Is PCI-E x16 equal to PCI-E 2.0?

[SuxoR]

I've been looking to get a new video card but all video cards are PCI-E 2.0. I've checked my motherboard and it says I have PCI-E x16 slots, I've looked up mobos and they all say they have PCI-E x16 slots, none say 2.0

I've heard it's the same thing, and if not the same then a 2.0 card works in a x16 slot
Can someone clear this up for me?

Thanks

 

[Captain Pooka]

there is no difference.

i think only NOW are they making PCI-e 2.0 slots which if i'm not mistaken are now optimized for pci-e 2.0 cards.
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PCI-E 2.0 also supports outputting more power to the video card through the slot. Hopefully that means that future cards will either not need a pci-e power cable or at least not 2, like some high end cards.
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[freestyler105]

Well first of all, PCI-E 2.0 is technically PCI-E x16 2.0.
And what you called simply PCI-E x16 is technically PCI-E x16 1.0 or 1.1.

So basically, PCI-E x16 2.0 is an updated version of the PCI-E format that is slightly faster.

What you are concerned about is backwards compatibility from 2.0 to 1.0/1.1. And the answer is yes, 2.0 video cards are backwards compatible with 1.0/1.1.

 

[Teny]

from what i have heard, you wont notice any performance gains or know a difference except in benchmarks

 

[JogaBonito1502]

Well first of all, PCI-E 2.0 is technically PCI-E x16 2.0.
And what you called simply PCI-E x16 is technically PCI-E x16 1.0 or 1.1.

So basically, PCI-E x16 2.0 is an updated version of the PCI-E format that is slightly faster.

What you are concerned about is backwards compatibility from 2.0 to 1.0/1.1. And the answer is yes, 2.0 video cards are backwards compatible with 1.0/1.1.

And 1.0/1.1 cards are compatible with 2.0 slots.

 

[bullzi]

It's nothing that's a big deal right now, no realtime rendering program uses all of X16 bandwidth anyway let alone double that. I have a board that runs a single card in X16 2.0 or dual cards in X8 2.0 (same thing as X16 1.0/1.1) either way, you won't see much difference.

 

[SuxoR]

Thanks guys

Guess now I just have to worry about how much room I have for a card