PCI slots

[XTR]

Are PCI slots a thing of the past?

for the past year i haven't used a PCI slot in my main system (running an Abit IT7-Max2 in my cm201b case).


All i have is my graphics card and everything else i need is either onboard or USB (creative extigy soundcard but the motherboard does have onboard sound....)


So back to my question... Is the PCI slot history? Do you use many PCI slots in your computer? What hardware is plugged into these used slots?





(btw. i know PCI express is just around the corner, so this will replace the old ageing PCI slot)

[Shepps]

dont use any atm, plan on buying a TV card sometime soon thoe

[jcoquillon]

I still use PCI cards and think that although numbers of them will fall they aren't ready to be binned just yet

Creative Soundcards are still popular and their livedrives are hugely popular

Not all motherboards have everything integrated so many still need to have network cards added

Also PCI modems and internet adapters, wireless network cards

TV cards

Adding firewire or USB2 if you motherboard doen't have it, adding extra HDD support with a RAID card

until every motherboard has all these items available to it built in then at least 1 PCI slot must remain

[iggy]

audigy and an extra lan port. possibly a SATA raid card in a few months, but i dunno. just as cheap upgrading the motherboard.

[Bunjiweb]

No way, although i think motherboards don't need as many of them and should space them out more.... any more than 3 PCI slots is really NOT needed at all..

I use 2 PCI slots - ISDN card and SB Live 5.1... although my NF2 moboard has onboard sound so even the SB Live 5.1 isnt needed... but there we go.

PCI provides such things as extra IDE ports, USB ports, Firewire, TV and all that..

Ben

[Fox]

I use them for my Audigy. Thats it now.

[joshwa]

I intend to use/get a TV Card soon so I can record TV, and pause it

They are the only thing on Via Epia boards in way of expansion... but perhaps PCI-X when that's out will be the universal replacement for both AGP and PCI

[bleeder4]

My motherboard has three PCI slots, all of which I am using.
PCI 56k modem
TV tuner card
Audigy 2

I think there's still a lot of life left in PCI slots and with PCI Express around the corner that should start to take over from AGP.

[fondie]

With graphics card heatsinks getting so big, *cough* nvidia *cough*, they chop off the use of a good pci slot or two anyway! Firewire, LAN, USB, RAID etc will all go integrated eventually (unless you want to argue that they have already). I personally only use one for a sound card, but i think they'll continue to be used for sound cards, analogue video capture, tv cards, high end RAID and various other more specialised cards for a little while yet.

[Slick]

I still use pci slots for my audigy 2, hollywood dvd card and am considering getting a TV card. I also use the pci spaces on my case for usb2, firewire and game port brackets. I agree though that you don't need them as much as you use

[ice]

As my Abit KX7-333 has nothing onboard in my PCI slots I Have a SB Live! 5.1, Realtek 10/100 NIC and a Diamond Supra 56K modem.

[directhex]

PCI currently looks after my sound card & my TV card.

And trust me, sound cards are still gonna stick INSIDE the pc for the forseeable future (the extigy is still a niche product)

--jo

[Howard]

NO THEY ARE NOT

PCI for my SB Live, NIC and TV card when it's not crashing my PC.
I don't think they should be phased out any time at all in the near future. Far too much stuff still uses them. It's an excellent interface method.

[Stringent]

I have:
SBLive!
Encore DXR3
Ethernet Card

[acidrainy]

I'm currently using 2 of them...
Second NIC and a 56k modem

Still a valid expansion imo

[Bindibadgi]

PCI slots arent useless but you dont need 5 or 6 of them. If you completely fill them you're gonna cripple system performance trying to fit all that stuff down a 133M bus or its gonna become unstable cause you just know something wont like sharing an IRQ or some drivers are a bit fuzzy etc.

I used to use a lot of PCI slots: PCI IDE card, NIC (MAC address was registered for internet use so i had to use it in whatever PC to access the net), Audigy (before i bought my exitigy).

Now i dont use any cause i have 6 IDE ports onboard and 2 SATA, onboard GBe (changed internet suppliers) and have an exitigy. I wish you could disable them or something if you're not using them. However the space gives a nice area for a waterpump/res or lots of airflow.