So I have a free PCI-E slot (and maybe more PCI slots as well) and don’t really feel like having another graphics card. I know that you can put sound cards, TV tuners, and expansion cards in PCI slots but could someone list or point me to a list of (preferably) everything that can be put into a PCI slot? I’d like to see what my options are.
Graphics cards
Sound cards
TV tuners
USB port cards (don’t usually plug into the slots - they generally connect to a set of pins on the motherboard - but they do take up the space)
OCZ RevoDrive Solid State Drives
Network cards
Dial-up modems (…)
FireWire 1394 cards / DV cards
I’d put a minuscule rocket launcher. PCI/E IS THE USB OF DA RICH!
If you have some dosh to burn the PCI storage options are very impressive, but they don’t come cheep. Also tuners are very slick. Being able to have live television as a window on your desktop is awesome. Will change the way you watch TV.
Video Capture card. If used alongside other decent equipment, you can do some cool shit.
Of course how you acquire the software to do so would be completely up to you… 
What kind of storage options are we talking about?
And I was thinking of getting a sound card for my free PCI-E slot and if I had a free PCI slot getting a TV tuner.
We´re talking 1Gb/s write speed SSD drive on a pci-e card by OCZ, we´re also talking a lot of money, still, freaking awesome.
Yes they are damn pricy. Talkin’ like $3 to $10 per gigabyte. (tho the very expensive ones for specialized applications or people who have a problem with money)
Hahaha $100,000.
Right now I’m looking into getting this sound card. Don’t have a 7.1 speaker setup but it’ll raise the quality regardless and I’ll probably get a 5.1 setup eventually.
Then maybe a TV tuner if I can figure out what exactly you have to do to set it up.
That soundcard is “ok” for sound producing and mixing, However, if you plan on using it for games, good luck. If that is the case go for a creative or asus xonar card, fortunately or unfortunately, it´s the only way to go if you plan on using it for games.
Why can’t it be used for playing games?
Well it can but you wont get much out of it, you most likely wont get surround sound in games with it, no EAX, amongst other, also, it seems to be focused on digital tech like DTS which imply that it may sound a lot better on digital speakers, know what I mean?
Setting up a tuner card is super simple as long as it is compatible with windows media center. Can usually be up and running in a matter of minutes. (little longer of you need to get/install/configure an IR blaster)
Might want to check out a program called ORB if you get the tuner. You can stream your own tuner card (and the rest of the media on your computer for that matter) over the net to other computers, video game consoles, phones and other devices.
So it wouldn’t even raise the sound quality? And a few of the reviews mentioned the EAX thing and how not many games nowadays use it anyway.
@above: Do you need to plug anything in or will it pick up the signal?
Well depending on what you want to capture with it. If your gong to grab basic cable you just connect the coax. Digital cable or satalite TV you need to connect the the provider box and also use an IR blaster so you can control it. As for getting television over the air you will need a digital antenna. If you go that route make sure you have a digital tuner.
The reviews for the tuner I was looking at said you don’t need the box, it sort of functions as one on its own. But I do think it said something about an IR blaster. This is the one I was looking at: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815706001 .
Yes, it would, the sound would be clearer and nicer, but it would just be that, clear stereo sound. About EAX and other in-gaming sound tech, I´m not entirely sure on how it goes, but I do know for a fact (from putting togueter pcs and so on with different sound cards) that, for whatever reason, you only get the full “deal” in games when using a card from creative or asus, for whatever reason, also, there may be other cards out there on which you get this, just saying that these 2 brands are the only ones I know on which you do.
EDIT: This is why fancy headsets use virtual surround, because they do not depend on the card or game audio tech to create surround that way, again not entirely sure how this tech actually works.
Ah cable card tuner very nice. Just need to get the card from your provider (or steal it out of an existing box) That should take of everything (no IR blaster needed as having the card in the computer takes care of all of the decrypting)
Hm, it’s a 7.1 card though. You’re saying that even though it is that, it won’t do surround for games? I could have sworn it has like surround sound emulation or something like that. I’ll have to do more research.
I’d like someone else to come in here and either confirm or deny what you’re saying though.
So pretty much all I’d have to do is put the tuner in and then put a card I get from my company in it and that’s that? Does getting the card cost anything? That’d be amazing if it were that simple.
Yes, it doesnt matter if it´s 7.1 if the game can´t talk to it in 7.1 language, if that makes sense.