Graphics · medium

How to fixPCI-E-BANDWIDTH-ISSUE

PCIe slot bandwidth limitation

What this error means

This medium-severity issue affects the graphics card (GPU). The graphics card runs on a lower generation or PCIe bus width (eg Gen3 x4 instead of Gen4 x16), which reduces performance. This usually traces back to misplaced GPU in slot, m.2 NVMe drives sharing lines and bad settings in BIOS. See the troubleshooting steps below for the fix.

Before you begin

Save open work and back up important files. Note any recent driver or hardware changes. If Windows cannot start, use the startup guide first.

Work through these checks

0 of 3 complete
01Reposition the GPU and blow through the

Reposition the GPU and blow through the.

Use the instructions for your exact device and operating system. Check the manufacturer’s documentation before changing firmware, hardware, or system settings.

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02slot Clean the gold pins of the GPU with isopropyl alcohol

slot Clean the gold pins of the GPU with isopropyl alcohol.

Use the instructions for your exact device and operating system. Check the manufacturer’s documentation before changing firmware, hardware, or system settings.

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03Move the NVMe drive to another slot not connected to PCIe_1

Move the NVMe drive to another slot not connected to PCIe_1.

Use the instructions for your exact device and operating system. Check the manufacturer’s documentation before changing firmware, hardware, or system settings.

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Possible causes

  • Misplaced GPU in slot
  • Dusty PCIe contacts
  • M.2 NVMe drives sharing lines
  • Bad settings in BIOS

Useful Windows tools

These commands open Windows tools. Review any action inside the tool before applying changes.

dxdiag