These are PCIe x1, x2, x4, x8, and x16; the more lanes you have available on a slot, the more data can be transmitted and received. The smallest PCIe slot (PCIe x1) has a single lane available and ...

Since the mainboard used also offered PCIe, the same card was run in a PCIe x4 slot, as well as in an x1 configuration, both with noticeably higher performance and putting the ‘why’ in ‘try’.

PCI Express (PCIe) was introduced in 2002 as "Third Generation I/O" (3GIO), and by the mid-2000s, motherboards had at least one PCIe slot for graphics ... serial lanes (x1-x32) that transfer ...

and not all PCIe slots allow for every card to be installed. While any card of any configuration (x1, x4, x8 or x16) will fit and work in an x16 slot (mechanical), smaller slots may not physically ...

PCIe x4 and x8 cards can draw up to 25W from the motherboard's slot, while x1 cards are limited to 10W unless configured as a 'full-height' or 'high-power card' to pull the aforementioned 25W.