[mythtv-users] AM2 Motherboard with PCI slots galore

[Scott Alfter]

Brad DerManouelian wrote:
> On Feb 14, 2008, at 9:41 PM, Mark wrote:
>> Brad DerManouelian wrote:
>>>> How about a PCI expansion chassis?  One card on your motherboard,  
>>>> 7-13 pci slots on the chassis.  Available surplus too.
>>>>
>>> Wouldn't you start to run into PCI bandwidth limitations?
>>
>> Well, they used to make motherboards with 5-6 pci slots....
> 
> Yeah, but if you're using a breakout box that plugs a bunch of PCI  
> slots into a single slot, aren't you more limited than a motherboard  
> with a bunch of PCI slots built in?

You could also go from a PCI-e slot to multiple PCI slots.  I know some PCI-e 
cards are just PCI devices that have been adapted with a bridge chip.  Googling 
for "pci expansion chassis" and then clicking around within one of the first 
sites listed turned up this:

http://www.magma.com/products/pci/

I have no idea how much these things cost (probably not cheap), but in addition 
to PCI-to-PCI, it looks like there are host-system adapters for CardBus, 
ExpressCard, PCI Express, and PCI-X.

(Ouch...there's a "shop now" link, and just the single-slot chassis with most 
host adapters runs around $1000.  4 slots would run about $1400, and 7 slots 
start around $1600.  eBay prices for similar products don't look much better, 
either.)

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