New
#1
If you can use X1 card in X16 slot, why also "negotiable x16/x4/x1"?
I just bought a Lenovo M910t desktop machine. The case has four expansion slot spacers on the rear, although there are only three expansion slots on the motherboard itself: x16, x1, and negotiable x16/x4/x1. The second x16/x4/x1 slot has that fourth "blank" space next to it on the rear, so that you can install a double-wide card in both the primary x16 slot as well as the secondary x16/x4/x1 slot. Sounds good.
My problem is that I want to install one double-width x16 graphics card, along with two x1 TV tuner cards. But I can't put the double-width graphics card in the primary x16 slot since the double-width will obscure the x1 slot right below it, thus eliminating it for my use.
So the only possible solution is to put the double-width graphics card in the secondary x16/x4/x1 slot (with the second half simply occupying the extra "blank" space left for it in the motherboard and case design), and then put one x1 card in the primary x16 slot, and the second x1 card in the x1 slot (since it is not going to be obscured by the single-wide x1 card just above it). I've read that you can install an x1 card in an x16 slot and it will work just fine.
So if this above approach will truly "work just fine", then what is the reason for them to label that secondary x16/x4/x1 slot as "negotiable"? What does that actually mean? How does the behavior of that slot differ from the primary x16 slot which isn't labeled "negotiable" but which apparently can still be used for x1??
Is there some performance difference from using an x1 card in an x16 slot vs. using the same x1 card in a "negotiable" x16/x4/x1 slot?
Is there a performance downside or negative impact from using the "negotiable" x16/x4/x1 slot vs. the primary x16 slot for the x16 graphics card?
Is there some performance improvement (individually or overall) to using the negotiable x16/x4/x1 slot for an x1 card instead of using the primary x16 slot for that x1 card?
If I had a motherboard with more than just these three expansion slots I'd be sure to use two x1 slots for the two x1 cards. But since I don't have much of a choice here (other than going with a single-wide x16 graphics card and putting it in the primary x16 slot, thus allowing my two x1 cards to go into the official x1 slot as well as the negotiable x16/14/x1 slot) I'd really like to learn what is the meaning of "negotiable", if I can just go ahead and use the primary x16 slot anyway for an x1 card.