between ISA and VL-Bus. It provides direct access to system memory for connected devices, but uses a bridge to connect to the frontside bus and therefore to the CPU. Basically, this means that it is capable of even higher performance than VL-Bus while eliminating the potential for interference with the CPU. It has been a stable platform since it was introduced in the 1990’s. Windows 95 and the PnP (Plug and Play ~pray) feature helped to increase the use of the PCI components. When it worked it was easier then using ISA. (Less configuring) PCI Starts edging out the competition PCI became the popular expansion slot on the motherboard. You could add: Video Sound modems etc. They all worked at a faster speed The installation was the same as the ISA cards. Pop them into the slots and screw the rear shield plate to the case. Troubleshooting when the plug and play did not work was the same as well. Let the Fun Begin This is where the cards did not differ.
Troubleshooting the problem:
First try to reseat the card and make sure the connection is completely seated. You would have to make sure there was not an IRQ or an IO conflict. This is also true with the PCI Express. But as with all things we want bigger and better PCI has some shortcomings PCI Express is a two-way, serial connection that carries data in packets along two pairs of point- to-point data lanes. Instead of one bus it handles multiple data from multiple sources. As processors, video cards, sound cards and networks have become faster and more powerful. The newer, 64-bit PCI-X bus provides more bandwidth, but its greater width compounds some of PCI's other issues. PCI Express (PCIe) eliminates a lot of these shortcomings from the PCI’s limitations. PCI Express makes a computer faster, can potentially add graphics performance, and can replace the AGP slot. Since PCI and PCI Express are compatible, they can coexist indefinitely. So far, video cards have made the fastest transition to the PCIe format . It is likely that it will eventually replace PCI as a PC standard. Gradually, PCI-based cards will become obsolete. PCIe is compatible with current operating systems and can provide faster speeds Websites used for information: www.webopedia.com www.howstuffworks.com www.pcstats.com