GeForce 780 GTX in PCI-e 1.0 Slot.

[Thelps]

Hi all,
Just wondering what would happen if I connect a GeForce 780 GTX to a PCI-e 1.0 slot?

Obviously the card is designed for PCI-e 2.0 slots.

Would the card still function? Would there be a performance loss? If so, how much a performance loss, roughly?

Appreciate your advice.

 

[bemused_fred]

PCIe 1.0? Blimey, how old is the CPU in that motherboard? You're setting yourself up for a hell of a bottleneck there....

 

[a1blaster]

i bet it won't probably boot up...

 

[bemused_fred]

i bet it won't probably boot up...

Oh no, all PCIe cards and slots are fully backwards compatible. It'd create so much of a bottleneck though. PCIe 2 was introduced in 2007, so if you're using a CPU from before then, you'll create a horrific bottleneck if you try and use it with a top-end graphics card from 2013. Furthermore, it only has a 2.5GT/s transfer rate, which may bottleneck the GTX 780 even futher. I'd say it's probably not worth it.

 

[Thelps]

i bet it won't probably boot up...

Oh no, all PCIe cards and slots are fully backwards compatible. It'd create so much of a bottleneck though. PCIe 2 was introduced in 2007, so if you're using a CPU from before then, you'll create a horrific bottleneck if you try and use it with a top-end graphics card from 2013. Furthermore, it only has a 2.5GT/s transfer rate, which may bottleneck the GTX 780 even futher. I'd say it's probably not worth it.

I have an Intel QX6700 (quad core @ 2.66 Ghz). I was thinking of just upgrading to a Socket 775 Mobo with PCI-e 2.0 slots. However, you say if the CPU is pre-2007 it might create a bottleneck?

My CPU was released in 2006, but thanks to it being an Intel 'Extreme' CPU it was tip-top of the range at time of purchase. I haven't noticed it struggling with any applications I've used it with.

Do you think it will bottleneck the GPU when used with PCI-e 2.0 compatible motherboard?

 

[Thelps]

I'll take the lack of response as a 'oh, actually that's a reasonably solid CPU even by today's standards, it's probably only the PCI-e 1.0 slot that's bottlenecking the system'.

 

[bemused_fred]

I'll take the lack of response as a 'oh, actually that's a reasonably solid CPU even by today's standards, it's probably only the PCI-e 1.0 slot that's bottlenecking the system'.

Not really. The similar Q 6600 gets soundly thrashed by a modern I3. If you go by the maxim "spend twice as much on the GPU as on the CPU", which generally is very good at avoiding bottlenecks, you'd want an I5 3570K. I just can't see why you'd want to couple today's top-end graphics with anything but a modern, mid-range processor at the very least.

 

[ZionZA]

lol. Put it to you this way. Battlefield 4 maxes out a q9550 at stock levels and creates a bottleneck for a GTX 660 because of it. So yes that cpu will be holding a GTX780 back. The slot as well. Will be better off upgrading your motherboard, ram and cpu first

 

[Thelps]

Money's tight so I'd prefer not to buy a new motherboard if I can (Given this thread is advising a new CPU as well, to go with that motherboard).

I COULD save for a new motherboard, RAM and CPU but it would take a few months at least (which is equivalent to a certain value of the 780 GTX's price since hardware depreciates so quickly, especially graphics cards). I'm lucky I have a very powerful PSU (1000 watts), and a range of fast hard drives including an SSD so those aren't bottlenecks, at least.

I could really use a straight answer on if the card could safely run in a PCI-e slot, what performance loss I'd experience (as a percentage - roughly) and any further details.

 

[Thelps]

I see, poster above my last post answered it best. Back to saving.