Pci difference between 2nd generation and 3rd generation

[Darshan_2]

Hello I have 970ds3p gigabyte mother board which has 2nd generation pci slots where as I bought a new rx480 8gb
I am very much confused whether this graphic card is 2nd gen pci or 3rd gen pci should I have to upgrade my mother board
Please let me know
Thank u

 

[raisonjohn]

No need to upgrade motherboard. PCIe2.0 and PCIe3.0 are backwards-compatible. You can safely plug in your GPU which is a PCIe3.0 interface in a motherboard with a PCIe2.0 x16 slot. The GPU will then run at PCIe2.0 speeds (no noticeable performance difference). Similarly, if your GPU is only PCIe2.0 interface, you can also plug it in a motherboard with a PCIe3.0 x16 slot (GPU will also run in PCIe2.0 speeds, with no noticeable difference in performance).