weird slot

e1000 · 11-24-2003, 10:53 PM

Inside my emachines 500ix, there are 2 PCI slots and two other slots parallel to them that are about an inch (give or take) longer than the PCI slots, they are a little wider than the PCI's and they are black.

what are these slots called and how can I put them to use?

PS. I'v seen similar slots before, always in my famlie's or freinds' old computers.

JaseP · 11-24-2003, 11:14 PM

Sounds like an old ISA slot.

wapcaplet · 11-24-2003, 11:59 PM

Yep, definitely ISA slots.

Boy, I feel like an old geek now

As for putting them to use, well, they're not good for much nowadays, since most stuff is either PCI or (in the case of video cards) AGP. If you got ahold of some old expansion cards, though, they may be ISA; practically everything was ISA 10 years ago. Now they don't even bother putting them on motherboards most of the time.

e1000 · 11-25-2003, 12:42 AM

hmm, anyone know of any good linux compatable 10/100 ethernet cards that would fit into a ISA slot? even if they arent produced anymore (thank god for ebay).

a freind gave me his old PCI ethernet card cause he heard i needed one, and when I opened up my box i rememberd that I have no PCI slots left, all I had open was those 2 big unknown slots, so I figured I'd find out what they were for so I could use them.

David_g17 · 11-25-2003, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by e1000
hmm, anyone know of any good linux compatable 10/100 ethernet cards that would fit into a ISA slot? even if they arent produced anymore (thank god for ebay).

a freind gave me his old PCI ethernet card cause he heard i needed one, and when I opened up my box i rememberd that I have no PCI slots left, all I had open was those 2 big unknown slots, so I figured I'd find out what they were for so I could use them.

do you have an AGP slot? also, is one of your PCI slots filled up with a graphics card?

if both answers are yes, you can buy and AGP based graphics card, and free up a PCI slot.

is one of the PCI slots filled up with a sound card? if so, there are many ISA based sound cards. you could probably find a cheap ISA sound card (maybe like $10.00 or less) and free up a PCI slot.

wapcaplet · 11-25-2003, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by e1000
hmm, anyone know of any good linux compatable 10/100 ethernet cards that would fit into a ISA slot? even if they arent produced anymore (thank god for ebay).

I have three or four ISA ethernet cards that I'm trying to get rid of. Send me a few bucks plus shipping and they're yours