PCI memory controller - ASUS Z170-P LGA1151

[arlesterc]

I have an ASUS system as follows: Z170-P LGA1151. What does the PCI memory controller on this system do? What is its function? I have Googled quite a bit and got lots of info about updating the driver, etc for it but no real explanation of what it does.

Thanks in advance.

 

[basroil]

There is no such thing. PCI and PCIe do not have direct memory access on any modern Intel chip.

 

[arlesterc]

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/3mqe1e/troubleshooting_asus_z170a_pci_memory_controller/

So what are these folks and others talking about? Why do I see a reference to one in my Device Manager to it?

 

[basroil]

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/3mqe1e/troubleshooting_asus_z170a_pci_memory_controller/

So what are these folks and others talking about? Why do I see a reference to one in my Device Manager to it?

It's probably mistaken because you didn't install the chipset drivers.

 

[arlesterc]

As I wrote - I see lots of links about drivers, etc like the one I linked you to. I am not interested in that. I am interested in knowing what this device is/what it correlates to physically. Do you know?

 

[smorizio]

it is a piece of hardware on newer cpu and chipsets. you have to look at intel mb from years ago to today to get what the error means. on older intel mb before the x58 chipset. there were a noth bridge/south bridge chipset and a cpu/ram clock chips on the mb. over the years intel took all these older chipsets and started to use one main control chip on mb. the newer intel cpu have the memory controller in the cpu but there has to be one in the mb chipset to make sure the ram and cpu bus speed is set right. that where you see that error from the missing intel chipset inf and mei drivers. all new mb use pci bus for data. that why you see the 16x video pci lanes. and some mb have x amount of fixed lanes and the x99 has more. if you want to go into tech details download from intel there tech notes on the z170 chipset and early chipset.

 

[smorizio]

http://ark.intel.com/products/90591/Intel-GL82Z170-PCH
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platform_Controller_Hub#Panther_Point

 

[arlesterc]

1) Once again I am not getting the error - I never said I was getting an error. I just included some links to show you the type of information I found when I googled for this item - it was all about errors and problems people had with it in Device Manager but no information about exactly what it does. That is what I want to know:

"What does a PCI memory controller do?"

2) The links you sent me have no information on what a PCI memory controller does - they are just links about various Intel chipsets. If there is a 'What PCI memory controller' does info - I can't find it. If you can then please send me the detail.

3) You write: " the newer intel cpu have the memory controller in the cpu but there has to be one in the mb chipset to make sure the ram and cpu bus speed is set right." Where did you source this information? What does PCI have to do with memory and CPU bus? Aren't those internal buses and the PCI is a bus for external devices?

 

[basroil]

"What does a PCI memory controller do?"

And I already explained to you that there is not supposed to be a "PCI memory controller" and instead you need to first fully install all your drivers and motherboard inf.

 

[arlesterc]

Thanks for your continued responses but I think we are not on the same page. I have found some further information that may help.


I believe the PCI memory controller may be related in functionality to Robson/Intel Turbo RAM - just a newer incarnation.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Turbo_Memory



In particular, there is the following description from the link which seems to indciate the PCI connection:



"The Turbo memory cache connects to a motherboard via a mini-PCIe interface. It supports features available in Microsoft Windows Vista, namely ReadyBoost (a hard-drive caching solution via flash memory) and ReadyDrive (a hard-drive caching solution via hybrid drives). These features allow both read caching and write caching of data. Often this is implemented with a Disk Filtering Option ROM (DFOROM).."



I would just like somebody familiar with this area to confirm my hunch that the PCI memory controller is indeed the same idea just a newer incarnation. If you can great. If not I would as others in the community to step in.