How PCI Express Connection Speeds So Fast

Compared with PCI bus and PCI-X bus, PCI Express lane is more powerful and faster. The PCI bus has a fixed width of 32 bits, which allows a maximum speed of 33 MHz and 133 MB of data to pass through the bus per second. The PCI-X has twice the bus width of PCI. On the other hand, PCI-X is able to transfer data at different rates according to different specifications. However, with the surprisingly rapid development of science and technology, PCI and PCI-X can no longer satisfy people’s demands for they need faster data transfer and more digital resources to be dealt with at the same time.

After great efforts, PCI Express emerges as required. With a single PCI Express lane, you are able to cope with 200 MB of traffic in each direction per second. To people’s great surprise, a x16 PCIe connector is capable of transferring 6.4 GB of data per second in each direction. As a result, people can easily deal with large amounts of audio and storage applications at the same time, which is extremely convenient and powerful.

People keep wondering: how PCI Express connection speeds so fast? Actually, some simple advances make these come true:

First of all, the system gives priority to data, which means that it transfers the most significant data first and prevent bottlenecks.

Second, it transfers data immediately after receiving them.

Third, the physical materials used to produce the connections have been improved.

Forth, handshaking and error detection have been boosted up.

Fifth, the way to break data into packets and put the packets together again has been improved.

Last but not least, with the dedicated and point-to-point connection, multiple sources can work their way through different buses.

With all these improvements, PCI Express works faster and more efficiently.

How PCI Express Lanes Work

When we start up our computer, PCIe will determine for us what are connected into the motherboard. Next, it will work to figure out the links between different devices and negotiate the width of each link. At the same time, it will find out the traffic map and coordinate the route of all traffic. As a matter of fact, PCI identifies devices and connects them in the same way. As a result, the old software and systems are still of use. And it is not necessary for you to change or upgrade your software or operating systems to make PCIe work on your computer.

Each lane of a PCI Express connection consists of two pairs of wires, and one for sending and one for receiving data. Packets of data can move across the lane at a rate of one bit per cycle. One lane of a x1 link, which is the smallest PCI e connection, contains four wires. It transmits one bit at once in each direction. A x2 connection is made up of eight wires and carries two bits per cycle. A x4 connection transmits four bits per cycle, and so on. There are also x12, x16 and x32 links whose operating can be inferred based on the same working principle.

PCI Express can be used by both desktop and laptop PCs. Its links uses fewer pins than PCI links do, which will decrease the cost of motherboard production. In this aspect, it is rather economical and convenient. On the other hand, chances are that it is compatible with many devices, for example, Ethernet cards, USB 2 and video cards. In all, PCI Express offers us more powerful digital systems which is able to help us deal with large amounts of data simultaneously, efficiently, and economically.

Why We Need PCI-E

PCI，short for Peripheral Computer Interconnect, is a very powerful and vital component which can bring us a lot of conveniences. For many years, PCI slots have been indispensible parts for our computers. PCI slots, used by enormous digital devices, are so widely applied in our daily life that we may not pay much attention to them. When it comes to connecting sound, video and network cards to a motherboard, the first thing we can think of is the PCI slot, which has been proved to be very powerful and useful.

However, nothing is perfect. PCI is no exception. With the rapid development of science and technology, PCI can no longer satisfy people’s demanding requirements. Video cards, sound cards and network have become more and more versatile and faster, but PCI has not improved at all. On the other hand, people need a device which can help them deal with more digital resources in a quicker and more powerful way. PCI can not satisfy such demands for its width has been fixed at 32 bits and it can only deal with 5 devices simultaneously. The newer device, 64-bit PCI-X bus, has more bandwidth, but it has some other issues to cope with.

Therefore, PCI-E emerges as required. It gets rid of most of PCI’s disadvantages and benefit people in a broader way. It is equipped with more bandwidth. Moreover, it is compatible with all operating systems in existence. As a result, PCI-E has been immediately and widely received by the majority. It is able to deal with much more devices at a time and operate in a more efficient way. People have no need to worry about the large amount of digital resources pouring in. PCI-E is designed to improve the process efficiency of digital resources and enjoys popularity among consumers.