PCIE adapters combined with M.2 slots on the Asus B450-F model
PCIE adapters combined with M.2 slots on the Asus B450-F model
I own an Asus B450-F in my streaming setup. I currently have a GTX 1660 Super, an M.2 SSD, and two Intensity Pro 4K capture cards. Today I installed a third one—a x1 Intensity Pro—but it didn’t show up in the drivers or device manager. I’ve tested the new card separately and it’s functioning correctly. Could I be adding too many PCIe devices? With five devices total, that might be the issue.
The system is set up for video streaming using multiple capture cards, and I aim to incorporate an additional input from another PC, requiring a third card.
Depending on the setup, the chipset might share PCIe lanes, typically PCIe 3.0 x4 for the CPU and separate lanes for each capture card. You shouldn't necessarily need full bandwidth when using one capture card and one GPU, but running two capture cards together could cause a bottleneck if they're using the same lane or if SATA drives are transferring data simultaneously. Note that your chipset likely only supports PCIe 2.0 x1 beyond the first expansion slot; if this is the case, bandwidth limitations may exist. Your M.2 slot should have its own dedicated lane to the CPU—check your manual for the correct connection point. An X570 board offers higher bandwidth, so it might be worth considering that option. Be sure to mention the person you're responding to so they receive a notification @emosun
I reviewed the chart and didn’t spot any obvious issues. Right now every x16 port is occupied by the two x4 capture cards and the graphics card, leaving only one choice—move the x1 capture card into the highest slot. The other x1 slot is already taken by the graphics card. The note *1 clarifies this: a PCIe x16_3 port shares bandwidth with PCIe x1_2 and PCIe x1_3.
Sure, the two high-end 4K cards are performing well in testing. The 3.0 x4 spec still applies since these cards support 4K input. I'm using 1080p59.94 max, so a full 3.0 at four lanes seems unnecessary. I'm hoping to add another 1080p30 stream from the Intensity Pro without hitting bandwidth issues. Bandwidth aside, it's strange that the final card isn't showing up at all.
It should work as long as the card actually fits into the slot, since not every slot has a rear cutout.