PCI vs PCI Express Compatibility

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PCI slots have remained the standard in computer peripheral expansion for years as of 2010.

If you have ever looked at a motherboard, you've seen the PCI or PCI Express slots; these slots sit near the edge of the motherboard and allow you to remove and add new hardware to computer.

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PCI

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Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) cards have remained the standard in computers for a long time as of 2010. Most computers offer several PCI slots to allow for expansion and customization. Common PCI peripherals include video cards, sounds cards and modems.

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PCI Express

PCI Express—sometimes abbreviated PCI-e—is a newer build that is becoming standard for computer peripherals as of 2010. PCI-e offers more variations in size and speed than traditional PCI. PCI-e cards come in four varieties: x1, x2, x8 and x16. (The larger sizes indicate faster speeds and a bigger slot.) Do not confuse PCI Express with PCI eXtended (PCI-X), an earlier build that was fully backward compatible with PCI.

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Compatibility

PCI and PCI Express are not compatible; the slots have different configurations and do not fit with the cards. However, most motherboards have a combination of PCI and PCI Express cards.Do not force your card into a slot if it doesn't seem to fit; doing so may damage your hardware.

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