Almost Retro :)
Almost Retro :)
Hey there, fellow enthusiasts! I'm just starting out with this project and trying to squeeze every last bit of performance from my older system. Right now, I can't afford to replace the main parts—my setup has a Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H motherboard with an Intel i7-4790K and 32GB DDR3 RAM. I'm using an RTX 2080 Super and everything runs on an M.2 drive. I've recently acquired some NVMe storage and was thinking about adding a PCIe 4x adapter to boost speed. My main concern is whether this would actually improve performance compared to the M.2 slot, without hurting the graphics card too much. I know the GPU might already be limited by other components like the motherboard and CPU, but I read somewhere that it can still be a good idea based on community feedback. I'm aware my hardware is pretty old, but from what I've seen in forums, people with similar setups often experience fewer crashes and glitches than those with brand-new builds. Hope this helps! Have a great weekend everyone!
Welcome! The manual explains how PCIe expansion affects your setup. Using an NVMe SSD in a PCIe x4 riser within the PCIEx4 slot won’t affect your GPU. Installing devices in the PCIEX8 slot reduces your GPU’s lanes by half. However, adding more storage doesn’t boost frame rates—it only improves performance if you upgrade your platform. The Ryzen 3000 series offers solid value today, especially compared to older models. "Bottleneck calculators" are often unreliable since workloads vary widely. Don’t rely solely on these suggestions.
Thanks for your feedback. I understand you'd like to improve performance, but I'm not a big supporter of AMD right now—I've never been one. They've certainly made progress, maybe even more than Intel, but as a team member, it's just how things are. I'll keep searching for used high-end Intel parts. I've always enjoyed retro hardware and fixing up what others discard. This machine was assembled from components I bought back in 2014 for my second Hackintosh build. Eventually, I wanted to dive back into PC gaming, so I upgraded the RAM and processor to what I have now (the best of that era). My GT740 was replaced with a GTX1050ti, GTX1080, and now I have an RTX2080 Super. All these GTX cards are second-hand and have performed exceptionally well. I'll keep the NVMe drives for another project or at least consider swapping my current system drive for a larger one—they're bigger. Cheers!
it's not really about me personally, but if you ever receive new intel, aim for 11th or 12th generation. 13th/14th gen models have serious problems and it's unclear if they'll ever get fixed. no worries though... but the truth is, an NVMe won't really improve your gaming experience—it's just a waste of money for your setup and hardware. better invest in a platform upgrade instead. the GPU is still fine, but the CPU is barely holding on; a 9th gen or more would be a massive jump and likely too costly.