PCIe Question

[kevinthenerd]

Somebody told me that there's quite a bit of difference between the various PCIe generations. Is there a utility that I can download somewhere that will tell me what I have so I know what kind of hardware I can support optimally? Thanks.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

PSA: The correct abbreviation for PCI Express is PCIe

- M4H

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
PSA: The correct abbreviation for PCI Express is PCIe

- M4H

Then why does DELL have written "PCI-X" next to that slot on the motherboard?

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: kevinthenerd

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
PSA: The correct abbreviation for PCI Express is PCIe

- M4H

Then why does DELL have written "PCI-X" next to that slot on the motherboard?

Because Dell is retarded. It's PCIe, /discussion.

- M4H

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: kevinthenerd

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
/discussion.

Not quite. My original question stands. How do I find out what I have?

 

[RKS]

try everest

 

[Apocalypse X]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
PSA: The correct abbreviation for PCI Express is PCIe

- M4H

okay so what about answering his question?

Your correction is goofy and did nothing to help get his question answered.

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

There should only be one type of PCI-Express that everything works with. PCI-X is a completely different story.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Everest only verifies that I have a Dell PowerEdge 1600SC motherboard, but how can I be certain that Dell is using the right terminology when they say "PCI-X"? Is it a good bet that I have PCI-X?

 

[kevinthenerd]

Here's a picture of the motherboard. Can you name that interface?

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/kevinthenerd/motherboard.jpg

The card on the left is a PCI video capture card. The card on the right is the Dell PERC4/SC RAID controller. The big blue thing on the far right separates the case into two different regions of airflow.

According to the sticker on the inside of the case of the computer, it says that the two green slots are "64-bit/100-MHz bus." The two white ones on the right are "64-bit/66-MHz bus," and the two on the left are, as I already know, "32-bit/33-Mhz bus."

I totally left the computer scene shortly after AGP came out. I went off to try to become a theology major, and in the mean time I tried a math major. It's only been recently that I've tried to come back into the fold because I use computers for mechanical engineering research. I feel like such an idiot because I used to have all this stuff down cold (even as far back as when ISA ruled the realm).

Edit: Sorry about my crappy camera phone. I didn't even want a camera when I bought it, but it had other important features that I needed.

 

[kevinthenerd]

This spec sheet verifies PCI-X:

http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/pedge/en/1600sc_brief.pdf

 

[LED]

You can look @ the Slots and by the age and type of the Mobo plus what I see as the Replacement Model it has 2 PCI-X slots...

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: LED
You can look @ the Slots and by the age and type of the Mobo plus what I see as the Replacement Model it has 2 PCI-X slots...

Replacement model? This motherboard died and was swapped by Dell three months after purchasing it, and the BIOS update tools tell me that it's the wrong BIOS, even though the BIOS setup verifies that it's a 1600SC. (I've been reluctant to change the BIOS because, if it fails, I won't be able to fix it back myself.)

 

[Green Man]

That dell does have PCI-x.
It is totally different from PCIe.
AFAIK, the differences are due to the bus speed. As long as you know which slot is 64/66 and which is 64/100, then you can figure out what cards are supported. I believe that all PCI-x cards are backwords compatible as well, so if you plug on into a slower slot it will run at the specs of the slot.

 

[LED]

Originally posted by: kevinthenerd

Originally posted by: LED
You can look @ the Slots and by the age and type of the Mobo plus what I see as the Replacement Model it has 2 PCI-X slots...

Replacement model? This motherboard died and was swapped by Dell three months after purchasing it, and the BIOS update tools tell me that it's the wrong BIOS, even though the BIOS setup verifies that it's a 1600SC. (I've been reluctant to change the BIOS because, if it fails, I won't be able to fix it back myself.)

Yes replacement Model...I'm not refering to yours in hand but the picture is one of what can be used to replace the Dell Model Motherboard you are inquiring about as it has the same specs...further research on the Specific Dell Model plainly reads that it is does indeed have 2 PCI-X Slots ...