How much data does each lane of PCIe 2.0 provide?

Each lane of PCIe 2.0 provides a theoretical maximum throughput of 500 MBps (megabytes per second). This standard established by PCI-SIG (PCI Special Interest Group) effectively doubles the bandwidth of its predecessor, PCIe 1.0, which offered 250 MBps per lane.

In practical terms, PCIe 2.0 achieves this bandwidth by utilizing an efficient data transfer protocol that leverages higher signaling rates and techniques to allow for quick transmission of data. This means that when devices are connected using PCIe 2.0 with multiple lanes, the total bandwidth can multiply significantly based on the number of lanes used.

For example, a PCIe 2.0 x16 connection (which consists of 16 lanes) would theoretically provide up to 8 Gbps (gigabits per second), translating to a high-speed data transfer capability, essential for performance-intensive applications such as gaming, rendering, and high-speed networking. Understanding this bandwidth is crucial for configuring systems that require fast data transfers between components like GPUs, SSDs, and other peripherals.