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Full Length?

H

Henry Kuo

Platinum Member
When reading AnandTech mobo reviews, i noticed that when talking about expansion slots (PCI, ISA), they talk about Full length, shared, etc.

I think shared means for example the ISA slot is shared with a PCI or so. But what does Full Lenght mean? what are the examples and what are nopt full length cards?

Thanks.
 
Full length cards are like they sound. They're about 13 inches long. I've got a Sound Blaster AWE32 from 1995 here that's full length. It's a monster.
 
yeah it just means that there aren't any devices on the motherbaord (capacitors, connectors etc) blocking the use of full length cards. the latest full length card I can think of is the Voodoo 5 6K!
 
Shared means there are 2 slots but they're close together so they use the same hole in the back of the case.

Chris

Looks like I took too long yappin' it's already answered. I took out the full length stuff and left the shared stuff.
 
"Shared means there are 2 slots but they're close together so they use the same hole in the back of the case."

really? I thought they meant that when using one of the shared slots, you can't use the other, becuase they share something onboard the mobo, like a busmaster or something like that...
 
Nope shared is usually where you can use either the PCI or the ISA next to each other, but not both.... usually. Unless one card doesn't use a backplate, like a Promise Ultra card, where you can remove the bracket and just stick it in the slot.
 
that's what i understand too. seems that shared means that when you put in a ISA cards, you can't put in a PCI cards coz' it will be blocked at the back of the computer. but if the card doesn't need the bracket, it's fine.

at least when i read the IRQ and stuff, the doesn't seem to conflict or so.
 
Yep, just means that they "share" the same bracket space on the back of the case.. You could, as long as the card below didnt have anything blocking, take the bracket off a card and stick it in the "shared" slot..
 
Full length cards are extremely long, very rare today to see a full length card. Most of the original SB16 cards were full length, and some high end 3D rendering cards are full length. To put it into perspective imagine how big the V5 5500 is, and it is still just OFF being a full length card.

Shared slots means they are using the same bracket space on the back of the case.

Duckers, according to 3DFX the V5 6000 will be the same size as the V5 5500. Their using the same PCB to save money. It does seem to fit because the V5 5500 does have a fair amount of open space. Probably enough to just barely squeeze in the extra two VSA-100 chips the 6000 will need.
 
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