16x ATi HD3650 card in a 4x slot...help!

[thewanted]

Hi all,

I'm having issues with a new build and it's driving me nuts.

I had a Dell Vostro 420 with an ATi HD3650 PCI-E 16x card which I pulled out to place in my new file server.

The new motherboard is a Supermicro X8SIL-F and has the following slots:


2 (x8) PCI-Express 2.0,
1 (x4) PCI-Express (using x8 slot),
1 32-bit PCI slot

I have placed the HD3650 in the x4 slot as it is the only one it would fit in. The card appears to work fine, is perfectly stable and a large part of the card hangs out the back of the slot. However, I cannot get DXVA working in Media Player Classic - Home Cinema. If I open an x264 video with the output filter to "EVR", then video will not play but I can see in the "MPC Video Encoder" page that DVXA is detected and enabled. Videos play perfectly when not using EVR. In addition, an entry is logged in the System Event Log every time I attempt to play DXVA material in EVR mode:

Source: amdkmdag
Info: UVD Information

That's all it says

So my question is, will a 16x PCI-E card work in that slot? Is this the reason I suddenly can't play DXVA material?

For what it's worth, I've installed many different versions of the Catalyst drivers, including the ones that are on the Vostro download page on Dell's website.

Thanks in advance.

 

[thewanted]

Nothing?

 

[Supernaut91]

try latest 10.12? I presume you have already tried this.

Are you sure you cant move things around in the case to fit it into the first PCI>E Slot.

Is the GPU being powered by a molex connector? I presume it is..

 

[thewanted]

I've got the latest 10.12 Catalysts installed and the card is in the first slot (closest to the top of the board). It's not powered by a molex as the card doesn't have one.

Might try to reinstall Windows 7 as DXVA Checker tool is not showing any resolutions next to DXVA, indicating that the card isn't capable which it most certainly is.

 

[Broken Hope]

Why would you think a 16x card would work in a 4x slot? It has all those extra pins for a reason, I'm surprised the system even boots.

 

[Monkeynut]

The card would work in a x1 slot, though bandwidth would be severely constrained. The PCI-E spec is designed like that. There may not be enough bandwidth to transmit the video. Try VLC player and see if acceleration works on that.

 

[muon]

The card would work in a x1 slot, though bandwidth would be severely constrained. The PCI-E spec is designed like that. There may not be enough bandwidth to transmit the video. Try VLC player and see if acceleration works on that.

So a PCI-E card would work in a slot with 1x physical lanes (rather than electronic).

 

[jellybeard999]

So a PCI-E card would work in a slot with 1x physical lanes (rather than electronic).

Yes.

 

[thewanted]

The card would work in a x1 slot, though bandwidth would be severely constrained. The PCI-E spec is designed like that. There may not be enough bandwidth to transmit the video. Try VLC player and see if acceleration works on that.

Cheers, I'll give VLC a try although I doubt it'll work as DXVA Checker doesn't seem to think my card is capable.

Assuming the 16x card in a 4x slot is the problem, can anyone recommend a very cheap DXVA-capable card that fits in a 4x slot? Preferably with an HDMI port.

 

[rolypolyman]

Well considering you only lose 1-3% performance going from X16 toX8 I would imagine it would work in a X4!

 

[Supernaut91]

give the other PCI>E x8 slot a go, if i read correctly you have two. Worth a shot mate.

 

[thewanted]

The card would work in a x1 slot, though bandwidth would be severely constrained. The PCI-E spec is designed like that. There may not be enough bandwidth to transmit the video. Try VLC player and see if acceleration works on that.

VLC didn't work either

give the other PCI>E x8 slot a go, if i read correctly you have two. Worth a shot mate.

I can't pull the PC out as its under the stairs and behind the TV cabinet (), but if I remember correctly, there was no cut-out at the back of the other PCI-E slots so the card wouldn't have been able to be pushed in.

 

[Ch3m1c4L]

Im suprised it even fits in a (physical) 8x slot.
While 16x electrical cards will work at 8x electrical, the slot is still a 16x physical slot. 8800gt's and above wouldnt work in a 16x physical @ 4x electrical slot. then some of the 9 series did and didnt. Id check on the mobo/card site to see if it support it at all.

 

[muon]

Yes.

I don't buy it. I don't think a x16 card will work on a x1 slot. Maybe a x16 slot which electronically has less lanes.

 

[Monkeynut]

I don't buy it. I don't think a x16 card will work on a x1 slot. Maybe a x16 slot which electronically has less lanes.

It needs to have an open end - if it does it's the same as having a slot without the lanes. If you look at a motherboard that only does x8 x8 CrossFire or SLI, the pins are usually half missing because there's no point in adding them.

 

[Ch3m1c4L]

they can come with open ends? learn something new each day

 

[coupe69]

they can come with open ends? learn something new each day

Intel use open ended slots on their P55 board

I don't buy it. I don't think a x16 card will work on a x1 slot. Maybe a x16 slot which electronically has less lanes.

It will work, you can even test it yourself with some insulation tape Take a look at this article from Techpowerup, makes for interesting reading.

In this review, we test the impact of running the ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics accelerator on PCI-Express slots that are electrically PCI-Express 2.0 x8, x4, and x1. This is done by covering the data-paths using thin, insulating adhesive tape, which turns off those data-paths (lanes), while still keeping the device functional.

 

[muon]

Intel use open ended slots on their P55 board

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z45/coupe_69/intel1.jpg[/IM*]



It will work, you can even test it yourself with some insulation tape ;) Take a look at this [URL="http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/HD_5870_PCI-Express_Scaling/1.html"]article[/URL] from Techpowerup, makes for interesting reading.[/QUOTE]

Thx. Good read.