Pci Express Cards - Dell XPS /Dimension Gen 5 Owner's Manual

PCI Express Cards

PCI Express is the next generation technology for graphics cards and PCI cards. The dimensions
of PCI Express card slots are different from PCI card slots, and the cards are not interchangeable
(you cannot install a PCI card in a PCI Express card slot, or a PCI Express card in a PCI card
slot). The PCI Express x16 card slot replaces the AGP graphics card slot.
Some benefits of PCI Express technology include:
• Greater available bandwidth — PCI Express bus bandwidth is 250 MB/s in each direction per
lane simultaneously, while PCI bus bandwidth is 133 MB/s in one direction at a time.
• Prioritization of service — Multiple PCI cards installed in a computer all share a common
bus, but each PCI Express card operates on its own channel. Activities such as video
conferencing and web camera functions can be automatically prioritized through the device
software to reduce latency.
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Optimizing Performance