[OT] Can a PCIe x4 card be plugged into a PCIe x16 slot?

["keyvan2r" <k1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is kind of a follow up to my self-build WHS saga.
I am thinking of getting an Adaptec 1430 4port sata controller.
This may sound a bit ignorant but my M/B has only PCIe x2 and PCIe x16
slots, the Adaptec is a PCIe x4. I looked on the net and there is no clear
explanation, so I am asking here..:-)
My WHS is really, really slow. I followed Phil's reply re demigrator.exe,
but there is something much worse happening with my server. The plan is to
reinstall using nlite to create an install disk with Intel AHCI drivers -
so have made a slipstreamed install with win2003 driver installed for the
Intel ICH10R sata ports - I don't have a floppy so I can't install drivers
in standard install process.
If that fails, then I plan to install just the system hd with atapi
drivers, then when the os is up install the card and win2003 drivers with
the adaptec and connect the data drives (4x 2Tb Hitachi)and hopefully get
useable performance from the storage pool.

Thanks
K



------------------------------------