[geeks] Carly's Gone!!!

[Micah R Ledbetter]

On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 21:24:49 -0800 (PST)
Francisco Javier Mesa-Martinez <lefa at ucsc.edu> wrote:

> > I thought PCI-X was basically just an improved mezzanine bus, not a
> > motherboard I/O subsystem.
> 
> I think you misunderstood PCI-X is a fast PCI, PCI-Express is
> a completely different switching fabric. Has nothing to do with PCI
> since PCI-Express is a switched collection of point to point serial
> channels. Basically you connect the PCI-X to a lane in the PCI-Express
> wich will eventually connect it to other PCI-X's or the Memory or the
> Processor.

I'm not sure what this paragraph means, but...

> 
> > I didn't realize it was supposed to be a whole system thing.
> >
> > Right now it seems like it isn't used for anything except graphics
> > cards.
> 
> Haven't seen any PCI-X gfx cards at all... so I dunnot what you are
> talking about.

PCI-X is not the same as PCI-Express. 
PCI-X is just 64bit PCI (maybe it's 64bit PCI at 100 or 133MHz speeds, I dunno), and AFAIK PCI-X cards will work in regular 32bit 33mhz ("normal") PCI slots. PCI-Express is different, and incompatible. It's the "next generation" PCI and AGP replacement that is right now mostly graphics cards AFAIK. I haven't heard of PCI-E being used anywhere but the PC arena at the moment.