PCI-E x4 controller card is okay in x16 slot?

michael baxter · 9 Sep 2009 at 23:58

I think I know the answer to this, but would appreciate some confirmation....

Will a PCI-I x4 RAID controller card (e.g Adaptec AAR-1430SA) work without any problems in a x16 motherboard slot (e.g Gigabyte GA-P31-ES3G)?

dillingerdan · 10 Sep 2009 at 01:14

Pretty sure it's a yes. You should be able to use any PCI Express card in the x16 slot, just uses the lanes its designed to use, no more.

pingwing · 10 Sep 2009 at 01:29

Yes, yes it will work fine.

I had a pci-e x1 card in a x4 slot

Basically the x16 is just 16 x1 lanes stuck together so it'll be fine

Zarf · 10 Sep 2009 at 03:09

It should work, I did once have issues getting an Intel PCI-E x4 NIC working in the X16 PCI-E slot on a shuttle (It detected and installed fine, jsut diddn't actually work), eventually found that dropping payload size down in the bios got it going.