I'm currently using a motherboard and GPU that support PCIe 2.0, but I'm thinking about upgrading to a newer GPU. I know that some recent GPUs only support PCIe 4 or 5 and some run on x8 lanes instead of x16. How bad will the performance be if I put something like a 4060 in a PCIe 2.0 slot? Is it worth it to install a modern GPU with my old motherboard?
2 Answers
If you're considering a GPU with an x8 bus, skip it—it'll perform poorly. You might find some budget options, but I’d recommend looking for a 3060 12GB if you can. Try checking out used GPUs too!
Are you planning to upgrade more than just the GPU? I’ve got an Rx 7800 XT in a PCIe 3.0 slot and it does fine. Just keep in mind, I'm also looking to upgrade my CPU. Currently, I've got an i7 7700K.
I'm mainly focused on my GPU upgrade right now. My FX 8350 and 32GB of RAM work well for me, so I'd like to just upgrade the GPU.