Dual x8 vs x16

[metro510]

For the comp ill be building soon, im debating on whether to use a P67 chipset mobo, which i dont think can do dual x16(correct me if im wrong) or to take a step back and get a mobo with the X58 chipset which can do up to quad x16. Can someone clarify for me what the performance differences would be for todays games?
Thank you
-Metro510

 

[someguynamedmatt]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pcie-geforce-gtx-480-x16-x8-x4,2696-3.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crossfire-meets-pci-express,1761-4.html

...there you have it. There is a slight difference, but nothing really all that meaningful when it comes to real-life performance. I doubt you'd notice it - a better LGA 1155 CPU would probably make more of a difference with a dual-card setup than the lane bandwidth would. Just my opinion.

 

[jprahman]

The difference between x8 and x16 is minor, and the added expense of a x58 motherboard and CPU, combined with the superior gaming performance of the LGA1155 CPUs means that it isn't worth getting a x58 platform unless you want more than 2 graphics cards.

 

[17seconds]

There will be no difference in performance:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/08/23/gtx_480_sli_pcie_bandwidth_perf_x16x16_vs_x8x8/

"The Bottom Line
If you are running on a 30" display at 2560x1600 or below, an x8/x8 SLI or CFX configuration will perform the same as a x16/x8 or x16/x16 configuration. The only time that you should even be slightly concerned about running at x8/x8 is when you move up to a multiple display setup."

 

[metro510]

Thanks guys, really appreciate it

 

[metro510]

Best answer selected by metro510.