Does i7-3930K support PCIe 3.0?

[ratsa]

According to the Intel specs page, PCIe 2.0 is supported. Does tht mean PCI 3.0 speeds will not be supported even if a modern motherboard is used?

http://ark.intel.com/products/63697

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

The PCI Express controller in Sandy Bridge-E has one more distinguishing feature: it supports 8 gigatransfers per second rate, i.e. meets the PCI Express 3.0 specification requirements. However the current Intel processors haven’t been certified yet that is why in most cases PCI Express 3.0 compatibility is not officially stated.

half way down pg.4
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i7-3960x-3930k_4.html

+1

We are now listing PCI-e 3.0 support for all of our X79 boards. So while the socket 2011 desktop Intel Core i7 processor didn't officially support PCI-E 3.0 when they were first released this has now been updated.

 

[ratsa]

Best answer selected by ratsa.

 

[erpsaa]

The PCI Express controller in Sandy Bridge-E has one more distinguishing feature: it supports 8 gigatransfers per second rate, i.e. meets the PCI Express 3.0 specification requirements. However the current Intel processors haven’t been certified yet that is why in most cases PCI Express 3.0 compatibility is not officially stated.

half way down pg.4
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i7-3960x-3930k_4.html

+1

We are now listing PCI-e 3.0 support for all of our X79 boards. So while the socket 2011 desktop Intel Core i7 processor didn't officially support PCI-E 3.0 when they were first released this has now been updated.

To Intel Enthusiast:

Please accept my apologies in advance., sorry I have no one to vent at and it's nothing personal.

To understand my frustrati on, pleaase visit this link on Tom's:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/298424-32-pcie-recommendation-controller

Net, net: My business has needs which require our Workstations to run at the highest possible clock speeds 24/24 and to have the highest storage speeds, since this permits our Virtual Machines (using a different OS) to conduct ERP data migrations much faster.

My mainboard is an ASUS P9X79 WS SSI CEB, in english, a Workstation class mainboard which conforms to the Server System Infrastructure standards and CEB is simply the footprint.

40 Lanes of PCIe3, with a Sandybridge-E Core i7 3960x. I love that processor, it runs 24/24 at 4.8GHz without even a real water colling system, just a $70 Corsait H110 self-contained overglorified fan has never allowed that CPU to go above 42 degrees C and I mean 24/24. ASUS gurantees 24/24 LOADS, not sitting idle, on all their WS class mainboards.

My storage is an LSI MegaRAID SAS with 2 expanders for a total of 8 drives SATA600, all are OCZ 240Gb Vertex 3 SSD's, which I implemented at RAID-0. The model is the RT3WB080 and as you probably know, that is an Intel Card and it is PCIe2. My Read Write speeds top out near the PCIe2 limitation of 3 GB/s. I'm getting about 2.6 RW average.

To be able to buy one of the new gen LSI cards from Ingram Micro which are all PCIe3, have dual core ROK Procs and DDR3 RAM, would cost me about $480 to buy the 9270 8i, which is PCIe3 x8.

That would, if it worked at PCIe3, provide near 1:1 scaling and more than double my Read Write speeds to at least 7 GB/s or more.

My frustration has been, although my ASUS board supposrt both Sandybridge-E and Xenon, I don't like Xenons for single CPU Workstations, they run too darn HOT, IMO.

I saw a test with my own eyes, using the same mainboard I do and an LSI HBA (PCIe3) and they tested 8 x 250Gb M-4 Crucials. They got 1:1 scaling with the PCIe3 using a Core i7 3930.

Will you please exoplain to my why Intel does not make this knowledge public? My company is an Intel Gold partner and they cannot even answer my question and now I read your statement on Tom's:

"The PCI Express controller in Sandy Bridge-E has one more distinguishing feature: it supports 8 gigatransfers per second rate, i.e. meets the PCI Express 3.0 specification requirements. However the current Intel processors haven’t been certified yet that is why in most cases PCI Express 3.0 compatibility is not officially stated."

OK, I get this, but why not at least make it known? It's not as if this would dillute the Ivy Bridge line. People do not place Ivy Bridge CPUs in Workstations that are doing the type of work most people use Workstations for.

Also, I only use one GPU, since I am not a gamer, but have found gamers around here to be smarter than most IT managers and dare I say, most of the people I have asked at Intel, Ingram and LSI. . Sorry rant over.

Based on what you're saying, I can buy a new RAID card and keep my i7 3960x.

Lastly, I have a stupid question, since I am out of my comfort zone, but I have never used SLI'd GPUs, I've built them for clients, but never used them. I use one single GeForce FTX 680 with 4GB, because I use 2 x 27" Samsung LED's.

How can I tell if my 680 is running at PCIe3 right now? Is there a test? I've never looked into this because FPS mean nothing for my business, but before I experiment with a new RAID card that is PCIe3, I'd like to know I won't have to give up my i7 3960x for a Xenon that natively supports PCIe3 for certain.

Thank you.