Geforce 6800 AGP to PCI-Express HSI interconnect

[killer8]

I'm still a bit confused on this question.

Like a lot of people, I hesitate to throw down $400+ on one of these new video cards- either
the GF 6800 or the Radeon X800 for the AGP version, given that PCI-Express is coming hard and fast soon. However, it seems that the fastest video cards won't be available in PCI Express format for several more months. There will be slower video cards available on PCI Express soon however.

Is this AGP-PCI Express converter something that is designed for card manufacturers to swap
their Geforce6800s from AGP to PCI-Express, or is it something which us users can obtain and snap in?

 

[Sunner]

Even if it were possible, how are you going to fit that AGP card into a PCI Express slot?

 

[ForceCalibur]

User. Only Nvidia is making this bridge though.

 

[AndyHui]

No. The PCB contacts for the slot are physically different. You cannot take an AGP card and plug it into a PCI Express x16 slot or vice versa.

The HSI simply allows the board manufacturer to decide whether to place the chip on an AGP PCB board or a PCI Express PCB board. This is not something the end user can do.

 

[killer8]

They could make a PCI Express bridge that physically sets on top of the AGP slot. However, I don't know if that's what it really is.

 

[Matthias99]

I really doubt it; the cards would no longer line up properly with the slots on the case edge, for one thing. Everything I've heard so far is that any bridging is going to be done on the card itself. Wouldn't you think that if NVIDIA planned to release one of these, they'd be out telling anyone who would listen about it (as it would be a MAJOR selling point for the 6800-series cards)?

 

[AndyHui]

I'm thinking that there may be some misunderstanding as to what a bridge does.

The HSI is an electrical/signalling interface converting AGP to PCI Express (and back), not a physical AGP to PCI Express slot adaptor.

 

[killer8]

Thanks Andy!

 

[jrphoenix]

Originally posted by: AndyHui
I'm thinking that there may be some misunderstanding as to what a bridge does.

The HSI is an electrical/signalling interface converting AGP to PCI Express (and back), not a physical AGP to PCI Express slot adaptor.

Hi Andy,

The inquirer says that the New NV45 (PCI-E) card will be native PCI-E (probably) with the HSI allowing the chip to be backwards compatiable with AGP. Any news that you can share on this?

 

[killer8]

I believe the NV45 will be a "true" PCI Express part while the NV40 can be made PCI-Express using the HSI chip.

 

[toleraen]

Originally posted by: jrphoenix

Originally posted by: AndyHui
I'm thinking that there may be some misunderstanding as to what a bridge does.

The HSI is an electrical/signalling interface converting AGP to PCI Express (and back), not a physical AGP to PCI Express slot adaptor.

Hi Andy,

The inquirer says that the New NV45 (PCI-E) card will be native PCI-E (probably) with the HSI allowing the chip to be backwards compatiable with AGP. Any news that you can share on this?

If i'm not mistaken that means that nvidia is designing the chip based around PCI-E, so that it does not require a bridge to use with PCI-E. However, they can toss in a bridge to the card to make it compatable with AGP.

 

[rbV5]

Originally posted by: jrphoenix

Originally posted by: AndyHui
I'm thinking that there may be some misunderstanding as to what a bridge does.

The HSI is an electrical/signalling interface converting AGP to PCI Express (and back), not a physical AGP to PCI Express slot adaptor.

Hi Andy,

The inquirer says that the New NV45 (PCI-E) card will be native PCI-E (probably) with the HSI allowing the chip to be backwards compatiable with AGP. Any news that you can share on this?

HSI goes both ways, IF NV45 is native PCI-E, with the HSI it could used in an AGP Card.

 

[CU]

If I remember correctly someone made a rendition v2200 card that had a pci connector on one side and an agp connect on the other. When you upgraded to an agp board you just turned the card over. I guess a company could be a card similar to that.

 

[AndyHui]

Originally posted by: CU
If I remember correctly someone made a rendition v2200 card that had a pci connector on one side and an agp connect on the other. When you upgraded to an agp board you just turned the card over. I guess a company could be a card similar to that.

That isn't physically possible. Turning the card over would put it over "on the other side of the slot" like an ISA card. It wouldn't line up with the slot for you to insert.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: CU
If I remember correctly someone made a rendition v2200 card that had a pci connector on one side and an agp connect on the other. When you upgraded to an agp board you just turned the card over. I guess a company could be a card similar to that.

i own 2 rendition vertie 2x00s and none of them have that

 

[CU]

It was called the Jazz Multimedia Outlaw Bonnie & Clyde. It was agp and pci on one card. I will try to find a picture or review of it.

 

[CU]

Here is a review. Still no picture.

 

[Regs]

nm

 

[CU]

I found another review of it, but still no pictures. I think it is just to old to find. It would be nice to find a picture so eveyone can see it. Anyone up for the task of finding one. So, now the question is can this be done with agp and pci-express? I would pay more money for it.

 

[CU]

Does no one want to talk about a PCI-Express / AGP card like the AGP / PCI card.

 

[batmanuel]

I really wouln't worry about PCI-EX for graphics that much anyway, since if the Computex 2004 article is any indication of the way things are going, most manufacturers are going to be including AGP slots on their PCI-EX boards, at least for the first gen. Gigabyte even managed to get an AGP slot on one of their new Intel-chipset boards, which wasn't thought possible based on what Intel originally stated about their new chipsets.

Plus, if Intel doesn't find a wat to fix the mechanical issues present in their new socket design that the motherboard manufacturers have been complaining about (lots of bent pins, high socket failure rates), that issue coupled with the existing problems already present in the Prescott processor (high heat dissipation, poor clock for clock performance compared to Northwood) has the potential to hold back adoption of Intel's next gen boards - thus delaying the widespread adoption of PCI-EX (since AMD really hasn't gone all out for it the way Intel has). I'm willing to bet that PCI-EX graphics cards will be relatively rare and expensive for at least another year or so, and that the transition will be just as slow as the SATA conversion. I bet anyone who invests in a AGP card right now will have no trouble using it with even the fastest processors even a year or two from now.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: batmanuel
...thus delaying the widespread adoption of PCI-EX (since AMD really hasn't gone all out for it the way Intel has).

It's worth noting that Intel produces motherboards and motherboard chipsets, and AMD doesn't. Intel has a lot to gain by selling everyone and their mother a PCI-E MB, whereas to AMD it matters very little right now -- NVIDIA, VIA, SiS, and other chipset makers will undoubtedly produce PCI-E chipsets for the A64 platform regardless of what AMD does.