Alienware R10 5600x PCIE 4 Compatability?

CPU Z probably wrong.  It is B550A.

Here: 32 gbp/s = 4 GB/s = pcie 3.0 x4

The top GPU x16 slot runs at pcie 4.0 x8.  That is correct.  

Keep in mind the B550A board does have AGESA-enabled pcie 4.0 lanes direct from the CPU to the top GPU slot.  That's why Dell advertises it on their website as a pcie 4.0 board and many people have confirmed the top slot does in fact run at pcie 4.0. 

Since it's CPU lanes there aren't enough for all slots to run at gen 4.0.  It is interesting the M2 slot runs at 3.0 because most B550A OEMs run the top pcie slot plus the m2 slot at 4.0.  Considering the top slot is x8, there should be bandwidth to run the m2 slot on this specific board at 4.0.  But the M2 is only 3.0. The top GPU slot is the only pcie 4.0 slot.

"What, as a possible purchaser of such a system, would you compare it with?"

What about options 3 and 4: Aurora R11 and R12.   

You know what is funny about the advertisement? They claim it doubles the bandwidth available to graphics cards.

Now that is true, or not true, pending on what you want to compare this with.

PCIe 4.0 x 8 versus PCIe 3.0 x 16. If you compare that, it is the exact same speed and not double.

PCIe 4.0 x 8 versus PCIe 3.0 x 8. If you compare it to that, it is indeed double.

What, as a possible purchaser of such a system, would you compare it with?

1. A PCIe 3.0 slot that has it's link speed cut in half?

2. A PCIe 3.0 slot that does not have it's link speed cut in half?

I think there is some confusion about this board.

The top PCIe slot runs at PCI 4.0, but only at X8 link speed maximum.

The bottom full length PCIe slot runs at PCIe 3.0, but only at X8 link speed maximum.

The M2 slot is PCIe 3.0 and runs at x4 link speed maximum. 

There's also an M2 slot for Wlan, ir runs PCIe 2 at X1 

Killer ethernet adaptor runs at 1.1 x 1 

M2 wlan and ethernet adaptor share an upstream link PCI 3 x 4

All USB ports that are not USB 3.0 are connected to an USB xHCI controller at PCIe 3 x 4

USB 3.0 ports are linked to a xHCI controller at 4.0 x 16 link speed.

The HD audio controller is PCI 4.0 x 16

SATA AHCI controller is PCI 4 x 16

How correct some of this is might be difficult to say unless Dell wants to release the full specs of each device link, both PCIe revision and link speed.

Are they finally X16?

I respectfully disagree.   My 1 Tb Gen 4 SDD drive which came with the R10 is only running at 3 Gbps

Only the top x16 (x8 electrical) slot is advertised in the service manual as gen 4.0, which is correct.

As noted above in my other posts, the M2 slot is correctly advertised as gen 3.0.

@hrmchan @"I respectfully disagree.   My 1 Tb Gen 4 SDD drive which came with the R10 is only running at 3 Gbps"

4 GB/s is the theoretical maximum bandwidth of pcie 3.0 x4.  Obviously nobody will ever achieve that in a real work benchmark.  The service manual correctly lists theoretical maximum bandwidth.  Real world read speeds from 3 to 3.5 GB/s are expected for a gen 3.0 M2 slot.

Only the top x16 GPU (x8 mechanical) slot has AGESA enabled pcie 4.0 direct lanes to the CPU, which bypasses the chipset 3.0 limitation.  This is all correctly stated in the service manual.

Also, if you didn't make a typo, and really mean to say you're only running at 3 Gbps (as opposed to 3 GB/s) you're having separate issues. Plenty of people get pcie x4 3.0 speeds on the M2 slot with oem equipment.

Alienware has been misleading potential owners for the past 2 yrs.  The R10 information on all of Dell/Alienware will go to great extremes to not inform you on the specification of the PCIe interface on the B550 MB machines ... because its BAD NEWS.  They think we are stupid users ... shelling out $3000 for a gaming PC, which could be built DIY for $1900.

Yes, talk to sales support and they'll say HECK Yah, its a Gen 4.  And try to contact Tech Support, who should know the answer ... and they refer you back to sales support.  I did this for weeks after receiving my R10.  Very deceptive practice, which forced me to no longer TRUST the Brand. 

As for the ONLINE configurator, it will sell you all the Gen 4 device options like SDDs offering specs of 6.5 kb/s onto a MB running a Gen 3 PCIe interface.  Really fraudulent practice ...

Dr. Robert Chan 

As shown in the service manual 32 gbps = 4.0 GB/s = pcie gen 3.0 x4.  Gen 3 not 4.

https://dl.dell.com/topicspdf/alienware-aurora-r10-desktop_service-manual_en-us.pdf

Or see my earlier photo of same (above).