I recently got an NVMe SSD to install as my third drive in my ASUS TUF B650 Plus WiFi motherboard. I'm worried whether this will slow down my GPU, specifically my 5090. I'm concerned it might force it to use x8 lanes instead of x16. I couldn't find definitive information about this—can anyone clarify?
4 Answers
No need to worry! The slots on your motherboard don’t share bandwidth with the top PCIe slot where your GPU is installed, so adding a third M.2 drive shouldn’t affect your GPU performance at all.
Always good to check the manual! For your setup, the GPU slot remains unaffected, but just note that using M.2_3 will disable the PCIEX16_2 slot. It's all detailed in the manual, so that's your go-to resource!
It might depend on how many PCIe lanes your CPU has. If your CPU doesn't have enough lanes, it could downgrade your GPU to x8 instead of the full x16. Just check your setup and the specs on your CPU!
If you’re just gaming and not running heavy computational tasks, you shouldn't feel any difference. The typical gaming scenarios won't max out the bandwidth, so go for it!
Glad to hear that! I only game on my rig too. I'll definitely install that new SSD!
Exactly! For AM5 chipsets, unless you’re using an X870 or have an 8000 series CPU, you should be good. Your 5090 should run without a hitch!