PCIe Gen 4 vs. Gen 3 Slots, Speeds

by Brett Daniel on Sep 15, 2020 4:06:00 PM Photo: In this blog post, we'll go over the differences between PCIe Gen 4 and PCIe Gen 3. We'll also discuss whether it's time for an upgrade.Table of ContentsWhat is PCI Express?How fast is PCIe 4.0 vs. PCIe 3.0?Are PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 3.0 backward and forward compatible?How does PCIe 4.0 influence SSD and GPU selection?Is upgrading to PCIe 4.0 worth it?Make no mistake, PCIe 4.0 is twice as fast as PCIe 3.0.But whether it’s time to upgrade your hardware to support PCIe Gen 4 is a different matter altogether.In this blog post, we’ll discuss the speed differences between both generations and address backward and forward compatibility.Then, we’ll touch on whether upgrading is right for you.You can read more about PCI Express, how it works and its previous generations below, or you can skip right to the speed differences between PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 3.0.Photo: Seven PCIe slots showcased on a Trenton Systems' dual Xeon Motherboard. This particular mot...