Motherboard BIOS showing Gen 2 PCIe slot instead of Gen 3

[Travis Gates]

I just bought this motherboard: MSI H81M ECO, link here. http://www.msi.com/product/mb/H81M-ECO.html#hero-overview

I have the board paired with the GTX 750 TI and in the system setting of the graphics card, it shows the bus it is setting on as Gen 2 and the board is suppose to a Gen 3. I decided to look into the BIOS setting and under PCI Subsystem it shows on PEGO - Gen X as Auto, Gen 1, and Gen 2, but nothing about Gen 3. I did update the BIOS and nothing new happened.

I understand that this type or card or anything better does not use 3.0 as of yet but I was wondering if this board might be defective or maybe I am not understanding something right.

Thank you.

 

[IntelTurtleFan]

On that mobo it does not have gen 3.
http://www.msi.com/product/mb/H81M-ECO.html#hero-specification

Also there is hardly any difference between Gen 2 and 3 in gaming performance.

 

[Travis Gates]

Thank you for the quick response. I also found GPU-Z and it shows the slot as 2.0 also. Where I purchased it from (and funny that also printed on the board itself) shows PCI Express 3.0.

 

[IntelTurtleFan]

Interesting. MSI has never been one for quality. 🙁

 

[Travis Gates]

Who would have a better quality board?

 

[IntelTurtleFan]

Gigabyte like this one: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xgaming5
Faster and support for your CPU and any new lga1150 CPUs. Also allows overclocking on some intel cpus and more/faster ram.

 

[Travis Gates]

I have been looking and looking into this. I did order this board off of Amazon, but also tigerdirect and newegg have this same board and it is listed as PCI Express 3.0. I looked on the motherboard itself and it list 3.0 and also in the instruction book that comes with it.

I did look on MSI site again and found this link that list the board as 3.0. http://us.msi.com/product/mb/H81M-ECO.html#hero-specification and this first link I posted shows the same board as 2.0 but the picture shows 3.0 on the board itself. http://www.msi.com/product/mb/H81M-ECO.html#hero-overview

I have contacted MSI to see what is going on. My thing is if it is suppose to be 3.0 then why does it show 2.0 in BIOS. And if it is indeed 2.0 then why have listings as 3.0. Or see if my board might be indeed defective.

 

[IntelTurtleFan]

Still sounds like a MSI issue. Try contacting them and see if you got cheated.

 

[Travis Gates]

I finally got in touch with MSI, which took until today for them to get back with me the second time. They told me they board they had in front of them was working perfectly and with GPU-Z that is showed them GEN3. In the BIOS they said it will not show GEN3 but if you leave it on AUTO it will show up. And if it does not, then I need to update my BIOS with their most recent one.... which I let them know in the beginning I have (and also on their help support form it asked which BIOS version I am using too.) So all in short I am sending this board back and getting another one from another company. Just letting you all know what was going on. You can go ahead and close this thread.