No, this setup isn't compatible with the PCIe slots.
No, this setup isn't compatible with the PCIe slots.
I possess an M.2 NVME expansion card to a PCIe Adapter (3.0 x4) and intend to insert an M.2 NVME SSD inside it. My plan is to place this adapter in the second PCIe 3.0 x16_2 port, as my GPU already uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface in the PCIe 3.0 x16_1 slot. Because the adapter supports only four lanes, it should fit in the x16_2 slot without affecting performance. I’m uncertain if this will cause the two x16 slots to operate in lower mode.
1. Will the installation keep both x16 slots running at x8 speed since the adapter is in x16_2?
2. If it works without slowing the GPU, can I move the GPU into the x16_2 slot and the adapter into the x16_1 slot?
3. If the GPU runs on PCIe x8 while the adapter occupies x16_2, will it still operate fully?
It will work just fine. The performance impact varies based on the card, but since it's on a Z77 board, the effect should be minimal. It will match the original setup exactly. Keep in mind these adapters often perform inconsistently on older systems—most users won't be able to boot or use it as a secondary drive. For an M.2 solution, consider upgrading your platform first.