Do you use a PCI-e x1 slot?

[janas19]

... and what do you use it for?

I've had ideas for it, but they always turn out to be "Cool, but nah... not necessary."

Just wondering if anyone on AT considers their x1 slot indispensable. Or is this just another extraneous feature for the chopping block?

 

[BrightCandle]

I need one for my sound card. Technically I used to need a PCI slot but my current board did away with PCI completely so I got a Xonar D2X to replace the xfi gamer. Thing is its actually in a PCI-E 16x slot that is providing 8x because each of the graphics cards is blocking a 1x slot.

Its essential if you care about the quality of sound, which semi pro gamers should.

 

[Smoblikat]

I have never used one. If i had a need i would, but since PCI-e X1 gives the same bandwith as PCI i usually use PCI.

 

[janas19]

I need one for my sound card. Technically I used to need a PCI slot but my current board did away with PCI completely so I got a Xonar D2X to replace the xfi gamer. Thing is its actually in a PCI-E 16x slot that is providing 8x because each of the graphics cards is blocking a 1x slot.

Its essential if you care about the quality of sound, which semi pro gamers should.

What's the diff b/w the card and integrated?

 

[janas19]

I have never used one. If i had a need i would, but since PCI-e X1 gives the same bandwith as PCI i usually use PCI.

Hm, so it's a 2 inch waste of space. Thx.

 

[Elcs]

PCI-E x1 - Creative X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro.

Sound difference between this and any onboard sound I have heard is mindblowing. Plus it does DTS encoding over a single optical cable to my Onkyo receiver, which few soundcards (onboard or otherwise) do.

 

[Jeff7]

I have never used one. If i had a need i would, but since PCI-e X1 gives the same bandwith as PCI i usually use PCI.

PCI = 133MB/sec. PCIe x1 = 500MB/sec (full duplex mode).
Unless my searching missed something?



I've got a RAID5 controller in one of my x1 slots.
I don't remember anything else needing one. With so much stuff integrated on the motherboard, I haven't needed much in the way of extra cards. And since I ditched my cable TV service, the tuner card has been sitting idle for awhile. I guess I should probably sell it.

 

[janas19]

Jeff7, other than a RAID controller IDK what would be bandwidth limited PCI

 

[Geofram]

I use the 1x slot for NICs in several of my computers. I've also got a TV tuner card in a 1x slot on my HTPC.

 

[Golgatha]

I use the same Intel NIC card in each computer for remote wakeup features, and so I can standardize the drivers needed to update each machine. A couple of my computers also have USB 3.0 expansion cards in them. These are all PCIe 1x cards. The only PCI card I still have is my old, trusty X-Fi gamer sound card.

 

[billyb0b]

Auzentech Forte in my pci-1x slot

 

[Edrick]

I use one for a dedicated Intel LAN card. And yes, I notice a difference from the onboard controller.

 

[janas19]

Sorry guys, but thus far, it sounds like x1 slots are pretty marginal - aside from enterprise setups.

So for a desktop PC, don't see the need for one. Unless I just need extra audio channels.

 

[Golgatha]

I use one for a dedicated Intel LAN card. And yes, I notice a difference from the onboard controller.

Same here. It's nice to just have one driver to download as well for updates.

 

[Geofram]

Sorry guys, but thus far, it sounds like x1 slots are pretty marginal - aside from enterprise setups.

So for a desktop PC, don't see the need for one. Unless I just need extra audio channels.

You could say the same thing about regular old PCI slots.

There's lots of people who find use of the 1x slots; heck, all of my home PCs use at least one of them. If you don't like or want them for some reason, that's fine - but I certainly would not buy a motherboard (for my home) that didn't have them.

 

[jacktesterson]

I used a PCI 1x wireless card for a while, until I parted my HTPC out and got the Mac Mini.

Only time I've ever used one.

 

[Towermax]

I've also got a TV tuner card in a 1x slot on my HTPC.

Same here--I've got two tuner cards in PCIE-1x slots in my HTPC.

 

[ComputerWizKid]

I have a TV Tuner in my PCI-Ex 1x slot (Hauppauge HVR-2250)

 

[Jman13]

I used to have a lot of expansion cards in my older PCs, but now I hardly ever use any. I have my video card in my x16 slot, and right now I have a PCI slot filled with a wifi adapter, which I could (and probably will) remove. Just there in case I need to tether to my phone in case of internet outage...though I can also tether by USB, even this card is not needed (harvested from my old HTPC).

I don't own any PCIe cards that aren't video cards, and I never have. The only thing I can see adding in the future is perhaps one for SATA expansion, since I've currently filled all my board's SATA ports, though I have a PCI IDE/SATA card that I could use if I needed one extra port...and I'd just move my optical drive to that one since speed wouldn't be an issue.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

A dedicated soundcard is a must for me

a video capture card would also have occupied another slot, but I found a capable USB3.0 solution

eventually with technology like Thunderbolt we consumers very well may see the end to internal expansion cards outside of GPUs and perhaps extreme performance SSDs, although neither of those would be fit for x1 slots anyway

 

[dawp]

currently don't use it but been thinking about getting a wi-fi card to replace my wusb600n. it's a pain to get working in linux and want to get something better suited for that. and my only pci slot is blocked by my video card.

 

[IGemini]

Yes, for my ASUS PCE-N13 wireless adapter. I would've gone with PCI but one is being used for my X-Fi card and the other would just block my GPU cooler exhaust.

 

[Dasda]

I bought a video capture card (hdmi) that I use it for.

 

[BrightCandle]

I think USB 3 has in many ways filled the space where a lot of expansion cards used to be. USB has sufficient bandwidth to cope with a lot of the usage scenarios that these small slots used to do. However you wouldn't find me recommending an external sound card.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

X-Fi Titanium Fatality
Extra SATA controllers
TV tuner