Any TNT card can run at 133Mhz bus?

[hk10Mbps]

I just upgraded to PIII 1GHz CPU on my BX chipset motherboard. So now I'm running at 133Mhz bus, but I have to set the AGP divider to 2/3 for my TNT card which is the only bottleneck on my system. So I'm looking for a TNT card that can run at 133Mhz.

I only want TNT card, not TNT2 because I feel uncomfortable to use a 4x AGP card on my 2X motherboard. If you hate overclocking, please do not answer.

 

[RSMemphis]

What you mean is you are looking for a card that can run at 88 MHz (2/3 of 133 MHz)?
AGP normally runs at 66 MHz, or 2/3 of a 100 MHz bus - as it was the case for you before the upgrade.
What you need to try and see is if your Mobo has a 1/2 AGP setting, which would then give you the desired 66 MHz.

In general, it is hard to say which cards would run at 88 MHz, especially in the AGP 2x era.
What I would personally try is getting a card that is still manufactured, it is more likely to have some leeway. I don't know whether there is a TNT card still in production.
Alternatively, look at a PCI card (e.g. from ATI), since a TNT is never able to fill up the AGP 2x bus anyway.

 

[Sunner]

Running a X4 card in your BX mobo shouldnt be a problem.

I ran both a TNT2-Ultra and a GF1 DDR in my trusty Asus P2B.

 

[Woodchuck2000]

I only want TNT card, not TNT2 because I feel uncomfortable to use a 4x AGP card on my 2X motherboard. If you hate overclocking, please do not answer.

How come? I've used AGP 4x cards on older motherboards with no trouble at all. I don't think that TNT cards are still available (except for the shocking M64/Vanta varieties...)
You'll probably find that a GF2MX is cheaper than most TNT cards anyway.

 

[thraxes]

Yeah, why so reluctant to go for AGP 4x cards?

My Radeon 8500 is chugging away quite happily on my BX board. It is running at 82 MHz AGP (2/3 124MHz) and absolutely rock stable. Before I had the ATi and did OCing, I had a TNT2-Ultra... also no Problems.

The beauty of AGP is that all cards are backward compatible, so why are you so paranoid?

 

[Eug]

Just get a cheap Radeon (with good 2D by the way), or else just run a PCI-based card at 33 MHz.

I don't see the point of going TNT, unless you already have the card for free.

 

[peter7921]

You have no reason to feel uncomforable, putting a 4X card in into a 2X slot, whoever told you that it can cause problems is wrong. My 440BX board has a 4X TNT2 Ultra card right now in it, and has also had my ATI Radeon 8500 for a little while in it also.

 

[hk10Mbps]

I know 4X cards can run on 2X machine without any problem. But I just feel uncomfortable because I can't access the 4X bandwith on my 2X machine. I would feel I'm missing something if I use TNT2. I know it may sound stupid but that's what I feel. I'm gona stick with a TNT card.

 

[blackhawk]

It really seems silly to limit yourself to 2x video cards on a BX chipset motherboard. They're hard to find but when I only had 2x vid to choose from, the Voodoo line was great and they overclocked well and did the 89mz+ agp bus no problem. The V5 is a great card for overclocking but its very long. I've not tried ATI on an overclocked agp bus though.

I still run BX motherboards at 133mz fsb/89mz+ agp and have had no problem with the whole Gforce line from GF ddr, GF 2 GTS and now a GF 3 origonal and the cards simply supply data at 2x on the agp bus. The 2x agp bus is a motherboard chipset thing and nothing to do with the video card. Its like running PC-133 on a celeron, works no problem.

You should reconsider your choice to run only 2x video cards.

 

[RSMemphis]

BTW, way back MaximumPC did some research into the benefits of 4x AGP (this was when the GeForce 3 was the top of the line card) and they barely ever saw any difference when they tested Quake and 3DMarks (hmm, 2000 it was still, I think).

So, as long as you stay at or below the GeForce 3, your card won't choke on the AGP. At least with most games that have engines similar to Quake 3. Plus, with the overlocked AGP bus, it will be even less of an issue.

But then, do whatever you want. Honestly, when you limit yourself to a TNT, you really might as well get a PCI card. You won't notice much of a difference.

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: hk10Mbps
I know 4X cards can run on 2X machine without any problem. But I just feel uncomfortable because I can't access the 4X bandwith on my 2X machine. I would feel I'm missing something if I use TNT2. I know it may sound stupid but that's what I feel. I'm gona stick with a TNT card.

Another consideration is that many of the TNT cards supposedly have crappy 2D. If you're gonna spend $25 on a TNT (if you can find one), you may as well spend $30 on a Rage 128 Pro, or even $40 on a Radeon. The Rage 128 Pros and Radeons have consistently good 2D. Bad 2D make my eyes hurt.

I run a Radeon LE in my BX board by the way. Works great. By the way, I just swapped OUT a Asus Geforce4 MX440 because the 2D was so bad, and put back the Radeon LE.

 

[Rhombuss]

Considering TNT2 cards are way out of production, let alone TNT cards - you'll end up paying a hefty premium for out of date technology. Remember, SUPPLY-DEMAND...you'd be best off getting something along the lines of a Radeon 8500 or 9000 if you're on a budget. And besides, what's the point of going through all the trouble of overclocking your system, only to have it out-performed by modern budget-oriented technology?

 

[Dulanic]

Originally posted by: Rhombuss
Considering TNT2 cards are way out of production, let alone TNT cards - you'll end up paying a hefty premium for out of date technology. Remember, SUPPLY-DEMAND...you'd be best off getting something along the lines of a Radeon 8500 or 9000 if you're on a budget. And besides, what's the point of going through all the trouble of overclocking your system, only to have it out-performed by modern budget-oriented technology?

Ya seems kinda funny hearing this from a overclocker... No way Id get a TNT and limit myself SOOOO badly.

 

[Woodchuck2000]

The benefits of AGP4x are still negligible for cards such as the Radeon 7500/8500 and the GF2/3.
You'll find that the image quality is far better than a TNT and they'll be far easier to get hold of as well. It does seem really weird to overclock a system to try and get maximum performance but then to purposefully choose one of the slowest graphics cards available.