Just got off the phone with BFG tech support...

[garetjax]

...and was informed that the 6800GT nor the 6800 Ultra would NOT work on my AGP 4x mobo. I didnt think that the Ultra would work, but had figured that the GT is backwards compatible since it is a 4x/8x videocard therefore able to work with my AGP 4x mobo.

Is the guy right? Do I need a better mobo to use any 6800 series videocard? My mobo information is an Intel (Lexington 2) Pentium 4 mobo

Linked here also:
http://support.gateway.com/s/M...516016/2516016fp.shtml

 

[ApacheChief]

Wow, if you're going to spend $400 on a video card, might as well upgrade the mobo too... especially if it doesn't support 4x.

IS your PSU able to handle it also?

 

[cyberknight]

hmm.. yeah, if you're mobo can't support 8xAGP, it's time for an upgrade.

 

[The J]

I have an eVGA 6800GT in a Shuttle AK38/N with AGP4x and it's running fine. I don't see why the BFG version woudln't work since I don't know what the difference between the two companies' cards would be. However, I would trust what the Tech Support says over what I say since they should know the card better than I do, unless someone with a BFG and a 4x mobo can say it works.

Does 8x even make a difference yet?

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: The J
Does 8x even make a difference yet?

No, and that's what makes it so odd. I have yet to see a video card that wasn't using a 4x/8x design, so unless BFG deviated from the reference design, it shouldn't be having this kind of a problem.

 

[garetjax]

Originally posted by: insolence
Wow, if you're going to spend $400 on a video card, might as well upgrade the mobo too... especially if it doesn't support 4x.

IS your PSU able to handle it also?

Yes, I removed the stock PSU and put in an Antec TruePower 480.

 

[platinumike]

will the regular 6800 work on a agp 4x mobo? I was gonna buy this card, and it says it can on the box,but all I have is 4x, and dont wana upgrade my mobo till its time for a processor up. as well.

 

[garetjax]

The thing of it is when you go to the BFG website and click on the 6800 GT link:

http://www.bfgtech.com/6800GTOC.html

It clearly says on the box that it is an AGP 8x/4x video card. Even Newegg says the same thing when you go to their site and read the description:

http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=14-143-019&depa=0

My mobo is a AGP 4x board, yet I had assumed that as long as a video card had AGP 4x, regardless if it was also compatible with 8x, that it would be backwards compatible with older mobos such as mine. The odd part about this is that I have called BFG tech support on two different occasions and spoke with two different techs. One said that my board would work the 6800 GT and the other, today, said 'absolutely not.'

I'm confused as hell, and not sure what do to. I really want to avoid sinking more money than I have to on some crappy OEM machine by buying a new mobo, as I plan on building my own rig sometime in the future. My plan was to use the existing 6800 GT or Ultra card in my new build. That is why I am harping on finding out if the 6800 GT or Ultra will work with my current machine.

Spec's are:

2.4ghz Pentium 4 (non-OC)
1024gb RDRAM (PC800) (4x256)
Intel (Lexington 2) Pentium 4 mobo
Sound Blaster Audigy w/ IEEE 1394 sound card
Western Digital 80gb & 120gb 7200 RPM hard drives
Visiontek nVidia GeForce4 Ti 4600 128mb video card (non-OC)
Lite-On 40x 12x 48x CD-RW
Lite-On 16X DVD-ROM
CD-ROM 52x
Windows XP Home Edition

 

[platinumike]

I agree man, they should let you choose another product, or something, tis not right. Btw, while we're here can you spill the BFG digits? ty.

 

[thegimp03]

I run a bfg 6800 vanilla fine on my 4x board. Stupid customer service reps

 

[imported_Computer MAn]

I ran a BFG 6800 GT in my old K7S5A which is 4x fine until I upgraded. It should work fine.

 

[Chadder007]

Tried any simple BIOS upgrades to the MOBO? It should work....voltage setting correct for the AGP slot? Maybe a jumper you need to flip to get it to 1.5 or 3.3 (i forget which one it is).

 

[LTC8K6]

They are all backwards compatible to 4X with pretty much all mobos.

It is probably your particular Gateway motherboard that is the problem. However, I don't really think so. The card should still work in that board even though Gateway says it supports 1.5V 4X cards only.

They put that in there because back then there were the old 3.3V cards still around.

 

[Matthias99]

All AGP8x devices are backwards-compatible with AGP4x. The only differences are a higher clockspeed and the lower signalling voltage (0.8V versus 1.5V); to meet the AGP spec requirements, they *have* to be backwards compatible to the 1.5V standard.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Some power hungry AGP cards just won't run in a some 4x boards. I had a 5800U that just wouldn't boot in my P4PE/L. Another member had the same problem with the 800pro and the P4PE. I don't know if it is a signaling problem, inability of the AGP slot to provide its share of the power to compliment the extra molex or what, I'm not technically adept enough, but the fact remains that card&board combo did not work with a true430W which easily powered it in a nF2 board even@525/1050

 

[Sideswipe001]

Have you tried it? Or are you just asking before buying it?

I'd say the guy is full of it. Unless it's a 3.3V AGP slot (highly doubtful) then you should be just fine. And if the GT will work, the Ultra will too. They are the same except for clock speeds. I would be HIGHLY surprised if it wouldn't work.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: Sideswipe001
Have you tried it? Or are you just asking before buying it?

I'd say the guy is full of it. Unless it's a 3.3V AGP slot (highly doubtful) then you should be just fine. And if the GT will work, the Ultra will too. They are the same except for clock speeds. I would be HIGHLY surprised if it wouldn't work.

I would feel the same way if I hadn't of experienced it for myself. That board ran a ti4200@beyond 4400 speeds perfectly but wouldn't so much as sputter the fans with the 5800U, and as stated another member couldn't get his 800pro to work with the P4PE and upgrading to a new board resolved his problem. This is a YMMV thing, ISA standards and all that good stuff not withstanding.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: Sideswipe001
Have you tried it? Or are you just asking before buying it?

I'd say the guy is full of it. Unless it's a 3.3V AGP slot (highly doubtful) then you should be just fine. And if the GT will work, the Ultra will too. They are the same except for clock speeds. I would be HIGHLY surprised if it wouldn't work.

I would feel the same way if I hadn't of experienced it for myself. That board ran a ti4200@beyond 4400 speeds perfectly but wouldn't so much as sputter the fans with the 5800U, and as stated another member couldn't get his 800pro to work with the P4PE and upgrading to a new board resolved his problem. This is a YMMV thing, ISA standards and all that good stuff not withstanding.

I guess YMMV. Barring bizarre motherboard incompatibility problems, 8X graphics boards are supposed to be backwards-compatible. It is possible that a poorly-designed motherboard or graphics card might not work -- but this is definitely the exception, not the rule.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

No arguments there 99, just sharing actual experience that supports what the tech said While his blanket statement may not entirely acurate, I wanted to make it clear that working from the premise that tech specs i.e. 8X is backwards compatible is another case of what works in theory doesn't always work in practice.

 

[MDE]

Realistically, there's no way it shouldn't work, but strange things do happen.

Originally posted by: platinumike
I agree man, they should let you choose another product, or something, tis not right. Btw, while we're here can you spill the BFG digits? ty.

Ever try their website?

 

[garetjax]

Originally posted by: Sideswipe001
Have you tried it? Or are you just asking before buying it?

I'd say the guy is full of it. Unless it's a 3.3V AGP slot (highly doubtful) then you should be just fine. And if the GT will work, the Ultra will too. They are the same except for clock speeds. I would be HIGHLY surprised if it wouldn't work.

I took the plunge and just bought two BFG 6800 GT OC's from my local Best Buy store today. They finally got them in so I went ahead and got them anyway since they are so freakin' hard to find these days. I haven't had a chance to install them yet, but when I do, I'll let you guys know what happens.

One last question. A lot of people that upgrade from 128mb to 256mb cards complain of shoddy performance playing games or whatnot. They are almost always told to go into their BIOS and change their videocard memory from 128 to 256. This usually fixes the problem that they are having. My question is that I have gone into my BIOS and tried looking for the place to change your video card memory from 128mb to 256mb, but I cannot find it. Does anyone know where it might be?

Please understand that I have gone through all menus, and tried all options. If I can't figure this out, I will have to contact Gateway, which naturally my warranty has expired which means I will have to pay for support. =/

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: garetjax27

Originally posted by: Sideswipe001
Have you tried it? Or are you just asking before buying it?

I'd say the guy is full of it. Unless it's a 3.3V AGP slot (highly doubtful) then you should be just fine. And if the GT will work, the Ultra will too. They are the same except for clock speeds. I would be HIGHLY surprised if it wouldn't work.

I took the plunge and just bought two BFG 6800 GT OC's from my local Best Buy store today. They finally got them in so I went ahead and got them anyway since they are so freakin' hard to find these days. I haven't had a chance to install them yet, but when I do, I'll let you guys know what happens.

One last question. A lot of people that upgrade from 128mb to 256mb cards complain of shoddy performance playing games or whatnot. They are almost always told to go into their BIOS and change their videocard memory from 128 to 256. This usually fixes the problem that they are having. My question is that I have gone into my BIOS and tried looking for the place to change your video card memory from 128mb to 256mb, but I cannot find it. Does anyone know where it might be?

Please understand that I have gone through all menus, and tried all options. If I can't figure this out, I will have to contact Gateway, which naturally my warranty has expired which means I will have to pay for support. =/

Could it be the Video Aperture ?

 

[KamiXkaze]

I had the same problem with my motherboard just would not work at all
know other choice,but to upgrade the motherboard

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: thegimp03
I run a bfg 6800 vanilla fine on my 4x board. Stupid customer service reps

my friend runs a 6800GT in his Tyan S2460 AMD 760 chipset board... that thing HAS to be a 4x mobo!

works fine!

 

[belazeru]

I used to run my BFG 6800GT on my KT3 Ultra and its a 4x mobo. Plus i hear that the difference between 4x and 8x is almost non-existance Though i upgraded from a KT3 XP 1800+ and got a NEO2 w/ a 3000+ A64