EVGA X299 DARK User manual

EVGA X299 DARK (151-SX-E299)
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User Guide
EVGA X299 DARK
Specs and Initial Installation

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Table of Contents
User Guide...............................................................................................................- 1 -
EVGA X299 DARK...................................................................................................- 1 -
Specs and Initial Installation.....................................................................................- 1 -
Before You Begin… .................................................................................................- 4 -
Parts NOT in the Kit............................................................................................................. - 5 -
Intentions of the Kit.............................................................................................................. - 5 -
Motherboard Specifications.................................................................................................. - 6 -
Unpacking and Parts Descriptions........................................................................................ - 8 -
EVGA X299 DARK Motherboard LED reference............................................................. - 10 -
EVGA X299 DARK Motherboard Component Legend..................................................... - 14 -
PCIe Slot Breakdown (Skylake-X)..................................................................................... - 27 -
M.2 and U.2 Slot Breakdown (Skylake-X)......................................................................... - 28 -
PCIe Slot Breakdown (Kaby Lake-X)................................................................................ - 29 -
M.2 and U.2 Slot Breakdown (Kaby Lake-X).................................................................... - 30 -
Preparing the Motherboard....................................................................................- 31 -
Installing the CPU .............................................................................................................. - 31 -
Installing the CPU Cooling Device .................................................................................... - 33 -
Installing System Memory.................................................................................................. - 34 -
Installing the I/O Shield and I/O Cover.............................................................................. - 35 -
Installing the Motherboard......................................................................................- 36 -
Securing the Motherboard into a System Case................................................................... - 37 -
Installing M.2 devices.............................................................................................- 39 -
Installing M.2 Key-M Socket 3 Devices ............................................................................ - 39 -
Incorrect M.2 Installation Example: ................................................................................... - 42 -
Installing M.2 Key-E Socket 1 Devices.............................................................................. - 43 -

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Tested CPU and Memory ................................................................................................... - 45 -
Tested U.2........................................................................................................................... - 46 -
Tested M.2 Key-M ............................................................................................................. - 46 -
Tested M.2 Key-E............................................................................................................... - 46 -
Connecting Cables.............................................................................................................. - 47 -
Onboard Buttons................................................................................................................. - 56 -
First Boot................................................................................................................- 57 -
M.2 SSD, PCIe SSD, and NVMe SSD Installation steps ................................................... - 59 -
Internal RAID Controller.........................................................................................- 61 -
Fan Header DC and PWM setup ...........................................................................- 96 -
Setting Up SLI and PhysX....................................................................................- 100 -
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro Studio .............................................................- 104 -
Installing Drivers and Software ............................................................................- 128 -
Windows 10 Driver Installation........................................................................................ - 128 -
Warranty and Overclocking.............................................................................................. - 129 -
Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................- 130 -
Replacing a BIOS chip ..................................................................................................... - 130 -
SSD / HDD is not detected............................................................................................... - 133 -
System does not POST, and POST code indicator reads “C”........................................... - 135 -
System does not POST, and POST code indicator reads “55” or “b7”............................. - 136 -
System does not POST, and POST code indicator reads “d7” ......................................... - 136 -
Have a question not covered above, or want some online resources? .............................. - 137 -
Multifunction LED indicator ............................................................................................ - 138 -
POST Beep codes............................................................................................................. - 142 -
POST Port Debug LED .................................................................................................... - 143 -
POST Codes........................................................................................................- 144 -
EVGA Glossary of Terms ................................................................................................ - 149 -
Compliance Information.......................................................................................- 152 -

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Before You Begin…
Some motherboard companies believe it is enough to tell you that their boards
are fast. Others put enough RGB LEDs on their boards to make you think
racing lights will make your board go faster. EVGA could have designed a board
like those...or it could engineer the X299 Dark - a motherboard line renowned
for being the top choice of the world's best overclockers.
EVGA introduces you the ultimate in raw performance for the next gen Intel®
Extreme lineup, the EVGA X299 Dark. The Dark is crafted from the ground
up to be the performance apex with everything you need to make a record-
breaking benching run or a 24/7 number cruncher, and nothing you don't –a
board that is as reliable as it is fast. The EVGA X299 Dark has all of the current
gen top-tier component support, multiple M.2 slots, Intel®Optane™support,
multiple U.2 ports, up to 64GB of 4000MHz+ (OC) Quad-Channel RAM on a
Skylake-X or up to 32GB of 4133MHz+ (OC) Dual-Channel RAM, dual Intel®
GbE LAN, USB 3.1, and a full-featured GUI UEFI/BIOS.
There is much to be said about a beautifully-engineered motherboard designed
to handle the highest loads or the most extreme conditions, let alone the rigors
and abuse constantly demanded by the best overclockers in the world, and still
look good doing it. This was achieved, in part, by using a 12-layer PCB, a 16-
phase Digital VRM (12 VCore, 1 VSA, 1 VCCIO, 2 Phase Memory PWM),
100% solid state capacitors, a CPU socket with 300% higher gold content, and
an external BCLK. The X299 Dark proves once again that until you have used
it, you don't know the power of the Dark side of the EVGA motherboard
lineup.

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Parts NOT in the Kit
This kit contains all the hardware necessary to install and connect your new
EVGA X299 DARK Motherboard. However, it does NOT contain the
following items, which must be purchased separately in order to make the
system fully functional and install an Operating System:
Intel®Socket 2066 Processor
DDR4 System Memory
CPU Cooling Device
PCI Express Graphics Card
Power Supply
Hard Drive or SSD
Keyboard / Mouse
Monitor
(Optional) Optical Drive
EVGA assumes you have purchased all the necessary parts needed to allow for
proper system functionality. For a full list of supported CPUs on this
motherboard, please visit www.evga.com/support/motherboard
Intentions of the Kit
When replacing a different model motherboard in a PC case, you may need to
reinstall your operating system, even though the current HDD/SSD may
already have one installed. Keep in mind, however, you may sometimes also
need to reinstall your OS after a RMA even if your motherboard remains the
same due to issues that occurred prior to replacing the motherboard.

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Motherboard Specifications
Size:
EATX form-factor of 12 inches x 10.89 inches (304.8x276.7mm)
Microprocessor support:
Intel®Socket 2066 Processor
Operating Systems:
Supports Windows 10 64bit
System Memory support:
Supports Quad-Channel DDR4 up to 4000MHz+ Skylake-X (OC), and
4133MHz+ Kaby Lake-X (OC).
Supports up to 64GB of DDR4 memory.
USB 2.0 Ports:
4x from Intel®X299 PCH –4x internal via 2 FP headers
Supports transfer speeds up to 480 Mbps with full backwards compatibility
USB 3.0 Ports:
8x from Intel®X299 PCH –6x external, 2x internal via 1 FP headers
Supports transfer speeds up to 5Gbps with full backwards compatibility
USB 3.1 Ports:
2x from ASMedia ASM2142 –2x external, 1x Type-C, 1x Type-A
Supports transfer speeds up to 10Gbps with full backwards compatibility
*Type-C may require a Type-A adapter for backwards compatibility
SATA Ports:
Intel®X299 PCH Controller
6x SATA 3/6 Gbit/s (600 MB/s) data transfer rate
- Support for RAID0, RAID1, RAID5, AND RAID10
- Supports hot plug
ASMedia ASM1061
2x SATA 3/6 Gbit/s (600 MB/s) data transfer rate
- Supports Windows XP, used for benching environments
- No RAID or Hot-Plug Support
Onboard Audio:
Creative Core3D Quad-Core Audio Processor (CA0132)
Supports 5.1 Channel audio with Optical S/PDIF Out
Onboard LAN:

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1x Intel®i219V Gigabit (10/100/1000) Ethernet PHY
1x Intel®i210AT Gigabit (10/100/1000) Ethernet MAC+PHY
Ethernet Teaming Supported
Power Functions:
Supports ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)
Supports S0 (normal), S3 (suspend to RAM), S4 (Suspend to disk - depends
on OS), and S5 (soft - off)
PCIexpress Expansion Slots:
5x PCIe x16 slot 2x16, 2x8*
1x PCIe x4 slot
*LANES PER SLOT CAN VARY BASED ON CPU, PLEASE SEE
PAGE 27 FOR LANE BREAKDOWN BASED ON CPU.
PCIe 3.0 Support:
Low power consumption and power management features
SLI and Crossfire Support:
4-Way SLI + PhysX with Core™X-series i9 or 2-Way SLI with Core™X-
series i5/i7 Kaby Lake-X
4-Way Crossfire
Additional Expansion Slots:
1x M.2 Key-M 110mm slot PCIe/NVMe
1x M.2 Key-M 80mm slot PCIe/NVMe and Intel®Optane™
1x M.2 Key-E slot
2x U.2 slot
Single PS/2 port for keyboard or mouse
Fan Headers:
2x 4-pin PWM controlled headers
7x 4-pin DC\PWM headers
-3pin(DC)\4pin(PWM) modes are selected in BIOS
-Static fan RPM percentage set in BIOS
ALL FAN HEADERS HAVE A MAXIMUM POWER LIMIT OF 2 AMP
@ 12 VOLTS (24 WATTS). EXCEEDING THIS LIMIT WILL CAUSE
IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO THE BOARD.

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Unpacking and Parts Descriptions
The following accessories are included with the EVGA X299 DARK
Motherboard:

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EVGA X299 DARK Motherboard LED
reference
The EVGA X299 DARK Motherboard has several LEDs indicating power, connectivity,
and activity. Below is the location of the LEDs and their function.

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1. Power Button
a. RED: Motherboard is turned on and running.
2. Reset Button
a. WHITE: Reset button will typically flash in conjunction with
HDD/SSD LED. Depending on load, the button may flash or appear
solid white at times.
b. NVMe SSDs cannot be read for the purposes of the Reset LED.
3. Active BIOS LED
a. WHITE: Active BIOS Chip (only 1 will be lit at a time)
4. U.2 Enable/OK
a. WHITE: Port is enabled.
b. GREEN: Port is connected to a working device.
c. OFF: No device is attached/Port is disabled.
5. Skylake-X Only Memory Status LEDs light up to show that a Skylake-X
processor is installed and/or when the memory/DIMM has failed POST
a. WHITE: Skylake-X CPU detected and slot is usable
b. RED: DIMM/Memory has failed POST
c. OFF: Kaby Lake-X CPU installed or unsupported memory in DIMMs.
6. Memory Status LEDs light up to show that a Kaby Lake-X or Skylake-X
processor is installed, and/or when the memory/DIMM has failed POST
a. WHITE: Kaby Lake-X or Skylake-X CPU detected
b. RED: DIMM/Memory has failed POST
7. USB Type-C Status
a. GREEN: Indicates device is attached and detected to USB Type-C.
b. OFF: No device detected.
8. M.2 Key-E 32mm LED
a. WHITE: M.2 Key-E slot enabled and M.2 Key-E device installed.
b. OFF: M.2 Key-E Slot disabled.
1. Power Button 9. PE1 Status/Mode 17. CPU Malfunction Error
2. Reset Button 10. PE2 Status/Mode 18. CPU FIVR Power Error
3. Active BIOS ROM 11. PE3 Status/Mode 19. CPU Error
4. U.2 Enable/OK 12. PE4 Status/Mode 20. +5V PSU Power
5. Skylake-X Only Memory Status 13. PE5 Status/Mode 21. Memory Power
6. Memory Status 14. PE6 Status/Mode 22. +5V Standby Power
7. USB Type-C Status 15. M.2 Key-M 110mm Status/Mode 23. Multi-function POST indicator
8. M.2 Key-E Status/Mode 16. M.2 Key-M 80mm Status/Mode
LED Legend

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9. PCIe LED for PE1. The LED will remain off when this PCIe slot is disabled
or unpopulated.
a. WHITE: PE1 slot can be used with installed CPU.
b. GREEN: PE1 device present and detected.
10. PCIe LED for PE2. The LED will remain off when this PCIe slot is disabled
or unpopulated.
a. WHITE: PE2 slot can be used with installed CPU.
b. GREEN: PE2 device present and detected.
11. PCIe LED for PE3. The LED will remain off when this PCIe slot is disabled
or unpopulated.
a. WHITE: PE3 slot can be used with installed CPU.
b. GREEN: PE3 device present and detected.
12. PCIe LED for PE4. The LED will remain off when this PCIe slot is disabled
or unpopulated.
a. WHITE: PE4 slot can be used with installed CPU.
b. GREEN: PE4 device present and detected.
13. PCIe LED for PE5. The LED will remain off when this PCIe slot is disabled
or unpopulated.
a. WHITE: PE5 slot can be used.
b. GREEN: PE5 device present and detected.
14. PCIe LED for PE6. The LED will remain off when this PCIe slot is disabled
or unpopulated.
a. WHITE: PE6 slot can be used with installed CPU.
b. GREEN: PE6 device present and detected.
15. M.2 Key-M Socket3 110mm (PM1)
a. WHITE: M.2 can be used.
i. Some devices do not have full activity detection support; for
example, the LED will turn on when a SM951 drive is attached
and blink while accessing. However, a XP941 drive does not
support that function.
ii. Rather than staying a solid white for “ON,” some devices will
blink when detected/active. This is specific to some devices.
b. GREEN: PM1 device present and detected.
16. M.2 Key-M Socket3 80mm (PM2)
a. WHITE: M.2 can be used.
i. Some devices do not have full activity detection support; for
example, the LED will turn on when a SM951 drive is attached
and blink while accessing. However, a XP941 drive does not
support that function.

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ii. Rather than staying a solid white for “ON,” some devices will
blink when detected/active. This is specific to some devices.
b. GREEN: PM1 device present and detected.
17. CATERR
a. CATERR stands for Catastrophic Error on the processor.
b. RED: Processor error has occurred.
c. OFF: No error state detected in the CPU.
18. FIVR
a. RED: CPU Fully-Integrated Voltage Regulator shutdown.
b. OFF: CPU is operating in a normal state.
19. CPU ERROR LEDs
a. CPU ERROR LED1
i. RED: CPU Logic detected error; system halted.
b. CPU ERROR LED2
i. RED: CPU Logic detected error; system halted.
c. CPU ERROR LED3
i. RED: CPU Logic detected error; system halted.
20. +5V Standby Power
a. RED: Voltage present (Does not mean PSU is outputting in-spec, only
that this specific voltage is detected)
21. Memory Power
a. WHITE: Voltage present (Does not mean PSU is outputting in-spec,
only that this specific voltage is detected)
22. +5V Standby Power
a. WHITE: Voltage present (Does not mean PSU is outputting in-spec,
only that this specific voltage is detected)
23. Multifunction POST Indicator
a. During boot it will cycle many different hexadecimal post codes with a
range of 00-FF and this indicates what aspect of the Power On Self
Test (POST) is currently running.
i. For a list of POST Codes, please see Page 144.
b. This indicator can be configured in BIOS to display hardware
monitoring information, such as voltage or temperature. After boot,
these LEDs will show either temperature or voltage, depending on user
configuration in the BIOS.

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EVGA X299 DARK Motherboard Component
Legend
The EVGA X299 DARK Motherboard with the Intel®X299 and PCH Chipset.
Figure 1 shows the motherboard and Figure 2 shows the back panel connectors
FIGURE 1. X299 DARK Motherboard Layout

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**For a FULL description of the above legend, please see Page 17.
1. CPU Socket 2066 12. M.2 Socket 3 Key-M 110mm 23. USB 2.0 Headers
2. Intel X299 PCH (Southbridge) 13. M.2 Socket 3 Key-M 80mm 24. VROC Header
3. PWM Fan Headers (1 amp) 14. PCI-E Slot x16/x8 25. Front Panel Audio Connector
4. DC/PWM Fan Headers (1 amp) 15. PCI-E Slot x8 26. Front Panel Connectors
5. DDR4 Memory DIMM Slots 1-4 16. PCI-E Slot x8/x4 27. Removable BIOS Chip
6. 24-pin ATX power connector 17. PCI-E Slot x4 28. BIOS Selector Switch
7. 8 pin EPS Connector 18. Power Button 29. CMOS Battery
8. Supplemental PCI-E 6 pin power 19. Reset Button 30. PCI-E Disable Switches
9. Intel Sata 6G RAID Ports 20. CMOS Reset Button 31. Probe-It Header
10. ASMedia Sata 6G RAID Ports 21. Multi-function POST indicator 32. PC Speaker
11. U.2 (SFF-8639) Port 22. USB 3.0 Headers 33. Rear Panel I/O (Figure 2)
Component Legend

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Figure 2. Chassis Rear Panel Connectors
1. PS/2 (Keyboard) 5. BIOS/CMOS Reset 8. M.2 Key-E Vertical Header
2. USB 3.0 6. Intel i219 NIC 9. Optical Out
3. USB 3.1 type A 7. Intel i210 NIC 10. Analog Audio Jacks
4. USB 3.1 type C
I/O Hub
Activity LED Status Description Speed/Link LED Status Description
Off No Data Transmission Orange 1000Mbps data rate
Blinking (Green) Data Transmission Green 100 Mbps data rate
Off 10 Mbps data rate
Analog Audio Port Breakdown 2/2.1 Channel 4.0/4.1 Channel 5.1 Channel
Dark Green Head Phone Head Phone Head Phone
Front Speaker / Front Speaker/ Front Speaker/
Speaker+Sub Out Speaker+Sub Out Speaker+Sub Out
Pink Mic / Line In Mic / Line In Mic / Line In
Black Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out
Orange Center/Voice channel
Light Green

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Component Legend Descriptions
1. CPU Socket 2066
This is the interface for the Central Processing Unit (CPU), and supports Core™
X-Series i5, i7 and i9 models compatible with the Intel®LGA2066 Socket,
based on Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X architecture.
2. Intel®X299 PCH (Southbridge)
The Platform Controller Hub (PCH) handles the role that was previously held
by the South Bridge. On X299 motherboards, the CPU and PCH are directly
linked via DMI 3.0, which uses 4 lanes to provide transfer rates at up to 8 GT/s
per lane. From there, the PCH allocates bandwidth to smaller PCIe slots and
devices, such as M.2 Key-E, USB, audio, etc. In simplified terms, the PCH
works as a hub for peripherals that are less bandwidth-intensive.
3. PWM Fan Headers
4-pin fan headers that control the fan speed based on a configurable curve or
static percentage. PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) works by pulsing power to
the fan at a constant rate and sending the RPM signal to the fan’s controller via
a Sense cable, rather than adjusting fan speed by increasing and decreasing
voltage. This method is preferable because it eliminates voltage-based fan stall
points. Please see Page 96 for more in-depth PWM breakdown and PWM
controls within BIOS/UEFI.
4. DC/PWM Fan Headers
These ports are simply toggled between DC and PWM to be compatible with 4
pin fans. The fans will be set to a static percentage set in BIOS.
5. DDR4 Memory Slots
The memory slots support up to four 288-pin DDR4 DIMMs in Quad-Channel
mode with Skylake-X processors; and supports up to two 288-pin DDR4
DIMMs in Dual-Channel mode with Kaby Lake-X processors.
Skylake-X processors are certified for Quad-Channel mode, and will be enabled
only upon using four sticks of supported memory, according to the installation
guide on Page 34.Skylake-X supports up to 64GB (4x16GB) up to 4000MHz+.
32GB and larger RDIMM modules are *NOT* supported on this platform.
Triple/Dual-Channel kit configurations are also possible but provide reduced
potential memory bandwidth of Skylake-X processors.
Kaby Lake-X processors are certified for Dual-Channel mode, and will be
enabled only upon using two sticks of supported memory, according to the

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installation guide on Page 34. Kaby Lake-X supports up to 32GB (2x16GB) up
to 4000MHz+. 32GB and larger RDIMM modules are *NOT* supported on
this platform. Kaby Lake-X only supports memory in DIMM slots 3 and 4.
Using 1 or 3 DIMMs may significantly lower performance depending on the
application; for best use, use either a 2 or 4 stick kit of RAM, subject to your
CPU’s limitations noted above.
The speeds listed above cannot be guaranteed because Intel®only certifies the
speed of the memory controller up to 2666/2400MHz for Kaby Lake-X and
Skylake-X platforms, respectively, and all speeds above Intel®’s certified speeds
require overclocking, including XMP automatic operation.
6. 24-pin ATX power connector
The main power for the motherboard is located on the right side of the board
and parallel to the PCB; this is also described as a “90 degree / right-angle”
connector (See Page 48 for more specifics to the connector itself, and associated
wiring/pinouts). The 24-pin connector IS directional and the connector needs
the tab on the socket to line up with the release clip located on the 24-pin
connector from the power supply. This connector pulls the bulk of the power
for all components; other connectors, such as CPU +12V EPS, PCIe (video
card AND motherboard sides), have been added to reduce the load and increase
longevity due to wiring and trace limitations.
7. Dual 8-pin EPS Connector
The +12V EPS is dual dedicated power input for the CPU (See Page 49 for
more specifics to the connector itself, and associated wiring/pinouts). Carefully
choose the correct power cable by consulting with the installation manual for
your power supply. This connector is designed only to work with an EPS or
CPU cable. System builders may make the mistake of plugging in a PCIe 8-pin
or 6+2-pin connector, which will prevent the board from POSTing and
possibly short or damage the board. Although the cables appear similar, they
are wired differently and attaching a PCIe cable to an EPS connector may cause
damage to the motherboard.
Alternatively, if no power cable is connected or detected, the system will not
POST and will hang at POST code “C.”
For optimal performance with Intel®Core™X-series i9 Skylake-X processors,
BOTH connectors must be plugged in with CPU power cables.

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8. Supplemental PCIe 6-pin Power Connector
There is a 6-pin PCIe connector at the bottom of the motherboard (See Page 48
for more specifics to the connector itself, and associated wiring/pinouts). This
connector provides dedicated power to the PCIe x16 slots, augmenting the
+12V power provided by the 24-pin and the GPU directly.
This is optional for a single card solution, but is recommended for SLI, CFX,
and dual-processor video cards.
9. Intel®SATA 6Gbit/s Ports
The Intel®X299 PCH has a 6-port SATA 3/6 Gbit/s controller (See Page 55
for specifics on the connectors). This controller is backwards compatible with
SATA and SATA II devices, and supports SSDs, HDDs and various types of
optical devices (CDROM, DVDROM, BD-ROM, etc). The controller also
supports NCQ, TRIM, hot swap capability (provided the proper HDD/SSD
bays/racks are installed), and RAID levels 0/1/5/10.
10. ASMedia SATA 6Gbit/s Ports
This is a secondary SATA controller, the ASM1061 is a 2-port SATA3/6
Gbit/s controller with legacy support for older operating systems, such as
Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1. This is included largely for benchmarking and
overclocking with very specific programs, such as Super Pi, 3DMark, PCMark,
etc. (See Page 55 for specifics on the connectors)
11. U.2 Port (SFF-8639)
U.2, originally known as SFF-8639, is a high bandwidth connection specifically
engineered for next generation SSDs. U.2 brings PCIe x4 (Gen3) NVMe
performance to a 2.5” SSD form factor and provides a solution to potential
heating problems that may be present in some M.2 solutions. Port function
depends on installed CPU-type and BIOS Configuration.
12. M.2 Socket 3 Key-M 110mm (PM1)
M.2 is an SSD form factor standard, which uses up to four PCIe lanes and
utilizes Gen3 speeds. Most popularly paired with NVMe SSDs, this standard
offers substantially faster transfer speeds and seek time than SATA interface
standards. All M.2 devices are designed to connect via a card-bus style
connector and be bolted into place and powered by the connector, rather than
by a dedicated data cable and power cable.
This socket will support Key-M devices of 110mm, 80mm, 60mm, and 42mm
length.
This connector can only utilize a PCIe/NVMe based M.2 SSD devices.

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13. M.2 Socket 3 Key-M 80mm (PM2)
M.2 is an SSD standard, which uses up to four PCIe lanes and utilizes Gen3
speeds. Most popularly paired with NVMe SSDs, this standard offers
substantially faster transfer speeds and seek time than SATA interface standards.
All M.2 devices are designed to connect via a card-bus style connector and be
bolted into place and powered by the connector, rather than by a dedicated data
cable and power cable.
This socket will support Key-M devices of 80mm, 60mm, and 42mm length.
This connector can utilize only PCIe/NVMe-based M.2 SSDs, SATA M.2, or
Intel®Optane™NVMe devices.
14. PCIe Slot x16/x8*
PCIe x16/x8 slots are primarily used for video cards. These full-length slots
will provide 8 or 16 lanes of bandwidth to a full-size card, and are backwards-
compatible with x8, x4, and x1-length cards.
Skylake-X Socket LGA2066 processors have 44 or 28 PCIe lanes available for
routing, whereas Kaby Lake-X has 16 PCIe lanes.
15. PCIe Slot x8*
PCIe x8 slots are primarily used for video cards, and share lanes from adjacent
x16 slots, when populated. These full-length slots will provide 8 lanes of
bandwidth to a full-size card, and are backwards-compatible with x8, x4, and
x1-length cards.
Skylake-X Socket LGA2066 processors have 44 or 28 PCIe lanes available for
routing, whereas Kaby Lake-X has 16 PCIe lanes.
16. PCIe Slot x8/4*
PCIe x8/4 slot can be used for video cards or other devices. PE6, the only
x8/x4 slot on the board, receives either x8 lanes from the CPU (Page 27) or x4
from the PCH, depending upon the CPU used and peripheral configuration.
These full-length slots will provide up to 8 lanes of bandwidth to a full-size card,
and are backwards-compatible with x8, x4, and x1-length cards.
Skyake-X Socket LGA2066 processors have 44 or 28 PCIe lanes available for
routing, whereas Kaby Lake-X has 16 PCIe lanes.
17. PCIe Slot x4*
PCIe x4 slot PE5 uses up to 4 Gen 3 lanes from the PCH. This slot is typically
used for sound cards, WiFi, USB, LAN or other peripheral cards.