I have a motherboard that has 2 PCIe x16 slots. I dont use the secondary PCIe x16 slot for another video card?

Question

Can I put a PCIe x1 Card ( like a tuner card or eSata card) in the secondary PCIe x 16 slot, or does it have to be in a PCIe x1 slot?

Answer 1

YES, a x1 PCIe card will work on ANY bigger slot. Check link below, especially "Physical Layer" under Hardware Protocol Summary".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_express

Answer 2

PCIe x16/x16 as against x16/x8 - in this assessment we examined quite a few distinctive pictures enjoying cards in SLI and CFX configurations to be certain what the actual worldwide ameliorations have been between x16/x16 and having the secondary card function in x8 mode. Our discovery grow to be that there grow to be no longer a discernible distinction in gameplay overall performance, and no distinction in gameplay adventure. It did no longer substitute something via having your secondary pictures card in an electric x8 slot or working in x8 PCIe 2.0 mode. those grow to be reliable information for individuals with newer structures that go with to go video enjoying cards extra aside for cooling motives or have been compelled to run in this mode via different units taking over PCIe lanes or motherboard limitations. PCIe x16/x16 as against x8/x8 - next we took the quickest pictures card mixture we've, GeForce GTX 480 SLI, and in comparison x16/x16 as against x8/x8 PCIe 2.0 modes. Our outcomes printed that during x8/x8 mode overall performance grow to be decrease in common terms with triple exhibit setups at 5760x1200 resolutions. there have been confident warning signs of decrease physique expenditures on the graphs, nonetheless in-game it grow to be infrequently great. We additionally got here across that at 2560x1600 x8/x8 made rather no distinction in any respect, so in case you have been gaming on a unmarried exhibit there grow to be no harm in working at x8/x8. In easy of this testing, this reader had to comprehend if x4/x4 (resembling x8/x8 PCIe one million.X) had any detriment to gameplay overall performance. hence, in this rapid look we are downgrading the two video enjoying cards to PCIe x4 2.0 mode, yet we are in common terms going to run at 2560x1600 determination. We already comprehend x8/x8 impacts overall performance at 5760x1200, so it stands to reason x4/x4 might much greater. even nonetheless, x8/x8 did no longer impact overall performance at 2560x1600, so we'd go with to be certain if x4/x4 do in any respect. And particularly frankly, we don't see too many HardOCP readers working Eyefinity or NV embody with motherboards particularly that previous. So usual, we don't see lots reason for the testing, yet we only had to comprehend too.