Confused by PCIE 4.0! Is my 'budget' AlderLake / 6500XT build okay?

[JernauGurgeh]

I've just built a system based around the Intel AlderLake i3-12100, on a Gigabyte H610M H mobo, with a Radeon 6500XT, and 16Gb 3200MHz RAM.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/gigabyte-h610m-h-intel-h610-ddr4-micro-atx-motherboard-mb-5ak-gi.html
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/sapp...ddr6-pci-express-graphics-card-gx-39s-sp.html

I heard that the 6500XT is somewhat crippled by PCIE 3.0, so made sure I got a mobo that was PCI 4.0 enabled.

However, I've got confused after seeing on a Gamers Nexus video that H610 is NOT PCIE 4.0 enabled, even though it clearly states on Overclocker's (and other store's) websites that the Gigabyte H610M H has 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16, and that the PCIEX16 slot conforms to PCI Express 4.0 standard.

I'm even more confused by going to the Gigabyte site and seeing that it the mobo is said to be 'PCIE 4.0 Ready'...

What the hell does that mean? Is that like the annoyingly consumer-unfriendly shenanigans that was the difference between 'HD Ready' and 'Full HD' back in the day?

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/H610M-H-DDR4-rev-10

Looking at the Intel website for the chipset, it says that it IS limited to PCIE 3.0

https://www.intel.co.uk/content/www/uk/en/products/sku/218829/intel-h610-chipset/specifications.html

So does this mean that my GPU is actually running at PCIE 3.0 speeds, and that I've unnecessarily spent all that extra cash on the latest CPU and mobo without needing to?

Do I need to get a B660 or H670 mobo to make sure my alleged POS 6500XT is running at full whack?

Thanks for any help you can give to this somewhat-out-of-touch-former-system-builder-turned-clueless-Mac-user.

 

[JernauGurgeh]

Thanks for your encouraging responses, and for clearing up my confusion.

I just looked at both my BIOS and the Radeon bloatware driver app and both state its connected at PCIE 4.0 X4, so I guess that's that.

It seems to be running pretty well... no problem running Metro Exodus or RE: Village at 1080p and even 1440p with settings dropped a little.

I understand why the 6500XT is considered a POS, but I feel its better than risking the same amount of cash on a secondhand older GPU, and it runs faster and a lot cooler and quieter than the RX580 I had on my previous machine (which I had swapped out for a 1660 not long before selling it all just before GPUGEDDON)

I had thought about holding out to see what the new Intel GPUs bring but just wanted something to get me up and running on a PC again.

 

[JernauGurgeh]

I'd make the same decision as you if I was buying new, £200 is more than I'd be willing to spend on something second hand too and since you're buying a new system, you can avoid it's main issue.

Yep. I’ve managed to build a fairly capable new system featuring the latest ‘budget’ kit for around £550 (whacked into an old case I unearthed from my junk-filled box room). I’m pretty pleased really, and it’s a definite step-up from the flaky annoyance of BootCamping my 5 year old iMac.