Can I use a mini PCI-E card in a standard motherboard with PCI/PCI Express slots?

Solution 1:

Possibly - there's mini pci-e to pci-e adaptors that exist which basically convert a mini pci-e card to a pci-e x1 card. They DO seem very specifically designed for wifi, with wifi antennae built in, but as a simple electrical connector it should work.

an alternative might be an internal usb hub - I believe nzxt makes a USB 2.0 model

Solution 2:

1. The form factor is completely different.
2. PCI and PCIe are completely different qua design and signaling. Thus only consider miniPCI and PCI slots. And mini-PCIe and PCIe.

Look at these two pictures (source: Wikipedia)

The only way you are going to get a mini-PCI card working in a PCI slot is by using an (expensive) bridge card. I have done that in the past, and it set me back Eur 130.

Compare that to a Eur 5 to Eur 10 USB dongle. Optionally add in an extra USB hub. The USB version will win every time.

Solution 3:

A PCI Express Mini Card can not be put directly into a non-mini PCIe slot.

I just took a PCI Express Mini Card and a motherboard with an PCIe slot. It is quite obvious that the two are not physically compatible, the physical dimensions in the connectors are simply different.

Solution 4:

I don't think so because according to this article a PCI Express Mini Card will only fit into a PCIe ×1 slot and the ASRock motherboard doesn't have any of those, only PCIe x16 ones which have a different form factor.