PCI and PCIexpress

E

enjybenjy

Geek Trainee
I have a Dell Optilex 170L with only 3 PCI slots.

Will the PCI express graphics cards work on a pci slot?

If not can i buy a pci express slot (i have a empty slot like space just above and a little to the right of my pci slots)?

What is the best PCI card i can buy if none of the above work?
 
Welcome to hardwareforums!

PCI and PCI-E are very diffrent standards, a PCI-E card will NOT work in a PCI socket! As you dont have a AGP slot, yes you wil need to use a PCI graphics card (or replace the motherboard). [Specs for this computer can be found HERE]

Sticky about the differences between PCI-X, PCI-E, PCI and AGP

Why do you want to replace the graphics card? If your wanting to play games its likely that you will hav eto replace the motherboard aswell and decent PCI graphics cards seem to have disapeared! (as most people dont want them, they want AGP or the (newer, and better) PCI-E)
 
enjybenjy said:
I have a Dell Optilex 170L with only 3 PCI slots.

Will the PCI express graphics cards work on a pci slot?

If not can i buy a pci express slot (i have a empty slot like space just above and a little to the right of my pci slots)?

What is the best PCI card i can buy if none of the above work?
Click to expand...

This might help.

Is the slot above the PCI slots a short brown slot, or a brown slot about the same length as the PCI slots? If it's the latter, it's an AGP slot, and you can still get video cards for them. If it's the former, it's an AMR, CNR, or ANR slot, which would be a cheap way of adding a vendor-specific audio, networking, or modem device, but you'd only be able to get that part through Dell and that's not a slot you can drop a video card in.
 
@Big_b if you read the specs i posted, they do not mention a AGP slot (only 3 PCI slots)
 
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