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November 13th, 2008 03:00

PCI Express Backwards compatibility?

Long story short, can I use a PCI Express x1 card in an express X16 slot?

I've got a PCI express x1 card (the type with the very short connector), and a spare PCI x16 lots (the type with the very long connector). Is the PCI-E X16 slot backwards compatible with PCI-E X1 cards? And if so can I just slot the card in as normal, or is there something else that I need to do beforehand?

Yeah, I know that it's kinda a waste, but what can you do?

4.6K Posts

November 13th, 2008 03:00

A quick Google confirms you can use a PCI-E x1 card in a PCI-E x16 slot.

And it doesn't require an adapter of any sort, because PCI-E is PCI-E is PCI-E :emotion-2: :emotion-5:

 

(You can apparently even use an older PCI card in a PCI-E slot :emotion-3: :emotion-11:)

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3.7K Posts

November 13th, 2008 03:00

Hauppauge TV cards are, as for graphics cards, no. However, what you can do is to get an PCIe x16 graphics card and CrossFire them. I could be wrong, but i have never heard of an PCIe x1 going into an PCIe x16 for an graphics card.

137 Posts

November 13th, 2008 03:00

Yeah it always struck me as weird that on some of the XPS systems they stick the TV card in the X16 slot even when there is a X1 slot free. Why is this? I thought that the TV cards were X1 cards.

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