PCI and PCI Express?

**Che** · July 17, 2007, 09:17 AM

Is there a difference between PCI and PCI Express slots?

I'm asking because I'm thinking about buying a graphic card (PCI Express).

**Kaweh** · July 17, 2007, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by Sir Lancelot

Is there a difference between PCI and PCI Express slots?

I'm asking because I'm thinking about buying a graphic card (PCI Express).

There's a hell lot of a difference! PCI was outdated and replaced by AGP, and AGP was outdate and replaced by PCI express.

New cards will come as PCI-E cards. I highly doubt there are real good cards with a PCI connection out there... PCI-E is simply the fastest connection.

Which card you should by depends on your mainboard, though. It can only support one of the above mentioned 3 types (at least it can nit support PCI and PCI-E).

K.K

**Roy Batty** · July 17, 2007, 11:01 AM

Definately go with PCI-E over AGP or plain old PCI. Make sure your motherboard has the appropriate slot for the card, however.

Wikipedia has a good article on the technical differences here.

**Aristocrat** · July 17, 2007, 06:06 PM

PCI Video cards are predominately crap.

PCI-express is the current standard, AGP is the old standard. Check what your motherboard uses before buying a new card.

**Che** · July 18, 2007, 04:29 PM

I don't see any PCI-E in my motherboard so I guess I just gotta change it (get a new one which has PCI-E). But do I also have to change the processor (or anything else) if I get a motherboard which has PCI-E. I mean, is anything different between them? I'm asking because that's what those at the shop said to me and I don't really know hardware stuff.

I have a ASRock P4i65G, and a 3.0 P4 Intel processor.

**sapi** · July 19, 2007, 03:04 AM

Originally Posted by Sir Lancelot

I don't see any PCI-E in my motherboard so I guess I just gotta change it (get a new one which has PCI-E). But do I also have to change the processor (or anything else) if I get a motherboard which has PCI-E. I mean, is anything different between them? I'm asking because that's what those at the shop said to me and I don't really know hardware stuff.

I have a ASRock P4i65G, and a 3.0 P4 Intel processor.

That mobo has an AGP slot available for upgrading.

Changing mobo would require, in your case, new CPU/RAM/GFX - ie, a whole new system.

**Jericho** · July 19, 2007, 07:45 AM

If CPU/RAM/GFX fits your new board depends on the board...
But it is expectable that you"ll need new components then.

Extending your current with a new agp gfx should be fine for the moment if you don't have the money for a new system.

**Murfios** · July 18, 2007, 11:45 PM

If your Pc is custom made or really expensive you should consider upgrading it. If it is a standard one of $800 you should consider buying another one as the processor itself is worth $600 and the motherboard toghether with the graphic card could range between $500 and $1300. That not counting the cost of the expert that has to assemble the parts, which would be a $50 to $100.