Z170 PCI-E Lanes Config Question

[wbattel4607]

I'm planning to buy a Z170 motherboard, the Asus Z170-A, and the Skylake CPU, 6700k. I'm getting a discrete graphics card that I want to run in PCI-E 3.0 x16. I'm getting an M.2 SSD that I want to run in my motherboard's M.2 slot that uses PCI-E 3.0 x4. I have a wireless fidelity adapter I want to run in PCI-E 3.0 x1.

I know Skylake CPUs provide 16 lanes, which I'd use for my GPU, and Z170 provides 20. However I do not know how many of those lanes are available after use by the motherboard's LAN, USB 3.0, etc....

Based on the picture below, I think the board's x1 slots all come from the chipset but I don't know if their lanes have already been allocated elsewhere.

Will I be able to use x16 (GPU) + x4 (M.2) + x1 (Wi-Fi card) without the GPU getting cut to x8? I know x8 vs x16 performance isn't substantial but if I'm dropping a pretty penny on the GPU i'd like it to have full x16.

From the looks of it...
- The CPU can provide full x16 to the GPU
- The chipset can provide x4 to M.2
- The chipset can provide x1 to my PCI-E x1 wifi card
- This can all be done without cutting lanes from the Motherboard's dedicated LAN/USB lanes.

Is this correct?

From this article.

 

[cin19]

No, because the i7 6700K will provide 16 lanes only like you said so that the GPU will run at x8, the M2 is in x4, add-on card x1.

 

[wbattel4607]

No, because the i7 6700K will provide 16 lanes only like you said so that the GPU will run at x8, the M2 is in x4, add-on card x1.

So then what does it mean when they say the Z170 provides 20 lanes? The images makes it look like I can use that x4 and x1 from the chipset not the CPU.

 

[wbattel4607]

The reason I want an add-on card instead of a board with integrated wifi is it's much cheaper and it's the only "premium" feature I want. I have a well rated card for $30 that's PCI-E 3.0 1x. On the premium version of my motherboard "Asus Z170-Deluxe" there is integrated wifi. Wouldn't this integrated wifi use a PCI-E lane just like my expansion card would in a 1x slot?

 

[TJ Hooker]

No, because the i7 6700K will provide 16 lanes only like you said so that the GPU will run at x8, the M2 is in x4, add-on card x1.

Are you sure? Based on the specs for that board, it sounds like the direct CPU lanes only go to the PCIeX16_1 and _2 slots, and the other slots + M.2 go through the chipset.
https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Motherboards/Z170-A/specifications/

 

[cin19]

Sorry, my bad.
Yes, the Z170 has the new DMI 3.0. So you will be fine, the single GPU in x16 from cpu, the M2 will use the chipset pcie lane through the MDI.

 

[wbattel4607]

No, because the i7 6700K will provide 16 lanes only like you said so that the GPU will run at x8, the M2 is in x4, add-on card x1.

Are you sure? Based on the specs for that board, it sounds like the direct CPU lanes only go to the PCIeX16_1 and _2 slots, and the other slots + M.2 go through the chipset.
https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Motherboards/Z170-A/specifications/

Sorry, my bad.
Yes, the Z170 has the new DMI 3.0. So you will be fine, the single GPU in x16 from cpu, the M2 will use the chipset pcie lane through the MDI.

So, once and for all, I can use one of those x1 slots for the wifi card independent of the 16 CPU lanes?

Thanks for the help.

 

[TJ Hooker]

So, once and for all, I can use one of those x1 slots for the wifi card independent of the 16 CPU lanes?Thanks for the help.

Yup.