Will new budget AGP cards work with old MoBo's?

[kcounts]

I have set up my old homebuilt PC for my young son to play games. The new DirectX 9 games freak out on the old Radeon 8500 AGP card. The rig is an old Abit BX6 with a Slot1 1.0GHz CPU memory is probably 256 MB. I don't want to put a lot of money in this rig, but if I don't drop for a new video card its basically a doorstop. I don't know if the latest AGP standards for the cards are imcompatible with the old AGP slot/hardware of the AGP mobo. I'd appreciate any education you fine folks feel like flinging in my direction.

TIA

 

[Kromis]

Yes, they *should* be compatible. If you have an 4x/8x AGP Slot, then you are good to go with any AGP video card. If you have a 2x, you may be a little restricted. Also...your CPY will bottleneck your new video card (if you plan to get one). Heck, I have an 8500 too but it's still good. I can still play games at "okay" FPS. (BF2, CSS, DODS)

 

[Peter]

Intel 440BX chipset is 3.3V AGP (1x/2x modes). There are few current AGP chips remaining that can still do that ... and anyway: Recent games will still choke ... on the weakling of a CPU you got there, regardless of graphics card.

Cards and slots are keyed - what doesn't fit doesn't work.

ATI chips 9550 and up can't do 3.3V signalling anymore, they are 4x/8x only. (Beware, there are some wrongly keyed cards on the market.)

 

[kcounts]

Peter,

Thanks for the advice. THis was what I was thinking. I seem to remember a friend with a similar Abit board (the infamous BH6) having trouble upgrading to an Nvidia card just after I installed my R8500. I think the 8500 working is sort of a fluke, but it does work. The problem seems to be that the 8500 is a DirectX 8.1 design and the new kids games (Over the Hedge) is a DirectX 9 game and the graphics just don't render at all practiacally. The game runs great on my Shuttle XPC with a hyperthreaded P4-2.8 (clocked at 3.25) and my Chaintech GeForce 6600GT (AGP). I just wanted a real knowledgeble person to help explain it. If I could upgrade the Video, I would probably move the 6600GT down and get one of the new AGP 7600/7800 cards that were being discussed for my Shuttle system. I know that the P3-1.0 GHz is a problem, but it really runs well in most things and 1 GHz is the fastest slot one CPU that intel made. I hate the idea of building another computer for Erick just to play a few games, but that may be my only option.

 

[Peter]

You need to check whether the 6600GT chip is still capable of 3.3V AGP signalling.

https://support.ati.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=18872

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for drawings on how cards and slots are keyed. Then look at what you have there. (Note: There have been engineering fsckups on both ends - there haven been boards and cards that are keyed "universal" although they actually aren't.

 

[SonicIce]

isn't it true that if the card fits in the AGP slot, it will work? or at least not blow up the computer

 

[Peter]

Normally, yes ... but please bother reading what I just wrote.

 

[SonicIce]

oh, im dumb. thanks!

btw your link doesn't work because the ati site sucks. i saved the page u were looking for though. here

 

[kcounts]

BTW, I Downloaded the latest catalyst drivers from the Omega Drivers site for the Radeon Cards. After installation, I am able to run the new DirectX game superbly on the old 8500. The surprising thing is that the game looks better (more special effects) on this old P3-1000 with Radeon 8500 and ancient 17" CTX CRT than my newer Shuttle Box with P4-3.0/Geforce 6600GT and 19" LCD.

 

[Captante]

I'm actually still running an Abit BE6-II BX board as my 2ed backup PC (with a 1.4ghz Tualatin Celeron in an adapter) & the only "new" cards I've found that will work in it are the ATI 9200se & the Nvidia FX5200/5500... no way on the 6600GT ... not only are these cards not really new, they likely arn't any faster then your 8500 & are considerably slower then my Old GeForce 4 Ti4600 was despite being DX9.

I'd say be happy the new drivers made the game playable & hang onto your cash until your ready to upgrade the entire system.