You can check the number of threads on your CPU using built-in Windows services and tools like task manager and system information. You can also check through the manufacturer’s spec sheet and by using some third-party apps. The amount of threads your CPU has depends upon its model, core count, generation, and whether it has …
Yes, you can fit a PCIe x1 card in an x4 slot. Thanks to the cross-compatibility of the PCIe slots and the way the standard is designed, smaller cards can be installed into larger slots and vice versa. However, whether this is a good idea or not is another concern that we will explore in …
Yes, the PCIe x16 slot you use DOES matter because, on most motherboards, the second one only offers eight or even just 4 PCIe lanes. PCIe x16 slots are the most confusing to understand. Knowing which one to use is very important if you are building a PC and have multiple x16 slots on the …
Currently, PCIe 3.0 is the most common version on motherboards, but if you have an older PC, it may conform to the older PCIe v2.0. With most new expansion cards coordinating with v3.0, it is common to ask: can I use a PCIe 3.0 card in a 2.0 slot? Yes, you can use a PCIe …
Desktop computers that come with onboard or built-in WiFi are rare. This leaves many users who wish to connect wirelessly with two popular options: a USB WiFi dongle or a PCIe card. But the question is, which one is better when it comes to PCIe vs. USB WiFi? As far as the performance goes, PCIe …
A PCIe x1 slot is used to plug in low-demanding PCIe expansion cards that do not have a very high throughput (transfer rate), such as Network Adapters, Port Expansion Cards, Sound Cards, and Certain Riser Cards. PCIe x1 slot offers only one PCIe lane and thus has the lowest throughput (speed in layperson’s terms) of …
PCI Express slot is rectangular, protruding from the motherboard, and has many terminals on either side. PCI Express slots look different depending on their sizes, x1, x4, x8, and x16. The place has two parts; the first is constant across all slots and acts as the KEY, and the second varies depending on the PCIe …
The short answer is yes. You can plug a PCIe x1 card into the PCIe x16 slot. A PCIe x1 card can be plugged into any larger slot and will work fine. Whether this is advisable is another question we will explore below. There are a few challenges to overcome when building or upgrading a …
A wireless card requires only a PCIe x1 slot – which also happens to be the smallest in physical size and throughput rate. This is because even the newest WiFi 6 PCIe cards have a throughput (speed) of about 2.4 Gbps (300 MB/s) on a 5 GHz frequency. Contrast this to the data rate of …
The easiest way to know how many PCIe slots you have is to check on the motherboard manufacturer’s website. Another way is to look at the user guide that came with the board. Using third-party software can also help, and for the more technically inclined, you can open up the motherboard and count how many …