# Can I use PCI Express cards in normal PCI?



## simonwh

Hi all,

Can I use PCIe (PCI Express) cards in normal PCI slot at the expense of it's a little slower?

Thanks


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## burnzy

I read somewhere that you can't as I had the same idea as you. As far as I know you need a totally need slot on your motherboard to be able to use a PCIe card


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## simonwh

burnzy said:


> I read somewhere that you can't as I had the same idea as you. As far as I know you need a totally need slot on your motherboard to be able to use a PCIe card


Hmm... maybe.

Anyone else have the oppinion that it can be hard to use a PCIe card in a normal PCI slot?

Is there any adapters or something?


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## Dominator2_04

simonwh said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Can I use PCIe (PCI Express) cards in normal PCI slot at the expense of it's a little slower?
> 
> Thanks



No! you cannot!.. The PCI Express videocard circuit is much faster than the standard AGP, and PCI express boards will not even fit in a standard pci slot or vice versa. The downside of PCI Express is $$$$. You will have to buy a new pci express capable motherboard, videocard, ram, Processor and any other card that you are running to get started. You'll probably also need a new hard drive to take advantage of the new PCI bus speeds. Unless your buying or building a computer for the 1st time, I can't see people running out to buy pci express. The new PCI X16 specs allows enough power to run a 75W videocard, which is close to twice as much as AGP 8X specs.. Sounds great doesn't it?? You can make toast while surfing the web or playing DOOM3. Oh, if this keeps up you may have to retrofit your computer room with 220w service just to power your rig...lol :lol: I also read that Q4 2004 will essentially end the manufacturing of high end video cards now produced by ATI and Nvidia. They will start to concentrate their efforts toward the PCI boards. Servers will be the first to broadly use the new stuff. Personally I can't see people (gamers and home pc users) really getting into this for about two years due to prices and lack of other PCI express components. You can thank INTEL for this little goodie, it was their idea!

Reading is knowledge
Knowledge is power
Power is absolute!

Dominator2_04 :smile:


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## StaticInMyHead

No..absolutely not. Why would PCIe be invented if it's cards were compatible with regular PCI? Oximoron.. PCI is meant to be much faster than either AGP or regular PCI, so again, the answer is no.


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## forshoe

Anyway, there are pretty much adapters for anything. Yes the is a difference in Bandwith(PCI/500Ms) and PCI-E(up to 8000Mps). But so what, even if it creates a bottle neck it still amounts to a standard pci vid card. 

Here are two options just to get you started. You may have to make a shim to make up for the space created be the adapter but it should not be too hard.

I had the same problem: Matx with only one PCI e and 1 PCI. I needed to run 3 monitors until my new Mobo came. 

http://www.google.com/products/cata...1&ie=UTF-8&cid=1187826177505520854#ps-sellers

http://www.beaglesoft.com/pcie2pci.htm

just to get you started in the right direction.


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## Wrench97

Well those 2 adapters will not adapt a PCIe card to a PCI they go from PCIex1 to x16 and PCI to PCIEx1 socket not he other way around.
What card are you trying to adapt?


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## Bumberbog

Hi Everybody.

At least some of you are mistaken. I registered just to tell you this.

I read this post and got depressed by the news that you can't use a PCI Express thingie in a normal PCI slot.

But I decided to try it anyhow and it worked. I was skeptical that it would because you cram it in and you've got that expanse of empty groove, you know, but it does work. (It was a Creative Soundblaster X-FI card). Bear in mind my system was pretty high-octane so I had the other requirements (12 GB RAM, 64-bit, etc.)

Now, it may be possible that some of the features of the sound card are not gonna work fully. But I am definitely getting sound from my games, CDs, and movies with my speaker plugged into that sound card.

The point is that blanketly stating that you can't cram a PCI Express into a conventional PCI slot needs to be qualified: in some circumstances you can get away with it.


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## Wrench97

You can't use a PCIe card in a PCI slot they are not wired the same and nor use the same voltages, PCIe x1 cards into other PCIe slots yes but not PCI.


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## Bryan G

Dominator2_04 said:


> No! you cannot!.. The PCI Express videocard circuit is much faster than the standard AGP, and PCI express boards will not even fit in a standard pci slot or vice versa. The downside of PCI Express is $$$$. You will have to buy a new pci express capable motherboard, videocard, ram, Processor and any other card that you are running to get started. You'll probably also need a new hard drive to take advantage of the new PCI bus speeds. Unless your buying or building a computer for the 1st time, I can't see people running out to buy pci express. The new PCI X16 specs allows enough power to run a 75W videocard, which is close to twice as much as AGP 8X specs.. Sounds great doesn't it?? You can make toast while surfing the web or playing DOOM3. Oh, if this keeps up you may have to retrofit your computer room with 220w service just to power your rig...lol :lol: I also read that Q4 2004 will essentially end the manufacturing of high end video cards now produced by ATI and Nvidia. They will start to concentrate their efforts toward the PCI boards. Servers will be the first to broadly use the new stuff. Personally I can't see people (gamers and home pc users) really getting into this for about two years due to prices and lack of other PCI express components. You can thank INTEL for this little goodie, it was their idea!
> 
> Reading is knowledge
> Knowledge is power
> Power is absolute!
> 
> Dominator2_04 :smile:


This don't make sense, a PCIe is not for video anyway. For video it's a PCIeX16 and there is also a PCIeX1. 
I can't remember but I think you can put a PCIX1 card in a PCI slot.


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## Amd_Man

A PCI sloted card will not fit in any version of PCi express slots. The slots are completely different. The bottom slot is traditional Pci and you can clearly see the difference.


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## confuseis

Hi

I meant can I use a PCIe Version 2 card in a PCIe version 1 slot.

I did not mean a standard PCI slot

Thanks


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## Rich-M

Yes that you can do.


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## Deejay100six

Looks like everyone was confuseis by your thread title then! :grin:



confuseis said:


> I did not mean a standard PCI slot


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## confuseis

*Re: Can I use PCI Express cards in PCI Express v1*

Yeah sorry noticed I got the wording wrong.

The PCI Express card v2 has a shorter length connector though it still fits in the PCI v1 longer slot

Neither of my 2 PCI v1 machine's will boot with the PCI v2 card!!

They have enough power for the card


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## Deejay100six

That's ok, its I that should apologise, for some reason I was thinking this was your thread. 

Perhaps best if you stick with yours.


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## Wrench97

By connector do you mean the edge on the bottom of the card that goes into the x16 slot?

If so all x16 cards are the same length, are you sure the card is not a older AGP card?


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## greenbrucelee

what he said ^ I mentioned that in your other thread. They are all the same length it's just the bandwidth that will be different.

see http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...-pci-1-slot-dosent-work-should-it-908394.html

pci and pci-e are different things, graphics cards these days cant go in pci.


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