PCIe 4.0…is that something I really need though? I mean, what’s it do?
Should I wait for 5.0 to future proof? 3 is cheaper though...
If you are buying new PC components, you might find yourself in this predicament - no worries.
Today, we’ll break down exactly what this tech is all about. This is DIY in 5
Hey everyone! Welcome to DIY in 5! My name is Trisha Hershberger and today
we’re talking PCIe Gen 4 vs Gen 3! While the PCIe 4.0 standard was announced in 2017,
we didn’t actually see SSDs or GPUs making use of this new tech until Computex 2019.
Today, PCIe 4.0 is still all the rage, creating a buzz around SSDs, CPUs, motherboards and high-powered expansion cards.
But what exactly is it? And how is PCIe Gen 4.0 different than Gen 3.0? Today, we’ll dive in.
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PCIe has been the standard interface for connecting high-speed peripheral components to computer motherboards for the past decade.
And PCIe Gen 4 is the fourth generation of the PCI Express specification.
As components get faster and faster, there is a growing need for an interface that can keep up.
And while you’d still be able to get by using a PCIe 3.0 interface with a device capable of PCIe 4.0, you would only be getting about half the speed.
And that’s because PCIe Gen 4.0 is doubles the data rate of Gen 3.
PCIe Gen 3 operates at 8 GT/s which roughly translates to 1 GB/s per PCIe lane.
By comparison, PCIe Gen 4 operates at 16 GT/s, or around 2 GB/s per PCIe lane.
PCIe slots can be configured with one lane or multiples of four lanes,
such as x1, x4, x8, x16, x32 and since each new generation doubles the bandwidth of the previous one,
a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface can be replaced by a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface that provides the same amount of bandwidth.
This is especially great for add-in hardware like graphics cards, SSDs, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet cards.
So how does all that affect your user experience?
Quicker loading times in games, a more responsive overall operating system,
faster connectivity and improved graphics depending upon the combo of devices you have in your system.
PCIe 4.0 also brings power-saving enhancements, meaning your device runs cooler while consuming less power.
With the emergence of more products adopting PCIe 4.0, the decision between PCIe 3.0 and 4.0 is a no-brainer.
To take advantage of PCIe Gen 4, your CPU, motherboard, and PCIe devices must all support PCIe Gen 4.
Initially, only AMD processors and motherboard combos were capable of PCIe Gen 4
but now there are multiple options on the market to choose from.
AMD Ryzen™ 3000 and 5000 series CPUs, AMD X570, B550, and TRX40 motherboards
as well as Intel® 11th Gen "Rocket Lake" and 12th Gen “Alder Lake” Core CPUs
and Intel® Z490, Z590, and Z690 motherboards are all options using the PCIe Gen 4 interface. Woohoo!
Popular PCIe Gen 4 devices out there include the latest and greatest GPUs and NVMe SSDs,
which, speaking of NVMe, sometimes it’s easy to confuse the two.
PCIe and NVMe are an interface and a protocol, respectively.
So while they are different, they often team up like Batman and Robin to save the day.
PCIe NVMe SSDs offer improved bandwidth and quicker response times than SATA SSDs.
PCIe Gen 3 was unable to accommodate the full bandwidth of high-speed PCIe NVMe SSDs.
And this was effectively creating a bottleneck in SSD performance.
PCIe Gen 4 solves this performance bottleneck, allowing PCIe NVMe SSDs to read and write data at much faster speeds.
Also, it’s important to note that PCIe NVMe SSDs come in a variety of form factors.
And most consumer drives are M.2, so that’s what you’ll find most commonly.
It’s small and can work in both desktops and laptops and kinda looks like a stick of bubble gum. Don’t chew it though.
It’s also good to note that while Gen 4 is fantastic, Gen 5 is quick on its heels!
In fact, PCIe 5.0 CPUs are available from Intel at this very moment,
while AMD plans on releasing its own PCIe 5.0 processors in the second half of 2022.
Note that these chipsets don’t provide PCIe 5.0 lanes for M.2 storage devices at this time.
The interface is only available for the PCI-Express slots connected directly to the CPU.
But this didn’t stop various companies from showing off PCIe Gen 5 capable devices at CES this year.
And that’s the thing about the tech world. It’s always changing.
I hope the team here at Kingston is able to keep you feeling well versed in these
changes as we move through all different facets of the tech landscape and if you
have any questions regarding PCIe Gen 4 or 5, please feel free to leave them in the comments.
I’m Trisha Hershberger and I’ll see you next time.