PCIe x16 refers to the number of channels between an PCIe slot on the motherboard, and the processor, indicating that there are 16 channels for data to flow between the CPU and whatever device is plugged into the PCIe slot.
My name is Anthony, and I have been working with computers for 8+ years. PCIe slots are one of the most commonly used inputs for devices, and I have years of experience working with them.
Today we will be discussing what a PCIe slot is, what x16 means, and what a channel is.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- PCIe slot is to plug in cards for various uses.
- x16 refers to the number of channels for sending data.
- There are other sizes of PCIe slots as well.
What is a PCIe Slot?
PCIe slots are interfaces that can be used to connect devices directly to the motherboard, and in turn the processor. PCIe stands for peripheral component interconnect express.
You can plug many different devices into a PCIe slot, from network cards and graphics cards, to storage and RAID cards. There are several different sizes of PCIe slots as well. These will have an effect on the speed and size of the card that is supported for plugging in.
The main benefit of using PCIe over an external plug is the speed and latency. There is very low latency when using PCIe as it is connected directly to the motherboard. There are also much higher speeds because it is connected directly to the motherboard and can communicate faster.
Most computers will come with several PCIe slots, and some will come with various sizes. Make sure the motherboard you want or choose comes with the right amount of slots for your purposes.
What Does x16 Mean?
The x16 after PCIe refers to the number of channels that the motherboard uses to connect to the motherboard and send data to the processor. This means with a x16 that there are 16 channels for data to flow through.
The different sizes are also given names in the same format. There are x1, x2, x4, x8, x12, x16 and x32 slots. These are all different sizes because they each use a different number of channels. One important thing to note is that x16 is compatible with x1, x2, x4 and x8 as well.
This is because the listed sizes are smaller than x16, and only use part of the full capabilities of x16. This means you can plug in a x8 and only use 8 of the 16 available channels. However, a x32 card would not fit due to size, and the fact that it needs 32 channels not 16.
What is a Channel?
A channel can be described as a pathway for data to flow. They are actual electrical circuits soldered onto the motherboard from the PCIe slot, to the processor. This means that when you plug something into the PCIe slot it connects directly to the processor.
This increases speed and reduces latency by allowing direct contact with the processor. Also, this means that the number behind the “x” decides how many channels there are. For example, with a PCIe x16 slot, there are 16 channels soldered onto the motherboard.
Each of these channels goes directly to the motherboard and allows the card to communicate data back and forth with the processor. This will also give higher speeds, as there are more channels to communicate on.
Following that same path, a x8 and x4 would have less available channels. This would mean they would have slower speeds than a x16 PCIe slot.
FAQs
Here are some other questions related to PCIe x16.
What is the Difference Between PCIe x16 and x4?
PCIe x16 has 16 channels and PCIe x4 only has 4 available channels. However, you can plug a PCIe x4 card into a PCIe x16 slot due to the backwards compatibility and size difference. However, since a x16 is bigger than x4, you cannot plug a x16 card into a x4 slot.
What is the Difference Between PCIe x16 and x8?
PCIe x16 has 16 channels while PCIe x8 only has 8 channels. Like the x4 card, you can plug a x8 card into a x16 PCIe slot but not a x16 card into a x8 PCIe slot. The x8 will also be slightly faster than the x4 PCIe slot, but not as fast as a x16 PCIe slot.
How Fast is PCIe x16
The PCIe x16 is incredibly fast. It supports speeds in a single direction of up 3.2 GBps, and in dual direction of 6.4 GBps. This is incredibly fast, and is needed for some cards such as graphics cards which process all the graphics data for the display.
Wrapping Things Up
PCIe x16 refers to the number of channels in the PCIe slot that are available for sending data. This is important to know when choosing a graphics card.
