PCI-Express x1

I'm seeing alot of PCI-e x1 connectors on new motherboards and was wondering what cards you would actually use in those slots. I haven't read a single thing about any x1 cards yet, and i've definitely never seen any cards with that small of a connector.

Also, the connector itself looks much too small to hold a normal-sized PCI card in a physically stable condition. I have a feeling that I will be breaking at least one connector or card if the card is more than like 2 inches long. :(

So does anything actually use a PCI-e x1 slot yet? And if not, what types of cards will eventually use it?

I'm seeing alot of PCI-e x1 connectors on new motherboards and was wondering what cards you would actually use in those slots. I haven't read a single thing about any x1 cards yet, and i've definitely never seen any cards with that small of a connector.

The "x1" means there's one slot.

Also, the connector itself looks much too small to hold a normal-sized PCI card in a physically stable condition. I have a feeling that I will be breaking at least one connector or card if the card is more than like 2 inches long. :(

Then you are not looking at a PCI-E slot. They are very large and are not for normal PCI cards. PCI-E is a video bus.

So does anything actually use a PCI-e x1 slot yet? And if not, what types of cards will eventually use it?

Yes. PCI-Express cards use PCI-Express buses. The technology took off about six months ago. There are plenty of PCI-E cards these days.

Shinigami, I beg to differ with you. A PCI-E slot is 16X as a speed rating. New MOBO's are coming with "Single" Speed PCI-E slots, hence the X1 designation.

See: http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NjM4 and check the slots listed there.

Also see: http://www20.graphics.tomshardwa re.com/graphic/20040310/pcie-01.html

Read a couple paragraphs there on Tom's Hardware and it will explain what a 1X PCI-E is.

As to the original poster, I too have not seen or heard of a 1X device either. Your concerns about size are valid, though something the size of a CNR riser would work on them.

The "x1" means there's one slot.

Then you are not looking at a PCI-E slot. They are very large and are not for normal PCI cards. PCI-E is a video bus.

Wrong and wrong. The x1 has to do with the amount of bandwith the slot is allocated (there are four types of PCI-e: x1, x4, x8, and x16), not the physical number of slots on the board.

Oh and PCI-E is definitely NOT exclusive to video. I know this much. :)

I guess I won't worry about x1 that much until we actually start seeing I/O cards (besides graphics cards) based on a PCI-e interface.

I apologize then. I haven't paid much attention the pci-e. I do know there are different size pci-e buses, but I assumed they would be written as 1x, 8x, 16x, etc. Their syntax seems kind of odd, and that's generally how the number of slots is given on mobo specs. Not to mention the x8 and x16 are the same size slot of I'm not mistaken.

From what I have read, PCI-E x1 can be used for gigabit ethernet, although I have not heard of any being available yet.

Here is a list of components from the PCI-E sig
http://www.pcisig.com/developers/compliance_program/integrators_list/pcie/#components

I think everyone is a little right and wrong.

PCI-E and PCI-X are/were both listed as PCI Express, and PCI-X is much more widely used than -E is. Also, it has everything under the sun for controllers for it, except video.

The 1x does designate the 1x speed, wich is retarded, considering it was designed to be faster and more powerful than the AGP standard was (another video only bus design).

If they are making PCI-E cards that are non video, that's interesting, since it's a pretty limited slot type, max of 2 per board, and that won't be until gen2 sometime late next year.

i did some research and here's what i found:

PCI-E and PCI-X are/were both listed as PCI Express, and PCI-X is much more widely used than -E is. Also, it has everything under the sun for controllers for it, except video.
i don't think so. from what i understand, PCI-X is completely different then PCI-E. link (http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/hardware/pcie.ars/4)

i know for a fact that PCI-E is *NOT* exclusive to video, and it wasn't ever designed to be. PCI-E x16 was always designed for video, but the other speeds weren't. PCI-E is meant to replace all types of current PCI cards.


If they are making PCI-E cards that are non video, that's interesting, since it's a pretty limited slot type, max of 2 per board, and that won't be until gen2 sometime late next year.
here's a reference board from nVidia with three PCI-e slots (two x1 and one x16). the SLI version of the board will apparently have two of each!
http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/chipsets/nvidia/nforce4/nf4board_small.jpg
here's another one:
http://www.d-silence.com/articles/graphics/asus.jpg

i guess we'll just wait and see what happens!

marantz is right. pci-e is different from x.

I know it is, i stated it was, i was referring to them being named similar and being confused.

As far as the 2 slots per board, is in reference to x16, according to the specs there is simply not enough bandwidth or power to push more than 2 concurrent buses at that speed, hence a limit of 2 per board.

And so far, the 2 or 3 people claiming to use SLI versions have yet to come out with one that works without causing other system problems.