Hi All

I am looking at buying a PCI adapter/host card with SATA controllers and
possible RAID configurations to add extra SATA drives ( attached internally
with internal ports or externally with external ports).

One card specifies "Host side interface 32bit, 33MHz PC "

Another card specifies "The 64-bit PCI-X architecture ...., and operates up
to 133MHz...Host side interface
PCI-X 64bit (but retro compatible with ordinary PCI), 66/100+133Mhz "

Others talk about having a "64 bit engine" not specifying the "host side
interface"

I have a P4 3.2 GHZ running XP Pro and MOBO based on 875 chipset.AFAIK All
are 32 bit based?

Question : How do I know which is compatible with my pc? I am keen on the
PCI-X based card (PCI retrocompatable) just in case I do upgrade but unsure
whether my "host side" will support it?

(apologies for clumsy written question but I am rapidly getting out of my
technical depth)

Thanks

Sam

A PCI-X slot is a lot longer than a standard PCI slot and may not be
compatible with the PCI-E slots. Most home PCs are getting PCI-E slots and
most server based PCs have PCi-X slots.


"Sam" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi All
>
> I am looking at buying a PCI adapter/host card with SATA controllers and
> possible RAID configurations to add extra SATA drives ( attached
> internally with internal ports or externally with external ports).
>
> One card specifies "Host side interface 32bit, 33MHz PC "
>
> Another card specifies "The 64-bit PCI-X architecture ...., and operates
> up to 133MHz...Host side interface
> PCI-X 64bit (but retro compatible with ordinary PCI), 66/100+133Mhz "
>
> Others talk about having a "64 bit engine" not specifying the "host side
> interface"
>
> I have a P4 3.2 GHZ running XP Pro and MOBO based on 875 chipset.AFAIK All
> are 32 bit based?
>
> Question : How do I know which is compatible with my pc? I am keen on the
> PCI-X based card (PCI retrocompatable) just in case I do upgrade but
> unsure whether my "host side" will support it?
>
> (apologies for clumsy written question but I am rapidly getting out of my
> technical depth)
>
> Thanks
>
> Sam
>

"Sam" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote...
>
> I have a P4 3.2 GHZ running XP Pro and MOBO based on 875 chipset.AFAIK All are
> 32 bit based?
>
> Question : How do I know which is compatible with my pc? I am keen on the
> PCI-X based card (PCI retrocompatable) just in case I do upgrade but unsure
> whether my "host side" will support it?

It depends on the individual card as well as your MoBo and case physical setup.

First, PCI-X slots can take 32-bit PCI cards as well. However, you have to
check the MoBo docs to ensure that using a single 32-bit card won't drag down
the whole bus to 32-bit bandwidth.

Second, some PCI-X cards are designed to work in PCI-X or 32-bit PCI slots
(e.g., Adaptec 29160 SCSI cards). The extra connectors merely overhang beyond
the end of the 32-bit slot. IF the MoBo has the space beyond the slot to
accommodate the connector strip AND your case setup allows the [longer] card to
fit, you can use the card in the 32-bit mode.

Finally, PCI Express is NOT compatible with either of the others. If you want
max flexibility in selecting add-in cards in the near future, don't buy a MoBo
with PCI Express only.

Okay and many thanks,

Sam

"John R Weiss" <jrweiss98155(at)@[NOSPAM].comcast(dot).net> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Sam" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote...
>>
>> I have a P4 3.2 GHZ running XP Pro and MOBO based on 875 chipset.AFAIK
>> All are 32 bit based?
>>
>> Question : How do I know which is compatible with my pc? I am keen on the
>> PCI-X based card (PCI retrocompatable) just in case I do upgrade but
>> unsure whether my "host side" will support it?
>
> It depends on the individual card as well as your MoBo and case physical
> setup.
>
> First, PCI-X slots can take 32-bit PCI cards as well. However, you have
> to check the MoBo docs to ensure that using a single 32-bit card won't
> drag down the whole bus to 32-bit bandwidth.
>
> Second, some PCI-X cards are designed to work in PCI-X or 32-bit PCI slots
> (e.g., Adaptec 29160 SCSI cards). The extra connectors merely overhang
> beyond the end of the 32-bit slot. IF the MoBo has the space beyond the
> slot to accommodate the connector strip AND your case setup allows the
> [longer] card to fit, you can use the card in the 32-bit mode.
>
> Finally, PCI Express is NOT compatible with either of the others. If you
> want max flexibility in selecting add-in cards in the near future, don't
> buy a MoBo with PCI Express only.
>
>