How to Identify an AGP PCI

Both AGP and PCI are pictured here.

Many different types of hardware ports are available on personal computers. Known as expansion slots, these ports are where video cards, sound cards, TV tuner cards, physics cards and the like are installed. When looking to install one of these cards, it is vitally important to know what type of expansion slot the card is compatible for. Two of the more common expansion slots are the accelerated graphics port, AGP, and peripheral component interconnect, or PCI.

Instructions

1. Open your PC tower, if you have not done so already. The only way to identify the expansion ports is to visually view them.

2. Look at the rear of the motherboard. You will find several horizontal ports. These are your expansion slots.

3. Locate AGP ports by looking for long, often brown- or dark red-colored expansion slots divided into three nearly equally spaced sections. Many AGP ports also have a plastic lever on the right end of it.

4. Find PCI ports by looking for either white or black slots divided between one long slot and one short one.

5. Examine the area around each slot closely, as the motherboard manufacturer has likely labeled each expansion slot in small lettering.

References

• TechRepublic: Learn to Identify Common ATX motherboard components
• PC 911: Motherboard Identification