Z87 XPower PCI_E2, Single Graphics Card plus Other Expansion Cards

Question

A bit confused on the PCI-E expansion slots...
I seem to have read somewhere that it is preferential to place a single graphics card in PCI_E2 slot. Found a reference on a review:
"However for those using a single graphics card MSI recommends installing it in the second PCIe slot as this slot is connected directly to the CPU, meaning there is no latency lag as it bypasses the PEX 8747 chip"
However, the PCIe x16 Slots Bandwidth Table clearly shows only one "video card"  (any other pci-e expansion card, too?) is possible when taking advantage of PCI_E2:
               E1    E2  E3   E5   E7
Single:      0  x16    0     0     0
2-Way:  x16     0    0  x16    0
3-Way:   x8      0  x8  x16    0
4-Way:   x8      0  x8    x8  x8
I picked up a pci-e OCZ RevoDrive 3 x2 SSD 240GB and looking to use a N770 graphics card in PCI_E2... is this even possible? Ideally, I would choose to run the RevoDrive from PCI_E1.
From reading the table, I get "no".
I called MSI support, and 2 agents seemed to believe the PCIe x16 Slots Bandwidth Table only related to graphics cards ("The table below shows the correlation between the PCIe slots bandwidth and multiple
graphics cards."). Still waiting an official response to ticket(s). I spoke with the first before I began my graphic card installation, and the second after I installed and couldn't get the RevoDrive to show in any slot when the graphic card was installed in PCI_E2.
My experience is telling me I have a problem, and I have some decisions to make moving forward. Generally speaking:
1. Is it possible to install a single graphics card in PCI_E2 to bypass the PEX 8747 chip and achieve x16 bandwidth, and still have another pci-e in another x8/x16 slot?
2. What is more important for the video card: x16 bandwidth, or "latency lag as it bypasses the PEX 8747 chip"?
3. The performance of the RevoDrive is outstanding (knock on wood... hoping I can keep this card running a long time considering the volume of drive failures experience with OCZ drives). I am considering my overall day-to-day usage and wondering if I might be better off ditching the RevoDrive or the graphic card... or (oh my, GOD!) another board....
It is easy for me to criticize engineering for overlooking this potential design consideration, yet it is an outstanding board. I should have been more aware when I read the 0-16-0-0-0 config details on the PCIe x16 Slots Bandwidth Table and the detail on the PEX 8747 chip. Once of the major items that attracted me to the XPower was the heap of features and pci-e expandability. Yet, all the PCI-E bandwidth and slots don't do me any justice if I can't config my install to optimize my system's components.
I would have a hard time trying to pick another to even try to replace the Z87 XPower (it would have to be Asus Z87-DELUXE).
What would I lose or gain in keeping the RevoDrive vs the graphic card? I initially began building this system around the RevoDrive, and I can't imagine wanting to keep the system without it.
4. What am I sacrificing/gaining in having the graphic card in PCI_E1 and the RevoDrive in PCI_E5?
5. With two different x16 pci-e components installed, and only one of them a graphic card, does the PEX 8747 chip latency become a non-issue? Is it still preferential to keep the graphic card in PCI_E2 position?
PSU: Corsair AX1200i
CPU: i7-4770k
MOBO: Z87 XPower
VGA: MSI GTX N770 Lightning 2GB
SSD: RevoDrive 3 x2 240GB
RAM: Generic 1333 (special ordered Corsair Dominator 2400MHz)
Thanks for any additional insight and clarity!

Answer 1

1: connecting a single card in PCI_E2 will bypass the PLX8747 but if you use one of the other slots for something it will start to use the PLX chips again to duplicate lanes!
2: PCI-E lanes are of very little importance as you will only see a .1 to 2FPS reduction in frame rate between x16 and x8. and less lag is similar in that regard too and will have very little noticeable difference!
3: it should make very little difference to either component and changing board makes in the z87 family lines would make very little difference too as to get higher expandability you need that PLX chip to sub divide the lanes and create a extra 16 fake lanes to allow more then 2 way SLI or 3 way Crossfire on the Z87 boards as the CPU's only have 16 lanes total!
4: not much! about a hundred nanoseconds of lag, maybe 1MBP/s less on the revo drive and .1 to 2 FPS less on the Graphics card...
5: no you would need them in the E1 and E5 positions and using the PLX chips as you will have problems and both may go into x8 using only the CPU's 16 lanes total if the Graphics card is in E2 or the revo drive may not function at all as the graphics card may hog all the PCI-E lanes....