Upgrade Graphics Card for older Motherboard

[Hari Seldon]

I have an ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard bought in 2005, with an ASUS EA800 GPU, and a new 750W PSU. I want to give this system a couple more upgrades before investing in a completely new system.

The ASUS EA800 (256MB) card I want to upgrade is a GDDR3 card.

I want to buy the most expensive card that will function with my motherboard.

I don't know if I am limited to GDDR3 cards, because of dimensions.

I don't know if I can buy too much Graphics power for my motherboard to process.

I've read as much technical stuff as my mind can handle, and now I just want some simple advice. Anyone ancient enough to remember 2005?

With my A8N-SLI Deluxe mobo, my AMD 4000 Socket 939 CPU, and a 750 PSU, what is the fastest GPU I can buy that will work with my system?

Hari

 

[toyota]

I dont really understand some of what you are asking. what the heck is a ASUS EA800 gpu??? you certainly dont need anything remotely close to 750 watts for that system with any realistic video card option. at this point I would not spend another time on upgrading an old single core system. if you have to put a card in there then I would go no better than an 9600gt but even that is a waste IMO. many newer games have a minumum requirement of a dual core cpu. even those that dont certainly need one for the game to very playable in most cases.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Well, with 4 Hard Drives, 4 banks of Ram, 2 optical drives, 1 floppy drive and memory card reader, in addition to the Graphics Card, I just thought it was sensible to upgrade the 380W PSU I had to something more substantial like the 750W PSU I have now. I thought it was a wise decision actually.

As I indicated, before I build another new system, I want to give this 2005 system one more kick in the pants. And if there is anyone here that is old enough to remember 2005, I'd appreciate an answer to some of my concerns above, and perhaps a recommendation for the fastest Graphics Card that will work with my present motherboard.

Hari

 

[sandorski]

If that 4000 is an X2 4000, then getting a Radeon 4850 or 4870(or the Nvidia equivalent) would be a decent purchase. As far as what the system can handle, I'm quite confident, assuming mobo has PCI-e slot which it probably has, then the new Radeon 5870 should work in that setup. However, a CPU and Mobo Upgrade along with a Video Card Upgrade will give you the best results. Assuming you are willing to spend $400+, you could go with a 4850/4870 and do a CPU/Mobo/RAM upgrade with the difference. That won't get you the "Best" of anything, but will be a very huge improvement over your current system.

BTW, I searched "Asus EA800" and couldn't find anything, either on Google or Asus.com.

 

[crisium]

Originally posted by: Hari Seldon
With my A8N-SLI Deluxe mobo, my AMD 4000 Socket 939 CPU, and a 750 PSU, what is the fastest GPU I can buy that will work with my system?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...esult=True&Order=PRICE

But if you're running a single core CPU I see no need for higher than this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...esult=True&Order=PRICE

I'm guessing your current card is some kind of Radeon X800 card.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Yeah sorry, I meant to say it's an ASUS EAX800XL Graphics Card (aka AX800XL). I missed the X in front of the 800 and the XL after the number. I don't usually do that, so I must be getting tired of reading.

It's been a while since I researched cards. And I thought I could keep the mobo and just update the card. I was thinking this would be the last update for this system, before I build a new one for "me".
When I first looked at these cards, (I bookmarked a Radeon 4870 750Hz with 2GB of memory), I was worried about compatibility in: 1) the new cards' dimensions; and 2) the GDDR5 designation.

sandorski, it's a single core 4000 (64bit) from 2005. I think the dual core 4000 came out a little later. I know. I was tempted to throw the mobo and the GPU and my Ram (which I just tripled to 3GB from 1GB) out. But I decided, for this system, I'd just put as much as possible and functionally reasonable into a solid GPU, giving it a few more years of life while I build a new system.
Is the 5870 better than the 4870, which I bookmarked about 6 months ago? I don't want to assume it is because the number is higher.

Crisium, these are kickass cards. I'm okay with these prices, but will they fit in the same slot as my GDDR3 card? And will the GDDR5 card function on a board designed before GDDR5 was released?

Is there any difference between a GDDR5 card and a DDR5 card?

Thanks guys, your comments and recommendations are very appreciated.

Hari

 

[sandorski]

The 5870 is the better card, but probably not for your system. You would be far better off to go 4850 or 4870, then go for the CPU/Mobo/RAM upgrade.

I've been using an X2 3800 for approx 4 years now, started with a 9800 Pro, x800xl, 7900GS, and now am using a 4850. The 4850 was a very good upgrade, but my CPU is really holding back it's capability. That will be an even bigger issue for your single core. How much exactly, I dunno, but I do know that when I upgrade my CPU/etc, that my 4850 will also perform much better. So since your Budget seems to allow it, I think you'll get much more Bang from doing a full system Upgrade.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: Hari Seldon
Well, with 4 Hard Drives, 4 banks of Ram, 2 optical drives, 1 floppy drive and memory card reader, in addition to the Graphics Card, I just thought it was sensible to upgrade the 380W PSU I had to something more substantial like the 750W PSU I have now. I thought it was a wise decision actually.

As I indicated, before I build another new system, I want to give this 2005 system one more kick in the pants. And if there is anyone here that is old enough to remember 2005, I'd appreciate an answer to some of my concerns above, and perhaps a recommendation for the fastest Graphics Card that will work with my present motherboard.

Hari

harddrives are just a few watts. opticals just a few watts, rarely in use as well. esp during gaming
4 banks of ram? you mean 4 sticks? thats not significant ram doesn't use much energy..its why it doesn't need a %#@ fan

you seriously over bought on psu..unless its a generic or off brand 750watt which in that case..its a bogus number.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Really? That's funny. I don't mind since I regularly have reason to laugh at myself, but that's too funny.

When I had 380W, the computer regularly shut down, and from this very forum, I came for info and I was led to believe that my system was underpowered. Since it was only $100, I thought the upgrade to 750W with the additional stability (and no more shutdowns) was a good idea.

Now you have me thinking that maybe all the experts on the Power Supply section were overselling their opinions and perhaps my 380W PSU was simply malfunctioning. Interesting.

You mentioned the watts required for all my equipment. It seems quite a bit lower than what I 'learned' from people who claimed to know about power supplies.
And if I remember correctly, the Graphics Card requires a dedicated 75W itself. But it's been a few years since I read that sheet.

Thanks for the info.

Hari

 

[happy medium]

A 54.00$ shipped 4650 will be 3x faster then your x800xl.
Anything more you'll need a better cpu.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814102829

 

[Hari Seldon]

Interesting - and I just read your rig specs. "All running on a 350 watt psu". This is too funny. Oh well, I got a heluva lot of power for future upgrades.

Where do you get the info that the 4650 is 3x faster than x800xl?

So the 4870 that I bookmarked months ago and the 5870 just recommended are more than my CPU can make use of and would be wasted?

Thanks for the lowdown.

Hari

 

[toyota]

Originally posted by: Hari Seldon
Interesting - and I just read your rig specs. "All running on a 350 watt psu". This is too funny. Oh well, I got a heluva lot of power for future upgrades.

Where do you get the info that the 4650 is 3x faster than x800xl?

So the 4870 that I bookmarked months ago and the 5870 just recommended are more than my CPU can make use of and would be wasted?

Thanks for the lowdown.

Hari

you have a single core cpu so any decent modern card is a waste of money. that cpu will limit you to low fps in modern games no matter what gpu you buy. in fact many newer games will not be playable at all because of that cpu. not only is it just a single core but it is also very slow clock for clock compared to newer cpus.

also for some perspective on power consumption my sig pc rarely goes much over 200 watts during gaming. the only reason I have a 650watt psu is because it was on sale for the same price as the 500watt Antec at the time. i also knew that would be upgrading to a much more power hungry cpu and gpu within a year of getting it. even then I still will have over 300 watts of wiggle room.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Interesting. I guess I waited too long to do the card upgrade. I thought I could build the system and it would last five years before I would build another one for "me". In the final couple of years, I'd upgrade the ram (done), the optical drive (done), the hdds (done), and the Graphics Card (not done), to give it some extra use as a second computer.

I guess I should have upgraded the card a long time ago. Either that, or I'm gonna save a lot of money now.

If I stick with my plan, and be careful not to buy more video card than my system can use, I can still be reasonably happy. What card would you say is the most powerful card my system could use (I think the bus is 1600), without going over too much?

Would it pay (would it even be possible) to upgrade the CPU to a dual core AMD Socket 939 CPU (keeping the ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe Motherboard) and thus making a better Graphics Card more useful (eg. gaming)?

Hari

 

[mozartrules]

All cards will probably all work, it is mainly a question of not throwing money away. I see three options (using AMD cards as examples since that is what you have already)

1. Use $50 on a DDR3 based 4650 card (or perhaps 4670)
2. Use $250 on a 5850 card if you are going to upgrade CPU/MB in the next 6 months (money is completely wasted otherwise)
3. Use $300 on a balanced setup with a new AM3 motherboard, a $100 AM3 CPU (x4 620 or x2 550BE or ?) and a $100 4850

I would pick (3) if I had the budget at this time, otherwise get (1). I don't think there is any reason to use money on a 939 motherboard.

 

[toyota]

Originally posted by: mozartrules
All cards will probably all work, it is mainly a question of not throwing money away. I see three options (using AMD cards as examples since that is what you have already)

1. Use $50 on a DDR3 based 4650 card (or perhaps 4670)
2. Use $250 on a 5850 card if you are going to upgrade CPU/MB in the next 6 months (money is completely wasted otherwise)
3. Use $300 on a balanced setup with a new AM3 motherboard, a $100 AM3 CPU (x4 620 or x2 550BE or ?) and a $100 4850

I would pick (3) if I had the budget at this time, otherwise get (1). I don't think there is any reason to use money on a 939 motherboard.

using a 5850 for up to six months in a single core system would be such a waste. option 3 is the only one that is logical. I would just get a 5750 instead of the 4850 if they are out at the time he upgrades.

 

[happy medium]

Originally posted by: Hari Seldon
Interesting - and I just read your rig specs. "All running on a 350 watt psu". This is too funny. Oh well, I got a heluva lot of power for future upgrades.

Where do you get the info that the 4650 is 3x faster than x800xl?

So the 4870 that I bookmarked months ago and the 5870 just recommended are more than my CPU can make use of and would be wasted?

Thanks for the lowdown.

Hari

I upgraded my specs for ya.
Without going through all the old benches, I can tell you that a x800xl is about =to a 6800gt. Now my old pent4 system has a 7800 gs which is easily faster then the 6800gt by 25%. The 4650 is 2x faster then my 7800gs. So ok at least 2.25x's faster.

On a brighter note I finished Call of duty 4 and Left 4 Dead on my Pent 4 system with a 7800gs, which would be much slower then your current AMD system with a 4650.

 

[mindless1]

I know you don't want to read it, but don't bother upgrading the video card on that system. Take the money and get the replacement CPU, motherboard, memory sooner and then you have a faster system for every use, and a foundation for a respectable gaming system.

On the other hand some might say you can reuse a better video card when you upgrade the rest of the system but video cards depreciate so much, and at the moment we have in these months at present and near future, new designs from both ATI & nVidia so anything you buy will depreciate even more and look all that much slower.

 

[Leyawiin]

HD 4670 would be about the most I'd pair that CPU up with.

 

[betasub]

Originally posted by: Hari Seldon
I want to buy the most expensive card that will function with my motherboard.

If you really want an expensive card, then I'm sure someone could point you towards a professional grade card for $thousands.