Question regarding 32- and 64-bit PCI

[quigstah]

Hello!

Question regarding PCI buses. I own a Dell PowerEdge 1400SC, that has
a PCI slot with the following specs:

One 5-V, half-length, 32-bit, 33-MHz (slot 2), used for video card

I'm interested in buying a new video card for this machine, and it must
be PCI-based as I've no PCI-E 16x or AGP slots. I'm looking at the
ChainTech P-FX20:

http://www.chaintechusa.com/tw/eng/product_spec.asp?MPSNo=14&PISNo=201

But am unable to determine the bus type of this card. It is merely
spec'ed as using a PCI. Does this imply a 32-bit bus? I'm quite
confused by this, and am very worried about ordering an improper card
for this system.

Any help or insight you might provide would be tremendously
appreciated. Thanks so much!

Regards,
John Quigley

 

[Paul]

Hello!

Question regarding PCI buses. I own a Dell PowerEdge 1400SC, that has
a PCI slot with the following specs:

One 5-V, half-length, 32-bit, 33-MHz (slot 2), used for video card

I'm interested in buying a new video card for this machine, and it must
be PCI-based as I've no PCI-E 16x or AGP slots. I'm looking at the
ChainTech P-FX20:

http://www.chaintechusa.com/tw/eng/product_spec.asp?MPSNo=14&PISNo=201

But am unable to determine the bus type of this card. It is merely
spec'ed as using a PCI. Does this imply a 32-bit bus? I'm quite
confused by this, and am very worried about ordering an improper card
for this system.

Any help or insight you might provide would be tremendously
appreciated. Thanks so much!

Regards,
John Quigley

"What Is A PCI Half-Length Slot?"
http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/016489CD8467390A86256FF5005A92D2

"A half-length slot is a small PCI slot that can accommodate cards
that are 6.945 inches long or shorter. The bus connection is
identical to the connection on a full-length PCI slot."

The connector section of a 32 bit PCI card is 3.12", and a quick
check suggests the Chaintech card is 6.3" long, using the connector
section as a scale.

If you look at the reference pictures here, you can see that the
Chaintech FX5200 has the 5V slot cut (the slot furthest from the
faceplate). Your motherboard PCI slot will have a plastic "key"
that will fit the slot. If your motherboard only had a 3.3V "key",
then the FX5200 would not fit into the slot.

http://web.archive.org/web/20020629042704/http://sunsolve.sun.com/handbook_pub/General/PCI_Info.html

And when something is listed as just "PCI", that means it is
32 bit 33MHz unless stated otherwise. That is the default,
lowest common denominator.

I'd say go for it.

Paul