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General discussion

problem with upgrading

Sep 15, 2004 6:14PM PDT

My computer is:
Intel D850MV motherboard
512MB RD Ram
geforce 2 mx400

i'm thinking of changing a new graphic card but nowadays all the graphic cards are AGP8X or PCI-Express. My motherboard only has AGP4X. What should i do?
I did think of changing my motherboard but then my RD Ram will be wasted. Any suggestion?

Discussion is locked

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Re: problem with upgrading
Sep 15, 2004 11:08PM PDT

All those 8X cards run... at 4X in the 4X slot.

There are some badly written manuals that confuse people and I can't fix that, but here's why the 8X cards work in 4X (and other) slots. If they didn't, they couldn't sell them.

I do want to comment that you want to have plenty of power supply Watts and good case cooling when you fit high performance cards.

Bob

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Re: problem with upgrading
Sep 24, 2004 12:49AM PDT

but i heard that by putting a 8X graphic card into a AGP 4X slot, the performance of the card will be reduced to half rite?

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Forget hearing...
Sep 24, 2004 1:02AM PDT

You can read some articles in which benchmarks were done.

But let's put it this way. If you have a 4X AGP slot and put in some 8X capable card, it runs at 4X. If you put in a 4X card, it also runs at 4X. All things being equal, both cards would perform the same.

Got it?

Bob

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Re: problem with upgrading
Sep 24, 2004 4:21AM PDT

Bob Proffitt is right on.

For instance, one of my computers is a Win98se and I can run a 4X video card in that computers 1X slot. Can also play most video games on it except some of the latest high tech that came out this year.

About 3-4 years ago PC Magazine had a article explaining all about the 1X through 4X slots.

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Re: problem with upgrading
Sep 27, 2004 2:11PM PDT

o.. ok... thanks a lot guys..