PCIe 2.0 video card for a PCIe 1.0 mobo

[julian7329]

Hello,

I am running an aging Dell Dimension 8400 system, and want to upgrade from a Geforce 6800 GS 256MB card to an HD4870 (512MB or 1GB). Will the PCIe 2.0 HD4870 take a performance hit from my mobo that runs PCIe 1.0? Is the HD4870 capable of exceeding the maximum bandwidth for PCIe 1.0? I know they're backwards compatible, but I don't like to pay for performance I can't use. Should I ditch the mobo and start from scratch? I only hesitate because I'm on a budget.

I still want to run the same CPU, mobo, and RAM. I plan on upgrading these in the future when the i7's will drop to a reasonable price.

I plan on upgrading ram from 1GB to 2GB, and replacing the crap 350W Dell PSU to either a Corsair 620HX or an Enermax Revolution 950W PSU.

The plastic Dell case needs to go as well! I want a high quality aluminum mid tower. Any suggestions? Window panels and LED's not important.

Current system specs:
Windows XP (32-bit)
Intel 925X chipset (don't need SLI or Crossfire for now)
Pentium 4 w/HT at 3.4GHz (still decent speed)
DDR2 RAM 1GB @ 400MHz (2 x 512MB) - upgrading to 2GB @ 533MHz
Geforce 6800 GS 256MB PCIe video card - upgrading to HD4870
SB LIVE! 24-bit sound card (good for now, not a huge audiophile)
X1 SATA DVD-RW optical drive
X1 SATA HD 160GB - Planning on a second HD in the future
350W PSU - upgrading to Corsair 620HX or Enermax Revolution 950W
Plastic Dell case - replacing with aluminum mid tower! :bounce:

Any useless upgrades or oversights? What do you guys think?

Thank you for all the advice and help,
Julian

 

[vj8usa]

A 4870 will barely be bottlenecked by PCIe 1.0/1.1 x16 (I'm guessing the difference will only be noticeable when the framebuffer's full and the card has to start swapping). Your CPU will hold you back a LOT more than your PCIe slot. Most new games can make good use of 2 or more cores.

 

[Lonyo]

CPU will absolutely kill you.
My dual core X2 4200+ held back my HD4850, so a single core P4 will absolutely kill an HD4870. PCIe bandwidth won't even come into play.

 

[adlep]

Originally posted by: Lonyo
CPU will absolutely kill you.
My dual core X2 4200+ held back my HD4850, so a single core P4 will absolutely kill an HD4870. PCIe bandwidth won't even come into play.

I say stick with the HD4850.

 

[julian7329]

I guess I was looking more at the speed than the number of cores. It's a shame having to purchase a multiple-core CPU to make this work. The CPU upgrade to my original mobo sounds pointless, especially when I plan on upgrading to the i7 when the prices drop low enough.

What would you guys do to make this work in terms of best value for the dollar?

1. Add an LGA775 Quad core CPU/P45 MOBO and RAM (How many GB?/DDR2 or DDR3?), and run that system for a few years before upgrading to the new LGA1366 architecture (i7 core system)?

2. Add an inexpensive LGA775 duo core processor and an extra 1GB of DDR2 400MHz of RAM (total of 2GB) into original mobo, and upgrade to LGA1366 when prices fall?

3. Hold out for a bit, and Start from scratch with an LGA1366 system when prices fall?

I need the upgrade badly, but if it will save me a lot of money to wait a few months, I am willing to do so.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[cusideabelincoln]

Just get the HD4830, instead of spending twice as much to get an HD4870. While the 4830 would still be bottlenecked by your processor, its cost isn't very much more than and would be a worthwhile investment over other cards like the 9500GT or HD4650. Then you could probably hold off (maybe) until later this year when Core i5 comes out or when you save enough money to go Core i7. Don't expect Core i7 CPUs and mobos to drastically drop in price. These are Intel's high-end chips and will continue to be so and priced accordingly for much of this generation, although you can expect DDR3 prices to drop; over the past 3 months DDR3 has dropped in price by about half across the board.

But the decision to upgrade now or later is pretty much up to you. You have to weigh just how badly you are hurting right now against how much longer you can wait. If you do upgrade now to even a Core 2 or Phenom II platform, your performance improvements will be through the rough, although its unlikely you would get the ceiling or longevity you would compared to a Core i7 rig. The plus side is that a Core 2 or Phenom II platform will cost you less right now and offer performance close to the cheapest Core i7 rig.

 

[Stumps]

hmmm

for that setup a 4870 is a complete waste of money, even the old X1950 series cards were badly bottlenecked by P4's, I know my old X1950 PRO almost doubled in performance when I upgraded the system it was in from a 3.4ghz P4 to a E4300@2.8ghz.

Your upgrade options are limited by that setup, because you are using the old i925 chipset you have no dual core upgrades availible for you as these do not work in the 915/925 chipsets...even the old Pentium-D never worked in them.

Pretty much you are very limited in what you can upgrade to would make much of a difference of that old 6800GS, while using that P4.

To be honest with you, I would wait and upgrade to a i7, it's just not worth adding a 4870 to that system....

if you wanted a cheap upgrade maybe look at the 3850 or 4650/4670, while these aren't the fastest cards out there and they will will still be badly bottlenecked by your P4...it won't be nowhere near as much as a 4870, and they are pretty cheap.

 

[julian7329]

Agreed, my system is very limited. I am tempted to forgo the expensive investment in the LGA1366 platforms, and I am leaning more towards a mid-range LGA775 platform supported by a core 2 and P45 mobo with DDR3 RAM.

The Q8200 has caught my eye, and it is cheaper than the Q6600 for roughly the same performance. I am considering to go with DDR3 support to hopefully extend the rig's life expectancy. I think I will end up pairing the Q8200 with a second generation P45 mobo with DDR3 support from Gigabyte (GA-EP45T-UD3P), great reviews! I'll stick to the mainstream, and hopefully I'll be able to keep my head above the water for a lot less money.

Everyone's comments are most appreciated and very helpful. Thank you very much!

 

[Stumps]

Originally posted by: julian7329
Agreed, my system is very limited. I am tempted to forgo the expensive investment in the LGA1366 platforms, and I am leaning more towards a mid-range LGA775 platform supported by a core 2 and P45 mobo with DDR3 RAM.

The Q8200 has caught my eye, and it is cheaper than the Q6600 for roughly the same performance. I am considering to go with DDR3 support to hopefully extend the rig's life expectancy. I think I will end up pairing the Q8200 with a second generation P45 mobo with DDR3 support from Gigabyte (GA-EP45T-UD3P), great reviews! I'll stick to the mainstream, and hopefully I'll be able to keep my head above the water for a lot less money.

Everyone's comments are most appreciated and very helpful. Thank you very much!

sounds good...just remember to get that 4870...a core 2 will put it to good use.

 

[nemesismk2]

Originally posted by: Lonyo
CPU will absolutely kill you.
My dual core X2 4200+ held back my HD4850, so a single core P4 will absolutely kill an HD4870. PCIe bandwidth won't even come into play.

My AMD X2 4200 also held back my HD4850 quite badly, giving the HD4850 an extra 800mhz helped a lot.