Hi,

I currently have Motherboard Asus P5B-Plus Vista edition which has
1 x PCI-E x16, 3 x PCI-E x1, 3 x PCI 2.2

I plan to build a data server with this motherboard and buy Promise Supertrak EX8350 which is PCI-E x4 Raid controller card.

My question is. Instead of buying a new motherboard that has PCI-E x4 slot.
Can I just install the PCI-E x4 Raid controller card into PCI-E x16 slot which is normally for video card? And Just buy a cheap regular PCI video card for PCI 2.2 slot?

Hopefully someone could help me with this and I thank you in advance.
NYSaint

The 4X card has the long edge connector for the socket I assume, then yes. I have a second x16/4 slot that, iirc, they say will work as a 4x slot. That said, do they make a PCIE x1 videocard for the short slot?

Yes. Lower PCIE "x" will always work in the higher x slots. You can run a 1x card in 1x and up, the slot will just be larger than what the card takes up.

They also make 1x video cards, but your choices are extremely limited and they are expensive comparatively. So yep, an old style PCI would be fine if thats what you were considering.

Thank you guys for such quick response.


SNGX1275,
Since it's just a data server serving 2.5tb
I dont mind not using fancy video modes.
Matter of fact it could be even
black and white screen and no problem.

I thank you again
NYSaint

hey guys,

I don't wish to hijack a thread but I am in the same boat here as NYSaint, but wish to make a storage for video editing in HD - so faster RAID hopefully

my mo-bo has 2 x16 slots, but are both taken, one with video card in it (GeForce Nvidia 7600GT) and the other with the BMD Multibridge extreme.

I was looking at either chucking out my current video card and getting an older PCI video card to replace it (or a PCIe1 card) and putting the x4 lane raid controller into the x16 slot.

What I am wondering (and hopefully this is to help NYSaint as well) is weather it is better to get a raid controller card such as Sonnet x4p that also runs in PCI (limited speeds) and leave the x16 slot with the video card, or get a Sonnet e4p card for the x16 slot (even though it is x4) and get a video card that goes into PCI or PCIe1?

Any thoughts?

Since I wish to run 2 LCDs in decent res, what PCIe1 or PCI card would you recommend if going for the later option?

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/co...690lppcie1.php
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161079
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161197

thanks
Happy New Year!

since NYSaint question was answered
To Indifilmz

I use a PCI ati radeon 9200 Se on 64bit server works just fine dual monitor
it fits in one of the pci x slots note thats not the same as pci-express
the newegg links are a good choice matrox is over priced
1st ati link is extreme gaming (my opinion)
2nd one looks great for normal video editing

and yes please start a new thread you may get more responses