>> I've been well aware that the amount of active PCIe lanes/slots
>> depends on the number of installed CPUs

> Every modern CPU have a certain number of PCIe lanes [...]. First CPU [...]
> should utilize all basic peripheries [...] from his number of PCIe lanes. [...]
> Second CPU usually utilize all his PCIe lines for PCIe slots only.

As I said, I'm well aware of all this, so there's really no need to explain any of this to me. The fact that I know this (i.e. full Talos II with only one CPU installed having the same PCIe capability as Talos II Lite) was very much the reason I asked my initial (and by your first reply reasonably answered) question to you.