Out of PCI slots, what would you do?

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by cabbiinc, Nov 28, 2011.

  1. cabbiinc

    cabbiinc Staff Sergeant

    I'm all out of slots and I need one more.
    This is my motherboard http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6433517&CatId=5543
    It has 2 PCI slots, a PCIe x16 slot, and a PCIe slot. My video card has a rather large heat sink on it that eclipses the PCIex1 slot entirely. Which leaves 2 PCI slots open. I have a TV tuner card in one and a Firewire card in another which I use for my video camera and very rarely connect my dSLR to the FW also (just to sync the clock basically). I use everything that's plugged in. I need to add a SCSI controller to use with a Nikon scanner.

    Options:

    1. Buy a add on piece to my TV tuner card which gives it RCA inputs for the video camera. I then wouldn't have as much functionality with the video camera but I can probably live with that. Uninstall the FW card and swap it in once or twice a year when I need to use it for the dSLR.
    2. Install the FW onto [kids] computer and use the video camera from there. Still not perfect as the software that I'd want to use for import is on [main] computer. Install the SCSI card on [main] computer.
    3. Buy a SCSI to USB adapter and forgo the card all together. I'm low on USB ports but that's what hubs are for, I'd need to buy one of those too. I've also read that the SCSI adapters aren't exactly perfect and can be buggy.
    4. Buy one of these http://www.amazon.com/Riser-32Bit-D.../ref=sr_1_128?ie=UTF8&qid=1322505107&sr=8-128 and install the FW and SCSI cards onto it. There's enough room in my case for it and I'm pretty sure I can get it to line up with the current expansion card slots in the back of the case. The FW and SCSI cards wouldn't be used at the same time, but opening the case to swap out would be a pain to do 2 or 3 times in a day.
    My mother board also has a USB header that's open and 2 SATA headers that are open (not in use). But I've been Googling for a while and I couldn't find any SATA to FW or SATA to SCSI adapters that looked like they would work. Most reviews for the cheaper USB to FW adapters said that they just didn't work like you'd think they would. I'm leaning towards option 1 but thought I'd run it by you guys.
     
  2. cabbiinc

    cabbiinc Staff Sergeant

    Option 5. Buy a different video card for the PCIe x16 slot that doesn't take up that much room. Buy a TV tuner card that runs in the PCIe x1 slot, install the FW and SCSI cards in the two remaining slots.
    6. Buy a TV tuner USB adapter and give the PCI TV tuner to the [kids] computer.
     
  3. cosmicma

    cosmicma Private E-2

    i'd go for option 6 buy a usb tv tuner and free up the pci slot
     
  4. TheRealGEEK

    TheRealGEEK Private First Class

    What graphics card do you have?
     
  5. cabbiinc

    cabbiinc Staff Sergeant

  6. cabbiinc

    cabbiinc Staff Sergeant

    Update:
    OK, I bought a SCSI card and just swap it out with the FireWire card when needed. So far so good. I'll likely figure out a better solution later. Next problem.

    I now have two scanners. One is recognized by the SCSI utility and works just fine. The other doesn't even show up in the SCSI utility (much like the BIOS utility, accessed at startup with the same graphical interface). It doesn't show up in the device manager.
    Details:
    The recognized scanner is a Nikon LS-2000 (also sold as a Coolscan 2000).
    The non-recognized scanner is a Canon FS-4000US.
    I can use the same cord to plug in the Canon as the Nikon, no change.
    I can use a cord to the Nikon, then another to the Canon, no change.
    I can use a cord to the Canon, then another to the Nikon, no change. Yet I can still use the Nikon.

    Any ideas?
    The Canon also has USB 1.1, but that's horribly slow, almost to the point of being unusable. So slow that sometimes the session times out and the scan doesn't finish.

    EDIT: Maybe I should just start a new discussion on this.
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2012

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