Overview
PCIe is the primary interface used to connect high-speed components to a computer's motherboard, including graphics cards, SSDs, and network adapters.
Key Concepts
- Lanes: PCIe connections are made of one or more lanes (x1, x4, x8, x16). More lanes mean more bandwidth.
- Generations: Each new generation (PCIe 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0) doubles the bandwidth of the previous one.
- Point-to-Point: Each device has a dedicated connection to the chipset or CPU, preventing bandwidth sharing issues.
Importance
PCIe is critical for modern system performance, enabling high-speed data transfer between the CPU and other critical components.