PCIe 2.0 and PCIe

[bazicdude]

What exactly is the difference? I know that the bandwidth is wider on PCIe 2.0 but are there any other key differences?

Also, if you plug in a PCIe 2.0 graphics card into a motherboard with only a PCIe slot, what will happen? Does the performance of the card suffer? Are it's graphics capabilities limited or something? Or are there no setbacks whatsoever?

Thanks and sorry for being a nub D:

 

[Lmeow]

By PCI-E, I'm assuming you're referring to PCI-E 1.0/1.1?

A PCI-E 2.0 graphics card should work in a PCI-E 1.0/1.1 slot, with a few exceptions (although that should only be the case for certain motherboard and certain graphic card combinations, either that or that's with PCI-E 2.1 cards sorry, memory's a bit fuzzy right now) and should work without any problems. The performance of the card should not suffer, should the PCI-E 1.0/1.1 slot run at the very least x8 mode (equivalent to x4 PCI-E 2.0, which is suprisingly not much of a bottleneck for most of today's cards).

 

[bazicdude]

Yeah I was referring to the 1.0 slots. I plan to run an HD 6850 PCIe 2.1 in the slot so will that be an issue?

 

[Lmeow]

I'm not sure. It should work, I'm thinking its the HD 5000 series with the compatibility issue, but I'm not 100% sure sorry.

 

[bazicdude]

Mine will be a Gigabyte 6850, any thoughts there?

 

[bazicdude]

Best answer selected by bazicdude.