PCI vs. PCI Express

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Jarhead

Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 2

25 May 2006 21:03 pci vs pci express

Hello all

Im a noob when it comes to this stuff and basically teaching myself about computers. The questions I have are:

1) What is the Difference between a PCI Video Card and a PCI Express Video Card?

2) Can you place a PCI Express Card into the PCI slot?

The reason I ask is cause I have 2 computers. One that I use for pictures movies and music (Media Center HP). The other one I use for Games such as World of Warcraft and F.E.A.R. I currently have a Geforce FX series (the actual # series evades me at the moment) this computer is the one that I want to replace the video card.

Thank you in advance for your help with these questions.

louisnells

Joined: 08 May 2006
Posts: 212
Helped: 13

26 May 2006 18:45 put a pcie 1.1 card in a pcix 16 slot

PCI Express is a higher enhanced version of old PCI architecture.
They have slightly different connectors, so you better don't use old PCI card on a PCI Express slot. Usually PCI Express is used for faster systems. Now a days there are AGP Video cards available on PCI Express.

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btbass

Joined: 20 Jul 2001
Posts: 1187
Helped: 113
Location: Oberon

26 May 2006 19:53 pci vs pci-express

PCI is a parallel interface, PCI express is a multiple channel serial interface, they are not compatable, I doubt if they are physically the same.

Jarhead

Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 2

27 May 2006 2:41 pcie arbiter

thanks alot guys

louisnells

Joined: 08 May 2006
Posts: 212
Helped: 13

27 May 2006 4:36 what can i put in an pci express slot

Other than serial for PCI Express can have variable number of data paths. It can have x1, x2, x4, x8, x16 or x32 lines simultaneously.

zahrein

Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 144

30 May 2006 15:17 pci-e x16

Yes, You can only use Pci card on the PCI slot. And use only Pcie card into Pcie slot.

The Pin connector on the PCI card had been dedicated to PCI slot. YOu cannot use the PCI card to be put into PCie slot as as it is not compatible. Besides the Pin Number is different.

HOpe this clears out...

Big Boy

Joined: 20 Jan 2004
Posts: 253
Helped: 10

31 May 2006 16:21 pci vs. pci express

Though, one advantage (correct me if I'm wrong), of PCI-E, is that you can put a card at a different X settings than the slot is.

For example, if you have a 8x slot, you can put a 1x, 2x or even 16x in it.

If you put a lower card, the rate will be the one of the card. If you put higher rate card in a lower rate slot, some pins of the slot will simply be unused.

Though, you have to check the connector. Usually, 1x connectors accept only 1x PCI, though, there are connector, like a 4x on my motherboard, where the end of the connector is not closed (the connector only have 3 sides), so you can put a longer card in it.

Cards should be made compatible to work at lower rate, probably with limited functionality, but functional.

mengghee

Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 165
Helped: 3
Location: United Kingdom

01 Jun 2006 14:52 put a pci in pciexpress

Pci Express uses differential technology to reduce noise at high speed hence more cables.

regards,
mengghee

yaseen1

Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 49

09 Jun 2006 21:17 is there a way to change a pci slot to pcie

PCI express speed is veryhigh compared to PCI alone

jjohn

Joined: 17 Jun 2006
Posts: 275
Helped: 26

23 Jun 2006 5:08 can u put pci express x1 in x4

PCI Express, or PCIe, (formerly known as Arapaho or 3GIO for 3rd Generation I/O, not to be mistaken for PCI-X or PXI) is an implementation of the PCI computer bus that uses existing PCI programming concepts, but bases it on a completely different and much faster serial physical-layer communications protocol. The physical-layer consists not of a bus, but of a network of serial interconnects (because synchronization of parallel connections is hindered by timing skew) much like twisted pair ethernet. A single hub with many pins on the mainboard is used, allowing all kinds of switching and parallelism.
PCI Express slots (from top to bottom: x4, x16, x1 and x16), compared to a traditional 32-bit PCI slot (bottom), as seen on DFI's LanParty nF4 SLI-DR
Enlarge
PCI Express slots (from top to bottom: x4, x16, x1 and x16), compared to a traditional 32-bit PCI slot (bottom), as seen on DFI's LanParty nF4 SLI-DR

It is supported primarily by Intel, who started working on the standard as the Arapahoe project after pulling out of the InfiniBand system.

PCI Express is intended to be used as a local interconnect only. As it is based on the existing PCI system, cards and systems can be converted to PCI Express by changing the physical layer only – existing systems could be adapted to PCI Express without any change in software. The higher speeds on PCI Express allow it to replace almost all existing internal buses, including AGP and PCI, and Intel envisions a single PCI Express controller talking to all external devices, as opposed to the northbridge/southbridge solution in current machines.

The Peripheral Component Interconnect standard (in practice almost always shortened to PCI) specifies a computer bus for attaching peripheral devices to a computer motherboard. These devices can take any one of the following forms:

* An integrated circuit fitted onto the motherboard itself, called a planar device in the PCI specification.
* An expansion card that fits in sockets.

The PCI bus is common in modern PCs, where it has displaced ISA and VESA Local Bus as the standard expansion bus, but it also appears in many other computer types. The bus will eventually be succeeded by PCI Express and other technologies, which have already started to appear in new computers.

The PCI specification covers the physical size of the bus (including wire spacing), electrical characteristics, bus timing, and protocols. The specification can be purchased from the PCI Special Interest Group (PCISIG).