Refer to the exhibit. Match the type of expansion slot to the letter shown in the graphic. (Not all options are used.)

A ==> PCI: This is the older type of expansion slot, typically used for a variety of expansion cards before the advent of PCIe. It’s larger than the PCIe x1 slot and has been a standard for many years.

B ==> PCIe x1: This is the smaller expansion slot designed for cards that do not require a lot of bandwidth, like network cards, sound cards, or other interface cards.

C ==> PCIe x16: This is the largest slot on the motherboard, typically used for graphics cards (GPUs). It offers the highest bandwidth of these slots, which is necessary for the high data transfer rates required by modern graphics cards.

These slots allow for the addition of various functionalities to the computer system by accommodating compatible expansion cards. Each slot type is designed to provide a certain level of data transfer speed, and they are keyed differently to prevent the insertion of incompatible cards.

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port):

• AGP was developed specifically for video cards. It was widely used from the late 1990s until the mid-2000s.
• It provided a direct connection between the card and the memory, which allowed for faster processing of complex graphics.
• AGP slots were designed to deliver faster performance with 3D graphics and video streams.
• Over time, AGP was phased out in favor of the more versatile and faster PCI Express (PCIe) standard for graphics cards.

ISA (Industry Standard Architecture):

• ISA was an early type of expansion slot used from the early 1980s into the late 1990s.
• It was initially a 16-bit system, later expanded to 32-bit in the EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) version.
• ISA slots were used for a wide variety of cards, including modems, sound cards, and network cards.
• As computer technology evolved, ISA slots became less common due to their limited speed and bandwidth compared to newer standards.

MCA (Micro Channel Architecture):

• MCA was introduced by IBM in the mid-1980s with their PS/2 systems.
• It was designed to overcome the limitations of ISA by providing a higher bandwidth and greater expansion capabilities.
• MCA supported plug and play configuration, which allowed the system to automatically configure devices.
• Despite its technical advantages, MCA was not widely adopted outside of IBM’s own systems due to proprietary issues and competition from the more open and widely supported PCI standard.

Each of these architectures was used in different eras of computing and has been largely replaced by newer technologies such as PCI and PCI Express, which offer greater speed, flexibility, and bandwidth.