require hardware modification.
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    ZoranC
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/28 11:37:13 (permalink)
    EVGATech_LeeM
    It would require hardware modification.



    I figured that is most likely the case but with kram36 insisting it is possible I had to ask someone that is the authority on it.
    #13
    kram36
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/28 15:32:48 (permalink)
    ZoranC
    EVGATech_LeeM
    It would require hardware modification.



    I figured that is most likely the case but with kram36 insisting it is possible I had to ask someone that is the authority on it.


    I never insisted anything. I asked why PE6 can't use CPU lanes when not using a video card in that slot. You added to my question with the your M.2 PM2 question.
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    ZoranC
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    Re: X299 Dark PCIe Lane Usage With a 48 PCIe Lane CPU vs 44 PCIe Lane CPU? 2020/08/28 15:57:18 (permalink)
    kram36
    ZoranC
    EVGATech_LeeM
    It would require hardware modification.



    I figured that is most likely the case but with kram36 insisting it is possible I had to ask someone that is the authority on it.


    I never insisted anything. I asked why PE6 can't use CPU lanes when not using a video card in that slot. You added to my question with the your M.2 PM2 question.




    My interpretation of your words "EVGA could actually make PE6 use CPU lanes whether you use a video card or not in that slot. ... Why would they need to physically alter the board? What difference does it make whether you are running a video card in that slot or a NVMe card as to use CPU or PCH lanes?" was that EVGA could make PE6 use CPU lanes, period. I stand corrected.
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