If you're shopping for a new graphics card or motherboard, you may have noticed PCIe 5.0 appearing more and more often in the specifications.

Naturally, a bigger number sounds better.

But does PCIe 5.0 actually improve gaming performance, and do you need a PCIe 5.0 motherboard for a modern graphics card?

Here's the simple answer.

What Is PCIe?

PCIe stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect Express.

It's the connection your PC uses to allow high-speed components to communicate with the rest of the system.

Your graphics card usually connects to a PCIe slot on your motherboard, while modern NVMe SSDs also use PCIe technology.

Over the years we've had:

• PCIe 3.0
• PCIe 4.0
• PCIe 5.0

Each generation offers more potential bandwidth than the one before it.

Do Modern Graphics Cards Use PCIe 5.0?

Yes.

Modern GPUs including AMD's Radeon RX 9000 Series support PCIe Gen 5, while NVIDIA's current GeForce RTX 50 Series also includes PCIe Gen 5 support.

That makes PCIe 5.0 increasingly common in newer gaming systems.

However, that doesn't mean everyone with a PCIe 4.0 motherboard needs to immediately upgrade.

Can a PCIe 5.0 GPU Work on a PCIe 4.0 Motherboard?

In most cases, yes.

One of the useful things about PCIe is that generations are designed to be backwards compatible.

A PCIe 5.0 graphics card can be installed in an older PCIe slot and operate at the highest speed supported by that combination.

So if you've bought a newer GPU but still have a PCIe 4.0 motherboard, that doesn't automatically mean you need to replace your entire platform.

Compatibility with your case, power supply and motherboard should still be checked before upgrading.

What About 0.1% Lows?

If you've watched detailed PC benchmark videos, you might have also seen 0.1% low FPS.

This looks at even rarer slow frames.

For the average customer comparing gaming PCs, you don't need to obsess over it.

The easiest way to think about the numbers is:

Average FPS = How fast does it normally run?

1% low = How well does it hold up when things get demanding?

That's really all you need to know.

1440p Gaming

1440p provides a sharper image than 1080p but requires additional graphics power.

The AWD-IT Ares Ryzen 5 RX 9060 XT Gaming PC is a suitable option for players who want higher graphical settings, stronger frame rates and the ability to move into 1440p gaming.

Prebuilt or Build Your Own?

Building a PC gives you control over every individual component, but it also requires additional research, assembly and troubleshooting.

A prebuilt gaming PC arrives assembled and tested, making it a more convenient option for many first-time buyers.

It also gives you one main point of contact if you require technical support or warranty assistance.

Should You Just Use Ultra If Your PC Can Handle It?

Absolutely.

If your gaming PC can comfortably run your favourite game at Ultra while delivering the FPS you want, there's nothing wrong with using it.

The point is that you don't have to use Ultra just because it's there.

Sometimes dropping only one or two settings from Ultra to High can give you extra performance while making almost no noticeable difference to the game.

Try This Before Upgrading Your GPU

If a new game isn't running as well as you expected, don't immediately assume you need a new graphics card.

Try changing your settings first.

Start with:

Ultra → High

Then test the game again.

If performance is still lower than you'd like, reduce demanding settings such as ray tracing, shadows and volumetric effects individually.

You might discover that your current PC still has plenty of life left in it.

And if you're genuinely reaching the limits of your hardware, you can compare AWD-IT's latest graphics cards or browse our range of gaming PCs.