Consumer-grade Ryzen CPUs have a total of 24 PCIe lanes while the workstation/server-grade CPUs like the Threadripper series can have up to 128 PCIe lanes.
All the popular desktop Ryzen series processors like the Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, and Ryzen 9 have 24 PCIe lanes. The mobile version of the Ryzen processors has 16 PCIe lanes, and APUS have 20 lanes.
But why does the number of lanes matter and how does Ryzen compare to Intel Core processors in this aspect?
What are PCIe lanes and Why they are important?
PCIe lanes are physical lanes that are used to connect PCIe devices to either the CPU or the motherboard chipset (yes motherboard chipsets have PCIe lanes too, more on that later).
They consist of two pairs of transmitting and receiving copper wires, one for each direction, and are used to send data between PCIe devices like graphics cards and the chipset or CPU. They run through the PCB across different slots and can be used for different purposes.
PCIe lanes are an important component of modern computer systems, as they allow high-speed data transfers between different components.
The higher the number of PCIe lanes, the more devices can be connected through the PCIe protocol, where higher data transfer speeds are possible and this is what makes them so important.
In general, more is better when it comes to PCIe lanes.
Related Article: Which PCIe Slot For GPU Is The Best?
Ryzen vs Intel Core PCIe Lanes
As the battle between AMD and Intel continues, I am sure that many of you are wondering how Ryzen compares to Intel Core processors when it comes to PCIe lanes.
Well, the answer is that Ryzen does a better job and has more PCIe lanes compared to Intel Core processors on average.
Ryzen desktop CPUs have 24 PCIe lanes, while Intel Core 10th generation desktop processors have 16 PCIe lanes and the 11th & 12th generation have 20 PCIe lanes.
When Intel used to work with 16 PCIe lanes on their desktop CPUs, all the lanes were connected to PCIe slots but with the 20 PCIe lane CPUs, the extra 4 lanes are dedicated to the M.2 slot. Ryzen on the other hand allocates 16 PCIe lanes to the PCIe slots, 4 PCIe lanes to the M.2 slot, and the remaining 4 PCIe lanes to the chipset.
Related Article: Does Ryzen Have Integrated Graphics?
Chipset PCIe Lanes
As I already mentioned not only CPUs but also motherboard chipsets have PCIe lanes.
You can check this small infographic from AMD that shows the PCIe lane configuration of the X570 AMD chipset.
On the left column, you can see the CPU lanes, and how they are distributed. As I told you 16 of them are directly connected to the PCIe slots, 4 to the M.2 slot, and the remaining 4 are dedicated to the chipset.
But this is something you already know, what’s new here is the information on the right side, about the PCIe chipset lanes. As you can see the chipset has a total of 8 lanes that you can use mostly for connecting PCIe and SATA ports.
Related Article: What Is PCIe x16 And What Does It Mean
PCIe lanes Version
I have talked about the number of CPU PCIe lanes and how they are divided between the CPU, chipset, and PCIe slots on AMD Ryzen processors but I think it’s also important to mention that PCIe lanes come in different versions.
Like PCIe ports, PCIe lanes can be Gen1, Gen2, Gen3, Gen4, and Gen5.
The main difference between these generations is the data transfer speed that they offer.
Actually, each generation doubles the data transfer speed of the previous PCIe gen.
For example, a Gen2 PCIe lane can reach a maximum throughput of 8Gb/s while a Gen5 PCIe lane can go up to 63GB/sec.
You can check the table below for a more detailed comparison.
| Generation | x16 GB/s | x8 GB/s | x4 GB/s | x2 GB/s | x1 GB/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0 | 63.015 | 31.508 | 15.754 | 7.877 | 3.938 |
| 4.0 | 31.508 | 15.754 | 7.877 | 3.938 | 1.969 |
| 3.0 | 15.754 | 7.877 | 3.938 | 1.969 | 0.985 |
| 2.0 | 8.000 | 4.000 | 2.000 | 1.000 | 0.500 |
| 1.0 | 4.000 | 2.000 | 1.000 | 0.500 | 0.250 |
The PCIe generation of the 5th generation Ryzen processors is the PCIe 4.0 while the 2nd gen CPUs have PCIe 3.0 lanes. Intel 12th gen CPUs (Rocket Lake) have PCIe 5.0 so let’s see what Ryzen is going to offer with the next generation.
Now that we have talked in depth about PCIe lanes, let’s take a look at some of the most popular Ryzen models per generation and check on the number and generation of PCIe lanes that each one has.
Related Article: PCIe 2.0 VS 3.0 – What Is The Difference?
5th Generation Ryzen Processors
As you can see in the table above all Zen 3.0 processors have 24 PCIe 4.0 lanes, just like their predecessors.
The only processors with 16 PCIe lanes are Mobile CPUs.
| CPU Model | PCIe Version | Number of Lanes | Device |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 5500 | 3.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 5 5600 | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 5 5600X | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 7 5700X | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 7 5800 | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 7 5800X | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 7 5800X3D | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 9 5900 | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 9 5900X | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 9 5950X | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 3 5300GE | 3.0 | 24 | (APU) Desktop |
| Ryzen 3 5300G | 3.0 | 24 | (APU) Desktop |
| Ryzen 5 5600GE | 3.0 | 24 | (APU) Desktop |
| Ryzen 5 5600G | 3.0 | 24 | (APU) Desktop |
| Ryzen 7 5700GE | 3.0 | 20 | (APU) Desktop |
| Ryzen 7 5700G | 3.0 | 20 | (APU) Desktop |
| Ryzen 3 5300U | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 5 5600H | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 9 5900HX | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
Related Article: How Many PCIe Lanes Do I Have? [Solved]
4th Generation Ryzen Processors
The 4th gen Ryzen CPUs have 16 PCIe lanes and these are PCIe Gen3. This is because as you can see all these processors are for laptops.
| CPU Model | PCIe Version | Number of Lanes | Device |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 3 4300U | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 5 4500U | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 5 4600U | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 5 4680U | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 5 4600HS | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 5 4600H | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 7 4700U | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 7 4800U | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 7 4980U | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 7 4800HS | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 7 4800H | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 9 4900HS | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
| Ryzen 9 4900H | 3.0 | 16 | Laptop / Mobile |
3rd Generation Ryzen Processors
As you can see in the table below, things are a bit different with the 3rd generation CPUs.
Most 3rd generation CPUs actually come with 24 PCIe lanes Gen4 with the only exception of the APU, the Ryzen 5 Pro 3200G which has 20 PCIe lanes Gen3.
This particular model has only 20 lanes because it has an integrated graphics card and uses these 4 lanes for the display.
| CPU Model | PCIe Version | Number of Lanes | Device |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 3 3100 | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 3 3300X | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 5 3500 | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 5 3600 | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 5 Pro 3600 | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 5 3600X | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 5 3600XT | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 7 Pro 3700 | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 7 3700X | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 7 3800X | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 7 3800XT | 4.0 | 24 | Desktop |
| Ryzen 3 Pro 3200GE | 3.0 | 20 | (APU) Desktop |
| Ryzen 3 Pro 3200G | 3.0 | 20 | (APU) Desktop |
Threadripper PCIe lanes
Before I wrap up this article, I think it’s important to talk about Threadripper CPUs as they come with a lot of PCIe lanes.
Threadripper CPUs are workstation CPUs and they come with a lot of PCIe lanes to offer maximum connectivity for storage and other devices.
They are used on servers where they need to connect a lot of devices at the same time.
As you can see in the table below, 5th Gen Threadripper CPUs come with 128PCIe lanes, that’s 4 times more than what mainstream Ryzen CPUs offer.
| CPU Model | PCIe Version | Number of Lanes | Device |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5945WX | 4.0 | 128 | Desktop |
| Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX | 4.0 | 128 | Desktop |
| Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5965WX | 4.0 | 128 | Desktop |
| Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX | 4.0 | 128 | Desktop |
| Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX | 4.0 | 128 | Desktop |
Ryzen PCIe Lanes FAQ
How many PCIe lanes does Ryzen 7 3700x have?
The Ryzen 7 3700x has 24 PCIe 4.0 lanes. It is a part of the gen3 desktop CPUs from AMD.
How many PCIe lanes does Ryzen 5900X have?
All Zen 3.0 CPUs from AMD have 24 PCIe 4.0 lanes. This includes the recently released Ryzen 5000 series CPUs including the Ryzen 5900x.
Conclusion
This is everything you need to know about the PCIe lanes on Ryzen processors.
As you can see, there are a lot of things to take into account when it comes to PCIe lanes but I hope that with this article everything is clear now.
If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comment section below and I will be more than happy to answer them.
Nick Ryley is a computer architect and the owner of The Pc Geekz.
His love for playing games got him interested in computers in the first place. He wanted to be able to build a gaming PC that could run all the latest games at max settings, and this has him pursuing a major in computer architecture!
He started this blog to help people out and answer some of the most common questions about computer building
