Spare slot... can I use it?

mossfoot

mossfoot
I have an ASUS machine and the bottom PCI slot seems to be NOT intended to be used as an external slot. Rather it's for some kind of dedicated GPU boost (that's what it says on the motherboard anyway, and the slot is blocked off so you can't have external plugs go in)

Anyone know what the deal with this kind of slot is and how one goes about using it?
 

varonica

varonica
The words GPU Boost are just silk screened onto the motherboard in that location, they have no real relationship to that particular PCI slot. Depending on the PC case there are many that will give you external access to all the PCI slots, yours just doesn't is all. Of course there are cards you could put in there that don't require external access, but it's not a specific GPU slot.

Is it this Mobo;

https://www.anandtech.com/show/4330/asus-p8z68v-review

It may not be but the principal is the same, they often silkscreen words on the mobo where they fit but it often is only a board feature and not a feature of the hardware nearby.
 
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mossfoot

mossfoot
varonica said:
The words GPU Boost are just silk screened onto the motherboard in that location, they have no real relationship to that particular PCI slot. Depending on the PC case there are many that will give you external access to all the PCI slots, yours just doesn't is all. Of course there are cards you could put in there that don't require external access, but it's not a specific GPU slot.

Is it this Mobo;

https://www.anandtech.com/show/4330/asus-p8z68v-review

It may not be but the principal is the same, they often silkscreen words on the mobo where they fit but it often is only a board feature and not a feature of the hardware nearby.
Click to expand...

its not that one but the slot in question is the light blue standard PCI shown rather than the PCI-e X1 and x16 shown with it. I was at a loss of what I could do with it because it differs in shape from the others.

I had hoped there was something I could add there to increase my performance for WMR, but it seems if anything that is an older style card slot?
 

Paul Bambury

P
ASUS GPU Boost appears to be a feature on some motherboards to allow the user to overclock integrated graphics. The setting will likely be controlled through the BIOS or the ASUS AI Suite software. Since you (presumably) aren't running a VR headset off an integrated GPU, its a feature that is of absolutely no use to you.
 

mossfoot

mossfoot
Paul Bambury said:
ASUS GPU Boost appears to be a feature on some motherboards to allow the user to overclock integrated graphics. The setting will likely be controlled through the BIOS or the ASUS AI Suite software. Since you (presumably) aren't running a VR headset off an integrated GPU, its a feature that is of absolutely no use to you.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. I think my system is good enough as it is, but I figured if there was something I could add that might give me some more oomph, I should find out about it.

Just waiting on a PCIx1 USB 3.0 card to arrive and we'll see if I'm good to go.
 
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