Jumpexx

I'm putting together a 7800X3D build and I'm stuck on the board. B650 boards are cheaper and have everything I actually need, but a few B650E boards are only a bit more and give me a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for the GPU. I know a 4070 Ti Super won't saturate 4.0, but I keep thinking about future-proofing. Anyone actually regret going B650 instead of B650E? Or is PCIe 5.0 on the GPU slot still a nothingburger for gaming?

Honestly, for a 7800X3D gaming rig? B650 is fine. You're not going to notice Gen5 x16 on a GPU until you're running something that actually needs the bandwidth, and by then you'll probably be on a new platform anyway. Put the difference into a better cooler or more SSD. The only reason I'd go B650E is if the specific board has better rear I/O or BIOS flashback out of the box.

I half disagree with SataSal. I went B650E mostly because I wanted a Gen5 M.2 slot that didn't steal lanes from the GPU, and the board I got had better VRMs for the money. But the GPU slot being Gen5? Total meh right now. If you're just gaming, don't pay extra for the E. If you're doing a lot of big file moves or plan to keep the board through a couple GPU gens, maybe.

I've got a plain B650 with a 7800X3D and a 4070 Ti Super. Boots fine, EXPO 6000 CL30 worked first try after a BIOS update, and I've never once thought 'man I wish this slot was Gen5.' CableRat is right that the M.2 lane sharing is the thing to check, not the GPU slot. Pick a board with the M.2 layout you want and call it a day.

Good stuff. The lane-sharing point is exactly what I'm worried about. On the B650 board I was looking at, populating the second M.2 drops the GPU slot to x8. Does that actually matter for a 4070 Ti Super, or is x8 Gen4 still enough? I'm only gaming, no capture card or anything.

x8 Gen4 is still plenty for that card in most games, but it's one of those things that annoys me on principle. pcie_papaya, check the manual for the exact board — some B650 boards only drop to x8 with the second M.2, some share with a PCIe slot instead. If you run two NVMe drives, just buy a board where the primary GPU slot stays x16 and the second M.2 doesn't kneecap it.

This is why I ended up on B650E, honestly. My board keeps the GPU at x16 and gives me a Gen5 M.2 off the CPU. But midrange_mack is right that Gen5 SSDs run hot and you probably won't feel the difference in games. If you're not buying a Gen5 drive, the E is basically a spec sheet flex.