PCI Slots, any difference in any of them?

[modepc]

I have an AN7 from ABIT, that dosent really matter. What i want to know is there a difference between the performance of PCI slots? Is the closest to AGP faster or better for soundcards? I have an SB Audigy 2 ZS and i get glitches in the sound sometimes and in some games only. I was wondering if maybe it was the slot or just a bug between these games and SB Audigy2.

[shamus]

PCI is PCI really. Have you tried loading the newest drivers for that card or just reinstalling the ones you have?

[modepc]

I have the latest drivers from SB directly. It does not do it in all games. I guess the games that does it dosent follow standard or the other way around.

[Platypus]

Yes, different PCI slots can give different results.

The PCI bus utilises four shared interrupt functions, INT A, B, C & D, and four INT lines, any of which can be called on to provide any of the four functions. The primary function that uses an interrupt on any PCI card uses INT A, any further sub-functions go through the remainder up to four functions per card.

So that the primary functions on all the cards aren't using the same INT line, the four lines are interwoven among the PCI slots and the AGP (which is an enhanced PCI). On many motherboards, the PCI slot next to the AGP shares the same INT pattern, so is best not used for another video card or a sound card.

Some motherboard manuals tell you the INT layout, but often you just experiment with different positions for cards to see if they give better results. The ideal arrangement has as many INT A functions as possible on their own INT line, with remaining B,C, etc distributed as evenly as possible. Most PCI cards don't tell you what INT functions they use, so trial & error is usually the way to sort out any conflicts.

[modepc]

I know i wasent crazy. Thanks so much for the info

[Platypus]

I know i wasent crazy.

Are you sure about that?

Glad to help.

[shamus]

I stand corrected.
(bows to Platypus...)

[Platypus]

Heh, no probs, now we just wait for confus-ed to come along & tell me where I've got it wrong...

[shamus]

thanks for the info nontheless....always something else to learn...

[Humilliation]

You can also clear up shared IRQs by jumbling your PCI cards around.