Does a x4 PCIe mechanical work in a x16 slot in x4 mode?

Question

My question is fairly simple. Can a x4 physical (mechanical component) fit in a x16 PCIe, which is at x4 mode?

I have never seen x16 slot run at x4. Why is it doing that? What motherboard chipset is that?
newegg.ca/Product/…;-13-131-665--Product Take a look at the last black slot.
I would guess it is for compatibility since a x16 pci-e component will never fit in a x4 physical slot, unless you are really really persuasive and have an hammer nearby
@burnzy the sabertooth has slightly larger heatsinks, which will be beneficial if overclocking. Otherwise they don't matter. The sabertooth has USB3 which might be useful over the next year or two. Otherwise I'd make my decision based on the slot layouts, and what slots will be free after you install all your cards.
@paradroid they're not common (16/8/8) is more likely to be useful, but I'd rather have the option of inserting an x16 card later if I find a need to do so; 4x physical slots often preclude this, and have reduced mechanical support even when the card will physically fit.

paradroid · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-18 18:09:59Z

up vote 9 down vote accepted

Yes. The x16 slot is physically bigger than the x4 card and has 4 PCIe lanes available, so the x4 card will fit, and run at full speed.

edited Jan 18 '11 at 18:09

answered Jan 18 '11 at 13:52

paradroid
13.3k22355

	+1 right on, also works with X1 slots too. – Kyle Jan 18 '11 at 14:00
	Thank you boss! :) – Burnzy Jan 18 '11 at 14:09
	@Kyle isnt a x1 slot smaller than an x4? Im not sure I agree with your statement. – Chris Jul 14 '12 at 2:23
	@chris a I meant x1 card can fit in a 16x slot. Wording is a little weird there since I used the term slot instead of card. For clarification a 16x slot can take a 8x, 4x, and 1x card. – Kyle Jul 15 '12 at 3:04
	@Kyle ahh my mistake, I was assuming you were speaking in context of the original question. Cheers – Chris Jul 15 '12 at 3:22

1 Answer