How to enable x16, only running at x8

MasterEVC

MasterEVC

New Member
Just got a new motherboard, and my video card is only running x8 instead of x16 like its supposed to. My board is in my sig, I looked in BIOS for a setting but I dont see one and I just updated to most recent bios.

Any ideas?
 
Have you tried redoing and updating drivers for the card? Either something didn't go on right or you may be looking at a bad card. Also look at the graphics acceleration settings to see if they are at full before thinking bad card there.
 
That wouldnt be it, the card ran perfectly on my other board. Maybe it only uses 8x to start with and if I was to get another one it would use full 16x bandwith, thats what I would guess
 
Before running after another card check your bios settings if you are familiar with going in there. If not ask for help here. You would want to look at just what is or isn't enabled like AGP or PCI along with the 64mb, 128mb, 256mb, 512mb or specified amount for a custom setting. That's a quick thought here.
 
That probably uses the older chipset that can only use 8x and 8x in SLI mode. Most boards do allow for 16x when running in non-SLI, but apparently that board is locked in at 8x all the time. Read the reviews on newegg, a few people mention that.
 
Yup, your board is locked at 8X SLi or not, but it will only make a very small difference if any at all. I think they didnt want to implement a switch, and since its considered a midrange board, they figured the graphic cards people would be using wouldnt max out the 8X bandwidth anyway. So dont worry about it.
 
all sli motherboards run with 2 8x slots instead of one 16x slot.
it doesn't effect performance at the time being...
but they do have motherboards out with 2 16x slots.
its a different chipset, instead of nForce 4 SLI its called nForce 4 SLI X16
 
Looks like I will just have to pop in another 7800GT when I get the cash. Got this board brand new at a local store for $100
 
Too bad you couldn't swap that board back in for another model if not make that is at 16x. The board not the card is what lacks the 16x. The specs on a good number of boards alway show PCI-Express 16x slots 1, PCI-Express 1x slots 1, pci slots 3.
 
It most likely is since it looks like it was an early PCI-E model board. To run two cards on a board that only will see the 8x equivalent of an AGP board would be very much a big waste of time and money as well. Finding another board that run your current hardwares and offers more options for PCI-E would be a better direction to look along with deciding on a newer video card to run. It would obviously be easier to simply swap boards for the 8x to 16x gain you would see with the same card. Later you can pump it up with a better model.
 
PC eye said:
It most likely is since it looks like it was an early PCI-E model board. To run two cards on a board that only will see the 8x equivalent of an AGP board would be very much a big waste of time and money as well. Finding another board that run your current hardwares and offers more options for PCI-E would be a better direction to look along with deciding on a newer video card to run. It would obviously be easier to simply swap boards for the 8x to 16x gain you would see with the same card. Later you can pump it up with a better model.
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It would not be worth to swap boards for one that can run X16 PCIe. Thats a great board, and you wont see any difference between 8X and 16X. Even if it is around equal to AGP 8X, the 7800GT barely maxes out either interfaces. The performance difference might be 3 FPS if any at all, hardly worth shelling out the cash for another board.
 
The idea of another board that runs at 16x is the option to either go with SLI or Crossfire since it would then be supported. The cost of a new board is often far less then some new model vid cards out.
 
PC eye said:
The idea of another board that runs at 16x is the option to either go with SLI or Crossfire since it would then be supported. The cost of a new board is often far less then some new model vid cards out.
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This board can run SLi, at the normal X8 bandwidth of each slot. It just doesnt switch to X16 bandwidth when your using a single card.
 
If you were looking for the high end performance then you would go with a model that will go upto and run at 16x in the SLI mode. The idea of going from 8x to 16x is to increase the performance seen especially with the newer more graphic intense applications like games see. Even though 16x isn't any mandate to run most games out it gives the edge people want.
 
PC eye said:
If you were looking for the high end performance then you would go with a model that will go upto and run at 16x in the SLI mode. The idea of going from 8x to 16x is to increase the performance seen especially with the newer more graphic intense applications like games see. Even though 16x isn't any mandate to run most games out it gives the edge people want.
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I know that, and agree (although SLi X16 doesnt offer great performance increses as it claims), I'm just saying that it isnt worth buying a new board just because this one cant run SLi or single card at X8 bandwidth.
 
It's a less costly way then running out for a high end card where you won't see the performance value being stuck at 8x. But then you are faced with the cost of the swapout of boards there for...? Well... that's almost half way to another build between new board and new card(s)?
 
MasterEVC said:
Looks like I will just have to pop in another 7800GT when I get the cash. Got this board brand new at a local store for $100
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that ok if you want benchmarks now...
but i have a SLI mobo too, and personally im gonna wait til prices drop and newer cards come out.
the best way to do it is to buy two cards at once.
i learned that because the companies are selling the 7900gt around the 7800gt prices... so i'd feel bad if i spent just as much on a 7800gt when i could simply buy a 7900gt.
im thinkin ill wait for the next series to come out and get a 512mb card or two even.
also, the Physx cards will eventually use pci-e so its nice that i have the extra slot free if need be :)
 
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