Types of Computer Expansion Slots

You can expand your computer internally by adding additional circuit boards. These boards, or expansion cards, plug directly into the expansion slots on the motherboard (shown in this figure). Therefore, you can extend your computer system by adding options that are not included in the base computer. Here are the types of expansion slots your computer may have:

PCI Express: The best type of expansion slot to have in your computer is PCI Express, which is also written as PCIe. Without getting bored, the PCI Express expansion slot connects to the motherboard, and thus to the microprocessor, quickly and efficiently.

PCI: The PCI slot is the most common form of internal expansion for a computer.
Some computers have a mixture of PCI and PCI Express slots. If so, switch to PCI Express when you have that option.
AGP: This type of expansion slot is specifically designed to handle graphics adapters. In fact, AGP stands for Accelerated Graphics Port. Older PCs may use this expansion slot, but the best video cards use PCI Express.
ISA:The oldest type of expansion slot is ISA, which stands for (get this) industry standard architecture. This is because it didn’t really have a name until another, better type of expansion slot appeared. ISA slots roam to be compatible with older expansion cards.