PCIkortteihin

PCIkortteihin, often referred to as PCI cards, are expansion cards that plug into the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus on a computer's motherboard. The PCI bus was a standard interface for connecting various hardware components to a computer's central processing unit. These cards allowed users to add or upgrade functionality to their systems, such as graphics, sound, networking, or storage capabilities, without having to replace the entire computer.

Common examples of PCI cards include graphics cards, which provide video output, sound cards that enable audio input and output, network interface cards (NICs) for connecting to a network, and SCSI or SATA controllers for managing hard drives. The PCI standard allowed for high-speed data transfer between the card and the motherboard, making it a popular choice for a wide range of peripheral devices.

While PCI was a dominant standard for many years, it has largely been superseded by newer technologies like PCI Express (PCIe). PCIe offers significantly higher bandwidth and a more scalable architecture, making it better suited for the demands of modern hardware. However, older systems may still utilize PCI slots, and some legacy hardware might still be available in this form factor. The prevalence of PCI has diminished considerably with the advent of integrated components on motherboards and the adoption of PCIe.