Graphics Card running on x8 in x16 slot on Asus Z170 Pro Gaming

[Zkitzo]

I have a Asus Z170 Pro Gaming and a Gigabyte GTX 980 Ti. Today I downloaded NVIDIA Inspector, and I saw that PCIe Interface was running on "3.0 @ 1.1 x8".

So I checked the BIOS and also there it said it's running on x8. I only have a M2 SSD installed (which disables SATA port 1), but I thought the M2 SSD would not affect the graphics cards speed because of the Z170 chipset. So I'm wondering why it's running on x8. I do have another SSD but it's connected through SATA.

Can someone explain me what's going on?

 

[raisonjohn]

It's maybe due to the GPU's power saving feature making the PCIe3.0 x16 run at 1.1 x8, especially during idle. Have you tried loading/playing a game with your GPU while checking the speeds?

 

[Zkitzo]

It's maybe due to the GPU's power saving feature making the PCIe3.0 x16 run at 1.1 x8, especially during idle. Have you tried loading/playing a game with your GPU while checking the speeds?

It only changes PCIe Interface from "3.0 @ 1.1 x8" to "3.0 @ 3.0 x8", something else?

 

[krzyimprt]

I have a Asus Z170 Pro Gaming and a Gigabyte GTX 980 Ti. Today I downloaded NVIDIA Inspector, and I saw that PCIe Interface was running on "3.0 @ 1.1 x8".

So I checked the BIOS and also there it said it's running on x8. I only have a M2 SSD installed (which disables SATA port 1), but I thought the M2 SSD would not affect the graphics cards speed because of the Z170 chipset. So I'm wondering why it's running on x8. I do have another SSD but it's connected through SATA.

Can someone explain me what's going on?

x8 won't effect the performance. Re-seat the card or clean the pins it should run at x16.

 

[junkeymonkey]

may need to read the manual on whats shared if a 3ed slot or M@ is used and wired to the CPU pci-e lanes that will be the cars [as in one slot =x16 2 slots =8x8 a 3ed or M2 may = 8x4x4 ]

from this review it claims true the 2 primary slots [for gou use] are only wired to the CPU? so it should be full x16 single card and full 8x8 sli with out any additional sharing

''Gaming support is via the x16 or x8/x8 configuration of the PCIe lanes, with the final PCIe slot being a PCIe 3.0 x4 for the chipset. This arrangement allows two-way SLI configurations while simultaneously using the bottom slot for another PCIe card''

so with that you could assume the rest of the slots work off the chipset


can you run GPU-z render test to check that

http://imgur.com/PVKXaWb

[same thing here ??? just don't buy the answer ]

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3088852/gpu-pcie-lanes-asus-z170-pro-gaming-msi-980.html


or do I on this

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3290760/asus-striyx-gtx-1070-works.html

then you got to figure why that board has had well over 16 bios updates ?? a lot of them been removed 0229 was first release according to the cpu list not 0603 ??

https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/Z170-PRO-GAMING/HelpDesk_Download/

show in your manual the same just the 2 slots for card use are only shares so a single card in pci--1 should be full x16

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/972232/Asus-Z170-Pro-Gaming.html?page=25#manual

maybe try another card and see if the same or your card in another computer maybe you got a buddy with a nice gaming frig to help on that ?

 

[Zkitzo]

I have a Asus Z170 Pro Gaming and a Gigabyte GTX 980 Ti. Today I downloaded NVIDIA Inspector, and I saw that PCIe Interface was running on "3.0 @ 1.1 x8".

So I checked the BIOS and also there it said it's running on x8. I only have a M2 SSD installed (which disables SATA port 1), but I thought the M2 SSD would not affect the graphics cards speed because of the Z170 chipset. So I'm wondering why it's running on x8. I do have another SSD but it's connected through SATA.

Can someone explain me what's going on?

x8 won't effect the performance. Re-seat the card or clean the pins it should run at x16.

Things I've tried:
- Reseat the card, didn't clean the pins though (no effect)
- Remove the M2 SSD (no effect)

It's on x8 in the BIOS already, so checking in Windows doesn't matter.

I know it won't affect performance much but, how much decrease does x8 have instead of x16?

Strange!

EDIT: Nevermind the last question, it's only a couple of FPS as I read in http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-3290760/asus-striyx-gtx-1070-works.html (thanks junkeymonkey).

 

[junkeymonkey]

little to none

thing is why is it not as a single card running at its full x16 if theres no sharing with anything else off the cpu pci-e lanes ???

 

[Zkitzo]

little to none

thing is why is it not as a single card running at its full x16 if theres no sharing with anything else off the cpu pci-e lanes ???

Indeed, I will ask my brother to bring his other graphics card which he has lying around and test it with that one, maybe it's the card?

 

[junkeymonkey]

sorry,

thing is is it the card ?? or the board ?? that's why you need some way to check that if you use another card in it and its now x16 as it should then maybe something up with that 980ti ? if the card you used is still at x8 maybe something with the board / bios / cpu / [???] .
or if you put that 980ti in another compatible and capable computer and its at x8 there as well and you know any card use in it before was at x16 then you can look at something up with that card as well ??

 

[Zkitzo]

sorry,

thing is is it the card ?? or the board ?? that's why you need some way to check that if you use another card in it and its now x16 as it should then maybe something up with that 980ti ? if the card you used is still at x8 maybe something with the board / bios / cpu / [???] .
or if you put that 980ti in another compatible and capable computer and its at x8 there as well and you know any card use in it before was at x16 then you can look at something up with that card as well ??

I'll be back with some results!

By the way I'm not running the latest BIOS but 3016 which is the version before it. The board has some issues with the memory, I finally got it running on the OC speed with this BIOS so I'm afraid to change it to a other version

 

[junkeymonkey]

ya , I see it seems like ''skylake'' platform has memory issues all around no matter what brand a lot with xmp ??? I not too hip on CPU or platforms with dual memory controllers on them .. I guess its still popping up with the 200 series as well ..

post back with anything you find out


good luck

 

[Zkitzo]

ya , I see it seems like ''skylake'' platform has memory issues all around no matter what brand a lot with xmp ??? I not too hip on CPU or platforms with dual memory controllers on them .. I guess its still popping up with the 200 series as well ..

post back with anything you find out


good luck

I have just tested my brothers old Club3D GeForce GTX 550 Ti in this system, and it was running on x16. So it's not the board, I'm going to take my Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti to my brother and test it in his system.

I'll be back

EDIT: Tested the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti at my brothers place, also running at x8, so it's definitely the card, I'm going to do a VBIOS update, but I don't think it will help. If this doesn't help I guess I will RMA the card.

EDIT2: I just updated the VBIOS to version F4 from Gigabyte, but nothing has changed. I opened a support ticked at Gigabyte and then we will see.

 

[krzyimprt]

ya , I see it seems like ''skylake'' platform has memory issues all around no matter what brand a lot with xmp ??? I not too hip on CPU or platforms with dual memory controllers on them .. I guess its still popping up with the 200 series as well ..

post back with anything you find out


good luck

I have just tested my brothers old Club3D GeForce GTX 550 Ti in this system, and it was running on x16. So it's not the board, I'm going to take my Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti to my brother and test it in his system.

I'll be back

EDIT: Tested the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti at my brothers place, also running at x8, so it's definitely the card, I'm going to do a VBIOS update, but I don't think it will help. If this doesn't help I guess I will RMA the card.

EDIT2: I just updated the VBIOS to version F4 from Gigabyte, but nothing has changed. I opened a support ticked at Gigabyte and then we will see.

I wouldn't worry about it, 8x will perform the same as 16x. When you SLI cards they run at 8x/8x anyways. Clean the pins and re-seat it if it's bothering you.

 

[junkeymonkey]

that's true but to me the point of it would be it should be for a single card x16 not x8 and the card showed the same behavior in another computer and another card used was at the full x16 ?? sounds like something is haywire with that 980ti . what can you do replace it and get one that's right or live with x8 and hope something else don't god bad in the card and by then your out of warrantee / rma time ?

that card and that board should be at x16 single card use ,, be tiough to be satisfied with less

I guess time will tell when you get that replacement card and see .. hope it all works out

 

[Zkitzo]

I've had a response from Gigabyte, I have to RMA through the reseller, so I will have to contact them.

Question:

Dear Gigabyte,

I have bought this card (Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti) over a year ago, it's running in a PCIe X16 slot, but it's only running at X8. I came after this only today, it's running fine futher.

I have tested a other card in my PC and that is running on X16 as it should.
Then I tested my card in my brothers PC and it's also on X8. So there is something wrong with the card.

What are my options? RMA the card?

Greetings,
Alex

Answer:

Dear Alex Lastname,

Thank you for your kindly mail and inquiry. Because when graphics card in idle, the motherboard will make graphics card in saving power mode. You may tried to ran the application (to press the "?" next to "Bus interface") and check. Also, please kindly see if the problem still persists when play games or in loading.

However, if problem still remains, it is possible there is some problem with your graphics card, we suggest you may contact your supplier to arrange further examination.

Regards,

GIGABYTE

I will contact my reseller now...

 

[junkeymonkey]

lol.. the good old run around . everything's / else's fault but there own . [those who know NVidia know evga and there excellent service ]


''we suggest you may contact your supplier to arrange further examination '' ???? aint this YOUR card ?? ya, your getting put off and the start of there e-mail go round

[opinion]

I guess it maybe easier to do a store RMA if you got any left over in the end you would at least get a new card in replacement not a load of crap from giga and then a referb in return if its approved

 

[Zkitzo]

So the store where I bought my videocard went bankrupt a couple of days after I turned in my videocard, had to wait about 2 months before I got it back, so now I'm trying directly with Gigabyte again... Keep you guys updated.