PCIe 4.0 is a standard for faster data transfer in computer interfaces.
PCIe 4.0 is a standard for faster data transfer in computer interfaces.
Hello Forum! I've had my head stuck stuck in work and tasks for the past few months and completely missed out on the PCIe 4.0 revolution. As much as I was able to pick up on it through videos form our favorite tech-based content creators, I have a lot of questions up in the air, which I'll need a lot of catching up on, but need to fast-forward through as I've taken up building a (gaming, I suppose?) machine for a peer. Here's the situation: I'm looking at a Team-Red (Ryzen 5 3600) build and want to utilize the f-word of the tech world as much as I can, implementing all the new tech, leaving head-room for future upgrades, minor clocking and an overall pleasant experience for my friend. But I ran into the following bumps that left me scratching my head. Thus far, I've paired a B450 board with a 1660 SUPER, which is adequate for the price range, I'd reckon. But... upon a closer look at the specs, I noticed that the "primary" PCI slot was listed as "1x PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slot (PCIE2: x16 mode)", where I thought that all A320s, B450s and X570 had PCI 4 as a given... Oh the optimism. Now, what really got me confused was that looking at the GPU specs for the 1660, it's listed as " Bus Standard PCI Express 3.0 х 16". But so is the Gigabyte 2080 SUPER? What...? My goals: I'm building an "Above Average" and/or "Affordable" system by Bulgarian standards. I love leaving upgradability options, especially when I'll likely be the person implementing them if they are to come to pass. Basically, I tend to think "long-term value" when I find it appropriate for the "client". It simply makes life easier to give a few bucks preemptively instead of spending a whole bunch when upgrading... right? My questions summed up: 1. Can get a quickie rundown or better yet, a link to an comprehensive article/forum topic to educate myself on the whole PCIe 4.0 situation. 2. In regards to a 1660 SUPER, would it be better to take a look at X570 and persuade my mate to fork up a bit of extra cash OR would it be better to drop my future-wording ambitions and stick to Pascal GPUs for a B450 system. 3. Should I even be taking this into consideration when working on a Ryzen 5 system, regardless of it being a Zen2 processor? 4. If I end up going the X570 route, what should I be looking out for in terms of moderate clocking? I.E. Clocking up the Ryzen 5 3600 to 4GHz. 5. Still regarding the X570 route, what boards would you recommend? What VRMs/Power Phases/Specifics should I be taking in mind? What worked for your builds and such? I'll try keep an eye on the topic and give extra and/or needed information/answers/feedback, but night cometh in the mysterious land of Bulgaria, so I may be slow on replies. Thanks in advance for the feedback! Appreciate you a bunch! Cheers!
Gen 3 is still fine for pretty much everything. Its not as revolution yet, but it will be. We are currently in the early adopter phase of the tech curve. I wait, like Apple, until its perfected and then get on board. No harm in going Gen 3 for a build now, if it has Gen 4 great but don’t sweat if it doesn’t.
It’s useful to observe how performance changes with different PCIe lane setups before diving into concerns about standards. TechPowerUp provides this insight effectively, and it makes a great benchmark for the RTX 2080 Ti compared to the RTX Titan. While the Titan would be ideal, the 2080 Ti reaches its maximum performance under most conditions. Even at faster speeds like PCIe 3.0 x8, the difference is minimal, and PCIe 3.0 still offers solid longevity.
PCI-e 4.0 compatibility is currently limited to x570 chipset motherboards. When combined with third-gen processors—excluding those with integrated graphics (based on second-gen Ryzen cores)—the card must also support PCI-e 4.0, which requires a compatible video card. As of now, only Radeon 5700 series cards offer this feature among standard consumer options. If your card lacks PCI-e 4.0 support, it will automatically fall back to PCI-e 3.0 B450 boards, which can only handle PCI-e 3.0. For the x570 platform, I suggest the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite, available with or without Wi-Fi. It features solid VRM design, minimal visual impact (just a few orange LED accents), and includes a USB 3.0 header on the front panel.
The X570 supports PCIe 4.0 only when paired with Zen 2 processors. Newer Nvidia GPUs don't utilize it. This doesn't affect overall GPU performance; PCI Express 4.0 offers scaling benefits with Radeon RX 5700 XT, but you won't need it for high-speed storage.
Additionally, keep in mind that A320 motherboards aren't compatible with Ryzen 3xxx chips. For cost savings, opt for a B450 board paired with a Ryzen 2600, redirecting funds to the graphics card budget. This setup matches the performance of a RX 580-590. By saving money, you could upgrade to a RX 5700 or a 2060 Super On B450. These MSI models are solid options that handle even 12-core Ryzen 3xxx if needed. The savings might also cover a RX 5700 or a 2060 Super On B450, which are excellent choices and support higher-end configurations.
Gamers Nexus conducted a comparable test with Titan Vs, arriving at similar findings: https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/3176-...-x8-vs-x16. This suggests that even as GPUs with PCIe 4.0 become available, using them in 3.0 mode might still face challenges for some time. In fact, the results indicate it's possible to connect an RTX 2080ti into a motherboard featuring a PCIe 2.0 x16 port without any significant performance drop—assuming the CPU can handle it, which is reasonable for 4K at 60Hz or higher.
I’m leaning toward choosing an x570 board and enabling PCI 4.0. In short, if you’re starting with a Ryzen 3rd generation chip, the extra $50–75 USD won’t be a big hit. Once you need PCI 4.0 later, you’ll have it without having to overhaul your setup again. Honestly, I’ve had to cut corners before and it’s hard to remember when that’s a good idea. Right now I’m in a similar spot. I wanted to save some cash, so I picked a B350 instead of a B450. If I’d spent the $25–30 more, I wouldn’t be forced to upgrade my motherboard now to match my new Ryzen 3800x. Regarding PCI 4.0, it’s not widely adopted yet—most people aren’t using it right now. The only possibilities I can think of are premium SSDs, though I’m not sure what else is on the horizon. Those high-end drives will likely become more affordable in a few years. Having a system that supports PCI 4.0 means you can easily add one later. Also, AMD has already integrated PCI 4.0 into their GPUs, and rumors suggest Intel might follow suit soon. I don’t see much reason to wait for a breakthrough; the market seems ready now. Plus, with these developments coming faster than expected, it makes sense to plan ahead. In my view, investing in this tech now is smart, especially since the potential savings are only a few percent of your overall build cost.
Before I close this topic, here's my two cents: 1. I'm marking Midnitewolf's answer as "Solved", since it covers the "budget" topic. (And it hits close to home on my 1st ever build) 2. All answers were incredibly helpful and informative. I strongly suggest reading through all of them if you're here with the same inquiry as me. A big ' Thank You ' to everyone who contributed! 3. I've opened all related media shared along the topic. It's going to be a fun binge for the night. 4. The final judgment for the build it's self will be the B450 and 1660 SUPER, as per the consumer's request. We had a long conversation about it and it's his call at the end of the day. (After a discussion about his usual loads, usage and demand I reckon the system will be satisfying his needs without much or any modification for the time ahead) 5. Thanks for the warm welcome to the forum!