Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
64-bit PCI, 66MHz PCI, and PCI-X slots are found only on server- or workstation-type boards and
systems. Aiding performance is the fact that the PCI bus can operate concurrently with the processor
bus; it does not supplant it. The CPU can be processing data in an external cache while the PCI bus is
busy transferring information between other parts of the system—a major design benefit of the PCI
bus.
A PCI adapter card uses its own unique connector. This connector can be identified within a
computer system because it typically is offset from the normal ISA, MCA, or EISA connectors found
in older motherboards (see
Figure 4.43
)
. The size of a PCI card can be the same as that of the cards
used in the system's normal I/O bus.
