:) thank you so much for that. I understand how the 'splitting' works now.
SO, in regards to my mobo, slots, 1, 2, and 3 are PCIE 3.0 and the last slot (#4) is 2.0?
edit: oh snap, i didn't even realize that my mobo has PCIe 2.0 slots cause their color blends in with the mobo itself! XD
okay...