Question Do PCI to PCIe adapters really work?

[Petros_K]

I have an old audio card (E-mu 1010) that is PCI. It's high quality and has worked well with Windows 10. Upgraded my system to one that has a better CPU but the motherboard only has PCIe slots. Anybody know if this type of adapter allows a PCI card to work in a PCIe slot?

Like this: https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-PCI-Express-Adapter-Card/dp/B0024CV3SA

Or like this: https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Express-Converter-Extender-Desktop/dp/B0B87YQQ8H

 

[Aeacus]

Should work fine.

Here's also a video for reassurance;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlzaeKA4IZ8

 

[Petros_K]

Okay thanks. Encouraging. So in that video is also an older E-mu/Creative Labs audio card for PCI inteface.

Another video is showing these PCIe to PCI adapters don't always work, depending on your PC:

View: https://youtu.be/_MIoC-CdEQw?feature=shared

Might also be problematic to get the card into the case because the E-MU 1010 card is not low profile, and I'm reading the adapter adds about 1 inch in height.

 

[Aeacus]

Another video is showing these PCIe to PCI adapters don't always work, depending on your PC:

I think the person in that video ran into power issues.

PCI cards, max, can get 25W from PCI slot.
PCI-e cards have it at 75W.

Only power cable he connected, was USB 3.0 type-A, which runs at 5V 900mA. Or 4.5W. That's more than 5x times less, what PCI slot can deliver. Also, no +12V rail in USB.
Though, his adapter had SATA power connector for supplementary power, which he didn't connect. (SATA does have +12V rail.) No wonder the PCI card doesn't work.
Sure, his test PCI card did show power in PCI slot, but didn't show which rails and how much of it.

With this, i'd look towards direct-connection adapters, rather than extensions via USB.

Might also be problematic to get the card into the case because the E-MU 1010 card is not low profile, and I'm reading the adapter adds about 1 inch in height.

Yeah, besides using adapters, clearance is another pain on trying to use old hardware on modern system.

Up to you how willing you are to mess with old PCI card(s). There are newer, PCI-E based sound cards out there as well. Which, should give better audio.

Upgraded my system to one that has a better CPU but the motherboard only has PCIe slots.

I wonder, what's your new build specs?

E.g if you'd have AM5 socket MoBo, then you could've gone with MoBo that does have PCI slot.
Like Asus Pro A620M-C-CSM;
specs: https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/motherboards/business/pro-a620m-c-csm/
amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-A620M-C-CSM-Motherboard-Socket-Ethernet/dp/B0C6HX977C

Gave a quick look and there are few LGA1851 MoBos with PCI slot as well (two from MSI). Couldn't find them on sale, but i didn't look that hard either.
Also, ample selection of LGA1700 MoBos with PCI slot. And easily found those on sale as well.

Dedicated PCI slot on MoBo would eliminate adapter issues. Also, MoBo would have PCI support off the bat.

 

[Petros_K]

Here is an old thread at another forum where they are discussing the hit or miss of using a PCIe to PCI adapter with PCI soundcards:

https://gearspace.com/board/music-c...use-pci-card-pci-e-only-machine-solution.html

 

[Petros_K]

Only power cable he connected, was USB 3.0 type-A, which runs at 5V 900mA. Or 4.5W. That's more than 5x times less, what PCI slot can deliver.
Though, his adapter had SATA power connector for supplementary power, which he didn't connect. No wonder the PCI card doesn't work.
Sure, his test PCI card did show power in PCI slot, but didn't show which rails and how much of it.

With this, i'd look towards direct-connection adapters, rather than extensions via USB.

You mean to prevent potential power issue, get this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KZHE0WC?ref=emc_s_m_5_i_atc

Instead of this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4F6S31W

--Although the later does have an SATA power cable (so looks like it is direct connection) that's the design that if no room in the case run the cable outside and work out a way to mount in an external box, or if possible some other way inside the case rather than having the PC board standing higher than the space you have inside the case.

I already have the PC. I was mistaken about what the soundcard required and thought it was a PCIe card but it's actually PCI. The system is an HP EliteDesk 800 G4 with Intel i7-8700 CPU. Not current but an upgrade for me. Just need to work out if the PCIe to PCI adapter will do the job.

 

[Aeacus]

where they are discussing the hit or miss of using a PCIe to PCI adapter with PCI soundcards

Well, yeah. Using any kind of adapter can be problematic, especially when it is between different protocols.

E.g VGA to HDMI or PS/2 to USB. Etc.

You mean to prevent potential power issue, get this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KZHE0WC?ref=emc_s_m_5_i_atc

Instead of this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4F6S31W

Yes.

You can actually see on the 2nd item product image that it needs SATA power as well, which the bloke in your linked video didn't connect. Though, that SATA power connector can give clearance issues, since in that video, he may not even had enough clearance to slot the card in, even if he had connected the SATA power cable.

 

[Petros_K]

So this one may still work: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4F6S31W

I just don't want to get stuck not being able to close the case or connect cables to the soundcard.

 

[Aeacus]

So this one may still work: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4F6S31W

With SATA power connected - it should.

However, when your sound card also has longer PCI connector like in the video you linked, do note that the card doesn't make it clearance wise when SATA power is connected. At 6 min mark, you can see that the rest of the PCI connectors overhang the card. And at 2:40, with top view, the SATA connector is blocking the excess of PCI connectors, IF you have the SATA connector plugged in there.

I just don't want to get stuck not being able to close the case or connect cables to the soundcard.

I have 0 clue on how you could fasten the PCI slot part to the PC case, so that it doesn't move around. While also having connections to the sound card.
But that's for you to figure out.

 

[Petros_K]

How about this comment that was posted at the video above:

"The way these things power the PCI cards is badly designed and it will still switch on and work even if the auxiliary SATA power connector isn't used. It has no overload protection so if the cards draw too much power over the PCI-E connection then you run the risk of damaging the motherboard as I did. The power connector on mine was also positioned badly where longer PCI cards would get in the way so I had to makeshift an angled connector that was shallow enough to fit. I wouldn't recommend using these on any motherboard you can't afford to damage and instead just buy the PCI-E equivalent of whatever expansion card you need or pay more for a better branded one such as Startech."

The PCIe to PCI adapter power could cause an overload? Above, "If the cards draw too much power over the PCI-E connection..." --Wouldn't the card draw only the power it's designed to need?

 

[Aeacus]

Wouldn't the card draw only the power it's designed to need?

Yes.

All components inside the PC actually draw as much as they need. Not the other way around where PSU feeds the full wattage to components and it's up to the components to either survive the excess wattage or not.

Also, this doesn't make sense:

if the cards draw too much power over the PCI-E connection

As i said, PCI-E is rated up to 75W. On normal MoBo that is. Prebuilt, proprietary MoBos, may have the wattage rating much lower. I've seen Dell SFF MoBos with only 25W through PCI-E.

PCI is rated up to 25W. So, even when one uses the PCI-E to dual PCI adapter and populates both PCI slots, their combined power draw (50W) is still less than what PCI-E slot is able to deliver (up to 75W).

 

[Petros_K]

I've also got someone telling me who owns a recording studio in Texas that he's running a Windows 10 PC with the same E-MU 1010 audio card on a PCIe to PCI adapter and NOT using the SATA plug for power, which suggests the card may only need what the rail provides.

So looks good to go.

Thanks so much for your help and advice Aeacus!

 

[Aeacus]

As an aside, I got PCIe to PCI working using a GT710 video card (don't ask why!), so the two interfaces can, in theory, be mated.

Your case isn't what OP is looking for. You used PCI-E GPU (which GT710 is) in adapter, to make it work in PCI MoBo.

OP has it vice-versa. Old sound card in modern system. Not modern card in old system. So, the two aren't comparable.

The E-MU 1010 is not a mere consumer sound card, it is a professional digital audio interface. I think that is worth mentioning

Be what it may, it doesn't make a difference to me. OP's question is technical, which i answered by the best of my ability.