Is switching the PCIe protocol mode the right move for fixing read/write latency on my Kioxia Exceria Plus G4 1TB in Phantom Blade Zero?

Absolutely mind-blowing! The second I switched the interface protocol from 'Auto' to 'Forced PCIe 5.0' in the BIOS, the loading speeds just took off. The native performance of the Kioxia Exceria Plus G4 was being severely choked in compatibility mode, with sequential reads stuck at 3500-4200MB/s, which caused those annoying hitches when entering new areas. I first tried updating the chipset drivers, but the speeds didn't budge—a tedious process that taught me the protocol handshake is where the real problem lies. I locked the PCIe link to Gen5 and disabled all power-saving modes in Windows. CrystalDiskMark then showed read speeds soaring to 9200-10500MB/s, making game loads nearly instant. I did hit a scary 72℃ spike right after the switch, but I managed to bring it back down to 55-60℃ by cranking the case fans to 1800 RPM. Random 4K reads are now rock steady at 85-92MB/s. The hardware monitor shows peak throughput, with drive temps fluctuating between 48-55℃.