Hey everyone, I’m wondering about the potential risks of using a Gen 5 GPU, specifically the 5070, on my older Gen 3 motherboard (MSI B450 Tomahawk). Currently, I have a 1070ti installed and want to upgrade. I realize that it will be operating at Gen 3 speeds, but I’m concerned about whether this could cause any damage or lead to premature wear on my motherboard. Additionally, if you have any recommendations for GPUs, I’d love to hear them. Thanks, and have a great day! Here are my current specs: Ryzen 7 5800x3D, 32GB DDR4, B450 Tomahawk, 1070ti, EVGA 650GQ 650W 80+ Gold.
3 Answers
It’s totally fine to use a Gen 5 GPU in a Gen 3 slot. Just remember, you’ll only get Gen 3 speeds, but there’s no risk of damaging anything. You might miss out on some performance compared to using it in a Gen 5 slot, but your system won’t break!
Upgrading to a 5070 is a solid choice! Just a heads-up, you might need a power supply upgrade to at least 750W to handle it properly. If you install everything carefully, you shouldn’t run into any issues. Plus, it shouldn’t harm your motherboard as long as the installation is done right.
I checked on PCPartPicker and it looks like I’m all set for the 5070, but I can’t go for the 5070ti.
You’ll be just fine! There’s only about a 2% performance drop when going from Gen 5 to Gen 3. By the way, any specific reason you’re sticking with the 5070 instead of considering others like the 9070?
Got it, so it’s still a better option than my 1070ti, right?