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PCI Express Link Width

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Supreme [H]ardness
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Jun 12, 2001
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I just built a new computer using old and new parts and I am wondering how to change the PCI Express link width as it is currently at 2x but my video card is in a 16x slot
I did a clean install of Windows 7 Home Premium and I installed all drivers but the card is still running at 2x
Here are my system specs
Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3
4GB of Kingston DDR3
AMD Athlon II x4 635
ATI/AMD Radeon HD5450
Antec Earthwatts EA-430D
Hauppauge HVR-2250
Thanks
 
You sure your looking at speed and not spec? Thats a 2.0 spec board, it should automatically choose highest speed capable. Otherwise there may be a BIOS setting in there to adjust your PCIe settings.
 
Check GPUz if you're not yet. That will tell you accurately the link speed.
 
I checked GPU-Z and CPU-Z they both say that the card is running at 2x
Although GPU-Z says it could be a power saving thing (What is a good program to stress the GPU Card?)

GPU-Z.jpg


CPU-Z.jpg
 
I've never heard of a GPU lowering the PCIe lanes to save power, but you can try FurMark, MSI Afterburner, MSI Kombuster, and OCCT to do stress testing. I highly doubt that's the reason, but it's worth a shot.

You could check the BIOS to manually set the PCIe lanes, it could be set to 2x. Just food for thought.

EDIT: I mean that the motherboard is set to 2x, don't know if the GPU does anything like that.
 
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My mobo lets me pick the PCIe speed in the bios. It's conceivable that it somehow got forced to 2x in your bios. That's the first place I'd check. Presumably the card is in the first slot?
 
XacTactX said:
I've never heard of a GPU lowering the PCIe lanes to save power, but you can try FurMark, MSI Afterburner, MSI Kombuster, and OCCT to do stress testing. I highly doubt that's the reason, but it's worth a shot.

You could check the BIOS to manually set the PCIe lanes, it could be set to 2x. Just food for thought.

EDIT: I mean that the motherboard is set to 2x, don't know if the GPU does anything like that.
Click to expand...

It would indeed be something with the motherboard...I've never heard anything about a GPU powering down PCI lanes....clock speeds yes, PCI lanes no. If the option in your motherboard's BIOS is set to full speed or 16x or whatever the hell they decided to label it and its still running at 2x, its time for a motherboard replacement.

Not to be an ass, just checking, but you have your graphics card plugged into the long blue slot closest to the CPU and a cable is running from the back of the video card to a monitor and not using the HDMI out on the motherboard right?
 
I know under my mobility power settings, there's an option to enable PCI Express power saving. But you're not using a laptop :eek:.
 
If the connection to the videocard pci-e connector is poor it will run in 1x or any low speed as if its only using the first few pins. Reseat the card. Pci-e is made so that you can put a 16x videocard in a slow slot and still able to boot. Similar situation is probably happening here. Card might not be pushed in all the way.
 
Sorry if you got the answer you need. It's early and I might be foggy in the head. What it is telling you ... never mind it is too early
 
Conker said:
If the connection to the videocard pci-e connector is poor it will run in 1x or any low speed as if its only using the first few pins. Reseat the card. Pci-e is made so that you can put a 16x videocard in a slow slot and still able to boot. Similar situation is probably happening here. Card might not be pushed in all the way.
Click to expand...


When I went to reseat the card I noticed that the connection pins on the card were dirty so I cleaned them and now the card is running at the full 16X

Thanks all
 
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