Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support PCIe 4.0?

Every new PCIe version brings with it tremendous gains in speeds. So much so that with every more recent version, the speed doubles compared to the previous version. Hence, it is reasonable to ask which Intel and AMD CPUs support PCIe 4.0 so that you can experience the benefits yourself.

Select CPUs from AMD Ryzen 3000 and 5000 series and Intel 11th and 12th generation support PCIe 4.0 protocol.

As of writing this article, the most current version of PCIe available in the market is V4.0. PCIe 5.0 is also around the corner.

It would be best to have the right compatible motherboard and the CPU to benefit from the newer PCIe speeds.

Therefore, without further ado, let us explore Intel and AMD CPUs separately for PCIe v4.0.

You must also have the correct motherboard to enable PCIe 4.0 support. Read: Which Motherboards Support PCIe 4.0?

So Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support PCIe 4.0?

The newer Intel and AMD CPUs currently support the PCIe 4.0 protocol.

Let us look at each brand separately.

Which AMD CPUs Support PCIe 4.0?

AMD was the pioneer in featuring PCIe 4.0 support for its CPUs, with the release of the AMD Ryzen 3000 series released back in July 2019.

The following tables show all the AMD CPUs featuring PCIe v4.0.

List of AMD CPUs with PCIe v4.0

Does AMD Ryzen 1000 and 2000 Series Support PCIe V4.0?

No, the older 1000 and 2000 AMD Ryzen AND Ryzen Threadripper series do not support PCIe v4.0. They conform to the older V3.0 standard.

Do AMD APUs with ‘G’ Suffix Support PCIe 4.0?

AMD CPUs with integrated graphics cards are called APUs (accelerated processing units).

Unlike Intel, where most of their CPUs feature an integrated graphics card, AMD-only APUs do, and these processors have the ‘G’ suffix in their name, i.e., AMD Ryzen 5 3400G or AMD Ryzen 7 5700G.

None of the AMD APUs from the 3000, 4000, or 5000 series support PCIe v4.0.

Do AMD Athlon CPUs Feature PCIe 4.0?

Unfortunately, they do not.

AMD Athlon is an entry-level CPU intended for budget PCs.

Is There Any AMD Mobile/Laptop CPU That Supports PCIe 4.0?

Unfortunately, none of the laptop-based AMD CPUs support PCIe v4.0.

Which Intel CPUs Support PCIe 4.0?

Intel released CPUs supporting PCIe v4.0 with the 11th Gen in 2020.

The exciting aspect of Intel is that you can find PCIe support even for mobile/laptop and server-based CPUs.

Therefore, despite being latecomers to the PCIe v4.0 fray, Intel has a massive roster of CPUs that support this version.

List of Intel CPUs with PCIe V4.0

Do 10th-Gen Intel Processors Support PCIe v4.0?

No, unfortunately, they do not.

10th gen and older Intel processors from all series, i.e., Core, Xeon, Pentium, and Celeron, do not support PCIe 4.0. They are limited to PCIe 3.0

Do 11th and 12th Gen Intel CPUs support PCIe v4.0?

Yes, the 11th and newer 12th Gen Intel CPUs support PCIe v4.0.

Does Intel Have any Mobile/Laptop Based Processors that Support PCIe 4.0?

Yes, 11th Gen (and beyond) Core and Xeon series laptop-based processors support the newer PCIe version.

Do Pentium and Celeron CPUs Support PCIe 4.0?

None of the desktop and mobile-based Pentium and Celeron CPUs currently support the newer PCIe version.

Pentium and Celeron are budget and entry-level CPUs intended for budget PCs.

The motherboard Must Also Support PCIe v4.0

Along with looking for which Intel and AMD CPUs support PCIe 4.0, you must also look for compatible motherboard chipsets that support PCIe 4.0 lanes.

A CPU conforming to PCIe 4.0 is just one part of the equation. The other part of the equation is getting the correct motherboard.

For instance, only the AMD B550 and the AMD X570 motherboard chipsets currently support PCIe 4.0 with the AM4 socket.

If you pair a Ryzen 3000 or a 5000 series desktop CPU with any other AMD motherboard, say the AMD A520 (which also has the AM4 socket), your system will be limited to PCIe 3.0 despite the processors supporting the newer 4.0 version.

Image Source: AMD – Only the AMD B550 and the AMD X570 motherboard chipset from the 500 series support PCIe 4.0

Also Read: 

• What CPU is Compatible With My Motherboard?

PCIe Primer

To understand which Intel and AMD CPUs support PCIe 4.0 and what it means, you must grasp the PCIe protocol and lanes.

I suggest you read the following important article regarding PCIe to get up to speed with how it works.”

• What are PCIe Slots?
• What are PCIe Lanes?

The bottom line is that the amount of PCIe lanes that you have are limited. A typical PC can have anywhere between 20-24 PCIe lanes.

The CPU and motherboard contribute to your system’s number of PCIe lanes.

It is also possible for the motherboard PCIe lanes to conform to a different PCIe version compared to the CPU PCIe lanes. So always do check PCI-Express slot versions.

Take, for instance, the AMD B550 chipset. On motherboards with this chipset, the motherboard PCIe lanes conform to PCIe v3.0, whereas the CPU PCIe lanes conform to PCIe v4.0.

With AMD X570, however, both the chipset and the CPU lanes conform to V4.0.

This is important because if you have a PCIe 4.0 device, like a Gen 4 NVMe SSD, you would want to install it on a PCIe 4.0 slot.

Installing a Gen 4 NVMe SSD in a PCIe 3.0 slot would reduce its performance by half! Why? The PCIe per lane transfer speed doubles with each successive generation.

Therefore, a newer device on an older slot can introduce performance bottlenecks.

The following table shows PCIe generation and their corresponding speeds.

Also Read: Where is the CPU Located in a Computer?

Final Words

Both Intel’s and AMD’s newer generation of CPUs support PCIe 4.0. AMD supported 4.0 by releasing the Ryzen 3000 series CPU, whereas Intel brought help with their 11th Gen CPUs.

I discussed which Intel and AMD CPUs currently support PCIe 4.0. This list will only grow in the future. However, with PCIe 5.0 just around the corner, the PCIe 4.0 era will last far shorter than the previous PCIe 3.0.

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