I just got an ADATA Premium SSD, 2TB, which is supposed to be an M.2 Gen 4 drive, and I only paid about 93 CAD (68 USD) for it. While some games like Street Fighter 6 load noticeably faster, I've checked the health of the SSD using CrystalDiskInfo and HD Tune, and everything looks fine. However, the speeds I'm seeing are only about 25% of what I'm supposed to get based on the specifications. My motherboard is an Aorus X470 Ultra Gaming, and I noticed it has two M.2 connectors: one supports PCIe 3.0 and the other PCIe 2.0. I suspect I'm using the PCIe 2.0 slot because I can't find clear information about it online. Can anyone clarify what's going on with the speeds?
2 Answers
It sounds like you're spot on! Your M.2 Gen 4 SSD should indeed be using PCIe 4.0 x4 for optimal speeds, but if it's in a PCIe 2.0 slot, you'll only get about 25% of the potential speed. So, moving it to the PCIe 3.0 slot is definitely a good idea since it’ll double the bandwidth, but keep in mind it won't reach the full speed of a Gen 4 SSD.
That totally makes sense! A PCIe 4 drive will definitely bottleneck in a PCIe 2.0 slot. But once you transfer it to the PCIe 3 slot, you're leveraging much more bandwidth. Even if it’s not max speed, it’s definitely an upgrade!
Right! Graduating from PCIe 2 to 3 is like upgrading from a bicycle to a motorcycle; still not the top speed, but a huge improvement!
Exactly! PCIe versions reflect their generations, so your Gen 4 SSD in a Gen 2 slot means it can't perform anywhere near its capabilities. You'll notice a nice boost from moving it to the Gen 3 slot, though!