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If a Dell PowerEdge R720xd reports “PCIe Degraded Link Width Error: Integrated RAID, Expected Link width is x8, Actual link width is X4” after an E5-2630 v2-to-E5-2667 v2 swap, the timing does not prove the CPU caused it. Dell documents the server’s PCIe topology and H710P support, but the specific fix in the referenced forum case cannot be verified. Check the installed CPUs, controller type, riser and connection before replacing parts.

What the x4-versus-x8 alert means

The alert wording indicates that the integrated RAID connection is operating at a reported width of x4 where x8 is expected. It is a link-width warning, not by itself a diagnosis of a failed CPU or RAID controller. The indexed discussion associates the symptom with replacing an E5-2630 v2 with an E5-2667 v2, but that sequence establishes when the issue was noticed—not what caused it.

Dell specifies PCI Express Generation 3 for the R720/R720xd and documents slot widths and processor connections in its expansion-card and riser documentation and technical specifications. Those sources support checking platform configuration; they do not establish that this particular processor swap should change the H710P link width.

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Check the R720xd configuration before handling hardware

Identify which H710P installation you have

Dell lists the PERC H710P as a supported R720xd RAID controller. Determine whether the installed controller is the integrated Mini Mono unit or an adapter card, and confirm its form factor before applying a slot diagram or considering replacement. A physically x8-length connector does not prove the electrical link is x8.

Verify CPUs, risers and documented lane routing

Dell’s R720/R720xd table maps slots 1, 2 and 3 to Processor 2 with x8 links, slot 4 to Processor 2 with an x16 link, and slot 5 to Processor 1 with an x8 link. Dell also states that slots 1 through 4 require both processors. The R720xd does not support default riser 3, unlike some R720 configurations. Confirm the exact R720xd riser and controller location before using this table to interpret a reported width; do not assume an adapter-card slot map applies to a Mini Mono controller.

Dell specifies support for one or two Intel Xeon E5-2600 or E5-2600v2 processors. That is family-level compatibility information, not confirmation of the effect of this specific E5-2630 v2 to E5-2667 v2 replacement on the controller’s negotiated width.

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Troubleshoot in a controlled sequence

  1. Record the alert and inventory. Capture the exact message, identify the controller type, note installed processors and risers, and check system or controller inventory for the reported link width.
  2. Compare the configuration with Dell’s topology. Confirm the processor population and the riser/controller arrangement against the platform documentation. If the configuration changed during the CPU swap, verify it against the server’s actual supported arrangement rather than inferring it from connector size.
  3. Review the system event log. Look for related PCIe, controller, riser or hardware errors. The available documentation does not identify a particular BIOS setting or firmware change as the fix for this alert, so do not treat one as established.
  4. Inspect only with power disconnected. Dell says expansion-card slots are not hot-swappable. If inspection is appropriate for the identified controller type, shut down the server, disconnect power, and follow Dell’s service procedure; its guidance includes firmly seating an expansion card. Do not handle or reseat components in a powered system.
  5. Change one thing, then retest. After each configuration or seating change, boot and check whether the same alert and link width recur. Recording each result helps distinguish a repeatable repair from a coincidental change.
  6. Isolate a persistent fault. If the warning remains, use a known-good compatible component or qualified service process to distinguish among a controller, connector, riser, motherboard or CPU-socket/lane-path problem. Substitute parts only when the diagnostic points to a component; replacing the H710P is not a verified fix for the reported case.
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What is known about the “SOLVED” case

The indexed ServeTheHome thread title and alert wording describe this symptom, and its listing carries a “SOLVED” marker. The thread posts containing the actual resolution were not available in the rendered page, so the fix cannot be confirmed. There is no verified basis to attribute the outcome to reseating, a BIOS setting, firmware, the CPU swap or a replacement controller.

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If diagnosis eventually establishes that the controller itself is defective, an H710P replacement is a relevant category because Dell documents H710P support on the R720xd. Confirm the Mini Mono versus adapter-card form factor and compatibility with the exact server configuration before sourcing a part.

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