Videocards for PCI-X?

[wintergreen]

i know that all the big names are pushing PCI Express and that the next generation videocards will adapt to this..
but what about PCI-X?
will any videocards be produced in this format?

 

[Lonyo]

PCI-X is a server "format" for cards like SCSI controllers that need a lot of bandwidth. Its cost is also high and this is one thig that prohibits it from reaching consumer markets. It won't have graphics cards made because it's for servers which don't need powerful graphics, it's also been around a while so if cards were going to be made they would have been by now.

 

[Torghn]

PCI-X is slower than AGP and does not have direct access to the system Memory. A PCI-X video card would be a down grade from a modern AGP card.

 

[mrEvil]

Um, Torghn, maybe you'd better read the info on this site then, because what you've stated is totally incorrect. The slowest speed that they will probably go with is a 66mhz bus. Since PCI-X is already out in the server platforms at that speed, my guess is that the 133mhz bus speed makes it to the consumer market for video cards in a relatively fast time.

As for the video card question, AGP will eventually fade away and be replaced by PCI-X. At least that is what all the manufacturer's are leading us to believe.

 

[Torghn]

I'm sorry mr-evil, but you have no idea what you are talking about. PCI-X is NOT PCI express. PCI express will replace PCI-X AND AGP. PCI-X is not faster than AGP. 133Mhz PCI-X has a maximum bandwidth of 1064MB/sec. 8x AGP has a maximum bandwidth of 2133MB/sec AND direct access to the system memory. 4X AGP and 133Mhz PCI-X have roughly the same bandwidth, but with AGPs direct access to system memory and the northbridge it is significantly faster for graphics.

 

[Peter]

PCI-X offers more bandwidth than AGP, and it uses its fastness for everything - unlike AGP.

PCI-X runs at 133 MHz (with a single card), and is 64 bits wide.

However, since graphics chips are 66-MHz 32-bit (as used by AGP), making PCI-X cards from them makes little sense.

PCI Express in turn is an entirely new technology. New graphics chips will be made, making the best use of it.

 

[Mingon]

Well your both wrong ATI Fire GL UX if you build it they will come! so tempted to buy one off ebay as they are £50/$80

 

[Richdog]

This should settle the debate...

COMPLETE OVERVIEW OF PCI-X TECHNOLOGY

 

[mrEvil]

I hit the wrong link on the PCISIG website. I meant to hit the PCI Express one...they have all of the specs for both on their website.

PCI Express FAQ

 

[Torghn]

Originally posted by: Peter
PCI-X offers more bandwidth than AGP, and it uses its fastness for everything - unlike AGP. PCI-X runs at 133 MHz (with a single card), and is 64 bits wide. However, since graphics chips are 66-MHz 32-bit (as used by AGP), making PCI-X cards from them makes little sense. PCI Express in turn is an entirely new technology. New graphics chips will be made, making the best use of it.

Can you please explain to me how PCI-X offers more bandwidth than AGP. 133MHz at 64 bits wide is 1064MB/s. 66MHz at 32 bits wide octuple pumped is 2133MB/s.

 

[Peter]

AGP doesn't use the oct-pumpedness for transfers from the system to the card, only for texture accesses from the card into borrowed system memory. That hardly ever happens, and everything else travels at 32-bit 66 MHz.

Moving the graphics card to PCI Express will fix that, by bringing the throughput of every kind of transfer to full speed.