Checking compatibility between the Aorus PCIE 4.0 m.2 card and a PCIe 3.0 slot.
Checking compatibility between the Aorus PCIE 4.0 m.2 card and a PCIe 3.0 slot.
I'm researching setting up a new PC inside a GameMax Mini Abyss mATX case. I want to ensure compatibility with future games and consider options like the Aorus M.2 PCIe 4.0 card. If I choose Ryzen, I'd likely go with a Ryzen 9 3950x but worry about the limited IO in an mATX setup. The available cards only offer 24 PCIe lanes, which isn't ideal. Using a Threadripper model like the x399M from ASRock could provide more lanes (72 total), though it doesn't support PCIe 4.0. This would give me flexibility for any additional expansion needs.
If you're aiming to fill the card completely with four drives, placing the GPU in the lower slot and the main drive in the upper slot works best for me. My tests on an x570 Steel Legend with a 3900x GPU show it performs just as well in the top slot. As a bonus, it adds some visual appeal.
The CPU provides 24 PCIe lanes: 16 for the PCIe X16 slot (or multiple slots) intended for video cards, 4 for the M.2 connector, and 4 for the chipset connection. The chipset adds more PCIe lanes to slots, connectors, and onboard components—however, these extra lanes depend on the specific chipset (for example, B550 offers 8 PCIe 3.0 lanes, X570 has 8 PCIe 4.0 lanes). Using a Threadripper isn't recommended since processors like the 3950X perform less efficiently than the 3950X CPU in single-core tasks and IPC, leading to reduced gaming performance. Additionally, newer models come with multiple Threadripper versions and different sockets; older setups are more suitable. While you have more PCIe lanes, the maximum usable capacity is limited by the CPU and chipset (around 72 lanes for compatible boards). The 72 lanes represent the theoretical upper bound based on available PCIe lanes. For example, a B550 or X570 motherboard offers better support compared to older designs. You’ll still face bandwidth constraints between CPU and chipset, typically capped at 4GB/s or 8GB/s. Consider choosing a board with a B550 or X570 chipset for MATX builds—such as the ASRock B550M PRO4 AM4 Micro ATX or MSI B550M Mortar—which provide flexibility like splitting x16 into two x8 slots for graphics and other devices.
This took a long time to compose and several better suggestions came up during writing. I’ll post it still just in case it contains useful information. Spoiler: I’m still confused. The headline question seems different from the body text. Are there actually two questions here? For the first, I think it’s probably not about games—though that’s uncertain. A PCIe 3 card might work for storage even if PCIe 4 becomes more relevant later. This is definitely not guaranteed. Right now, PCIe 4 offers no real gaming benefit compared to the cheapest SATA SSD available. As for the second point, I’m not very familiar with Threadripper boards but I assume they’re called TX4. I don’t know if this differs from X399. Neither model supports the 3950X chip. It seems you’d need a powerful workstation build. “Futureproofing” feels similar to the stock market—there’s little certainty involved.
Future-proofing isn't valid unless you possess a magical crystal ball. Opt for an affordable SSD for your gaming needs.
In other words, PCIe4 might not be very helpful at the moment and isn’t really beneficial for gaming. A budget SATA SSD performs just as well in practice. For future-proofing a larger SATA SSD that costs the same as a small PCIe4 drive now, it could later be converted into storage if PCIe4 proves useful. You’re also free to purchase a PCIe4 drive whenever prices drop.
The issue I'm facing is balancing the future performance gains of the PCIe 4.0 M.2 card with current limitations. Right now seems like a smart time to invest, as I need funds this year and plan to attend college next year. While a 3950x offers strong potential, I’m concerned about fitting it into my motherboard’s M.2 slots—since the CPU only supports 24 PCIe lanes. A Threadripper would likely avoid that bottleneck. If I can secure the M.2 slots and achieve higher IO performance than consumer boards, it would be ideal. Thanks for your assistance!
The device I’m using is well-suited for running games at high performance, but I’m checking its readiness for the next few years in college.
Hey there... the setup doesn't quite match what you expected. The CPU only provides 24 PCIe lanes, but that's mainly because it connects four lanes directly to the chipset. The chipset then adds more lanes, acting like a network hub that creates extra ports. You have one M.2 slot right next to the CPU, 16 lanes go to an PCIe X16 slot for your graphics card (or split into two X8 slots), and four lanes connect to the chipset itself. The chipset generates eight lanes which can be arranged in different ways—often routing two or four to a second M.2 connector, four to an X4 slot, and some to smaller x1 slots. Technology keeps changing fast, making it hard to predict what will be useful in four years. Back then, we didn't even have Ryzen; it came out in December 2016. If you were investing in a top-of-the-line socket like the FX-95xx, you'd look quite outdated now. Intel updates CPU sockets roughly every two years, so buying something that seems cutting-edge four years down the line isn't wise.
Yeah, I know 4 years down the line it's probably going to be obsolete. But the new SSD technology is new, and it being showed off in the PS5. The main reason I brought this forum up is because I though I was going to run into using too many PCIE Lanes, Which I've done before on the first gen ryzen. Because I was using 2 8x slots and if I added anything 1x the system would change one 8x into a 4x and the other one into a 2x.