5 helpful PC upgrades to your unused PCIe slots

1. PCIe graphics playing cards

You probably have a desktop PC with at the least an mATX motherboard or bigger, chances are high you’ve gotten entry to a number of PCIe slots.

In that case, the highest slot seemingly runs at PCIe x16, that means 16 knowledge lanes, which is right for high-bandwidth add-ins like a graphics card. And when you’ve got a second slot, it seemingly runs at PCIe x8. That’s half the pace, and that’s why the highest slot ought to all the time get your GPU. Some smaller PCIe slots run at x1 or x4, and these are meant for low-bandwidth add-in playing cards (see under).

However everybody already has a graphics card, proper? In actual fact, the one PCIe add-in that most individuals learn about is the graphics card, to the diploma that some even imagine the PCIe slot is solely for GPUs.

There was a time when multi-GPU setups had been the following huge factor for gaming, however these have been defunct for some time now. Nvidia’s SLI tech for linking collectively GPUs is now not supported.

However that doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t make the most of a second high-performance GPU in your PC for different, non-gaming functions. Graphics and 3D apps, along with video enhancing software program like DaVinci Resolve, can successfully use multiple GPU for boosted efficiency.

Certainly, resource-intensive duties are the very best use case for a number of GPUs now. However for gaming or streaming, don’t even take into consideration throwing in a second GPU. You may suppose extra is merrier, but it surely normally causes extra bother than it’s price, to not point out the additional area and PCIe slots taken from different potential PCIe add-ins.

For those who do determine so as to add a second GPU to your system, there are some vital caveats to concentrate on. For starters, on most ATX motherboards, having two GPUs will seemingly trigger each to solely run at x8 speeds max, even when plugged into x16 slots. Only some choose workstation or high-end fashions can do extra.

Furthermore, when you’ve got two GPUs for video enhancing or 3D rendering, preserve a cautious eye on thermals. With GPU coolers being so massive nowadays to accommodate their highly effective efficiency, a blower-style method could also be greatest for multi-GPU setups. The highest GPU is at most threat of decreased airflow, which may result in overheating with insufficient airflow.

For those who water cool your GPUs, then you definitely may even have the ability to transcend two GPUs — in case your motherboard helps it. Some apps can benefit from two or extra GPUs, and the thinner kind issue plus water-cooled warmth dissipation decrease overheating threat.