Using pci-e 16x card in an 8x slot?

[madao]

Possibly a silly question, but as the physical dimensions of an 8x slot looks pretty similar to a 16x slot, can one use a 16x card in the 8x slot?

I realise that an 8x slot has half the number of pins (or whatever the term is) of a 16x slot, but I think I read, in that most trusted of sources;somewhere that most cards do not use all the bandwidth provided by a 16x slot.

Any experiences, thoughts?

[darksoft]

Possibly a silly question, but as the physical dimensions of an 8x slot looks pretty similar to a 16x slot, can one use a 16x card in the 8x slot?

I realise that an 8x slot has half the number of pins (or whatever the term is) of a 16x slot, but I think I read, in that most trusted of sources;somewhere that most cards do not use all the bandwidth provided by a 16x slot.

Any experiences, thoughts?

yes they will work

[madao]

Thank you for the reply.

Do you know whether a R290 would be overkill or not?

[crazyates]

For gaming? You want to use all 16 lanes. And get a card/MB that are both PCIe 3.0. Bandwidth makes a difference for games.

For mining? I run all my GPUs on (powered) 1x risers. Doesn't hurt them at all. And no, a 290 won't be overkill, as long as your PSU can handle it.