PCI Express

[gamerxx13]

What is PCI Express?
Also I was reading on the Asus webpage of graphics cards, they said x800 is for PCI express while the 6800 gt is not. So does this mean that the x800 is better because it runs under PCI express. I am so confused.

 

[TStep]

Read this. Basically it is the newest interface for graphics cards and is different from the AGP slot you are probably familiar with. A 6800gt is currently being made for AGP, but in the future it will be made for PCIe. Performance difference between the two is currently nil. However if your motherboard has an AGP slot you must get an AGP card, likewise w/ PCI Express.

 

[gamerxx13]

So whats the point for PCI express if there is no difference in the cards?

 

[gamerxx13]

Also should I wait for the PCI express 6800 or just get the present 6800

 

[kogase]

gamerxx13 PCI Express provides more headroom for cards in the future.

 

[Sideswipe001]

Originally posted by: gamerxx13
Also should I wait for the PCI express 6800 or just get the present 6800

Unless you have an ultra-new Intel based system, you don't have a PCI-Exress slot in your motherboard. So it's better to stick with the AGP version for now.

They are pushing PCI-Express, but 99% of us still don't have it, and can't use PCI-Express video cards until we upgrade motherboards.

 

[bigal40]

Originally posted by: gamerxx13
So whats the point for PCI express if there is no difference in the cards?

PCI express has twice the bandwidth of AGP 8x but like others have said it doesn't really make that big of a difference. The advantage comes in when you are running cards in SLI. You can have two cards running at 8x each.(8x is half the 16x that PCI express has)

 

[gamerxx13]

But the new NForce 4 motherboards have PCI express, is it possible to use the AGP graphics cards on them instead of the PCI express cards.

 

[nitromullet]

no, PCIe is not backwards compatible to AGP.

 

[Mem]

What is PCI Express?

Very good article on PCI-Express here .