[mythtv-users] Combined Atom FE/BE /w GT220 ?

[Raymond Wagner]

  On 8/18/2010 12:26, Kevin Ross wrote:
>  On 8/18/2010 9:17 AM, Raymond Wagner wrote:
>>  On 8/18/2010 12:06, Kevin Ross wrote:
>>>  On 8/18/2010 9:03 AM, Raymond Wagner wrote:
>>>>  On 8/18/2010 11:53, Kevin Ross wrote:
>>>>>  On 8/17/2010 7:43 PM, James Harris wrote:
>>>>>> The Zotax NM10-B-E
>>>>>>
>>>>>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813500048
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Is a DTX board [slightly wider, thats OK I can manage a case for 
>>>>>> it] and lists a x16 slot BUT with a x1 lane.
>>>>>
>>>>> I couldn't believe this when I read this.  What on Earth could the 
>>>>> reason be for having a PCIe x16 slot but with only 1 lane?  How 
>>>>> could that be any better than just putting 2 x1 slots on the 
>>>>> board?  I can't imagine anything designed for an x16 slot would 
>>>>> work very well in such a slot.
>>>>
>>>> They make PCIe x1 video cards, so obviously someone thinks they 
>>>> will work fine for some purposes.
>>>
>>> Right, but do those video cards fit in a PCIe x1 slot?  Or do they 
>>> require an x16 slot?
>>
>> They're exactly the same as the x16 card, they just have an x1 
>> connector to fit on boards with x1 slots.  You're not going to be 
>> doing a whole lot of 3D gaming, but for an extra monitor or video 
>> display (using hardware decoding), they're great.
>
> Right, that was my point, they have an x1 connector, not an x16 
> connector.  Why have an x16 connector on a motherboard if 15 of the 16 
> lanes aren't hooked up?  Just put another x1 connector on there.  
> Imagine the confusion that would come when someone sees the x16 
> connector, then goes and buys a nice video card, puts it in and it 
> doesn't work, because it isn't really an x16 slot.

As Joseph Fry stated, it means you can put any PCIe card in there you 
want, rather than having to track down possibly rare x1 parts.