[mythtv-users] OT: New Motherboard PCI Slots

[Greg Arena]

I worked with them briefly while I was an ASIC engineer with a
division of Intel (we did computer telephony products, not CPU's
or chipsets so please DO NOT ask me questions about CPU
architecture or Intel vs. AMD - I don't work for them now
anyway). One of their chassis' customers was having a problem
with one of our boards using a custom PCI interface chip that I
designed being used in an older-model PCI expansion chassis, and
we ended up tracing the problem to Magma's cable connecting the
two chassis.

Don't let this sway you - they know what they're doing and fixed
it promptly AFAIK. Once we showed them the evidence indicating
their cable was at fault, they didn't try to deny it.

Greg A.

-----Original Message-----
From: Brandon Penglase [mailto:da5id2001 at SpaceServices.net] 
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 5:30 PM
To: Discussion about mythtv
Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] OT: New Motherboard PCI Slots

On Fri, 9 Nov 2007 09:50:42 -0800 (PST)
PK <urbnsr at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hello,
> 
>   I am looking to rebuild one of my MythTV boxes with a newer
> mainstream AMD based system (AM2). As I look at the ATX
motherboards
> on Newegg's site (and TigerDirect), the number of PCI slots
seem to
> default to 2-3 slots. There are a few 4 slot boards and no 5
> slot-ers. I realise PCI-e slots need their room, but I like to
space
> out my Hauppauge PVR-xxx tuners for air circulation. Am I
looking in
> the wrong places, or should I be looking for something else?
> 
>   What is everyone else doing?
> 
> Thanks -
> 
> PK.
> 



Has anyone ever tried out Magma's PCI expansion products? Here is
a
link to a 7 PCI expansion chassis:
http://www.magma.com/products/pci/7PCI/index.html

I figure if you get the PCI-Express card to go into the host
system,
you shouldn't lose much bandwidth between the expansion and the
host,
and this could vastly expand a backend system with tuners. 
The link above is to the 7 slot, and they have others too. Also,
you
can expand out to PCI-Express. 

One draw back is the cost. The 7 slot expansion, plus host card
(PCI-Express) would run you $1599. 

Would be neat to hear if anyone has tried these, and how well
they
worked.