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General discussion

Graphics Card

Jul 31, 2007 8:11PM PDT

Will any graphcis card work with every motherboard? Because my graphics card is getting old and i want to get a better one. So are their specific graphics cards you can use for your motherboard or can any work?

Discussion is locked

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No
Aug 1, 2007 12:10AM PDT

There are three main types of graphics cards, PCI, AGP, and PCI-E, and they all depend on what kind of add-on slots your system has.

PCI cards are a dying breed since the PCI bus simply isn't able to keep up with the demands of PC games these days. But they're also the closest thing to a universal card there is.

AGP cards are probably the most common, but are also on their way out. There were several revisions of the AGP bus, including two different voltage settings which can mean the difference between a card working and not working. A 3.3V card isn't going to work in a 1.5V slot and vise versa.

PCI-E is the newest "member" of the club. Faster than the other two, and with greater potential for growth, this is the form you're going to be seeing most video cards in for several years to come. While I believe it's backwards compatible with PCI cards, it's not compatible with AGP cards.

So, the first step is figuring out what kind of slots your system has, then finding a card that will work in that particular slot.

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thanks
Aug 1, 2007 12:51AM PDT

thanks for the in depth post. but how do i check what kind of slot my system has?

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Ok
Aug 1, 2007 1:05AM PDT

Ok i just opened up the dxdiag and i see my current graphics card is a AGP. But it doesnt say what voltage it is?

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AGP Voltage is set by the AGP card.
Aug 1, 2007 1:09AM PDT

That area confused many. To allow for AGP cards that needed 3.3V, 1.8V and other voltages the AGP card asks the slot to supply the voltage at what the AGP needs. This results in some that wonder what the AGP slot voltage is and without plugging in a card you can't tell.

BOb

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Ah Right
Aug 1, 2007 1:13AM PDT

Ok thanks for that. SO basically the AGP card asks the slot to supply the voltage for the card?

Thanks again. Could any recommend me a good AGP graphics card that is worth around $150?

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The best cards for the money (read this link)
Aug 1, 2007 1:16AM PDT