F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Confusion between Gigabyte 870 and 870e models.

Confusion between Gigabyte 870 and 870e models.

Confusion between Gigabyte 870 and 870e models.

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FrankenDaemon
Member
59
11-03-2021, 02:17 AM
#1
Hey, I see you're trying to figure out the best motherboard for your setup. You're considering between the 870 and the 870e, and you're a bit puzzled about PCIe lanes and performance. It sounds like you're juggling a few things at once—upgrading your system and dealing with server requirements. Just to clarify, the part list link is handy, but some options seem a bit confusing. The 870e is designed for more PCIe lanes, which usually means it supports x8 mode, but you haven’t found clear guidance on that. From what I read in the manuals, the 870e actually runs in x8, while the 870 board doesn’t explicitly mention it. It might just depend on how you configure it. For your needs, the 870 could give you better performance if you're aiming for maximum speed. Don’t worry about splitting hairs—just focus on what fits your goals best.
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FrankenDaemon
11-03-2021, 02:17 AM #1

Hey, I see you're trying to figure out the best motherboard for your setup. You're considering between the 870 and the 870e, and you're a bit puzzled about PCIe lanes and performance. It sounds like you're juggling a few things at once—upgrading your system and dealing with server requirements. Just to clarify, the part list link is handy, but some options seem a bit confusing. The 870e is designed for more PCIe lanes, which usually means it supports x8 mode, but you haven’t found clear guidance on that. From what I read in the manuals, the 870e actually runs in x8, while the 870 board doesn’t explicitly mention it. It might just depend on how you configure it. For your needs, the 870 could give you better performance if you're aiming for maximum speed. Don’t worry about splitting hairs—just focus on what fits your goals best.

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ApexNinja02
Member
166
11-03-2021, 08:35 AM
#2
The manual confirms this behavior. Gigabyte's AORUS X870E setup directs bandwidth when both M2B and M2D slots are occupied, routing it through the PCIE X16 port and distributing it among storage devices. The non-E version reduces bandwidth to each M.2 drive once they're active, maintaining X16 speeds. Those requiring full X4 performance on M.2 select the E board. Individuals needing more drives without speed concerns opt for the non-E model since it preserves PCIE lane capacity. With PCIe 5.0 at X8, speeds remain comparable to X16; thus, they're trimming bandwidth to prioritize M.2 throughput.
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ApexNinja02
11-03-2021, 08:35 AM #2

The manual confirms this behavior. Gigabyte's AORUS X870E setup directs bandwidth when both M2B and M2D slots are occupied, routing it through the PCIE X16 port and distributing it among storage devices. The non-E version reduces bandwidth to each M.2 drive once they're active, maintaining X16 speeds. Those requiring full X4 performance on M.2 select the E board. Individuals needing more drives without speed concerns opt for the non-E model since it preserves PCIE lane capacity. With PCIe 5.0 at X8, speeds remain comparable to X16; thus, they're trimming bandwidth to prioritize M.2 throughput.

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Misli
Member
110
11-04-2021, 05:39 AM
#3
That's correct, the 870e fits your needs perfectly—even with a 5080 PCIe 4.0 x16 connection it should work fine.
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Misli
11-04-2021, 05:39 AM #3

That's correct, the 870e fits your needs perfectly—even with a 5080 PCIe 4.0 x16 connection it should work fine.

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Herocrazybob
Junior Member
13
11-25-2021, 02:19 PM
#4
Note: The main issue causing lane sharing problems with X870/X870E is USB4. Ryzen processors have eight spare lanes that can be used for M.2 drives, suggesting up to two M.2 slots without interfering with graphics. However, these boards allocate four of the CPU's eight spare lanes to USB4, leaving only one M.2 slot available from the CPU. Because the CPU provides PCI-E 5.0 lanes but not enough for both USB4 and more than one PCI-E 5.0 M.2 slot, they must take the graphics lanes instead. The AsRock X870E Nova is an example of a board that sidesteps this challenge by offering just one PCI-E 5.0 M.2 slot from the CPU and the remaining slots use PCI-E 4.0.
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Herocrazybob
11-25-2021, 02:19 PM #4

Note: The main issue causing lane sharing problems with X870/X870E is USB4. Ryzen processors have eight spare lanes that can be used for M.2 drives, suggesting up to two M.2 slots without interfering with graphics. However, these boards allocate four of the CPU's eight spare lanes to USB4, leaving only one M.2 slot available from the CPU. Because the CPU provides PCI-E 5.0 lanes but not enough for both USB4 and more than one PCI-E 5.0 M.2 slot, they must take the graphics lanes instead. The AsRock X870E Nova is an example of a board that sidesteps this challenge by offering just one PCI-E 5.0 M.2 slot from the CPU and the remaining slots use PCI-E 4.0.