Only a single PCIe x16 port is available. Consider alternatives or check for additional slots.
Only a single PCIe x16 port is available. Consider alternatives or check for additional slots.
Hello, I purchased a pre-built PC from Acer in 2019. It features a Predator PO3-600(DCH) motherboard with just one PCIe x16 slot, currently occupied by a GTX 1660Ti. At the time, I didn’t plan for expansion, but now I’m considering it because I need a DVB-S2 card for satellite TV. Initially, I thought about buying a USB DVB-S2 tuner, though they’re difficult to find and costly. The most affordable option I located was around 80 euros on Amazon.de. Recently, I’ve noticed some PCI cards available on eBay starting from 20 euros. I’m wondering if there are alternatives—like expanding the slot or using a tuner card with an adapter—to make it work. I’ve seen NVMe to USB adapters, but they’re usually for storage and would flag the device as a storage unit, rendering the tuner unusable. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
It seems there are both a 1X and a 4X PCIe port on the motherboard, along with a 16X slot. This should be sufficient for a DVB-S2 card since a 16X slot isn't required for a TV tuner. If the 1660TI graphics card is covering the second slot, you can use a cable to extend that slot into an open area of the case. For more details, you can check the discussion here: https://community.acer.com/en/discussion...or-p03-600
Is this the same board you have? I'm looking at some DVB-S2 cards and they're all PCIe x1. Unless there is a card that isn't that you're trying to use or this isn't the right board. Finding motherboard shots for OEM machines isn't always straight forward. edit @Allan B You beat me.
They're positioned in a single gap between components. The graphics card is preventing access to the lower PCIe 1x port.
Waiting for your replies, I used HWiNFO to see what slots do I have now and there is indeed one PCI Express Gen2 x1 slot free, but is covered by the graphics card (I've opened the case and got the graphics card out just to be sure). I don't know if there is enough space between the free slot and the graphics card for a cable, but this is a good idea. Could you please give an example of what that should look like? That would not be ideal, but thanks for the idea!
Similar to that page you shared: https://www.newegg.com/p/1W7-00J8-000H0