For a Single Card, Does it Matter Which Slot...

[jjblanche]

I have a Gigabyte X38 mobo. It has two PCIe slots, one up close to the northbridge/RAM (labeled as PCIE_16_1 in my mobo manual), and another further down, that's pretty much separated from everything (labeled PCIE_16_2 in the manual). I choose to put mine in the lower slot (ie: 2), to keep it as far away from other heat producing components as possible. Both slots are blue, and, as I understand it, both slots are PCIe 2.0. As such, I'm assuming both slots run at full bandwidth. Would this be a correct assessment? The system runs fine with the card in this slot, but I'm just wondering if there is some kind of mandate that says which slot you need to install in when using only one card.

 

[tlmck]

sdsdf

 

[tlmck]

What does the MB manual say about it? Gigabyte is usually good about such details.

 

[jjblanche]

The manual mentions nothing about this in particular. It just says that they are crossfire ready, both are PCIe x16, and both are PCIe 2.0. What does sdsdf mean?

 

[Winly]

if i were you i would installed in the "PCIE_16_1" but if the system is working just fine, leave like that.

 

[jjblanche]

Generally, I err on the side of caution. As such, I was going to install it in the number 1 slot. However, the 512 GTS is so damn big that it would be within a half an inch from the RAM and northbridge, and almost completely cover the southbridge heatsink in slot number 1. In slot two it's not infringing on anything.

 

[IndigoMoss]

It doesn't matter what slot, as long as they are both 16x, you won't have a decrease in bandwith. It's like putting a stick of ram in Dimm 2, instead of Dimm 1, doesn't make any difference.