Soldato
I've searched around and not been able to find clear answers to these. Any help is gratefully received!
Most motherboards with two PCIEx16 slots work that if you only fill the first, it functions at x16 and if you fill the second as well, they both run at x8. I understand that but if I put a GPU in one and something like a PCI-E SSD in the other, which would only need x4, will the first one still halve?
It's probably helpful if I explain what's behind these questions. I have an insatiable need for hard drives. At least four large traditional drives on SATA (I have four WD Caviar Black) and then at least two regular SSD which I already have, and then I would like to add a PCI-E SSD as fast as possible and then a second one later on. I have a graphics card (R9 285 which will probably be upgraded one day but not any time soon). So all together I'm looking to put in one GPU, two four-lane PCI-E SSDs (either into a PCI-E slot or via M2), two regular SSDs on SATA and four HDs on SATA.
I highly doubt my little r9-285 would suffer from being at x8, so I don't care about that (unless I'm very wrong?), but I need to make sure I can get the rest in on whichever motherboard I buy. I'm thinking from the above that I need 24 PCI-E lanes and that an i7-5820K would therefore be sufficient? The SATA ports don't count towards this total, right?
Thanks for any help. Motherboard recommendations are also welcome. Though I am wary of MSI historically.
Most motherboards with two PCIEx16 slots work that if you only fill the first, it functions at x16 and if you fill the second as well, they both run at x8. I understand that but if I put a GPU in one and something like a PCI-E SSD in the other, which would only need x4, will the first one still halve?
It's probably helpful if I explain what's behind these questions. I have an insatiable need for hard drives. At least four large traditional drives on SATA (I have four WD Caviar Black) and then at least two regular SSD which I already have, and then I would like to add a PCI-E SSD as fast as possible and then a second one later on. I have a graphics card (R9 285 which will probably be upgraded one day but not any time soon). So all together I'm looking to put in one GPU, two four-lane PCI-E SSDs (either into a PCI-E slot or via M2), two regular SSDs on SATA and four HDs on SATA.
I highly doubt my little r9-285 would suffer from being at x8, so I don't care about that (unless I'm very wrong?), but I need to make sure I can get the rest in on whichever motherboard I buy. I'm thinking from the above that I need 24 PCI-E lanes and that an i7-5820K would therefore be sufficient? The SATA ports don't count towards this total, right?
Thanks for any help. Motherboard recommendations are also welcome. Though I am wary of MSI historically.