Can't find motherboard with ALL these features

[directhex]

PCI cards usually have 2 notches, so they can fit into PCI-X sockets

spot on. here's the more detailed version:

expansions cards (pci and agp at any rate) have notches along the connector as a mechanism to stop them being plugged into the wrong hole.

for example, a PCI 2.2 slot looks like this (front of case to the left):

[                                 |      ]

a PCI-X slot looks like this:

[         |                              |            ]

a card with a notch at the back can fit into a PCI slot, but not PCI-X - because of the sticky out bit at the front of a PCI-X slot. a card with a notch at the front can fit into a PCI-X slot but not a PCI slot - because of the sticky out bit at the back of the connector.

most PCI cards have notches in both places, to work in both slots:


PCI-X cards with both notches will work in regular PCI, even though the rear set of connectors will hang out:


PCI-X cards with only a front notch are designed to not work in regular PCI slots:


if your PCI cards have only rear notches, then they won't work in PCI-X slots. but this is incredibly uncommon.

[Gibbo]

thx

[Gibbo]

Settled on P5W DH Deluxe + a PCI I/O card.....

I was assured that the 64bit slots would not (in the case of the named mobo) support 32bit cards by my dealer.....

[shaithis]

Then, go call your dealer and correct him.....they most certainly do.

I have had both 64bit PCI slots and cards in the past and have used both 64 bit cards in 32 bit slots and 32 bit cards in 64 bit slots.

[directhex]

Settled on P5W DH Deluxe + a PCI I/O card.....

I was assured that the 64bit slots would not (in the case of the named mobo) support 32bit cards by my dealer.....

your dealer is a moron

[Gibbo]

your dealer is a moron

I'm begiining to realise that as the P5WDG2 Professional +IDE controller card would've probably suited me better...

[arthurleung]

You could have just used IDE->USB adapter for your DVDROM / IDE hdds....

[Gibbo]

No worries - all up and running.