Every PC builder knows the satisfying click of a graphics card seating into a motherboard. But few stop to ask: Why are there different sized slots? Does my SSD really need all those pins?
You install a high-end RTX 4080 into the second slot of a mid-range motherboard. The card fits perfectly. But because that slot is wired for x4, you just choked your GPU’s bandwidth to 25% of its potential. Your frame rates will collapse.