Graphics card running on PCI-E x8

[dgsmith]

I need to look at adding a discrete graphics card to a machine that does not have a PCI-E x16 slot, only several x8 and x4 slots. It seems incredibly hard finding a card with an x8 configuration, and indeed even on ebay some listings are "modified" cards that have had the extra pins simply sanded off! The only new cards I can see in this configuration are the absolute bottom end of the scale.

 

Why does it seem so hard to find an x8 card and what impacts to performance are there in buying a modified one, or even doing this yourself? They still seem to work, but judging the performance hit (assuming there will be) is less certain.

[Arthur]

https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/2488-pci-e-3-x8-vs-x16-performance-impact-on-gpus

[CHiLL]

Is this for a work computer or personal? What sort of workload will it be doing?

 

If you just need to drive some monitors, then a Palit GeForce GT 710 2GB would be enough to meet your needs. When I rebuilt my office workstation a few months ago, I opted for this card to drive three monitors. It uses a PCIe x8 slot (which I can confirm because I currently have it plugged into a PCIe x16 slot and it does not take up all of the slot...and it's advertised as a x8 slot).

Edited July 10, 2019 by CHiLL

[PotNoodleTech]

The PCIE speed doesnt really matter a tremendous amount. You can get various different PCIe extender or internal cables that you may be able to get to work.

 

My main question would be, if the PC is so old that it doesn't even have PCIEx16 (10 years old?) then what's the point of busting a gut to try and fit a modern graphics card in it. You'd be better off spending the money on a Refurbished Dell from ICT Direct or the like that will have everything you need.

[chazzy2501]

The cool news is you don't even need an adapter you really can just cut or melt the back of the slot out of the way and insert a full size card. (some x8 slots are open ended anyway)

 

You'll see no perceivable speed reduction, as an SLI user both my cards run at x8 anyway.

 

You'll find that although say the Nvidia 1030GT uses a full sized PCIE x16 sized slot it actually only runs at PCIE x4! (btw if you buy that card get the gddr5 version)

 

 

EDITED to add point

Edited July 10, 2019 by chazzy2501

[dgsmith]

It would be to manage some "light" graphics work and to drive 2 screens (the proposed server is a general server with limited in-built I/O but with a powerful CPU set - the cost to get a machine with equiv CPU would be beyond what budget I could reasonably consider). I am a bit perplexed why it didn't have an x16 slot (it has more than enough space, given there are 7 slots total, including traditional PCI), but alas it's 8x max.

 

The chart posted above of interesting, suggesting that the extra bandwidth offered by the additional lanes doesn't have any noticeable impact. One must wonder then why most entry level cards are not built to x8 standards for greater compatibility!

Edited July 10, 2019 by dgsmith

[synaesthesia]

Just chop out the back of the connector on the motherboard...

[dgsmith]

Just chop out the back of the connector on the motherboard...

 

Thinking about that to be honest - it's not a new system and if there was a significant screw-up that rendered the whole thing dead, it wouldn't be a disaster. I know some boards come with open-ended slots anyway!

[EmperorPeng]

Just get a card and fit it. My last motherboard had a nasty issue on the PCI-E slots - the x16 slot was DOA and the secondary slot (x8) only ran at x4.

 

Played all my games perfectly fine with minimal loss of performance. As you're not playing games and only doing light graphics work you'll be perfectly fine with a card only running at x8.

 

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I need to look at adding a discrete graphics card to a machine that does not have a PCI-E x16 slot, only several x8 and x4 slots. It seems incredibly hard finding a card with an x8 configuration, and indeed even on ebay some listings are "modified" cards that have had the extra pins simply sanded off! The only new cards I can see in this configuration are the absolute bottom end of the scale.

 

Why does it seem so hard to find an x8 card and what impacts to performance are there in buying a modified one, or even doing this yourself? They still seem to work, but judging the performance hit (assuming there will be) is less certain.