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Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)
PCI supports a 32- or 64-bit I/O bus providing compatibility with both 486 and Pentium machines.
- -This bus is processor independent (the CPU and the PCI bus can process concurrently).
- -PCI is plug-and-play, meaning that newly installed devices can be detected and configured automatically.
- -PCI buses are most commonly used for devices such as sound cards, modems, network cards, and storage device controllers.
PCI slots are typically white.
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Mini-PCI
Small form factor computers, such as laptops or micro-ATX systems, might include a mini-PCI slot. Mini-PCI devices are small cards with either 100- or 124-pins. A typical use for a mini-PCI slot is to add internal cards(such as wireless cards) to laptops.
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Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)
- PCI Express (PCIe) is a next generation I/O bus architecture. Rather than a shared bus, each PCIe slot links to a switch which prioritizes and routes data through a point-to-point dedicated connection and provides a serial full-duplex method of transmission.
- -Basic PCIe provides one lane for transmission (x1), at a transfer rate of 2.5 Gbps. It can also provide multiple transmission lanes (x2, x4, x8, x16, x32).
- -In addition to greatly increased speed, PCIe offers higher quality service.
- PCIe is backwards compatible and allows legacy PCI technology to be run in the same system (i.e. you can have both PCIe and PCI buses in the same system).
- -PCIe buses are most commonly used for video cards in modern computer systems, although nearly any other device can be designed for a PCIe slot.
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Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
AGP is similar to PCI, but designed specifically for graphics support. Motherboards that provide AGP support have a single AGP slot. AGP is commonly used for video cards in modern computer systems, but is being replaced by PCIe. AGP slots are typically brown.
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Audio/Modem Riser (AMR)
A riser card is not a bus, but rather a card that attaches to the motherboard and allows inserting additional cards (called daughter cards). AMR slots typically provide sound or modem functions.
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Communications Network Riser (CNR)
CNR is a riser card slot (not a bus) that allows for inserting networking, wireless communication, sound, or modem functions.
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