X870E and X870 PCIe lane details X870E: 8 lanes, X870 PCIe: 2 lanes X870 PCIe: 4 lanes
X870E and X870 PCIe lane details X870E: 8 lanes, X870 PCIe: 2 lanes X870 PCIe: 4 lanes
Discussing a motherboard selection with a family member can be tricky. They mentioned the ASRock X870 LiveMixer WiFi and asked about my thoughts. Right now, ASRock is focusing on processors, which makes me hesitant but unsure if choosing a different chipset would help. I’m thinking they’re likely using a 9000 series chipset, so here’s what I believe the PCIe layout might look like: 28 lanes total—4 for the chipset, 4 for USB 4.0, 16 for the GPU, and 4 for an M.2 boot drive. There are about 24 lanes from the chipset, but adding more drives often causes throttling on USB ports. I’m not sure how many lanes the X870E chipset actually has or if it can handle all the required connections without slowing things down. For my current build, I’d suggest at least one M.2 boot drive, two gaming drives, two HDDs for storage, and a 3090 GPU. My previous AMD 5000 series project went wrong with PCIe calculations, so I want to avoid similar issues. Would it be better to look for a motherboard with a more optimal PCIe configuration? Should I recommend the X870E or consider another option?
This task is achievable with most midrange boards, from the B650 to the X870E. What you're focusing on is AMD's lane count details, while the real issue lies in how the board layout affects performance. For instance, connecting all your mentioned devices—three M.2 SSDs, two SATA HDDs, and a single GPU—won't cause major problems. However, using that exact setup can slow down the rear USB4 ports. That might seem minor to some, but it could be an issue for others. Next, consider the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite Wifi7. It shares the same chipset, but filling M.2 slots B and C will reduce the top PCIe x16 slot speed to x8. This isn't a major concern in theory, but it can make systems feel sluggish. Keep exploring boards, but prioritize understanding the specific lane configuration that suits your needs. Avoid getting distracted by the idea of "throttling" unless you're regularly handling large file transfers between drives.