Week 4 Posting - PCIe Expansion Cards

PCIe Expansion Cards

    PCIe Expansion cards are useful tools that can be installed on the motherboard. These tools can replace, replicate, and upgrade the function of various components around the system. The PCI slots sit just below the GPU in most cases. On ATX motherboards, there are often one to two addition x8 or x4 slots that can support the expansion card being installed. Many systems utilize these for various functions in everyday applications.  

    WIFI expansion cards are a perfect example of this. This expansion card can support a user's need for wireless connectivity or replace the function of an ethernet port that went bad on the motherboard. Same goes for USB expansion cards. These cards can upgrade the total available USB ports on a system, or simply replace dead ports as needed. 

    Other useful examples of these cards are video capture cards for streaming, sound cards for higher performance sound capabilities, and Bluetooth cards for enabling Bluetooth in a system. These are perfect examples of upgrades within a system. 

    These cards are not always plug-and-play, however. Many of them utilize special drivers requiring the installer to find the website, or a repository of sorts to find drivers. These drivers support and enable the function of the device. Some devices can utilize Microsoft basic drivers to support these functions, and then upgrade when the system scans for updates. This is the same function motherboards, graphics cards, etc. go through. As a best practice, it is recommended to get the manufacturers' drivers to ensure all functions are properly supported.