Motherboard PCI slot questions

[timewarp]

I'm building myself a new gaming machine, i already picked out the mobo and most of the components but i do have a question to ask. I'm getting Intel's D975XBX2 board, now according to Intel's wedpage this board has 3 PCI-E and 2 conventional PCI slots. But they dont tell you what type of PCI slot it is, just that it is coventional. I want to get an X-FI sound card which requires an available PCI 2.1 slot, but since i dont know if the slot on my board is 2.1 or 2.2 or something else i dont know whether i should get the card. I've been trying to find this out by going to intel's site, i looked through the manual but it still cant get an answer.

So here's the questions: does anyone know what kind of PCI slot this board has? what does coventional mean? Will this sound card work with this mobo? I know this may sound stupid but this is my first build and i still have much to learn. I'll be grateful for any help.

[Sasqui]

It's the legacy PCI slots - the newer ones are called PCIx (x = express). There are very few add-on boards now that are PCIx, even though PCIx has been out for years. Legacy PCI has been out for almost a decade (roughly?)

I think all of the X-Fi are legacy PCI slots, not PCIx, so you should be fine.

AKA PCIx = PCIe (where e = express) just to confuse you more.

[timewarp]

Hello,
thanks for the reply! I'm aware of the difference between PCI-E and PCI and i know that X-FI are PCI as well. But from what i understand there are differnt types of PCI slots, for example, the X-FI card requires PCI 2.1, some of wireless network cards are 2.2, and so on. What i'm trying to figure out is what type of PCI is on my board. You seem to think that an X-FI card will work, but i also want to get a wireles card i think they are 2.2, will that work? Or its all the same thing?

[DanTheBanjoman]

Every PCI slot since like 1998 has been 2.1

[timewarp]

I've seen network cards that PCI 2.2, so can you be saying that they are all 2.1 since 1998? Are you saying that all PCI components will fit any PCI slot? I'm just trying to figure this out

[DanTheBanjoman]

It's the legacy PCI slots - the newer ones are called PCIx (x = express). There are very few add-on boards now that are PCIx, even though PCIx has been out for years. Legacy PCI has been out for almost a decade (roughly?)

I think all of the X-Fi are legacy PCI slots, not PCIx, so you should be fine.

AKA PCIx = PCIe (where e = express) just to confuse you more.

PCI-X and PCI-E are completely different, PCI-X is an extention to PCI and is backwards compatible. It offers a 64 bit bus and up to 133MHz, mainly found in workstations and servers.

[DanTheBanjoman]

I've seen network cards that PCI 2.2, so can you be saying that they are all 2.1 since 1998? Are you saying that all PCI components will fit any PCI slot? I'm just trying to figure this out

I should not neglect words like "at least".

[Sasqui]

PCI-X and PCI-E are completely different, PCI-X is an extention to PCI and is backwards compatible. It offers a 64 bit bus and up to 133MHz, mainly found in workstations and servers.
Fair enough - I've seen "PCIx8 and PCIx16" so many times, that PCIx seems like the new acronym.

And to answer the original question, the X-Fi will work fine with the Intel 975 board.

[timewarp]

Thanks for your answer. This whole thing about PCI-X and PCI-E confused the hell out of me, i'm just used to calling them PCI express. Oh, well.

[DanTheBanjoman]

Fair enough - I've seen "PCIx8 and PCIx16" so many times, that PCIx seems like the new acronym.

And to answer the original question, the X-Fi will work fine with the Intel 975 board.

It's PCI-E x8 and x16, the x there is actually a ×, as you know it means how many lanes there are. Though many people say it wrong and thereby confuse others. I doubt people will learn :)