PCI-E vs PCI - Express

[bigal50]

Dumb question........is PCI-E  and  PCI - Express the same thing

[Geek-9pm]

No, not exactly the same. Just close. And dumb questions are allowed. I can provide dumb answers, if needed.

PCI was a great improvement over what we had before. Then the time came for something better. so the PCI bus was feed steroids and... Just kidding!

Here is a good outline of what they did.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express

Basically, The AGP thing was a dud. They kept changing it. Drove normal gentry to extreme agitation. So the PCI express fulled a dire need.

[quaxo]

I think perhaps Geek misread what you said the first time. Yes, they are the same.

PCI-E (or PCIe) and PCI Express are the same thing. PCI Express is what you find in most computers now. It replaced AGP, PCI-X, and PCI. PCIe supports a number of different things (graphics cards, sound cards, etc.)

AGP was the "better than PCI" slot for graphics cards, but that was all it was good for, graphics cards. It was around for maybe 7 or 8 years before PCIe came in and made AGP look stupid.

PCI-X (or PCIx) is different from PCI Express. PCI-X is the one that is PCI on steroids. It was like the old 32-bit PCI slots, but twice as long for larger bandwidth. Used mostly in server boards back in the day.

PCI (no other lettering or words) is yet another different and older type of slot. These slots were used for many expansion cards (network, graphics, audio, just about anything) and phased out the VLB and ISA slots commonly found on boards before that.

[bigal50]

So then technically i can install a PCI-E video card in a PCE-Express slot ?

[Linux711]

So then technically i can install a PCI-E video card in a PCE-Express slot

Absolutely. PCI-E is an abbreviation of PCI-Express. It is the exact same thing.

[Salmon Trout]

So then technically i can install a PCI-E video card in a PCE-Express slot ?

Despite what Geek wrote, PCI-E is an abbreviation for PCI Express, which is a type of PC expansion bus. However, beware. Just because a card is PCI Express, that does not mean you can use it in any PCI Express slot. PCI slots come in different physical sizes and speeds. Card and slot compatibility can be a complex issue. Don't rush into a purchasing decision before thoroughly checking this out.

[bigal50]

Well this is what happened one of my computers has a on board AGP slot but the video went out. So i assumed that the on-board connection went out. I tested the LCD monitor on other computers and the video was fine. So I bought a used PCI-e video card and installed it into the PCI-Express slot in the computer. But still no video !!!!! So either the card is bad or what else can it be, the PCI-Express slot itself or could it be the "RAM" !!!!!!!!!

[BC_Programmer]

I'm quite certain A system will not have AGP (on-board or otherwise) and PCI-Express.

The slot is probably standard PCI.

refer to the images shown here to see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_bus_interfaces

[bigal50]

To BC_Programmer,

  I appreciate your help but yes  this computer that I speak of has an on board AGP and a PCI-Express slot. It says so right on the motherboard ??

[Salmon Trout]

It says so right on the motherboard ??

And the brand and model number is.... ? Also of the PCI-E card you fitted?

[Salmon Trout]

I'm quite certain A system will not have AGP (on-board or otherwise) and PCI-Express.

They did exist. The ULi M1695 (NB) M1697 (SB) chipsets was one of the very few to support both types of slot at once without poor AGP performance. The ASRock 939 series of motherboards used it. Some Via and SiS chipsets also. Some board makers like ECS, Gigabyte marketed boards which used the Intel 915 chipset and ran the AGP slot off the PCI bus which was a horrible kludge.

Anyhow, if the OP would oblige us with the make and brand of the motherboard, and of the card, it might be possible (no promises) to suggest things to try, e.g. BIOS settings.

[patio]

My bet would be it's none of those boards mentioned...
He needs to post more info though.

[Salmon Trout]

We may have been looking up a blind alley.

The first time he mentioned AGP he wrote this

one of my computers has a on board AGP slot

See the word "slot"?

The second time he wrote this

this computer that I speak of has an on board AGP and a PCI-Express slot.

Now he says he has "on board AGP" and "a PCI slot".

"On board AGP" is not the same as an AGP "slot" on the board. The first is a video chipset mounted on the motherboard, the other is a slot for an AGP card.

If the OP has the first of these, then the situation is probably that he was mistaken if he thought it was just the video that went out; it's the whole motherboard.

[bigal50]

OK...I stand corrected. The computer that we speak of has a motherboard with a "On board AGP connector and the motherboard also has a PCI-Express slot.......

[Salmon Trout]

The computer that we speak of has a motherboard with a "On board AGP connector

We still don't know what you've got. An AGP connector is.... what exactly?

Does it look like this (an AGP slot):



Or this (a VGA connnector):



We have asked a number of times for the make and model of the motherboard, is there some reason you aren't telling us this?