• Computers
  • Upgrading my dinosaur/need PCI slots
2015/05/21 23:40:08
thelump15
Would like some advice on updating my dinosaur system.  I'm still running Sonar 8.5,  Win XP on an old Gigabyte mobo using an old AMD Opteron 165. Obviously, I've pretty much maxed out my capabilities as far as upgrading to Sonar X3 and Win 7 or 8 etc..but I'm limited in what I can spend right now and would like, if possible, to continue using my all but obsolete Frontier Design Dakota/Tango/Sierra PCI audio interface which has served me so well.   I also have a UAD-1 PCI card which I would like to keep as well.  I believe there are working 64bit drivers for both.  My problem is there are very few mobos out there that utilize the legacy PCI slots effectively and in sufficient numbers to make my quest possible.  I did run across this however: JetWay JNAF93-Q77 LGA 1155 Intel Q77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard on Newegg.
Will this work? Anyone have any experience with Jetway, something I had never heard of before. The reviews seem to suggest this might be exactly what I'm looking for.  A mobo with 4 PCI slots that will accomodate an Intel I7 LGA 1155 Quad Core cpu.  I realize it's certainly not state of the art, but for about $600 (mobo, cpu and memory) I could possibly significantly upgrade my system back from the Dark Ages!  Am I nuts? Please, any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
2015/05/22 09:13:06
fireberd
I would do a lot more digging into that motherboard before ordering one.  The PCI slots on most newer chipset boards are not true PCI but only PCI bridged to the PCIe bus and many older PCI cards will not work or work properly. 
 
The documentation I found on the Jetway site does not detail what the PCI slots are.   Have you sent a query to Jetway on what the slots actually are.
2015/05/22 12:09:17
Jim Roseberry
fireberd
The documentation I found on the Jetway site does not detail what the PCI slots are.   Have you sent a query to Jetway on what the slots actually are.



 
I can tell you for sure that they are bridged PCI slots.
It's the OP's choice, but I wouldn't use that motherboard.
 
It's a lot to upgrade, but the OP's best course of action is to transition to a newer make audio interface and a UAD2 card.  Using older hardware, you're essentially "locked" in time.  
ie: Current UAD software no longer supports the UAD1 card.
2015/05/22 13:26:58
thelump15
Oh well, it was a shot.... Jim, you are right, I would be locked in time and eventually would have to transition anyhow. The financial outlay is just not possible at the moment.  I will explore some other options.  I do have an old MOTU 828MKll firewire interface that might be easier to accomodate with a newer system and allow me to bridge the gap until I can afford to upgrade to a newer interface.  Thanks for the your help.
2015/05/22 14:52:40
Jim Roseberry
thelump15
I do have an old MOTU 828MKll firewire interface that might be easier to accomodate with a newer system and allow me to bridge the gap until I can afford to upgrade to a newer interface. 



The 828mkII is a perfect interim solution.
If you upgrade your machine, just make sure to add a TI chipset Firewire controller.
Syba makes a nice/inexpensive TI chipset controller that works great with MOTU units.
2015/05/22 15:20:59
thelump15
Thanks Jim, at least I have a direction now.  BTW, can you recomment a mobo that has at least one unbridged PCI slot?  Maybe I could at least get a bit more mileage out of the UAD-1
2015/05/22 18:31:35
dwardzala
And this is why Jim is awesome!
2015/05/23 11:43:32
Jim Roseberry
thelump15
Thanks Jim, at least I have a direction now.  BTW, can you recomment a mobo that has at least one unbridged PCI slot?  Maybe I could at least get a bit more mileage out of the UAD-1



The only way you're going to get true PCI slot/s is to go with a (now) older X79 chipset motherboard.
That'll get you one or two (unbridged) PCI slots.
 
FWIW, I think you'd be best off going with a socket 1155 Z97 based machine with a 4790k CPU.
The money you'd save (vs. a now older socket 2011 X79 machine) could be put toward a UAD2 Solo card.
The UAD2 Solo has 2.5 times the processing power of the older UAD1.  
The only plugin you'll lose by going to the UAD2 is Nigel (no big loss ).
2015/05/23 14:31:42
thelump15
Once again, Jim, thanks.  Great advice.  I was actually looking at the exact thing last night and thinking the same.
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