The 30 best pci express brands
Dell, ASUS and HP lead our ranking of 30 pci express brands. Compare what each brand makes, visit its official site, or shop it online.
Pci Express brands, ranked
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1
Dell
Mostly Radeon workstation cards and 10GbE server network adapters, often sold with part numbers tied to specific Dell machines.
Top products: Radeon PRO WX 7100· Dual-Port 10GbE SFP+ PCIe Network Adapter
Website: dell.com |Brands like Dell
Popularity 10.0/10
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2
ASUS
Enthusiast expansion cards such as Thunderbolt and 10GbE add-ins, with the ROG line aimed at gamers and creators.
Top products: ThunderboltEX 3· ROG Areion 10G
Website: asus.com |Brands like ASUS
Popularity 9.0/10
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3
HP
Riser and expander cards for ProLiant servers, mainly PCI Express x8 parts for internal server builds.
Top products: PCI Express 3.0 x8 Expander Card
Website: 192.168.0.1. |Brands like HP
Popularity 8.2/10
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4
MSI
Graphics cards from low-profile Radeon models up to gaming GeForce designs with heavier coolers.
Top products: Radeon HD 6450
Website: msi.com |Brands like MSI
Popularity 7.0/10
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5
GIGABYTE
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth PCIe cards that add wireless to desktops, including WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 models.
Top products: GC-WBAX210· GC-WIFI7
Website: gigabyte.com |Brands like GIGABYTE
Popularity 7.0/10
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6
NVIDIA
Professional Quadro workstation cards and Tesla data-centre GPUs, along with the GeForce chips used across the market.
Top products: Quadro P600· Quadro K5000· Tesla M60
Website: nvidia.com |Brands like NVIDIA
Popularity 6.9/10
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7
Intel
Ethernet server adapters such as the X520 range, plus high-end data-centre GPUs for compute workloads.
Top products: X520-DA2· Data Center Max 1100
Website: intel.com |Brands like Intel
Popularity 6.6/10
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8
Lenovo
ThinkSystem server riser modules and Intel-based 10Gb network adapters for business server builds.
Top products: Intel X710-DA2
Website: lenovo.com |Brands like Lenovo
Popularity 5.2/10
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9
EVGA
GeForce graphics cards built on NVIDIA chips, with its own cooler and warranty designs, and the 1080 Ti popular in older gaming rigs.
Top products: 1080 Ti
Website: evga.com |Brands like EVGA
Popularity 4.9/10
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10
AMD
Radeon graphics cards for desktops and Instinct accelerators for servers, including passively cooled data-centre cards.
Top products: Instinct MI25· Radeon Pro V620
Website: amd.com |Brands like AMD
Popularity 4.6/10
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11
ASRock
Motherboard specialist that sells niche boards like the BC-250, a gaming-class APU board with 16GB GDDR6.
Top products: BC-250
Website: asrock.com |Brands like ASRock
Popularity 4.5/10
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12
Supermicro
Server riser cards and Intel-based quad-port 10GbE adapters, aimed at data-centre server chassis builders.
Top products: RSC-R1UW-E8R· AOC-STG-i4T
Website: supermicro.com |Brands like Supermicro
Popularity 3.8/10
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13
Mellanox
InfiniBand and Ethernet host adapters from the ConnectX series, aimed at high-speed storage and HPC networks.
Top products: ConnectX-3 Pro· ConnectX-4
Website: mellanox.com |Brands like Mellanox
Popularity 3.6/10
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14
PNY
NVIDIA board partner selling Quadro and GeForce cards, plus workstation graphics for professional users.
Website: pny.com |Brands like PNY
Popularity 3.5/10
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15
IBM
ServeRAID storage controllers that add SAS and SATA ports to IBM servers, mainly older enterprise systems.
Top products: ServeRAID M1210
Website: ibm.com |Brands like IBM
Popularity 3.3/10
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16
Broadcom
Broadcom sells Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips and PCI network cards to computer makers and consumers. The company is better known as a semiconductor and infrastructure software supplier, and its connectivity parts are built into many devices.
Website: broadcom.com |Brands like Broadcom
Popularity 3.1/10
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17
XFX
The XFX research and development team is constantly pushing to invent and develop goods. This goods suit the high-performance demands of PC gamers and then promote those products to PC gamers and hardware enthusiasts worldwide. AMD Radeon RX 6000 series:...
Website: xfxforce.com |Brands like XFX
Popularity 3.0/10
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18
Q-Logic
The practice of placing speakers in the kick panel area stems back to the days when organized sound-off tournaments were famous. The Q-Logic sound system's central location allows the audio from each speaker to reach the listener's ears properly. As...
Website: qlogicenclosures.com |Brands like Q-Logic
Popularity 3.0/10
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19
SAPPHIRE
Sapphire makes graphics cards built around AMD Radeon chips. The company is a long-standing AMD partner that has released overclocked editions. Its main business is GPUs, and its graphics card lineup reflects that focus on AMD-based hardware.
Website: sapphireav.com |Brands like SAPPHIRE
Popularity 2.9/10
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20
Apple
Stephen Wozniak had a dream of building his computer. In 1976, Wozniak partnered with his former high-school classmate, Steve Jobs, and began operations at Jobs’ family garage. Their first model was a lone working circuit board, which they worked into...
Website: support.apple.com |Brands like Apple
Popularity 2.7/10
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21
ATI
ATI made graphics chips and boards in Canada, and AMD bought the company for about $5.4 billion. Its Radeon graphics cards remain the most visible part of that legacy, and they now sell under AMD's name. Graphics cards for gaming...
Popularity 2.7/10
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22
HPE
HPE, short for Hewlett Packard Enterprise, builds equipment for businesses and data centers, including enterprise servers, SATA hard drives and CPUs. The company separated from Hewlett-Packard as an independent business. Its products are used for large computing workloads, and organisations...
Popularity 2.6/10
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23
StarTech
With the development in the field of electronic devices, another area that undergoes positive change is the accessories section. Technology has several problems, and StarTech was established to cure them and find a solution so that they won't happen again....
Website: startech.com |Brands like StarTech
Popularity 2.6/10
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24
Corsair
Design and upgrade your gaming rig with Corsair! They promise high-performance gear and equipment, and you will find everything you need for professional gaming and content creation. The company website allows you to customize your own PC in simple steps...
Website: corsair.com |Brands like Corsair
Popularity 2.5/10
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25
Thermaltake
Thermaltake makes PC cases, power supplies, cooling systems and computer accessories. The company is a Taiwanese manufacturer, and its chassis include mini tower, micro-ATX and ATX models with tempered glass panels. Its water cooling products support large radiators, which suits...
Website: thermaltakeusa.com |Brands like Thermaltake
Popularity 2.2/10
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26
Creative
Sound is a significant element in the field of entertainment. Without sound, everything feels dull and incomplete. Creative comes up with solutions to problems like these. The company produces audio accessories for your entertainment systems, PCs, and many more. Established...
Popularity 2.2/10
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27
Cisco
Cisco helps to bring a better future into perspective. The future of the workforce is here. The entire working community has changed since the pandemic hit the global scale. The hybrid work motion is getting increasingly popular nowadays, and Cisco...
Popularity 2.1/10
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28
Acer
Acer started in 1976 in Taiwan and now sells computers, monitors and storage products in more than 160 countries. The company's range includes 8GB memory modules, SATA hard disks and hard drives, and general computer parts for upgrades and repairs.
Popularity 2.0/10
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29
Toshiba
Toshiba makes hard disk drives, SATA hard drives, RAM modules and other computer parts. Its products cover storage and electronics for both personal computers and business systems.
Website: toshiba.com |Brands like Toshiba
Popularity 1.9/10
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30
Fujitsu
IT is a field of knowledge that is growing at an extreme rate. All the ideas and concepts within the stream are proving to be useful for the development. Fujitsu Global is one of the leading IT services providers across...
Website: global.fujitsu |Brands like Fujitsu
Popularity 1.9/10
Official websites and social accounts
| Brand | Website | X / Twitter | YouTube | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dell | dell.com | – | – | – | – |
| ASUS | asus.com | /AsusIndia | asusindia | @ASUSindia | – |
| HP | 192.168.0.1. | – | – | – | – |
| MSI | msi.com | – | – | – | – |
| GIGABYTE | gigabyte.com | /GIGABYTEofficial | gigabyte_official | – | GIGABYTEChannel |
| NVIDIA | nvidia.com | /NVIDIA | nvidia | @nvidia | nvidia |
| Intel | intel.com | /IntelIndia | intelindia | @IntelIndia | – |
| Lenovo | lenovo.com | /LenovoIndia | lenovo_india | @lenovo_in | LenovoVision |
| EVGA | evga.com | – | – | – | – |
| AMD | amd.com | – | – | – | – |
PCI Express Buying Guide
If you're building your own PC, you know that there are countless components needed to make it all work together. One of the most important pieces of hardware is the PCIe (PCI Express) card, which allows communication between various parts of the computer over high-speed lanes. In this buying guide, we'll take a closer look at PCIe cards, what to consider when purchasing them, and some of the top products available on the market today.
What is a PCIe card?
PCIe cards are expansion cards that plug into your computer's motherboard, providing additional functionality and connectivity. They offer a faster and more efficient way to transfer data than other interfaces, like PCI or USB.
PCIe cards come with different numbers of lanes or channels that determine the speed and bandwidth available for data transfer. Common configurations range from one to 16 lanes per slot. You'll often see PCIe cards described as "x1," "x4," "x8," or "x16," referring to the number of lanes they require and the maximum data transfer rate. The more lanes a card has, the faster data can travel between components in your system.
What to consider when buying a PCIe card:
Compatibility:
Before purchasing a PCIe card, ensure that your computer's motherboard has PCIe slots available that match the interface and speed requirements of the card you want to install. Also, double-check that the card is compatible with your operating system and any other software you plan to use it with.
Type of card:
PCIe cards come in many different types, with varying features and functions:
- Network card: Adds an Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to your computer.
- Graphics card: Enhance your computer's video performance.
- Sound card: Improves the audio quality of your computer.
- Storage controller: Supports fast data transfer speeds to your storage devices.
- USB card: Adds USB ports to your computer.
- Thunderbolt card: Adds high-speed Thunderbolt data transfer connectivity for compatible devices.
- Serial card: Adds serial ports for connecting to a range of industrial and professional devices.
- FireWire card: Adds FireWire ports to your computer.
Determine what kind of functionality you need from your PCIe card, and choose accordingly. Some cards, like graphics or sound cards, have specific requirements for power, cooling, and space inside your computer chassis. Make sure you have all the necessary components and space to accommodate the card you're interested in.
Speed:
As mentioned earlier, PCIe cards come in different configurations depending on the number of lanes available. The more lanes a card has, the quicker it can transfer data. Generally, it's best to opt for the most lanes you can afford, so that you can benefit from the fastest transfer speeds available. You can also find out the specific speeds for each card by researching its technical specifications.
Brand:
There are many PCIe card brands on the market, each with varying levels of reliability, customer service, and support. It's worth doing some research and comparing reviews and ratings to determine which brand is best suited to your needs and budget. Some well-known brands in the PCIe card market include ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, and Zotac, to name a few.
Price:
PCIe cards range in price from budget to high-end options, depending on their features, speed, and brand. Make sure you have a budget in mind before browsing options, and stick to it. Remember to balance your needs with your budget, and avoid overspending on features or functionality that you don't need or won't use.
Top PCIe Cards:
1. ASUS Thunderbolt EX 3 Card:
The ASUS Thunderbolt EX 3 Card is a top-of-the-line PCIe card that offers high-speed Thunderbolt 3 connectivity for devices such as external storage drives, displays, and eGPUs. It features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a DisplayPort input, and an internal header for Type-C USB support. This card is compatible with ASUS motherboards and requires a BIOS update to use with some non-ASUS boards.
The ASUS Thunderbolt EX 3 Card is a great choice for users who require fast transfer speeds and the ability to connect to a wide range of devices. However, it comes with a hefty price tag, making it a luxury investment for those who can afford it.
2. Gigabyte GC-Titan Ridge:
The Gigabyte GC-Titan Ridge is another high-performance PCIe card that offers Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. It has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, two DisplayPort inputs, and a Mini DisplayPort input, allowing users to connect various devices simultaneously. It also supports DisplayPort 1.4 and Dual-Mode DP, making it a strong choice for gamers and content creators who need multiple displays.
The Gigabyte GC-Titan Ridge is a moderately priced option that offers comparable features to the ASUS Thunderbolt EX 3 Card at a more affordable price point.
3. Creative Sound Blaster AE-9:
The Creative Sound Blaster AE-9 is a high-end PCIe sound card that provides advanced audio features for gamers and audiophiles. It offers 32-bit/384kHz playback and recording, Dolby Digital, and DTS encoding, as well as an audiophile-grade DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) that enhances the quality of your music and games. It also has RGB lighting, which can be customized using the Sound Blaster Command software.
The Creative Sound Blaster AE-9 is a pricey option, but it provides unparalleled audio quality and features for discerning users who demand the best.
4. StarTech 4 Port USB 3.1 PCIe Card:
The StarTech 4 Port USB 3.1 PCIe Card is an excellent option for users who need additional USB ports. It provides four Type-A USB 3.1 ports, each supporting data transfer rates of up to 10Gbps. The card is also compatible with backward compatible USB standards, making it ideal for users with older USB devices.
The StarTech 4 Port USB 3.1 PCIe Card is an affordable option that provides valuable connectivity for users who need to connect many USB devices at once.
5. Inateck 4 Port PCI-E to USB 3.0 Card:
The Inateck 4 Port PCI-E to USB 3.0 Card is a budget-friendly option that provides four USB 3.0 ports for your computer. It supports data transfer rates of up to 5Gbps and is backward compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1 devices. It's easy to install, making it a convenient choice for beginners who want to add additional USB connectivity to their computer.
The Inateck 4 Port PCI-E to USB 3.0 Card is an excellent option for users who need additional USB connectivity but are on a budget. It's easy to install and provides reliable performance and compatibility with USB devices.
Conclusion:
When considering which PCIe card to purchase, it's essential to think about your specific needs and budget. Consider factors such as compatibility, type of card, speed, brand, and price before making a decision. By understanding the features and benefits of each card, you'll be able to make an informed choice that meets your needs and provides reliable performance for your computer.
