I'm planning to upgrade my graphics card from a GTX 1070 to an RX 9060 XT, but I'm a bit concerned about my current setup. I'm using an MSI B450M motherboard paired with an R5 3600 processor, and the specs indicate that I only have a PCIe x16 3.0 slot available. I've seen advice suggesting that a PCIe x16 5.0 slot is ideal for the 16GB RX 9060 XT, and that using a PCIe 4.0 slot might still impact performance. Should I consider upgrading my motherboard before I make this graphics card swap? If I stick with my current motherboard, how much performance drop should I expect with the RX 9060 XT? Just for context, I primarily play Marvel Rivals, Fortnite, and Warframe at 1080p.
1 Answer
You don’t need to worry too much! The performance loss from using PCIe 3.0 instead of 5.0 is pretty minimal. From what I’ve seen, it’s around 2-3% for 4.0 and 4-6% for 3.0. So, while it’s not ideal, it shouldn't make a huge difference in your gaming experience. I'd say go for the RX 9060 XT and enjoy the upgrade!
Oh good to know! A few percentage points isn’t bad at all. Thanks for the info!