Member Avatar for Pim

I have a little problem.
I have decided to upgrade my pc but now the problem is:
what kind of motherboard. I have some idea but i dont know
if i need one with an AGP slot or PCI-E slot. I have bought quite a
good AGP graphics card about a year ago (Ati radeon 9600, 400mhz gpu
256 mb of ddr-sdram @378 mhz). I know i need to keep space for upgrading
but then again an PCI-E card is a lot more expensive as well as the motherboard. So i wonder will my AGP card last for a couple of more years,
or is it better to buy a good one right away?.

Thanks

  • 3 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 185 Views
  • 2 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Coconut Monkey

Dani AI

Generated

A clear way to decide: pick the slot that gives you the upgrade headroom you want. If the machine is a short-term step (keep an older GPU a few more months while saving), cost-minimizing choices make sense; if you want one build that stays relevant for several years, favour a motherboard with a true PCI‑Express x16 slot. This expands your upgrade options without forcing a second motherboard purchase. (References below clarify bandwidth and transition options.)

Quantify the gap: legacy 32‑bit PCI is very limited (about 133 MB/s peak), AGP 8x increased that substantially (roughly 2.1 GB/s peak), and a full PCI‑Express x16 (first-generation PCIe) already offers about 4 GB/s of link bandwidth — real headroom that matters as cards grow more demanding. (en.wikipedia.org)

If you want a low-cost bridge strategy, some vendors produced transitional boards that carried both an AGP slot and a PCI‑Express x16 slot so you could keep an older card and upgrade later; check the motherboard’s chipset and independent reviews though, because a few designs implemented AGP through bridges and suffered reduced performance compared with native AGP implementations. The ASRock 939Dual family is a documented example of a dual‑slot approach and is worth reading about if that route interests you. (asrock.com)

Quick checklist before buying: confirm the board has a true wired x16 PCIe slot (not a x16 shell wired as x4), choose a chipset/BIOS with good driver support, ensure your PSU can handle future GPUs, and read real‑world reviews for any AGP-via‑PCIe caveats. If the plan is multi‑year use, the safer long‑term choice is a PCI‑Express motherboard; if budget forces a stopgap, a dual‑slot transitional board can buy time — but verify the chipset/vendor notes in reviews first. (techpowerup.com)

Recommended Answers

All 3 Replies

Member Avatar for magusdf

There is usually some major change that happens in graphic card development every year. However, the technology behind it doesn’t really become utilized for some time.
Phasing out AGP will take many years. So even if you upgrade to a motherboard without pci-e you should still be able to purchase and use newer graphics technologies. You may not have as much throughput through AGP.

If you are planning on using the new computer 2 or more years into the future you may want to consider getting one that has the capability to accept future hardware. Spending a little more now will save you more later in that case. If you plan another upgrade within 1 – 1.5 years you may hold off for the technology to become more available and cheaper.

Just because you have the slot doesn’t mean you need to get the card right off for it.

Personally I’m still waiting on the next set of breakthroughs in GFX tech probably available next year. In my opinion were in an odd year that’s a stepping stone to something much greater. As I’m looking forward to U3 ^_^

Member Avatar for Pim

Im thinking: Is an Normal PCI card capable of running modern games?
cause if so i will buy a motherboard with PCI-E and buy a PCI-E graphics card later when they are cheaper.

I was thinking about:AOpen GeForce FX5200-V128
or something similair.

Member Avatar for Coconut Monkey

Im thinking: Is an Normal PCI card capable of running modern games?

No. The fastest PCI cards I can find are based on the Radeon 92xx and Geforce 5200-5700 chipsets, and these are inadequate for high-end gaming. You need at least a 6600GT to achieve decent framerates without sacrificing too much image quality. You can "run" most current games on the slower chipsets, but it won't be a painless experience!

It also remains to be seen if manufacturers will continue to use AGP for newer chipsets. Granted, there are plenty of previous generation cards in AGP format, but it's unknown if the new chipsets will be released using the older technology.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.