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How do I check?

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A short, practical checklist that expands on the tips from , and for identifying whether a PC has a PCI Express slot and what kind.

Non‑invasive checks (no case opening): Windows System Information (msinfo32) often lists the motherboard/BaseBoard. A reliable command-line query is:

wmic baseboard get Manufacturer,Product,Version,SerialNumber

GUI utilities such as CPU‑Z or Speccy (mentioned by ) will show the motherboard model and installed PCIe devices. On Linux, lspci will list PCI/PCIe devices; lspci -vv shows Link Capabilities/Status which indicates PCI Express lanes.

Visual identification (if opening the case as suggested): with power off, unplugged, and ESD precautions, remove the side panel. The long slot closest to the CPU is usually the PCIe x16 used for graphics cards; short slots are PCIe x1. Legacy PCI slots are different (short, parallel pins) and AGP (found on older boards) is not compatible with PCIe. A graphics card also typically fills one or two rear expansion slots (dual‑slot coolers).

Compatibility and purchase checks (add-on cards and GPUs): PCIe is generational but backwards/forwards compatible electrically — a modern PCIe x16 card will fit an older x16 slot but run at the slot’s maximum speed. Important non‑slot checks: motherboard BIOS support for the card, available physical clearance in the case (card length and dual‑slot width), and necessary auxiliary power connectors from the PSU (6/8‑pin). For older OEM desktops (example: the Dimension 8300 cited by ) a PCIe slot may be absent; motherboard documentation or the WMIC/CPU‑Z output is the definitive source.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for raybay

Your computer will have been made in the last year, in most cases and was more expensive than the average bear. You can see the slot by taking off the case cover.
Or you can give us the brand and model and we can tell you.
If there is a PCI-Express card in there now, it will show up in the BIOS at startup.

Member Avatar for raganmike

Your computer will have been made in the last year, in most cases and was more expensive than the average bear. You can see the slot by taking off the case cover.
Or you can give us the brand and model and we can tell you.
If there is a PCI-Express card in there now, it will show up in the BIOS at startup.

hp pavillion a1017c

Member Avatar for Ponomous

Slot type Quantity
PCI Three (two available)
PCI Express One (available)
DIMM Four (two available)

Member Avatar for sokol123

i have hp a6500f can some tell me what vid cards can i put that is good for gamin? btw do i have pci exp or pci or other one?? and if i can add a vid card

Member Avatar for BlackFetus

TO: sokol123


..your pc have 1 slot for PCI, 1 slot for PCI-Express(x16) and two slots for PCI-Express(x1)..you better use PCI-Express(x16) for your new video card..you better choose ATI RADEON models for your video card cuz this cards are for gaming..In terms of upgrading your video card, it depends on your OS..vice versa..

Member Avatar for sokol123

TO: sokol123


..your pc have 1 slot for PCI, 1 slot for PCI-Express(x16) and two slots for PCI-Express(x1)..you better use PCI-Express(x16) for your new video card..you better choose ATI RADEON models for your video card cuz this cards are for gaming..In terms of upgrading your video card, it depends on your OS..vice versa..

yeah thx and btw i dont have pci express 2 slot?
and i thought nvidia is best for gaming and all ppl tell me that nvidia is best for gaming but idk about ati radeon.
can you give me an advice on what video card i could get that would be good for gaming and would be cheap.. im low on budget so i can go up to 100 or max $120. please give me an advice..
and friend told me that gtx8800 is good nvidia thx :D

Member Avatar for micheal11

you can check in your pc hardware.and i thought nvidia is best for gaming and all ppl tell me that nvidia is best for gaming but idk about ati radeon.

Member Avatar for sokol123

idk because im tthinking to buy 8800gtx but if u tell me that ati is betetr and say the moder or somehting for pci-e then i will maye get ur choice

Member Avatar for sokol123

8800 GTX768MB PCIe SLi Video
Product Specifications
BUS Technology: PCI Express
Memory Amount: 768MB
Memory Interface: 384-bit
Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec): 86.4
Fill Rate (billion pixels/sec.): 36.8
Stream Processors: 128
Shader Clock (MHz): 1350
Core Clock (MHz): 575MHz
Memory Frequency (effective): 1.8GHz

Key Features
NVIDIA® unified architecture with GigaThread™ technology
Full Microsoft® DirectX® 10 Shader Model 4.0 support
16x full-screen anti-aliasing
True 128-bit floating point high dynamic-range (HDR) lighting
NVIDIA Quantum Effects™ physics processing technology
Two dual-link DVI outputs support two 2560x1600 resolution displays
NVIDIA PureVideo™ HD technology1
HDCP Capable2
PCI Express® Support
OpenGL® 2.0 support
NVIDIA® ForceWare® Unified Driver Architecture (UDA)
Built for Microsoft® Windows Vista™
Outputs: DVI+DVI+HDTV/S-Video
1 - Supported video software is required to experience certain features.Go to www.nvidia.com for more details.
2 - Requires other HDCP-compatible components

Minimum System Requirements
Intel Pentium® III, AMD Duron™ or Athlon™ class processor or higher
256MB system RAM
A minimum 400W system power supply (with 12V current rating of 30A)
A PCI Express® compliant motherboard with one x16 graphics slot
2 6-pin supplementary power connectors
50MB of available hard disk space
CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
Microsoft® Windows® 2000, XP
VGA or DVI-I compatible monitor

Package Includes:
Nvidia 8800 GTX video card.
HDTV Cable
2 x Power Cable
DVI-VGA adapter
Installation CD

Member Avatar for sokol123

if you got better for pci-e then let me know or form ati because idk about ati

Member Avatar for sokol123

or how about 8400 gs? 512mb cuz i just want a good video card not for "advanced" graphics just for some the ones that dont take too much of ur perfomance

Member Avatar for Limahl

Hello,

I have an Emachines EL1352-01e. I just bought it a week ago, so it's brand new. Comes as: AMD Athlon II X2 215 Dual-Core Processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB Hard Drive, and comes with a NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE Integrated Video Card.

How do I know if I have a PCI-E slot? If I do I know I should put in an actual video card. I only play WoW as far as online gaming goes. I'm hoping this new comp and a good card will stop me from lagging.

A friend of mine mentioned getting an ATI Radeon 5750 or 5770, for a good card without breaking the bank. My old computer I got in 2000 and only had a plain PCI slot in it, not even an AGP. So I'm hoping this new computer and video card combo will be an upgrade that's worth it.

Thanks for any and all help.

Joey

Edited by Limahl because: Typing error
Member Avatar for BlackFetus

..go for NVIDIA Ge-Force SERIES!..they are good for gaming and they are cheap!..^_^..

Member Avatar for sokol123

ok but what video card should i get that will be good for gaming..not perfect just good one and cheap?
my pc model:a6500f
here is link with all info:

Member Avatar for sokol123

plz help me to choose perfect one for my pc and good one for gaming :D

Member Avatar for Boseefus

I'm (extremely) new in this forum, and if this website would help any of you that don't know (like me) what each type of slot looks like, here it is: http://www.playtool.com/pages/vidslots/slots.html

I've also been looking for a good video lately, and save any website that would help me out like this one. I also neeed a little help in this venture of mine.

Member Avatar for rcaastro

I have the same question. I have a DELL Dimension 8300 and want to add a USB 3 card to go with my new external hard drive, that is both USB 2 and 3 compatible. I'm not sure if I have a PCI Express slot. Can I install a Buffalo Technology USB 3.0 PCI Express Interface Card IFC-EC2U3/UC in my pc? What is the internal power cable they talk about for? If I can install it, where do I hook up the internal power cable?

Member Avatar for PhilliePhan

I'm not sure if I have a PCI Express slot. Can I install a Buffalo Technology USB 3.0 PCI Express Interface Card IFC-EC2U3/UC in my pc?

I think you are out of luck. Sorry.

The Diminsion 8300 series had only PCI and AGP.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim8300/sm/specs.htm#1102242

PP:)

Edited by PhilliePhan because: Fixed Linky
Member Avatar for rcaastro

Thanks for the fast answer PP.

Anyone know of any USB 3 expansion cards on a PCI card?

s/rcaastro aka Steeler fan

Member Avatar for PhilliePhan

Thanks for the fast answer PP.

You're welcome :)

Anyone know of any USB 3 expansion cards on a PCI card?

I've not seen any - you could have a look at Newegg and see if they have one.
It would seem to me, though, that the bandwidth limitations of PCI would defeat the purpose of USB 3......

Keep us posted on how you fare in your search.

PP:)

Member Avatar for fengguang

What about Lenovo A300

Member Avatar for ronald577

Just install speccy software you will get all the information about your computer hardware.

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