How to change from x16 to x8 GPU to free up lanes

[Quartz]

Is there a way to switch the top PCIe slot to run at x8 so I can use my network card?

How many lanes does the second x16 slot support? If you look at it carefully you will see that while it is physically a x16 slot, electrically it will be x4 or x8. If it is x8 then you are in luck: if you plug in your network card, the PC should automatically reduce the GPU slot to x8.

I am switching to 10 Gb ethernet - the switches arrive tomorrow - and had a very similar problem. I ended up buying x4 X550 network cards for my client PCs. The servers have X540 NICs (which are x8 cards).

 

[Armageus]

You have to remember most of the modern "i9"s is still on Intel's "midrange" platform, where users are on a tighter budget and don't need that many lanes. The only reason why it's become so "high end" in terms of CPU performance is thanks to competition from AMD, which is why there's been no proper LGA2066 successor yet (and also AMD's Threadripper line). If you need a lot of PCIe lanes unfortunately it's a bad time as there's nothing new from both sides.

Verging off topic, but if you need really PCI-E lanes, then it's hard to look past Threadripper Pro

Huge amount of PCI-E lanes and other I/O

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[hobib_ali]

You have to remember most of the modern "i9"s is still on Intel's "midrange" platform, where users are on a tighter budget and don't need that many lanes. The only reason why it's become so "high end" in terms of CPU performance is thanks to competition from AMD, which is why there's been no proper LGA2066 successor yet (and also AMD's Threadripper line). If you need a lot of PCIe lanes unfortunately it's a bad time as there's nothing new from both sides.

Yep, ive been waiting for a LGA2066 successor, Ive had mine since 2018, still an excellent chipset but its overdue, also theres no hint from intel if there gonna do anything soon.

 

[jaybee]

10Gb=1.25GB

So a dual 10Gb card requires 2.5GB of bandwidth, which is slightly more than a Pcie 2.0 4x card could supply (2.0GB), hence why it needs 8x lanes.

That's what I thought then I googled and saw people saying it's double that requirement due to full duplex, so edited all my posts to account for it. Hmm. Not sure.

 

[Armageus]

That's what I thought then I googled and saw people saying it's double that requirement due to full duplex, so edited all my posts to account for it. Hmm. Not sure.

Network speeds are quoted in one direction, but so are PCI-E Gigatransfers GT/s, so it's all fine