WTF is a PCI slot?

thanks

Peripheral Component Interconnect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Its a long connector slot on your computer's motherboard. Things like graphics cards etc. plug into them.

Its a long connector slot on your computer's motherboard. Things like graphics cards etc. plug into them.

32-bit PCI is the short one. ISA was the long one.

Chris

ok...do i need one? and do I need a 'PCI card'? :confused:

PCI card to do what task?

ok...do i need one? and do I need a 'PCI card'? :confused:

Better question is why do you think you need one? PCI slots are for add-ons, eg network card, sound card, graphics card, etc. If you have all that built into the motherboard, you don't need any PCI cards

Chris

ok...do i need one? and do I need a 'PCI card'? :confused:

You either do or don't have them, depending on your motherboard.

You then may or may not need one, depending on what you're trying to do, and whether or not suitable cards are available in non PCI varieties.

So I don't know, but hopefully this will give you some info that will help you find out.

If you are buying a new PC then one PCI slot to allow you to use older equipment if useful.

What you need these days is PCIe (PCI Express).

These come in various flavours, however you would want at least 1 `PCIe x16` and I would say either a `PCIe x4` & some `x1's` or just a load of `x1's`.

If anybody tells you the PC has `PCIe x2` slots walk away and go buy elsewhere.

Ideally you should get a motherboard with PCI express 2.0 capability, not 1.0a or 1.1 as this is the current standard and 3.0 is now being worked on for a few years time.

HTH

It's a dell, you cant pick and choose, you either add it or you don't....

It's a dell, you cant pick and choose, you either add it or you don't....

A dell what? Laptop or desktop.

I'm not suggesting you can pick and chose, but depending on the type of PCI/PCIe on offer makes the difference to if it is worth buying.

You won't be adding it, they will be providing either a different motherboard of a way to get at it as PCIe will all be in the chipset/CPU.

In terms of a laptop is it a PCI slot in the docking station? If so no you probably don't need it.

nope its a PC, its an option at the bottom and I didnt know what it was or whether I needed it, so I thought I'd ask you guys. The slot is only about a 5er, then it says about a card and thats stupidly expensive?! so I dunno

Which model are you looking at?

I think Loz means this (correct me if I'm wrong).

IEEE 1394 PCI Adapter card [add

Surely for the sake of a few quid it is worth it on the"just in case" basis

thats what I thought