   PCI Express
  I haven't bought a graphics card in a while and it seems that most of them are now PCI express. I've read that PCI express is backward compatible (I have an Asus P4C800 DLX motherboard, which I believe supports PCI 2.2 and 2.3), but will a higher end graphics card be able to reach its full potential when in an older slot? or will I have to buy a new motherboard to?   
  I never heard of being able to put standard PCI cards in a PCI-E slot, and even if you could fit a PCI-E card in a PCI slot, they simply wouldn't have the bandwidth to run it properly.If you don't have a PCI-E slot in your current motherboard, it is a time for an upgrade (or if you can afford it, a new computer, so you have an old fileserver!)   ;  Let me tell you now, PCI, PCI-1, and PCI-16 are not compatible with each other buddy.  The only thing on my mobo that looks somewhat compatible is a PCI-1 in a PCI-16.BTW, PCI-16 is also called PCI-E.   ;  "Backwards compatible" for PCIe means that PCI express chipsets can support PCI devices.Probably not what you were thinking.   ;  The 2 bus have completetly different architecture. PCI is a parrallel interface, while PCI-Express is a serial interface in full duplex. A PCI-Express x16 have 16 independant serial interface. The advantage of serial interface over parrallel is that you can use much higher frequency and you can use one serial interface to communicate in both ways at same time, allowing even more bandwidth.So PCI and PCI express having completly different architecture, there is no way that you can use a PCI card in a PCI Express slot.   ;Quote:Original post by Promit"Backwards compatible" for PCIe means that PCI express chipsets can support PCI devices.Probably not what you were thinking.Eh, no, I wasn't thinking that...   