PCI Express 2.0

[Jaybonaut]

Tax returns are coming up, should I wait and get a motherboard that offers PCI Express 2.0?

 

[Jaybonaut]

Oh my.. no one? I know that PCI Express 2.0 is out already, but haven't seen many articles on it. Is there a vow of silence or something?

 

[TC91]

if you can wait then i would wait since pci-express 2.0 has increased power able to be drawn from the slot. so if nvidia and amd/ati decide to make a killer graphics card that sucks up lots of juice, then they might standardize the power requirements from pci-express 2.0 making the previous versions of pci-express a bit obsolete. pci-express 2.0 also has more bandwidth, altho that benefit will not occur with any of the current cards.

 

[Jaybonaut]

As far as power goes, I have an unopened Cooler Master 600W psu, but I am sure it will be enough regardless of what the graphics card companies come up with. I run two WD Raptors and a third Maxtor drive, plus two burners.

When I build new with my tax return, I am saving only the drives. I am surprised we haven't heard much from either company - perhaps in December Nvidia will show what it has in store for the spring.

 

[TC91]

oh i was referring to the max power draw a card was able to draw in total (pci-express slot + psu) and not an insufficient psu. if nvidia or ati does standardize the power draw requirement of pci-express 2.0 for its newer cards, and if u get one of those cards with an older pci-express motherboard, then the card will be under powered and may underclock and you would not get full value of of that card. but if you plan to get a card like the 8800gt or ati's new hd 38xx, then the pci-express 2.0 would not matter unlesss you plan to keep the board and/or card for long. overall i would say it will depend on how long you keep your new system intact. if you plan to upgrade the motherboard and graphics card within the next couple years or so then the possible incompatibility with the power requirement would not matter as u would be changing the board anyways. if you want to keep the board for long while just upgrading graphics cards, then it would be worth waiting for.