Compatibility check - PCI controller 1

[goombawaho]

I'm wanting to install a PCI SATA RAID controller in an older server and want to verify that the bus is compatible. The reason I ask is that the server says it has a 100Mhz PCI-X slot but the card says 133Mhz PCI-X. I assume it will run but just at the lower bus speed of the server????

Server Spec.
two PCI-X slots (64-bit/100MHz, 3.3v)


Sata Card spec.
Bus System Interface Type
PCI-X 64-bit/133 MHz host interface (3.3v only)

Sata Card System Requirement
Intel or AMD architecture with available 64-bit 3.3v PCI-X slot

 

[kjv1611]

goomb,

I personally have no idea from experience on this, but from this article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI-X

It sounds like it should work. The way I see it, if PCI-X 133 is backwards compatible to PCI, then it should also be compatible with PCI-X 100. Then again, I didn't read the whole thing, either, just a glance.

 

[goombawaho]

I just would like to be sure so I don't purchase this card for them and then find out "no go". It's tough when people want to do upgrades on 5 year old servers/PCs. Time has moved on.

 

[kjv1611]

Yeah, sad like me on that other one I mentioned. I think the tech in that one is more like 7 or 8 years old.

I can understand being uneasy about it, when you've gotta buy the part AND that being for someone else. I'd just be sure to give them the all up front "I think this will work, but no promises" routine.

 

[cdogg]

I was pretty sure a PCI-X 133MHz card would work fine in a PCI-X 100MHz slot but ended up digging for a while to make sure. Apparently it is:

link:

http://support.acer.com/acerpanam/server/0000/Acer/Altos1100/Altos1100faq10.shtml

Q. If I install ONE PCI-X 133Mhz card on a PCI-X 100Mhz BUS. Will the card run at 133Mhz?
A. No, the performance of the card will be based on the lowest spec, in this case, the BUS's spec of 100hz

So even though it won't run at 133MHz, it will adjust to run at 100MHz spec. From other links I came across, it seems the biggest thing with PCI-X is to make sure the voltages of the card and slot match up. In this case both would be 3.3V so you should be fine.

~cdogg
"All generalizations are false, including this one." - Mark Twain
[tab][navy]For posting policies, click [/navy]here.

 

[goombawaho]

Thanks for that link. Have a star. I searched and searched but couldn't figure out the right search terms to zero in on my situation. Found tons of other stuff regarding PCI, PCI-X and PCI-E but nothing specific. It's all in the verbiage and some things are just hard to verbalize.

Never would have guessed the answer would be on the ACER site.