Help with PCI-e connections

Triflexer

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May 27, 2015
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I'm not sure how PCI-e works exactly cause this is my first build. I'm getting an Asrock z97 motherboard and I'm looking at the manual and the motherboard has 3 long PCIe ports (x16 I'm guessing) and 2 short ones. I have a graphic card which I know requires x16. On top of that I have a wireless network chip and a sound card. Do I have enough space for all of them?
 
Solution
Hello... You can plug a PCI-e X1 short card into a PCI-e X16 X8 X4 long slot for use.
Plug your Graphic card into the X16 slot for best performance, check your MB manual/PDF for which one that is.
Make sure you Don't have a PCI or a ISA network/sound card... as these will not work ( fit ) in a PCI-e slot.
Hello... You can plug a PCI-e X1 short card into a PCI-e X16 X8 X4 long slot for use.
Plug your Graphic card into the X16 slot for best performance, check your MB manual/PDF for which one that is.
Make sure you Don't have a PCI or a ISA network/sound card... as these will not work ( fit ) in a PCI-e slot.
 
Solution
Which processor you're using is also important. It will have a number of PCIe lanes it can address.

All your devices will fit, but a lower end processor my not be able to give the graphics card the full 16 lanes in order to have enough lanes for the other two. If this is the case, it's likely to not make a noticable difference.

The board itself could also use up some lanes for the onboard devices, check your manual to be sure.