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I'm trying to match a suitable CPU, GPU and motherboard, but I'm getting thrown a bit by what would seem conflicting PCI-E data.

A GPU such as the GV-N970TTOC-4GD requires PCI-E 3.0 x16 (I'm assuming that x16 are the number of lanes?), so to get the best from this card, ideally a motherboard that has at least that version (although 3.0 is the latest at the time of this question) and number of lanes is required; likewise for the CPU.

So, take a motherboard such as this which runs the Z87 Express chipset, and has a port that can run at PCI-E 3.0 x16. The CPU is an i5-4670, which has a built-in GPU (which can be ignored) and supports an expansion slot of PCI-E 3.0 1x16, which again is fine...

But then the information for the Z87 Express chipset says the chipset only supports PCI-E 2.0 x8.

Where is this conflict coming from between the chipset and motherboard which both support various PCI-E revisions and lane numbers? If the chipset on the motherboard doesn't support the correct PCI-E revision, doesn't that make the motherboard unsuitable (i.e. not performing at full performance) for that GPU?

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    You do understand that PCI-E is backwards compatible right? Of course the specification clearly indicates that PCI-E 3.0 is supported.. There is absolutely no doubt the Z87 has support for PCI-E 3.0.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Oct 29, 2015 at 16:49
  • People are way to quick to downvote. I think it is fair enough based on the research you clearly did, I vote to counter act that vote, it took me 20 minutes to find the diagram and I knew what I was looking for.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Oct 29, 2015 at 17:03
  • Thank you very much. I imagine I was downvoted as it may come across as some shopping recommendations, when in fact I randomly picked components just to provide examples.
    – R4D4
    Commented Oct 29, 2015 at 17:05
  • The chipset has two sections, one saying "Expansion options", which specifies PCI-E 2.0, yet the "I/O Specifications" specifies PCI-E 3.0... What is the difference betweenh an expansion option and IO Specification?
    – R4D4
    Commented Oct 29, 2015 at 17:09
  • Easier if you read my answer.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Oct 29, 2015 at 17:13

2 Answers 2

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There is a small disconnect between the specification of the Chipset and how one can actually implement it. PCI-E support can be tied to the processor or the chipset itself. There is a design penalty or limitation if you choose to go through the processor based on the following information the chipset.

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For this reason the chipset through the processor supports PCI-E 3.0. Basically Intel designed their chipset so it could be extended.

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There is little difference between the 5th generation and 4th generation diagram.

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The 6th generation diagram changed in a significant way:

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Where is this conflict coming from between the chipset and motherboard which both support various PCI-E revisions and lane numbers? If the chipset on the motherboard doesn't support the correct PCI-E revision, doesn't that make the motherboard unsuitable (i.e. not performing at full performance) for that GPU?

There actually isn't a conflict.

A GPU such as the GV-N970TTOC-4GD requires PCI-E 3.0 x16 (I'm assuming that x16 are the number of lanes?)

Your assumption is indeed correct.

so to get the best from this card, ideally a motherboard that has at least that version (although 3.0 is the latest at the time of this question) and number of lanes is required; likewise for the CPU.

In theory if PCI-E 4.0 existed and the motherboard and CPU supported it, a PCI-E 3.0 device, would still be limited to the specification and performance limitation of PCI-E 3.0.

If the chipset on the motherboard doesn't support the correct PCI-E revision, doesn't that make the motherboard unsuitable (i.e. not performing at full performance) for that GPU?

The Z87 Chipset actually does support PCI-E just not directly since it requires a processor that supports it.

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  • So I was going to compare the Z87 chipset to its sibling H81 but Intel does not provide the same diagram. The only diagram I did find was interactive and thus could not be linked. The only way I could link this back to the chipset would be to find a Intel processor that doesn't support PCI-E 3.0 which I don't feeling doing.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Oct 29, 2015 at 17:35
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If the chipset on the motherboard doesn't support the correct PCI-E revision, doesn't that make the motherboard unsuitable (i.e. not performing at full performance) for that GPU?

This is a straightforward composition fallacy. If the power supply doesn't support PCI-E 3.0 does that mean the computer doesn't? If you want to know what the motherboard supports, you have to look at the motherboard specifications, not the specifications for one of its components.

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