I'm about to upgrade my GPU from an RTX 3060 Ti to a new RTX 5060 Ti with 16 GB of OC memory. My current motherboard only supports PCIe 4.0. Will this limitation affect the performance of my new GPU?
3 Answers
The 16 GB of VRAM is a game-changer here. The performance really starts to matter when you're maxing out your VRAM. If you ever hit that ceiling, you could see performance drop. This isn't a huge deal since your card has more VRAM, but just be aware that lower VRAM cards could struggle as games get more intense with the next-gen consoles coming out.
Expect a performance dip of about 1-2%. According to some benchmarks, the only time you'd notice a bigger drop is if you're running a PCIe 3.0 setup. But it’s mainly because the 5060 Ti has that x8 interface.
You probably won't see much of a difference in performance, maybe not even measurable. Just keep in mind that if you went for the 8 GB version instead, PCIe transfer rates could matter in future games, particularly if you're gaming at resolutions above 1080p. But with that 16 GB model, it should be okay overall!
I did get the 16 GB model, so I'm good!
I heard the 4060 also has an x8 link. It seems like Nvidia is just pushing lower-tier GPUs as higher models.
Yeah, the charts suggest it's really just 1-2%. In general, the PCIe 4.0 should handle things smoothly.