GA-EX58-UD4P - PCIe version question!

[GeorgeGR]

Hi! I have the GA-EX58-UD4P motherboard and I want to make an upgrade: I want to put 2 new SSD disks to my system and a SATA-III (6Gbps) controller.

I am thinking of buying one of these controllers:

1) DAWICONTROL DC-600e RAID (with Marvell 88SE9128 chipset) (http://www.dawicontrol.com/index.php?cmd=down&id=raid)

-or-

2) Startech 2 Port SATA 6 Gbps PCI Express SATA Controller Card (with Marvell 88SE9128 chipset) (http://www.startech.com/Cards-Adapters/HDD-Controllers/SATA-Cards/2-Port-PCI-Express-SATA-6-Gbps-Controller-Card~PEXSAT32)

but, both of them, needs a PCI Express Gen 2.0 enabled computers to work properly (they connect to PCI Express x1 slot).

So my question is whether my PCI Express x1 slot in my motherboard is PCI Express Gen 2.0 or not. I can't find anywhere this information in Gigabyte site (http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2986&kw=GA-EX58-UD4P1.0#ov)

Can you  help me please?

Thank you.

[GeorgeGR]

Hello!

Can anyone from Gigabyte please help me?

I have to make the upgrade, it's emergency!!

Please tell me the version of PCI Express x1 slot and if these Sata-III controllers are going to work properly on my motherboard.

[dmdilks]

You be waiting a long time for any body from Gigabyte. This is just a user to user forum sorry. But I just put in a sata 3 SSD 6gb into one of those series boards. It will still work but yes you will not get the speed out of it.

Now the first two slot X1 & X4. You will be better off putting the card in the x4 slot. The book really doesn't tell you what version those slots are 1.0 or 2.0.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express

http://serverfault.com/questions/11633/whats-the-bandwidth-and-form-factor-for-pcie-x1-x4-x8-and-x16

[GeorgeGR]

Thank you very much for your reply @dmdilks! I understand it...

You will be better off putting the card in the x4 slot. The book really doesn't tell you what version those slots are 1.0 or 2.0.

Why you think it is better off putting the card in the x4 slot? Do you believe that maybe the x4 conforms to version 2.0?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express

http://serverfault.com/questions/11633/whats-the-bandwidth-and-form-factor-for-pcie-x1-x4-x8-and-x16

I read these articles but it didn't help me (or i miss something?). Does these articles describes the way someone could follow to determine the PCIe version?

[dmdilks]

How I see it that you would get better Bandwidth with the x4 vs the x1. Plus you might be able to put it in the last slot PCI Express x8 slot. Plus the link to the bandwidths was just to show you the more you have the better off you would be.

But the other thing is I put in a SSD PCI Express card into a x99 board. Put it in the PCI Express x8 slot. Did a benchmark then tried it in a x16 slot and the there was really no change. So it might not really matter what slot it is in.

[GeorgeGR]

Ok, I understand that x4 & x8 slots maybe are faster than x1. But if all these slots are compliant with PCIe version 1.0, then the SATA-III controller will work with the half speed. This means that I will get 2,5Gbps data transfer rate (even less than SATA-II !) instead of 5Gbps (close to SATA-III)... (See Technical Specifications -> Special Notes / Requirements -> Note on this link: http://www.startech.com/Cards-Adapters/HDD-Controllers/SATA-Cards/2-Port-PCI-Express-SATA-6-Gbps-Controller-Card~PEXSAT32).

So my question still exist: How can I find the PCIe x1 version on my motherboard?

[dmdilks]

Here is a link to maybe help you to decide what you should do. http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2905702/ex58-ud4p-determine-pcie-version.html

[GeorgeGR]

I know that article. Actually I am the creator of this article in Tom's Hardware. It describes a kind of solution to my problem. And, to be honest, this is the solution that I will possibly follow.

BUT:

Here we are in Gigabyte's support forum. Gigabyte is the producer of my motherboard and the company that I have invest my money to buy it. I expect from such a company to respect its clients and if someone needs support, to give it. Normally, Gigabyte must clearly mention this characteristic in the product description. But it don't have done it.

So, because I have my personal reasons and this information does not mentioned to the characteristics, I ask Gigabyte to answer to this simple question:

What is the PCIe x1 version on my motherboard?

And if Gigabyte can't answer this, then let's just tell me

How can I find the PCIe x1 version on my motherboard?

If Gigabyte can't answer to this -very simple- question, then I will consider it as a non serious company and I will never going to buy anything from it in the future, nor going to propose it to anyone.

George.

[dmdilks]

I'm sorry I can't help but like I said this is just a user to user forum. But you could try and do what these guys did. I know that this isn't the answer to your question. Plus You could try to contact support too.

http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=16718.0

[GeorgeGR]

@dmdilks, thank you for your help so far.

If you can please tell me how to contact Gigabyte's support to ask them directly..

[dmdilks]

Here is a link to their support.

http://www.gigabyte.us/support-downloads/support-downloads.aspx

[GeorgeGR]

Here is a link to their support.

http://www.gigabyte.us/support-downloads/support-downloads.aspx

I've just submitted my request to the support.

Thank you again for your help!

George.

[dmdilks]

Plus if you go to the bottom of the page and click on Customer Care. there is a phone # there I don't if it will get you to support to ask a question.

Thanks and the few of us that are here that help. We might not know all the answers but we try the best we can to help people.

[GeorgeGR]

@dmdilks

Just for your information and also to inform all other users with the same motherboard (or chipset combination), I am posting here the official reply from Gigabyte eSupport to my question.

As you can see, I have finally solve my issue!

According to the motherboard specification, PCI Express x4 slot is controlled by Intel X58 chipset which conforms to PCI Express 2.0 standard and PCI Express x1 slot is controlled by Intel ICH10R chipset which conforms to PCI Express 1.1 standard. You can click here: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/chipsets/5-chipset-3400-chipset-datasheet.html to find the Intel 5 series chipset specification and click here: http://www.intel.com.tw/content/www/tw/zh/io/io-controller-hub-10-family-datasheet.html for Intel ICH10R chipset specification.

Regards,
GIGABYTE

So, thank you Gigabyte
and again,
thank you dmdilks!!