Can somebody clarify my understanding of this mechanical versus electrical for the PCI-Express expansion slots in a Dell PowerEdge R515:
http://picpaste.com/R515-rWjduw1e.png
What I assume this means is that whilst the physical slot is x8 (and can therefore accommodate x1, x4 and x8 cards), only half the "wires" are connected. So if you plug in a x8 card to one of the x4 electrical slots, then it would work, just at reduced throughput?
You're right. In that diagram, slot 1 can physically hold an 8x card, but it has electrical wiring for a maximum throughput of 4x lanes.