Can Someone Explain PCI Express Slots to Me?

[Real Goblin]

A comprehensive detailing would be amazingly helpful, especially since all I know is that it's like an integrated graphics override-like thing.

[Whitefeather]

There are two different PCI Express slots that are common on motherboards. PCIe X16 which is mainly used for video cards, and X1 which is used for other types of devices, which could be sound cards or even a TV capture card. The CMOS settings are usually set by default, to allow any additional video card to override the integrated graphics. That includes even the most archaec of PCI(regular old PCI) video cards.

[Real Goblin]

Escrito originalmente por DBobExpress:

There are two different PCI Express slots that are common on motherboards. PCIe X16 which is mainly used for video cards, and X1 which is used for other types of devices, which could be sound cards or even a TV capture card. The CMOS settings are usually set by default, to allow any additional video card to override the integrated graphics. That includes even the most archaec of PCI(regular old PCI) video cards.

Ah ok. How do I know if my laptop has a PCIe X16 to replace my crappy integrated graphics?

[_I_]

laptops dont

[Real Goblin]

My model claims it does.

Escrito originalmente por _I_:

laptops dont

[_I_]

extremely few laptops have upgradable graphics cards

what brand and model is your laptop?

[Real Goblin]

It's an Acer AO756.

[_I_]

that does not have upgradable graphics card

it uses the intel hd which is on the cpu (it uses the pci-e x16 bus between parts of the cpu for the gpu)

[Real Goblin]

Oooooooooooh. Ok. Thnx for clearing that up.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Yea given u have a laptop, there really is nothing to explain since there is nothing (related to the GPU anyways) that you could expand on.


Now in a desktop there are different PCI-E slots for various reasons.

> X16 for expansion such as GPU card (or even some SSD)

> X8, X4, X1 are for smaller non GPU cards, such as Wired NIC, Wireless NIC, Bluetooth, Audio, etc.

The # value is basically a physical length of the slot, as well as a means of judging bandwidth to certain degree.