#How many PCI slots/PVR
42 messages in this thread
Hi,
I am curious if any of you PVR owners could tell me how many PCI slots are
required for the PVR/capture card combination. Do you need 2 like the
PAR/TBCIV ISA combo?
I am looking at a Micron dual pentium 133, but the MB has 5 EISA and 3 PCI,
with 2 PCI slots taken for Video and SCSI. Hope someone can fill me in.
Thanks
Doug
Doug,
I think you are going to need more PCI slots. The system I just purchased has 5
PCI slots, and with the PVR and daughter card, I have no more to use. The PVR
itself uses one, while the daughter card (attached to the PVR) covers another
completely. It is also so close to the third, though not actually covering it,
I would fear trying to use it due to the pressure it would put on the card.
If my all Pentium MB's are created equal, you are also going to have to do
something to allow the PVR card to fit over the CPU fan. Cameron had to remove
mine and install a bigger 4" fan over the boards. I also have a dual system, so
there's a good chance you will have the same problem. Cameron would be a good
person to talk to about this as he's done these systems numerous times.
Terry
Thanks Terry,
PLease tell me who the manufacturer is for your MB, and also what is Cameron's
CID? Also, what speed pentium do you use on this MB?
Thanks for your response.
Doug
Doug,
Cameron's UID is 73303,2107, he installed an ASUS MB, in a dual 100.
Terry
Thanks Terry.
Doug
>I think you are going to need more PCI slots. The system I just purchased has
5 PCI slots, and with the PVR and daughter card, I have no more to use. The PVR
itself uses one, while the daughter card (attached to the PVR) covers another
completely. It is also so close to the third, though not actually covering it,
I would fear trying to use it due to the pressure it would put on the card.<
Do you have PCI video or SCSI? Something is wrong when you have a 5 PCI slot
mobo and 3 are taken by the PVR/combo when the PVR is the only board that plugs
into a PCI slot. Wasn't there a way to have the PVR/combo overlap ISA slots
instead?
I'm looking at a 4 PCI slot Triton board that will allow me to use all four
slots if the PVR can be installed in the slot closest to the ISA slots. I would
like to get a dual-pentium mobo, but I can't find the right one.
Tim,
Ok! Second attempt at this. I started an answer about ten minutes after you
mailed yours, and it didn't even make sense to ME. I tried to call Cameron a
few times, but with SigGraph in his backyard…. I talked to Murph, he couldn't
remember exactly what the inside of my system looked like (he's built 3 more
since mine and really didn't handle that end of it).
So I went in and had a look around. First of all, I have 4(four) PCI slots, not
5. I don't know whether that was a typo or a braino, but anyway, it's four. The
thing that kept bothering me about what I was saying, was Cameron and I had an
out if it came to it, to get another slot. By using a 3.3 power supply, we
could eliminate the voltage regulator card, and free up a PCI slot. I couldn't
make the math come out right if that was the case.
Anyway, good news. Here's what I found. In the four slots, I have the Adaptec
SCSI Controller, Imagine 128 Video card, voltage regulator, and the PVR. The
daughter card does indeed cover the first ISA slot, NOT a PCI slot. Very very
sorry for that bad information. The third ISA slot is close to covered. I think
it would really depend on what kind of card and which side the leads were cut
from whether I would try and use it or not. I think the only thing I have is a
sound card in the ISA slots anyway, so that's not a big concern of mine right
now.
SO, it looks like you can do what you want to do. I am indeed using all four of
my PCI slots. I will mention though, the reason I went with the ASUS board over
all others. I downloaded a buuuuunch of threads when I started researching what
gear to buy. I had one shot to invest about $25k and didn't want to waste it. I
just keyed on threads that used the words "problems, won't work, etc". They
just about all came down to, "all of these things work, just not all of these
things work well together". I kept seeing Cameron come in there with the ASUS
boards that seem to work well with everything. My system as of now has been
absolutely glitch free. Of course I haven't gotten it up to race speed yet,
just being a rookie and all. Anyway, take all that for what it's worth, but
Cameron knows his way around these systems, you might want to have a chat with
him before you buy.
Again, sorry about that first message. Next time I'll look before I lurch.
Terry
Tim,
One caution. Boards using Intel's Triton chip set do not use memory
parity, and this has been bugging the banks & critical use people. You can pay
the extra for the SIMMs, but the chip set doesn't pay any attention to the
extra bit. Cost savings on Intel's part, and allows system vendors to sell use
cheaper memory, lowering system costs.
Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
Kevin,
What exactly does the fact that the triton chipset does not use parity memory
mean? I guess my question is to the side of "Is this bad for us 3DS'rs?",
"Should we be getting Neptune chipsets?", and "Is EDO ram not something we
should be looking at for increased speed?"
Doug
Doug,
According to Intel, errors would occur so infrequently as to not really
affect the typical user. People in medical, banking, military applications
might well be more concerned about memory errors affecting their results, or
reliability of the machines.
Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
Thanks again. So I suppose that those of us that do animation and graphics are
less critical in terms of parity checking. Thanks.
Doug
Doug,
The PVR uses 2 PCI slots (plugs into 1, overhangs & blocks the other)
when used with the capture daughter card.
Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
Thanks Kevin. I suppose you could cover an ISA instead of a PCI, right?
Doug
Doug,
Not usually the way motherboards are arranged. The daughterboard would
hang toward the additional PCI slots, not toward the ISA. I have not seen a
motherboard that would have the placement reversed.
Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
Thanks Kevin,
I appreciate your rsponse. I will definately look for a board with as many pci
slots as I can find, but there just aren't that many dual pentium boards to
choose from.
Doug
>I appreciate your rsponse. I will definately look for a board with as many
pci slots as I can find, but there just aren't that many dual pentium boards to
choose from.<
ASUS seems to be the choice and is in the smp 1.1 spec, other NT users are
using it. The newest model has 4 PCI slots. That should hold the PVR, video,
scsi, and have one left for 100MBs ethernet or the DPS PCI 8 channel audio
card.
Thanks Tim. What is the smp 1.1 spec?
Doug
Quick Note: My new Asus Dual Pentium board has 4 PCI slots (PCI/ISA version),
unfortunately one of them is occupied by the Asus power regulator board that
converts 5.5 volts to 3.3 volts. The way around this is to get a 3.3 volt
power supply that can plug in to the 3.3 connectors on the mb…..Hope this
helps.
Craig Meadows
>Quick Note: My new Asus Dual Pentium board has 4 PCI slots (PCI/ISA version),
unfortunately one of them is occupied by the Asus power regulator board that
converts 5.5 volts to 3.3 volts. The way around this is to get a 3.3 volt
power supply that can plug in to the 3.3 connectors on the mb…..Hope this
helps.<
So if I have a Dell XPS 100 that has 3.3v connections I don't need to use the
regulator if I swap motherboards?
Thanks Craig, I hadn't realized there was such a converter, much less that it
took up a PCI slot.
Doug
Kevin,
I have the Dell XPS P90 with 3 PCI slots in the mini tower configuration. I
installed the PVR in the bottom PCI slot and the capture card fits at the
bottom, not covering any additional slots. I still have access to the othe two
PCI slots above and the other ISA slots.
FWIW,
Tom
Tom,
Great info, thanks. Now, where do you put the full-length PCI audio
card?
Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
Kevin,
The Audio card should fit in the next slot up. The heat sink is low enough for
a full length card to fit over it. I think the other slot will also take a full
lenght card as well. If you really want to be sure I can pull the cover off and
give it a look to be sure. I have the #9 GXE Pro in the uppermost PCI slot now.
Cheers,
Tom
Tom,
Thanks for the info specific to your setup – I'm sure all the lurkers
are interested. No need to open it up just to satisfy MY curiosity. My point
was merely that those PCI slots can easily run out fast. If one sets up with a
PVR-2500, AD-2500, PCI system hard disk controller, PCI graphics, PCI audio,
etc. – we're all going to want 8-12 slot PCI motherboards.
Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
Kevin,
>>we're all going to want 8-12 slot PCI motherboards.>>
I agree, I have an old EISA bus Dell Server, (It was an $8K 486DX50 when I
bought it) that I have upgraded to a P60. I thought this was going to hold
anything I could ever want. It had 8 EISA slots and 11 drive bays. How times
have changed. PC's now need multi cpu's and 12 slots for a base configuration!
I now cringe at the idea of only having 3 PCI slots and a total of 6 or 8. Does
a 12 slot MB ccome with it's own room air conditioner<G>
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Kevin,
actually the Perception with the daughter card goes towards the ISA slot.
when we built terry's, the perception was in the last PCi slot and the daughter
card hung over the isa slot.
the perception is designed so poorly thought that the daughter
card has capacitors that stick out an inch or so, so as to prevent
one from using even the second isa slot.
so it effectively blocks 3 slots.
Cameron
CYBERIMAGE
Cameron,
My Dell P90 has the Intel mother board and the last slot with the perception
works fine and blocks no other slots. For less than the cost of the PVR you
could by a P90 to house it and the other AV specific stuff that is not CPU
intensive.
FWIW,
Tom
>I am looking at a Micron dual pentium 133, but the MB has 5 EISA and 3 PCI,
with 2 PCI slots taken for Video and SCSI. Hope someone can fill me in.<
You may consider an Intergraph. My TD-30 is dual 133 compatable, and has 3
open PCI slots, as well as a Matrox Millenium and Adaptec PCI chipset on board.
Lots of space. (not too many drive bay's though, only 2 internal, and the
second one covers a few ISA slots.. 🙁 External drives may be necessary,
which isn't a problem.
JNJ
John;
>> (not too many drive bay's though, only 2 internal, and the second one
>> covers a few ISA slots..
Could you change cases on it and have internal drives?
I know, it wouldn't seem quite right to have a new machine and put it in a
different box, but if it fits it all into one, then maybe?
Dennis
>Could you change cases on it and have internal drives?
It'd be difficult, it has a riser card for the card slots. You may want to get
the tower version. 🙂
JNJ
Thanks John,
Whats the price range on one of intergraphs machine? I was under the
impression that they were rather expensive.
Doug
They are, but are well built. Their dual processor performance is supposedly
more than other "of the shelf" motherboards, etc. (haven't been able to test
that though, I only have 1 processor) I got one because I got sick of
worrying if this would work with that, etc. 3 year warranty, with one year on
site. I'm sure there are better bargans, but they would be from custom built
systems from someone who really tweaks their boxes- and then I'm not sure there
will be much difference in price. Personally, I don't feel many systems sold
by mass market companies offer really good components, etc. that we need. I'm
not an intergraph zealot though, so if someone does better- good for them. I'm
happy, and that's what's important to me. 🙂 (the custom built system I put
together at work was a nightmare) My TD-30, with P100 (upgradable to dual
133's) 512k cache, Martox Millenium PCI/4MB WRAM, Adaptec PCI SCSI-2, PCI
Ethernet adapter, Soundblaster 16 are all onboard. 3 PCI slots, and 3 ISA
slots (all free) 32MB, 1GB Connor drive,4X CD-ROM, 2 PCMCIA card slots, etc
was a little over $6k with tax. No monitor.
JNJ
JNJ:
What chipset is Intergraph using on their dual 133 Pentium motherboards? I was
just told by ASUS that the highest you can go with the Intel Neptune is 100
dual, although it will support up to 133 with a single chip.
Greg Pyros
Hi Greg,
I'm not sure exactly. I'll have to check. I do know that my dealer got the
jumper settings from the techheads at Intergraph to run dual 133's on it.. so
it's pretty much "for sure".
JNJ
Greg,
Ok, here's the chip #.. not sure on the naming. (Hopefully someone will speak
up who knows <g>)
Intel Host bridge controller chipset-
PCMC82434NX
LBX 83422NX
I believe the NX is the chipset name, and I guess it's Neptune.
JNJ
>> I was just told by ASUS that the highest you can go with the Intel Neptune
is 100 dual, <<
I've had similar reports also involving the Triton chipset.
– Dave
Greg,
it is a neptune. 🙂
JNJ
John,
Your sentiments are well taken. Hardware problems eat away a good part of my
working time. If this time were spent getting real work done, I'm sure any
money spent on the hardware would be made up for in productivity. BTW, the
price of the system you mentioned did not seem that bad cost wise, at least
compared to the Micron I was looking at.
Doug
Doug,
YES! I wasted soo much time, and got soo fed up with building my own system
that I said forget it! At home, I felt that I'd spend time on better things.
My parents are getting my old Micron.. nice machine, great company.
JNJ
I am glad to hear you liked your Micron. I am thinking that I will have to go
with a single CPU design, at least until some of the apps I use really take
advantage of it, and then hopefully, there will be a little more competition
with these dual MOBOs. I wanted a dual, but I need a machine right away, and
no systems with dual MOBOs are really right for me in my price range. Thanks
for your suggestion on Intergraph. I definetely will keep an I on those for
when I can upgrade.
Doug
Finding the "right" machine is hard.. lots of choices, and all of them aren't
what you need. Micron gives alot of bang for the buck. Have fun. 🙂
JNJ