Is there a PCI x16 to PCI converter?
 

I'm looking for a PCI x16 to PCI connector in order have three PCI slots. I'm looking to do this so I can RAID 0 some RAM disks (I haven't done all my homework on them yet though, so I'm not sure if I should actually do this yet), and still have room for my sound card.

Google didn't come up with anything... I'm assuming there is a better way to do this?

Even if the RAM disks aren't a good idea, it would still be nice to know if this item exists or not.

Ah, didn't realize I couldn't just buy them.

On that same note, could I plug a pci x16 card into a pci 2.0 slot?

By the way, gratz on your 2,000th post :)

The chips are available. All the 5000/5100/5400 series chipsets come with PCI-e to PCI-X bridges. Not sure if they're in the chipsets themselves or if they're separate chips though. Either way the logic exists.

Though the ramdisks you're talking about are most likely i-RAMs which are available as 5.25" device as well. They're connected via SATA so bandwidth of the PCI bus isn't the issue. If you really want to use PCI models, just use a PCI riser. If you can't find one. Desolder some PCI slots from an old mobo, look at a PCI pinout and connect the pins that power the boards, ie the ones used by the RAMdrives.

I dunno where you can find the Gigabyte I-ram Box (5.25", DDR2, 8GB), I have never seen them in the US. But there is a Gigabyte I-ram (PCI, DDR1, 4GB), which can be found on ebay and other retailers. I am personally waiting on the I-ram box.

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/...e/Default.aspx

http://www.virtuavia.eu/shop/pci-exp...er-p29855.html

Like that?

^^ now THAT IS interesting (expansion box)

http://virtuavia.eu/shop/pci-express...ox-p29809.html

http://img.techpowerup.org/080613/Capture055.png
http://virtuavia.eu/shop/images/prod...pci_01_200.jpg

Thanks guys. Those were what I was looking for.

But are PCI slots all backwards compatible? Can I plug a PCI x16 card into a PCI 2.0 slot?

PCI-E 2.0 slots can use PCI-E 16x 8x and 1x cards. And PCI-E 16x slots can run 2.0, 8x and 1x cards.

Thanks everyone :)

PCI slots and PCI Express slots are two totally different things. Do not try to put a PCI Express card into a PCI slot or vice versa. The idea of PCI Express is any PCI Express device should work in any other PCI Express slot, as long as it physically fits. For example a PCI Express x1 card could plug into any other PCI Express slot, even 16x which is commonly used for graphics cards, without a hitch. However, a PCI-E x16 card would not work in a PCI-E x1 slot due to physically not fitting.

^ what hat said.
PCI
PCI-E
PCI-E 2.0
PCI-X

^ these are all different. while the two PCI-E slots are compatible, the others are NOT. it would help if you were more clear on what you wanted.

Everything I was curious about was answered :)

You can plug PCI-E cards into PCI-X slots?

no.

you can plug PCI-E cards into PCI-E 2.0 slots, and vice versa.

None of the other slots (including PCI-X) are compatible with another slot.