Comparing PCIe lanes and CPU power in gaming helps understand performance limits.
Comparing PCIe lanes and CPU power in gaming helps understand performance limits.
So here's the thing (this is about gaming and basically nothing else). I currently have an i7-6700k. I have an rtx 3080 on the way. Yes yes, I need to upgrade. I realise that. The problem is I have a PCIe soundcard and usb card that take up 2 PCIe lanes, meaning that, on Intel's consumer architecture, I can only give ANY GPU 8x PCIe gen 3 lanes and no more. So the question is...do I upgrade to an intel consumer CPU (thinking 10700k) and still run the 3080 at 8x pcie3, or do I upgrade to an AMD Ryzen (thinking 3800xt), which comes with 24 pcie4 lanes, thus giving the 3080 a full 16 pcie4 lanes? The Intel option is obviously faster for gaming, but I don't know how much 8x pcie3 lanes is going to matter vs the performance difference of the Intel option and the AMD option.
Discussing the comparison between Gen3 and Gen4 for a 3080 is tricky. I haven't seen anyone testing a Gen3 X8 setup, so it's hard to say if the difference is real. It could become more important with the introduction of direct storage APIs. What kind of monitor are you using? If you're aiming for high resolution and low refresh rates, the idea that Intel is faster for gaming might not be as relevant anymore. That would help clarify things quickly. It might also be wise to keep an eye on Zen 3's updates, as they could arrive soon—likely around October or later.
It could be just a few frames per second if sharing lanes and you need to remove the link. This game relies on heavy data usage, so bandwidth might be an issue. I tested PCIE 3 16x versus 8x (PCIE2 16x) with a 4th Gen 4790K and GTX1070. PCIE3 specifications compared to PCIE2 specs were covered in the review.
I just reviewed the instructions and it functioned flawlessly...wow, I'm impressed, really. Thanks a lot!