Question 1

I've never seen this kinda Device before... what is it, what is its purpose & function, & what is the point of it being provided alongside a Graphics Card Purchase...?

Accepted Answer

This device is mostly used in GPU Cryptocurrency Mining computer. It allows for the GPUs to mounted away from the motherboard for the best ventilation. It also allows for many GPUs to be connected to a single motherboard without taking up a large amount of space. Some good visual representation can be seen by looking at Google images using a search such as "gpu mining rig risers".

For a basic gaming computer setup these are not needed as you can plug the GPU directly into the motherboard in a PCI-E 16x slot.

Question 2

I need to troubleshoot my desktop graphics card. My only other computer is a laptop. Can I use the device to test my Nvidia 970 on my laptop?

Accepted Answer

This product will not allow you to interface your graphics card with your laptop. The USB cable you see here is only for connecting the 1x PCIe riser to the 16x riser. They chose USB to facilitate this connection most likely out of convience and it already had the correct number of pins they needed. In reality that fact that it is a USB cable has nothing to do with the USB standard that is commonly referenced to for devices and assessories.

Question 3

Will this allow me to plug a GPU into an open PCI-E slot in  my laptop?

Accepted Answer

If it a standard PCI-E slot (which is WEIRD on a laptop), yes.
If it's one of the more common (on laptops) mini-PCI_E, don't think so.

Question 4

Can I connect the PCI-Express slot to my PC using only the USB cable?

Accepted Answer

Assuming you mean plugging the USB cable into the back of your motherboard (into an available USB port), nope.

Question 5

do i just plug it into the back of my pc, insert grapchics card into the slot, and it just works?

Accepted Answer

There is nothing on the back of a PC that this would plug into.  The small board with the USB socket plugs into any PCI slot on your motherboard, the riser plugs into that.  You will also need power to plug into the riser, and probably your graphics card.

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