For those of you who have been asking the directions on how to enable PCI-E 3.0 within Windows 7, here are the instructions!
 
These are instructions on how to enable PCI-E 3.0 using the REGEDIT function within the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system:

Hardware requirements in order for these directions to work properly:
 
1) Motherboard is PCI-E 3.0 hardware certified
 
2) Graphics card (NVidia or AMD) is PCI-E 3.0 hardware certified (currently, NVidia 600 series cards and AMD 7000 series cards are PCI-E 3.0 hardware certified)

NOTE: I highly recommend you ensure the motherboard is updated to the most current BIOS version and that PCI-E 3.0 (GEN 3) is enabled within the motherboard BIOS settings.

CRITICAL!! Back up your registry before proceeding! This will ensure that you can restore your registry should you enter an invalid value or conduct one of the steps incorrectly.

Step 1: Update your graphics drivers to the latest version (doesn't matter if you use the WHQL or beta version) and restart your computer.

Step 2: Download the latest version of GPU-Z:
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/SysInfo/GPU-Z/

Step 3: Run GPU-Z and verify that the “Graphics Bus interface” value shows PCI-E 2.0 for each card

Step 4: Disable SLI -or- Crossfire (if enabled). If SLI -or- Crossfire are not enabled, skip to Step 5

Step 5: Click on the Windows button (located on the lower left corner of the start bar)

Step 6: In the search index entry window, type in “Regedit” (the Registry Editor window will open)

Step 7: Select the following registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/Video

Step 8: Identify the correct registry folders for each of graphics cards you have installed. There will be one associated folder for each card installed. To identify the correct folder for each card, you will need to review the names of each folder within the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ CurrentControlSet/ Control/Video” registry directory. The folder associated with a graphics card will have three or more subfolders (depending on how many PCI-E slots available on the motherboard). The values listed for each subfolder will be 0000, 0001, 0002, 0003, 0004, and Video. Review only the subfolders labeled as "0000". You will know you have selected the correct "0000" subfolder when you see a registry labeled “DriverDesc” with a value that matches the graphics card you have installed. Example, the value in my “DriverDesc” registry value reads “NVIDIA Geforce GTX 680”.

Step 9: Right click on the folder labeled “0000”. Select “New”, then select “DWORD (32-bit) Value“, then enter “RMPcieLinkSpeed” for the name of the registry.

Step 10: Right click the “RMPcieLinkSpeed” registry you just created, then select “Modify”, then enter “4” as the data value and verify that the “Hexadecimal” option is checked under “Base”, and then select “OK”.

Step 11: Repeat steps 9 and 10 for each graphics card associated folder (named “0000”)

Step 12: Once you have completed creating the RMPcieLinkSpeed registry for each card, close the Registry Editor window and restart your computer.

Step 13: Once your system is back into Windows 7 operating system environment, run GPU-Z and verify that the “Graphics Bus interface” value shows PCI-E 3.0 for each card.

Step 14: Re-enable SLI -or- Crossfire as needed.

CONGRATULATIONS!! PCI-E 3.0 is now fully enabled within Windows 7

*UPDATE*  Please note that if you update your graphics drivers, this registry hack will be undone and PCI-E 2.0 will be enabled again.  Due to this issue, I added a step at the very beginning of these instructions to have you update the graphics drivers BEFORE doing the registry hack.  Hopefully, this will save you a bit of time and hassle.
 

The Hell? So everyone who has X79, Z77, etc. with a PCI-e 3.0 GPU, isn't even getting full PCI-e 3.0 speeds?
 
It's pretty crappy someone has to edit their registry just for that...

Isn't this a driver limitation (when using nvidia drivers)?
 
Edit: Nm, you noted it at the end that it is indeed being disabled by the nvidia drivers.

Oh okay, gotcha

RainStryke

The only CPU that officially supports PCI-E 3.0 is the new Ivy Bridge processors. All others have to use the registry hack.

Ahh that clears things up! Thanks. Was just thinking I had to do that on Z77's also lol.

Iluv2raceit

For those of you who have been asking the directions on how to enable PCI-E 3.0 within Windows 7, here are the instructions!
 
These are instructions on how to enable PCI-E 3.0 using the REGEDIT function within the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system:

Hardware requirements in order for these directions to work properly:
 
1) Motherboard is PCI-E 3.0 hardware certified
 
2) Graphics card (NVidia or AMD) is PCI-E 3.0 hardware certified (currently, NVidia 600 series cards and AMD 7000 series cards are PCI-E 3.0 hardware certified)
 
NOTE: I highly recommend you ensure the motherboard is updated to the most current BIOS version and that PCI-E 3.0 is enabled within the BIOS settings.

CRITICAL!! Back up your registry before proceeding! This will ensure that you can restore your registry should you enter an invalid value or conduct one of the steps incorrectly.

Step 1: Update your graphics drivers to the latest version (doesn't matter if you use the WHQL or beta version) and restart your computer.

Step 2: Download the latest version of GPU-Z:
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/SysInfo/GPU-Z/

Step 3: Run GPU-Z and verify that the “Graphics Bus interface” value shows PCI-E 2.0 for each card

Step 4: Disable SLI -or- Crossfire (if enabled). If SLI -or- Crossfire are not enabled, skip to Step 5

Step 5: Click on the Windows button (located on the lower left corner of the start bar)

Step 6: In the search index entry window, type in “Regedit” (the Registry Editor window will open)

Step 7: Select the following registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/Video

Step 8: Identify the correct registry folders for each of graphics cards you have installed. There will be one associated folder for each card installed. To identify the correct folder for each card, you will need to review the names of each folder within the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ CurrentControlSet/ Control/Video” registry directory. The folder associated with a graphics card will have three or more subfolders (depending on how many PCI-E slots available on the motherboard). The values listed for each subfolder will be 0000, 0001, 0002, 0003, 0004, and Video. Review only the subfolders labeled as "0000". You will know you have selected the correct "0000" subfolder when you see a registry labeled “DriverDesc” with a value that matches the graphics card you have installed. Example, the value in my “DriverDesc” registry value reads “NVIDIA Geforce GTX 680”.

Step 9: Right click on the folder labeled “0000”. Select “New”, then select “DWORD (32-bit) Value“, then enter “RMPcieLinkSpeed” for the name of the registry.

Step 10: Right click the “RMPcieLinkSpeed” registry you just created, then select “Modify”, then enter “4” as the data value and verify that the “Hexadecimal” option is checked under “Base”, and then select “OK”.

Step 11: Repeat steps 9 and 10 for each graphics card associated folder (named “0000”)

Step 12: Once you have completed creating the RMPcieLinkSpeed registry for each card, close the Registry Editor window and restart your computer.

Step 13: Once your system is back into Windows 7 operating system environment, run GPU-Z and verify that the “Graphics Bus interface” value shows PCI-E 3.0 for each card.

Step 14: Re-enable SLI -or- Crossfire as needed.

CONGRATULATIONS!! PCI-E 3.0 is now fully enabled within Windows 7

*UPDATE*  Please note that if you update your graphics drivers, this registry hack will be undone and PCI-E 2.0 will be enabled again.  Due to this issue, I added a step at the very beginning of these instructions to have you update the graphics drivers BEFORE doing the registry hack.  Hopefully, this will save you a bit of time and hassle.

Thanx for the info, and here I thoughtNvidia would REALLY Support the 3.0 buses. Well I guess when I get the money i'll be getting the Ivy Bridge processor then, but only Nvidia can let our GPUs use the 3.0 buses.
 
Their is now good reason why Nvidia can't enable the 3.0 unless i'm missing something because they made the 600 series for 3.0 support.

kb6183

Thanks for the post; it's a lot easier to follow than the converted Japanese site :)

There's something goofy for me when I enable 3.0 on my P9X79/I7-3820 combo though: it kills performance!  3DMark11 slows to a crawl.  I verified 3.0 enabled in Bios and tried a couple of times with the same result.

It's because your CPU doesn't support 3.0, only your motherboard does.

I actually did this last night for my X79, worked like a charm, gamed for three hours without an issue. 

Well crap... Will my mobo take the new 2000 processor?

This Ivy Bridge 3.0 pci stuff is retarded. The new chips are garbage they are thermally attached and not even fused so they get worse temps and don't OC for anything. I want to know if the sandy bridge chips like the 2500k/2600k are being held down by the actual hardware or if its a fix with software and they are just trying to get more money by making people to buy ivy bridge.

I want to believe that the 3820 supports pci-e 3.0... I really do (for selfish reasons) but the intel spec sheet says 2.0 :( 
 
http://ark.intel.com/products/63698/Intel-Core-i7-3820-Processor-(10M-Cache-3_60-GHz)

It sadly appears that it only officially supports 2.0. Luckily at this point, it doesn't matter with our graphics cards.... by the time it does, we can drop in new cpus. 

http://www.anandtech.com/...e-x79-pcie-30-it-works
 
I did a LOT of research in November before purchasing my X79 board and eventually my 2011 chip.  The board and chipset fully support PCIE-3.0.  Not sure why Intel has that info, very odd. 

I don't think this does anything other than to let windows based program to see the motherboard as 3.0. I don't think it flips any switches in performance. Hardware is hardware and controlled by the bios

Johnny_Utah

http://www.anandtech.com/...e-x79-pcie-30-it-works

I did a LOT of research in November before purchasing my X79 board and eventually my 2011 chip.  The board and chipset fully support PCIE-3.0.  Not sure why Intel has that info, very odd. 

Intel doesn't make mistakes. SB-E does not support 3.0. Call and ask Intel the question, they will set you straight.