Published Oct 26, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT

Hamlin has been in the tech field for over nine years. Since 2017, his work has appeared on MakeUseOf , Android Police , OSXDaily, Beebom, and more. He served as the Senior Editor at Valnet's MakeUseOf for over two years before joining XDA. He uses a high-end gaming rig for desktop use and a MacBook for traveling, but dislikes some of the quirks of macOS. You're more likely to catch him at the gym or on a flight than anywhere else.

Using the second or third PCIe slot on your motherboard is usually pretty straightforward. Whether you're installing a capture card, a network adapter, or even an expansion card to add more NVMe SSDs, you'd naturally assume that you can just plug it in and call it a day. After all, when you see three full-length slots on your motherboard, there's really no reason to think otherwise.…