# Which PCI-E x1 Flex Riser Card?



## puma99dk| (Mar 26, 2011)

my MSI N460GTX Hawk take the space for the PCI-E x4 port on my Asus Maximus III Gene motherboard and i don't want my gfx to run x8 so will a PCI-E x1 Flex Riser Card be fine for a Creative X-Fi PCI-E x1 based audio card? like Creative X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty?








i have been looking at these two flex riser card but are they good enough for the job?

1 Slot PCI Express 1x PCIE Riser flex 150 mm Risercard for €27,26






or

1 Slot PCI Express 1x PCIE Riser flex 100mm Risercard for €18,63


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## Bo$$ (Mar 26, 2011)

go for the cheapest, they should do the job fine

but how are you gonna get the card on the backplate?


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## puma99dk| (Mar 26, 2011)

Bo$$ said:


> go for the cheapest, they should do the job fine
> 
> but how are you gonna get the card on the backplate?



the 3 ports from the bottom are free so i think a 15cm should be fine but before i actually buy i will mesure if the cheap 10cm can be used.


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## TheLostSwede (Mar 26, 2011)

Considering that's your case, why not use the vertical slot? That way you won't have any problem fitting the card+adapter, as it won't be that easy to fir the actual slot to the case, especially not the second one, as if you look at the end that will go into the sound card, it's too long to actually fit. The first one has a flat PCB at the bottom of the slot and should be easier to fit, but do note the orientation of the connector that goes into the x1 slot, it looks like you'll have to twist the cable for that to work easily. What you'd really want is something like this http://www.ably.com.tw/pdt/viewpdt.asp?absp=37&cat=PCIE_RISER but then the cable isn't long enough...


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## Bo$$ (Mar 26, 2011)

yeah first one is better designed


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## puma99dk| (Mar 26, 2011)

i got a fan in my side to cool my GFX so i don't wanna block it but i will see what i can find @ length of the flex riser and if u wanna link something to me, link it to either Denmark or Germany will be easier to get ^^


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## TheLostSwede (Mar 26, 2011)

These things aren't easy to get and I linked to the manufacturer as they're the only ones that makes the kind of adapter that you need afaik.
Not trying to be an arse here, but neither of the ones you've found will work for what you need them to do, at least not very well as with the first one the cable goes the wrong way and the second one won't be possible to mount easily unless you use the vertical slot.


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## newtekie1 (Mar 26, 2011)

Have you tried just moving your graphics card down to the second PCI-e x16 slot?


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## puma99dk| (Mar 26, 2011)

newtekie1 said:


> Have you tried just moving your graphics card down to the second PCI-e x16 slot?



yes, Forced x8 that's also what Asus says on their vip forum site and cadaveca tested that for me in this tread: Asus Maximus III Gene Runs x16 @ Second PCI-E 2.0 x16 port?



cadaveca said:


> NO, it only runs @ 8x. jsut swapped my card in there to verify.



that's why i am after a riser card if it was x16 in there i would have use it that way newtekie1 ^^


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## newtekie1 (Mar 26, 2011)

puma99dk| said:


> yes, Forced x8 that's also what Asus says on their vip forum site and cadaveca tested that for me in this tread: Asus Maximus III Gene Runs x16 @ Second PCI-E 2.0 x16 port?
> 
> 
> 
> that's why i am after a riser card if it was x16 in there i would have use it that way newtekie1 ^^



Ah, just checking, because I know different boards handle this situation differently.

Not that running at x8 would really affect performance any, I'd just leave it running at x8 and screw the ugly riser.


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## sneekypeet (Mar 26, 2011)

Agreed, I run both my 470s in SLI at X8.


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## m4gicfour (Mar 26, 2011)

It should be noted, if you have any free PCIe slots, use one. PCIe X1 will work in any PCIe slot from x1 all the way up to x16. The only thing to worry about is if your board forces any strange lane arrangements (like putting your graphics card in the second slot)


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## newtekie1 (Mar 26, 2011)

m4gicfour said:


> It should be noted, if you have any free PCIe slots, use one. PCIe X1 will work in any PCIe slot from x1 all the way up to x16. The only thing to worry about is if your board forces any strange lane arrangements (like putting your graphics card in the second slot)



His issue is a little odd.

On his board, he has a PCIe x16 slot, then an x1 slot right under it.  Then under the x1 slot is another x16 slot.

If the graphics card is in the first x16 slot, it blocks the x1 slot, so the sound card has to go into the second x16 slot.  Doing this, forces the first x16 slot to run in x8 mode.

If the graphics card is in the second x16 slot, then that slot will only run a x8 mode as well, even if there is no card in the first x16 slot.


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## puma99dk| (Mar 26, 2011)

newtekie1 said:


> His issue is a little odd.
> 
> On his board, he has a PCIe x16 slot, then an x1 slot right under it.  Then under the x1 slot is another x16 slot.
> 
> ...



sry i need to correct u it's this:

(Any thing injected to second PCI-E 2.0 x16 port will force the other to the first PCI-E 2.0 x16 port to x8 and SLi/CrossFire is 2x8 so only 1x16)

PCI-Express 2.0 x16
PCI-Express 2.0 x4 (Opened)
PCI-Express 2.0 x16
PCI-X






and i srsly don't wanna x8 on one card but i want full speed and i don't want a X-Fi PCI card bcs if i upgrade in 1 or 2 years than maybe PCI will be dead and i don't want to have old-school Audio card i can't use anymore ^^;


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## m4gicfour (Mar 26, 2011)

Oh, okay. Yeah in that case I guess your option is pretty much the flex riser, huh? 

Like sneeky said, you don't lose a ton of performance going from x16 to x8, but a riser's a better option if you can make it work for you. I'd be mainly concerned with making sure the card's mounted securely. Afraid I can't really be of any help finding them, don't know of too many etailers for your region


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## newtekie1 (Mar 26, 2011)

m4gicfour said:


> you don't lose a ton of performance going from x16 to x8



Something like 2% with a GTX480, so probably less with a GTX460.

I'd just live with the x8.


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## puma99dk| (Mar 26, 2011)

m4gicfour said:


> Oh, okay. Yeah in that case I guess your option is pretty much the flex riser, huh?
> 
> Like sneeky said, you don't lose a ton of performance going from x16 to x8, but a riser's a better option if you can make it work for you. I'd be mainly concerned with making sure the card's mounted securely. Afraid I can't really be of any help finding them, don't know of too many etailers for your region



i will just let my dad order on ebay, he buys alot of things on ebay.de so it will be fine, but only if i can get a audio card ^^;


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## m4gicfour (Mar 26, 2011)

<trollpost>
Just buy a PCI XFi and when it comes time to upgrade, use this to plug it into your shiny new PCIe slot!
</trollpost>

Thought it was worth a laugh.


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## puma99dk| (Mar 27, 2011)

m4gicfour said:


> <trollpost>
> Just buy a PCI XFi and when it comes time to upgrade, use this to plug it into your shiny new PCIe slot!
> </trollpost>
> 
> Thought it was worth a laugh.



lol srsly i would rather buy a PCI-E x1 card now and use a flex riser than convert PCI-X to PCI-E x1....


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