GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK - Confused with PCI Express Slots?

[Tidgney]

Hey,

I'm wondering whether anyone can help? I've come to use more PCI Express slots on my motherboard and I've just double checked the manual and I'm left a little confused so I'm hoping someone can help?

The manual states that you can either run PCIEX4 or the PCIEX1 slots, so does this mean I only have a choice of the 3 PCIE1 slots or the PCIE4 or can I run all 4 slots at x1? Due to my graphics card size I can't access 1 of the PCIE1 slots so I'm worried that this upgrade will be the last in terms of slots and one of those slots is ridiculously close to 1 of the fans on the GPU (Thus reducing cooling) so I'd prefer to use the PCIE4 at X1 and use another X1 slot. I'm having to upgrade 1 slot with USBs, and the other with SATA expansion (As I'm using the M.2 which disables 2 Sata ports). Just to add to the confusion in that post someone said the BIOS gave the option for the PCIE4 to be ran at x1 which suggests it would work? But that contradicts the manual and also surely means the manual is wrong as why have this choice if it disables it? (Computer in bits and I'd rather not have to put together and take apart a few times to solve if at all possible). Not sure whether I could link to the post on google I found on here so haven't but that had all the information in a good format?

Googles normally my friend here, but it appears someone else had the same question somewhere else and never got an answer and that was the only post I could find, unless I'm not searching for the right thing. Motherboards are where I get lost in terms of specs etc.

Any help from you lovely people is much appreciated ,

Cheers,

 

[bremen1874]

The manual says that the PCIe X1 slots will become unavailable if a PCIe X4 card is installed in the PCIe X4 slot. This makes sense as all of the available PCIe lanes will be taken.

It doesn't appear to say what happens if you put a PCIe X1 card into the PCIe X4 slot. There's no reason this would stop the PCIe X1 slots working as there'd be enough PCIe lanes still available (it may require the X1 BIOS setting you mention).

Why don't you assemble the system outside of the case and test it? It'd only take 10 minutes.

 

[pandem0nium]

Usually there's a setting in the bios to switch it between x1 (all slots enabled) and x4 (just the last slot works, but at 4 lanes).

If you're running an nvme drive in the m.2 slot you'd be better off using a pcie adapter and installing it in one of the slots that uses lanes from the cpu. That's assuming it can split them to x8 x8.

 

[Pocah]

What type of M.2 is it? If it is a PCIe then I hate to mess your plan up but it's not a good idea to use the M.2 socket on that board for a PCIe M.2. I tried that once and its painfully slow. It's only something like 1G Byte per second ( bytes not bits!) but if you buy a PCIe card and plug it in the graphics card slot directly below the graphics card you will achieve nearly four times that speed. You will also be able to boot from it. You need this...

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/akasa-m.2-ssd-to-pcie-adapter-card-cc-008-ak.html

You have a choice here. The board is a PCIe 2.0 so you can get the M.2 card running double the M.2 socket speed by placing it in the lowest graphics card slot - which is 2G bytes per second. If you place the card in the second graphics slot then it will run even faster at 3.5 G bytes per second. However, there will be a slight reduction in graphics speed because slot 1 will drop to x8. It may sound bad but it's not. The effect will be less than 1%, however it will allow the M.2 to run all full speed. So, personally, I would place the akasa with the M.2 in the second graphics card slot and that eliminates the problems with SATA ports and USB's.

 

[Tidgney]

Hey,

Sorry for the delayed reply, and thankyou for the replies! Unfortunately it's a choice of either x4 slot or the x1. After some testing and some fitting it appears as though the graphics card isn't affected that much by the x1 slot that nearly covers up 1 of the fans! Bit frustrating that an entire slot is useless can can' t be put to x1 if another x1 is covered by the GPU (Slot x1_2 is covered).

With the M.2 it's NVMe and in the slot that's on the board for M.2? That disables 2 SATA connections which is fine as I get why it does that which is why I wanted to expand the amount of SATA connections with an expansion card, I also have a USB expansion card but was hoping with the amount of gameplay I record that I could get another SATA expansion card in the future but it appears not the case, so I think in the future there's potential that I'll buy a new PC and use this as a secondary. I have (Only because I don't understand PCIE that well and this has been great in learning so thank you) got my capture card in the x8 slot as I just wanted to be safe it's capturing effectively but I assume that can run in a x1 slot according to the manufacturer, but I've sort of hit the limits of the board for what I use it for I guess? I need a USB expansion slot, my 1080, Capture Card, SATA expansion and that's the limit (M.2 or Sata expansion). I love my M.2 though so would never want to get rid of it. I never thought I'd say I've hit a limit of a motherboard before until now :O! Definitely something I will think about more in the future!

Thanks for your replies though, it's been of great help as always!

 

[Pocah]

Hey,

Sorry for the delayed reply, and thankyou for the replies! Unfortunately it's a choice of either x4 slot or the x1. After some testing and some fitting it appears as though the graphics card isn't affected that much by the x1 slot that nearly covers up 1 of the fans! Bit frustrating that an entire slot is useless can can' t be put to x1 if another x1 is covered by the GPU (Slot x1_2 is covered).

With the M.2 it's NVMe and in the slot that's on the board for M.2? That disables 2 SATA connections which is fine as I get why it does that which is why I wanted to expand the amount of SATA connections with an expansion card, I also have a USB expansion card but was hoping with the amount of gameplay I record that I could get another SATA expansion card in the future but it appears not the case, so I think in the future there's potential that I'll buy a new PC and use this as a secondary. I have (Only because I don't understand PCIE that well and this has been great in learning so thank you) got my capture card in the x8 slot as I just wanted to be safe it's capturing effectively but I assume that can run in a x1 slot according to the manufacturer, but I've sort of hit the limits of the board for what I use it for I guess? I need a USB expansion slot, my 1080, Capture Card, SATA expansion and that's the limit (M.2 or Sata expansion). I love my M.2 though so would never want to get rid of it. I never thought I'd say I've hit a limit of a motherboard before until now :O! Definitely something I will think about more in the future!

Thanks for your replies though, it's been of great help as always!

Hi! They are all NVMe! Is it a PCIe or a SATA? If it is a PCIe then it is very much under-performing in the M.2 motherboard slot and you can move it, like I said, to a new add on board and free up more SATA ports on the motherboard then you won't need any more cards, just the M.2 Adapter, which is really cheap ( £14 ). If your PCIe x 4 slot is free then put it in that. It is still twice as fast as the M.2 slot. I have the exact same board using the M.2 in a Akasa adapter in the PCIex8 slot, and believe me the difference is noticeable.
Course that does depend whether it is a PCIe or SATA M.2 and if you don't want to get, or can't use the adapter to move the M.2 then can of course add in a USB card. It depends on what standard ( speed ) you want as to which socket it needs to be in. I would be tempted to do is use the PCI slot you have, since you can still get PCI USB cards, but you can use either the PCIex1 or the PCIex4. The PCIex1 is sufficient.

 

[pandem0nium]

Hi! They are all NVMe! Is it a PCIe or a SATA? If it is a PCIe then it is very much under-performing in the M.2 motherboard slot and you can move it, like I said, to a new add on board and free up more SATA ports on the motherboard then you won't need any more cards, just the M.2 Adapter, which is really cheap ( £14 ). If your PCIe x 4 slot is free then put it in that. It is still twice as fast as the M.2 slot. I have the exact same board using the M.2 in a Akasa adapter in the PCIex8 slot, and believe me the difference is noticeable.
Course that does depend whether it is a PCIe or SATA M.2 and if you don't want to get, or can't use the adapter to move the M.2 then can of course add in a USB card. It depends on what standard ( speed ) you want as to which socket it needs to be in. I would be tempted to do is use the PCI slot you have, since you can still get PCI USB cards, but you can use either the PCIex1 or the PCIex4. The PCIex1 is sufficient.

No quite right there mate. SSDs which use the m.2 form factor are either nvme or sata. nvme being the protocol which uses up to 4 pcie lanes.

@Tidgney could you find out the make and model of you m.2 ssd or whether its sata or nvme?

 

[Pocah]

No quite right there mate. SSDs which use the m.2 form factor are either nvme or sata. nvme being the protocol which uses up to 4 pcie lanes.

@Tidgney could you find out the make and model of you m.2 ssd or whether its sata or nvme?

Actually thinking about it you are right, and indeed OP's is NVMe. My head was confusing NVM with NVMe. Please ignore my repeated asking, OP, you can indeed shift your M.2 drive on to an adapter and plug it directly in to a PCIe socket. Buy an Akasa card for £14, move the M.2 drive to that, and in that way you will get far better performance and it will free up the additional sata ports you need without any additional hardware. If you want more USB ports then you have multiple options there. You can use one of the PCIexX1 or the PCI slot that you have.

 

[orbitalwalsh]

yours is black edition right ? you still able to upgrade your board free ?