What is a PCIe riser?

In small-form-factor (SFF) computers built by computer enthusiasts, PCI-E Riser Cards are used in a similar sense to a server application. They are used to sandwich a graphics card closer to a computer motherboard and are made to the same heights as server units for most applications.

Does PCIe riser affect performance?

The riser probably does affect performance a bit. 3700 vs 3800 is only like 2%, so in the grand scheme of gaming if you were getting 90FPS in a game before, with the riser you’d get 2% less, so 1.8 less FPS, or 88.2 FPS. No real difference you’d see.

Is there a PCIe 4.0 riser?

The latest PCIe 4.0 supports transfer rates of 16GT/s bit rate. While providing double the bandwidth of PCIe 3.0, the Gen 4.0 riser cable remains backward compatible with a maximum transfer speed, offers great performance, and shows off the GPU at a great new angle.

What is a riser cable for GPU?

A PCIe riser cable is a handy accessory that can be used as an extension between your motherboard PCIe slot and the best graphics cards. It can be used to install a GPU vertically or in a different place within the chassis.

How does a PCI riser work?

4 in 1 PCIe Risers Explained Much like standard PCIe risers, they allow the connection of X16 PCIe GPUs to plug into an X1 PCIe slot. Additionally, they allow for the card to “rise above” the motherboard making room for the cards in the first place.

Are riser cables good?

There are two main reasons why you might want to use PCIe Riser cables: Space constraints: Better / Possible GPU placement for Single- or Multi-GPU Configurations & possibly better cooling. Especially for low-profile GPUs in Small Form Factor Cases that would otherwise clash with low-profile CPU Coolers.

How many watts does a riser use?

As mentioned on our detailed discussion on riser cards the PCIe slot uses both 12V and 3.3V power. The PCIe spec specifies a max of 3 Amps of 3.3V power and 5.5 Amps of 12V power. That translates to 66 Watts of 12V power and 9.9 Watts of 3.3V power.

What is PCI Express x16?

PCIe (peripheral component interconnect express) is an interface standard for connecting high-speed components. Most GPUs require a PCIe x16 slot to operate at their full potential.

Do PCI risers need power?

Reputable. Yes you need to power the riser, the GPU still draws power from the PCI-E slot. Yes you can power the riser via molex, but not more than two risers per string of Molex cables. A molex cable typically has 4 connections, you can only connect 2 risers to the 4 available per cable.