A video card slot is the spot inside a computer that is specifically designed to hold a video card. There are three common types of video card slots available: peripheral component interconnect (PCI); accelerated graphics port (AGP); and peripheral component interconnect express (PCI-E). In order for a video card to fit inside the computer, the video card slot and video card need to be of the same type. This slot connects directly to the northbridge section of the computer's chipset, allowing fast communication between the graphics card and the rest of the computer.
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May 22, 2020 Last Updated: May 22, 2020 Definition - What does PCI Slot mean? A PCI slot is a built-in slot on a device that allows for the attachment of various hardware components such as network cards, modems, sound cards, disk controllers and other peripherals. It was often a component of traditional do-it-yourself (DIY) desktop computer design.
Inside a computer, there are several expansion slots on a motherboard. These slots allow new hardware to interface with preexisting hardware, increasing the capabilities of the computer. Most motherboards have a single slot in the highest position on the board that is specifically for a video card. Unlike the other slots, where you can plug a card into any compatible slot, this one is for video cards only.
There have been several different video card slot types over the years. On a modern computer there are only three common types, from least to most common they are PCI, AGP and PCI-E slots. Older computers have other kinds, such as industry standard architecture (ISA) or video electronics standards association (VESA), but these types are nearly unheard of today.
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- SuperUser reader Totymedli is curious about the color coding of RAM slots: I have always seen that the motherboard RAM slots are colored in pairs, but never knew what it meant. I just put the 2 RAM in, and after a few tries it always worked. But after I tried to install a third one it always throws me a blue screen of death.
- A gap between a main and auxiliary airfoil to provide space for airflow and facilitate the smooth passage of air over the wing. An assigned place in a sequence or schedule: a new time slot for a TV program. A position of employment in an organization or hierarchy. Computers An expansion slot.
- The 32-bit AGP bus gave way to 16-channel PCI Express (PCIe). For a while, motherboards had one PCIe slot just for the graphics card. Later on, boards offered multiple PCIe slots.
The PCI interface was the standard video card slot type until the mid-90s. While it is nearly gone today, this slot type may still be found on some older office computers and on very low budget parts. Even though it is rarely used for video cards, this slot design is still the standard for many types of expansion cards, such as sound or network cards. As a result, PCI slots are still on most modern motherboards, they are just not used for video cards.
AGP video card slots took over from PCI as the most common style. They were on nearly every computer from the mid-90s until the mid-00s. AGP cards slots commonly have multipliers associated with them, such as x2, x4 or x8, that indicate the speed of the port. In order to utilize the slot to its fullest, it needs an AGP card with the same multiplier.
The most common style of video card slot today is PCI-E. This slot type took over from AGP in the mid-00s as the default type. While APG cards are far from gone, PCI-E has taken over the market in the late-00s. These slots are very fast, which allows for more powerful video cards.
Stands for 'Accelerated Graphics Port.' AGP is a type of expansion slot designed specifically for graphics cards. It was developed in 1996 as an alternative to the PCI standard. Since the AGP interface provides a dedicated bus for graphics data, AGP cards are able to render graphics faster than comparable PCI graphics cards.
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Like PCI slots, AGP slots are built into a computer's motherboard. They have a similar form factor to PCI slots, but can only be used for graphics cards. Additionally, several AGP specifications exist, including AGP 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0, which each use a different voltage. Therefore, AGP cards must be compatible with the specification of the AGP slot they are installed in.
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- SuperUser reader Totymedli is curious about the color coding of RAM slots: I have always seen that the motherboard RAM slots are colored in pairs, but never knew what it meant. I just put the 2 RAM in, and after a few tries it always worked. But after I tried to install a third one it always throws me a blue screen of death.
- A gap between a main and auxiliary airfoil to provide space for airflow and facilitate the smooth passage of air over the wing. An assigned place in a sequence or schedule: a new time slot for a TV program. A position of employment in an organization or hierarchy. Computers An expansion slot.
- The 32-bit AGP bus gave way to 16-channel PCI Express (PCIe). For a while, motherboards had one PCIe slot just for the graphics card. Later on, boards offered multiple PCIe slots.
The PCI interface was the standard video card slot type until the mid-90s. While it is nearly gone today, this slot type may still be found on some older office computers and on very low budget parts. Even though it is rarely used for video cards, this slot design is still the standard for many types of expansion cards, such as sound or network cards. As a result, PCI slots are still on most modern motherboards, they are just not used for video cards.
AGP video card slots took over from PCI as the most common style. They were on nearly every computer from the mid-90s until the mid-00s. AGP cards slots commonly have multipliers associated with them, such as x2, x4 or x8, that indicate the speed of the port. In order to utilize the slot to its fullest, it needs an AGP card with the same multiplier.
The most common style of video card slot today is PCI-E. This slot type took over from AGP in the mid-00s as the default type. While APG cards are far from gone, PCI-E has taken over the market in the late-00s. These slots are very fast, which allows for more powerful video cards.
Stands for 'Accelerated Graphics Port.' AGP is a type of expansion slot designed specifically for graphics cards. It was developed in 1996 as an alternative to the PCI standard. Since the AGP interface provides a dedicated bus for graphics data, AGP cards are able to render graphics faster than comparable PCI graphics cards.
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Like PCI slots, AGP slots are built into a computer's motherboard. They have a similar form factor to PCI slots, but can only be used for graphics cards. Additionally, several AGP specifications exist, including AGP 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0, which each use a different voltage. Therefore, AGP cards must be compatible with the specification of the AGP slot they are installed in.
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Since AGP cards require an expansion slot, they can only be used in desktop computers. While AGP was popular for about a decade, the technology has been superseded by PCI Express, which was introduced in 2004. For a few years, many desktop computers included both AGP and PCI Express slots, but eventually AGP slots were removed completely. Therefore, most desktop computers manufactured after 2006 do not include an AGP slot.
Updated: November 20, 2015
