Different PCI-E slot form factor on server board?

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I have been checking out socket 771 boards recently and came across this ... why the hell is the 3rd PCI-e slot offset from the others?

dempsey-board.jpg
 
edited, but why? :confused: :eek: wasn't aware they were any sort of competitor, they don't even sell anything
 
its a PCIx slot.
Its a server thing, they're pre PCIe, loads of bandwidth ideal for raid arrays afaik.
Not sure why they didn't take off in the mainstream market.
 
PinkFloyd said:
its a PCIx slot.
Its a server thing, they're pre PCIe, loads of bandwidth ideal for raid arrays afaik.
Not sure why they didn't take off in the mainstream market.

No, I mean the PCI-e 8x slot underneath the PCI-X slot.
 
PinkFloyd said:
its a PCIx slot.
Its a server thing, they're pre PCIe, loads of bandwidth ideal for raid arrays afaik.
Not sure why they didn't take off in the mainstream market.

He means the 4th slot, notice its positioned differently that the other 2?
 
RaiderX said:
maybe for an internal card that doesnt need back panel access, e.g. an SATA or SCSI controler
Possible but I can't see any good reasons to do this :/

If that is the reason its just meaning you can't use normal sizes cards in there.
 
Can you not look through the specs for the motherboard? perhaps a manual? It would probably have something like "Internal connectors = 2 x usb, 1 x pci etc. . . " and just eliminate the ones you know.
 
PinkFloyd said:
See above 2 posts ;)

Look at the time line of the posts, i had my reply window open when those were made. ;)


Originally Posted by RaiderX
maybe for an internal card that doesnt need back panel access, e.g. an SATA or SCSI controler

Doubt it, as it'll still need to be screwed down to the chassis and would'nt fit on the board unless its propietary and made to fit to the board.
 
perhaps for some oem type connection? like MSI used to have on some nforce2 board, i have gone and fogotn the board name and what nots now, but at the bottom it had some oem type connection which never made it off the drawing board in the eyes of card makers.
 
Don't PCIe come in 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x and 16x sizes? a 1x card fits in all slots, slots. A 2x card sits in all slots except 1x etc. You can put any PCie card in a 16x slot and it will work, definitely. So they could be PCie 8x slots.
 
I think they're just extenders that would fit into any slot, can't see why a rackmount server would need to support them explicitally .. but yeah, perhaps you're right.

Funky site, though.

OT, but anyone know where I can get a cheap version of this :
pex1-mini.jpg

... so that I can plug one of the pile of Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG's I have into my desktop machine? :p
 
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