What is a PCIe card?
A PCIe card is a network card with a PCIe interface that is used as an expansion port in a motherboard-level connection. It is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard.
Why choose a PCIe card?
Before the advent of PCIe cards, there were two main types of network cards on the market: PCI and PCI-X cards. The connector and circuit design of the PCI-E card are completely different. It has been improved on the basis of the original two mainstream network cards and has become the most commonly used network card.
How many types of PCIe cards are there?
The specification of a PCIe card is usually expressed by the number of lanes. Generally speaking, PCIe cards come in five physical sizes: x1, x4, x8, x16, and x32. The number after x" refers to the number of lanes in the PCIe slot, eg a PCIe x4 card means the card has four lanes.
How to choose a PCIe card?
If you're working with wired networking but are not satisfied with the ready-made system, you may want to consider purchasing a PCIe card. It should be noted that your computer must have at least one available PCI Express slot, and you need to consider the following factors when purchasing:
1. PCIe card version and slot width: This is to ensure that the type of PCIe card is compatible with your current device and network environment.
2. Protocol standards: Before purchasing, you need to determine whether the network card supports the standards you need, such as RDMA, RoCE, iSCSI, and FCoE.
3. Controller: Intel, Broadcom, Mellanox, and Realtek controller chips are the mainstream trend.
In addition to the above three factors, factors such as transmission speed, number of ports, connector type, operating system, brand, and price also need to be considered.
