Intel X299 Chipset only supports 24 lanes?

[acecoolcompany]

I visited the following site: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/chipsets/desktop-chipsets/x299.html

which was linked from the 7900X processor site.... I sent Intel the following e-mail, but maybe it can be answered here...

If x299 only supports 24, then what is the point of building more on the processor? Or, is it simply what I think it is - a mistake on the site where in place of 24 it should read limited based on processor or max supported 44 or something along those lines? Or is it a typo - instead of 24 should it be 44 to coincide with the higher count of the higher end socket 2066 processors?


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On the site detailing the x299 chipset technical specs located here: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/chipsets/desktop-chipsets/x299.html

The max number of lanes is listed at 24 - however the number of lanes is controlled by the processor, a fact which is detailed in the popup tooltip. Why does the x299 technical specifications site list the maximum number of lanes as 24 when the 7900X processor support 44 and lower level models on socket 2066 has 28 available?

Is it a limitation of the chipset itself, meaning there is no reason for my to purchase the 7900X or higher processor for my next few builds to upgrade our office - or is it a mistake on the site itself?

Thanks,
-Josh

 

[Gam3r01]

The motherboard chipset has its own dedicated PCIe lanes, typically dedicated to things like x1 lanes.
You processor has additional PCIe lanes routed into things like x16 lanes or M.2 slots.

 

[acecoolcompany]

So the chipset has 24 lanes to use for things such as Sata plugs or whatever? and the processor has 28 to 44 for video cards and other pci-e tasks plus m2 slots?

Am I reading that properly?

 

[Gam3r01]

Basically yes.
Heres an (older) diagram that explains it
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/chipsets/performance-chipsets/x99-chipset-diagram.html

 

[acecoolcompany]

Cheers - I'll mark that as a solution but I'd like clarification on one more thing if you don't mind... I'll explain what I think I see but details on a few areas for clarification would be fantastic!

from the processor:

4 lanes are reserved and used to communicate with the chipset so 28 lanes means you have 24 for PCI-E, 44 means 40...

It doesn't state how many lanes memory takes unless it is 1 per line which would make sense because the chipset has a single line to 10 sata ports.... So would it be 1 per slot, 1 per channel, or what?

The Chipset then has n lanes for use with USB, Networking, Sata Ports, On board Audio, 8 for PCI Express???


Odd... But then video cards would use the cpu, other plugged in devices or slower could use the chipset... 1x for 10 sata ports, 1x for 1 networking port, 1x for 14 usb ports with 6 usb 3 and 8 at usb 2... and another lane for communication with the BIOS...

Is this all right as I have it - whats wrong? Can you provide clarification on the few parts where I have ??S?

Thanks

 

[Gam3r01]

The memory dosent use up any lanes, it just shows them linked directly to the processor (no PCIe in use).
The diagram isnt the most detailed, so it does not really give a breakdown of where each individual lanes go, but rather how many devices are supported by each subset of PCIe lanes.