Question about PCI Express Ports?

[III_Stutter]

I'm getting a new motherboard soon ( most likely: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131631 ) and I am trying to figure out something that should probably be more simple than I'm making it out to be -_- .
Basically, I need to know what exactly 2 (x16 or x8, x8) is for a PCI Express port(s). I understand that PCIE ports are where a video card or sound card would be inserted, but I don't understand what a 2 (x16 or x8, x8) really is. Sorry if I'm not writing that correctly. Please help!

 

[ZenithCS]

That means there are two x16 PCIe slots that when you drop your graphics card into the first slot (blue one), it will run with full 16 PCIe lanes.
And when you drop the second card into the second slot (gray one), the motherboard will reroute 8 PCIe lanes of the first x16 slot to the second x16 slot instead, thus makes them x8/x8.

Hope that helps!

 

[III_Stutter]

That means there are two x16 PCIe slots that when you drop your graphics card into the first slot (blue one), it will run with full 16 PCIe lanes.
And when you drop the second card into the second slot (gray one), the motherboard will reroute 8 PCIe lanes of the first x16 slot to the second x16 slot instead, thus makes them x8/x8.

Hope that helps!

It really does. Thanks! Though, I would like to know if that's a good thing to have. Is there something better for only a little bit more?

 

[Dereck47]

It really does. Thanks! Though, I would like to know if that's a good thing to have. Is there something better for only a little bit more?

Ideally you want both x16 slots operating at x16 speed. But only a few high-end boards have that capability.

Unless you're a hard-core gamer you should be satisfied with x8/x8.

 

[III_Stutter]

Thanks for the help!

 

[III_Stutter]

Best answer selected by III_Stutter.