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[Solved] How to enable PCIe gen 3?
Vinouch Sep 23, 2020
It seems that my system is able to but currently only PCIe 2.0 is enabled. Can you help me please?

Last edited by Vinouch on 23 September 2020 at 1:46 pm UTC
tuubi Sep 23, 2020
I think your Sandy Bridge CPU might limit you to 2.0, even if your MB supports 3.0.

For reference, check the Expansion Options section here.

If your hardware does provide a way to set this manually, it would likely be somewhere in the (UEFI) bios configuration panel. On my Asus MB all the relevant settings are in Advanced -> Onboard Devices Configuration, but all I can configure is the amount of PCI lanes available. (And PCIe voltages in the overclocking section.)
Vinouch Sep 23, 2020
Very good answer! In past month, I ask on windows forum to enabled it, but without success. Because my cpu is limited to PCIe 2.0. Thanks, I can stop to search how to do that!
Koopacabras Sep 23, 2020
sorry hijacking this post... my motherboard supports PCI gen 4 anyone saw any improvement when setting PCI GEN to 4?? because I didn't it's pointless.
tuubi Sep 23, 2020
Quoting: The_Aquabatsorry hijacking this post... my motherboard supports PCI gen 4 anyone saw any improvement when setting PCI GEN to 4?? because I didn't it's pointless.
No current consumer hardware really makes use of the kind of bandwidth PCIe 4.0 brings to the table. Even the fastest Nvidia GPUs do not come close to saturating a PCIe 3.0 16x bus, never mind 4.0.

So don't expect to see any effect on game performance right now.
Koopacabras Sep 24, 2020
Quoting: tuubi
Quoting: The_Aquabatsorry hijacking this post... my motherboard supports PCI gen 4 anyone saw any improvement when setting PCI GEN to 4?? because I didn't it's pointless.
No current consumer hardware really makes use of the kind of bandwidth PCIe 4.0 brings to the table. Even the fastest Nvidia GPUs do not come close to saturating a PCIe 3.0 16x bus, never mind 4.0.

So don't expect to see any effect on game performance right now.

On the 3080 I saw a difference on 3-4 fps according to benchmarks but I don't think my NAVI can saturate the bandwith as you mention. But I'm talking about games benchmarks that have a high frame rate count like CSGO or so, might be less than 2% increment.

Last edited by Koopacabras on 24 September 2020 at 12:25 am UTC
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