PCI-E slots and speeds

[pete376403]

I'm looking at a motherboard http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3806#ov
which has 1 x PCI-16X length slot running at 16X speed, a couple of 1x's and another 16X length slot which is labelled 4x but appears to have all the pins for 8X.
I have to build a disk backup box that will have 6 x 1Tb SATA disks connected to a Highpoint RocketRaid card http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/cs-series_rr3500.htm (model 3520). Looking at the pics the things appear to be physically compatible.

The case that I've selected will have the disks contending for the same space as the RAID card if it is put in the first (16X speed) slot, but will clear if it is in the fourth slot.

If there is nothing in the first (or second or third) PCI-E slots, and I put the card (which is an 8X) into the 4th slot, what are my chances of it working at all, let alone at 8x speed?

This is being built to a pretty tight budget, and the next model case that wouldn't have the space problem is considerably more expensive.

Can devices run slower to match the slot speed?

TIA
Pete

[Scuba_Steve]

I'm looking at a motherboard http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3806#ov
which has 1 x PCI-16X length slot running at 16X speed, a couple of 1x's and another 16X length slot which is labelled 4x but appears to have all the pins for 8X.
I have to build a disk backup box that will have 6 x 1Tb SATA disks connected to a Highpoint RocketRaid card http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/cs-series_rr3500.htm (model 3520). Looking at the pics the things appear to be physically compatible.

The case that I've selected will have the disks contending for the same space as the RAID card if it is put in the first (16X speed) slot, but will clear if it is in the fourth slot.

If there is nothing in the first (or second or third) PCI-E slots, and I put the card (which is an 8X) into the 4th slot, what are my chances of it working at all, let alone at 8x speed?

This is being built to a pretty tight budget, and the next model case that wouldn't have the space problem is considerably more expensive.

Can devices run slower to match the slot speed?

TIA
Pete

yes it will run but only at the 4x speed stated, so depending on data flow this could be an unwanted bottleneck

[SMOKEU]

Buy a P67 or Z68 motherboard instead of an H67.

Z68 would be the one to go for out of all 3 chipsets.

[pete376403]

Thanks for the assistance - I've ordered a Gigabyte z68 board that has a PCI-1 8x slot in position 4, so the raid card can go over there and miss the edge of the drives.

[Gremlin]

answered already, but the raid card should run, at 4x.

[SMOKEU]

Thanks for the assistance - I've ordered a Gigabyte z68 board that has a PCI-1 8x slot in position 4, so the raid card can go over there and miss the edge of the drives.

Now put in a K series processor with a good heatsink and overclock the fuck out of it.

[pete376403]

Now put in a K series processor with a good heatsink and overclock the fuck out of it.
Would be fun, but, nah, this is for a boring disk box whose sole task is is to backup other servers and do it with absolute reliability (well as reliable as Server 2003 and Veritas backup could possibly be)