Upgrading video card for an AGP 2X

[KingboyD]

I have an HP Pavilion 9686C computer, and I am trying to upgrade my video card. It currently has an 8MB Nvidia Riva TNT Vanta in it, and HP just informed me that I can only upgrade to an AGP 2X card. I am trying to find an inexpensive upgrade (under $60).

So here's my questions -

1. Can I put in a better card (AGP 2X/4X, 4X, or 8X) and just not reap all the benefits, and if so, would this run better or worse than if I just stuck with a 2X with the same ram (16 or 32 MB)?
2. I read on this forum that there are different voltages - I guess 1.5v or 3.3v. Is this true (Am I understanding this correctly)? Can I only upgrade to the same voltage? How do I determine the voltage requirements on my computer? Specs for most cards don't even list these.
3. If I have to stick with a 2X card, does anyone have suggestions? The best I have found seem to be the ATI Xpert 2000, ATI Rage Fury, or the ATI All-In-Wonder (all 32 MB cards), although I think the All-In-Wonder cards are going for more and I think many are 2X/4X. I don't have any plans to connect to a TV, but if the price difference is marginal, I would include that option.

I am extremely computer illiterate, and this is what I have found from my research. Please excuse me if anything I said is ignorant. Thank you for your assistance.

 

[dakota81]

As long as you match up the voltages, any AGP card will work in any AGP slot.

To determine what voltage your slot will take you need to just remove the nVidia card that's in it and look at the slot. If there are no notches in the slot, then you can purchase any AGP card you want. If there is a notch to the rear of the slot (away from the side the monitor cable plugs into), then your slot provides 1.5V and you can get any new card you want.

If your AGP slot has a notch to the front of the slot (closer to where you plug the monitor into), then the slot can only accept 3.3V cards. If this is the case, you will need to take a look and see if the card you want to buy also has a notch to the front of the card. Most all 2x, 4x AGP cards and a few AGP 8x cards will work, you will just need to check it out first before purchase.

 

[dakota81]

I'll throw out some images to show what they are:

older 3.3V only AGP card:

http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/14-102-178-08.JPG

current 3.3V & 1.5V AGP card:

http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/14-102-199-17.JPG

Newer 1.5V only AGP card:

http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/14-102-325-04.JPG

 

[KingboyD]

Thanks for the help. So now I unfortunately have additional questions - are you saying that as long as a card fits into my AGP slot (which has a notch at the front - 3.3V), I can assume that the voltage will match, regardless of the speed and ram? Or is it just that my slot can handle lower voltages?

What also confuses me is that the card I currently have, definitely an 8mb AGP 2X, has three notches. Isn't this typical of 4X cards?

Also according to HP customer support, "The Pavilion is equipped with 8 MB Nvidia Riva TNT Vanta. The AGP port supported by the Pavilion is AGP 2X only." This seems to contradict with what everyone else is telling me. Am I missing something?

Finally, if I can use faster AGP cards, will there be a noticeable advantage? Or will it be limited by my motherboard and/or slot? Furthermore, will a 4X 32MB card run faster on my computer than a 2X 32MB card?

Thank you very much for the assistance.

 

[cdogg]

Kingboy,
If only everyone were as careful as you! It's a good thing, trust me...

Many, many, many, many AGP 2x motherboards have been ruined simply because someone put a 4x card (1.5v) into a 2x slot (3.3V). Some 2x slots do support 1.5v but if yours doesn't, then any 4x or 8x card is going to ruin your board.

Even if your board does support 1.5v, I doubt that any AGP 8x card will work since most that I've seen only support 4x or 8x mode. Your best bet is to do the following:

A) You must verify the slot's voltage with either HP or some other source on the net.

B) If it supports 1.5v, go ahead and get a 4x card (the GF4 Ti 4200 cards are still decent performers). Even if the rest of your system is a worse bottleneck, you can always use the card in your next system.

Sorry there aren't any specifics here, but let's wait to see what voltage your slot supports...



~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle

 

[dakota81]

First off, mixing AGP speeds is no concern. That is a definition built into the AGP specifications, for both the video cards and the slots, every piece of hardware is backwards compatible with every previous speed.


In regards to voltages again, they are keyed so that you cannot possibly mix up wrong voltages.

If a card is 1.5V only, it would look like the third link I posted above, and will never fit into a 3.3V only slot.

If the card has the two notches like the second link, that means they can handle both 1.5V and 3.3V slots. Else they would have been keyed differently.


You might also be getting confused with the extra tab that's on the end of the card, the piece without any metal contacts. Don't worry about this tab, with that present it just means that video card can be used in an AGP Pro slot, and nothing else.


With the newer cards, you will see speed increases even if it is stuck in AGP 2x mode. The 2x is the speed data can be sent to & from the video card. The video card then processes the data that is in the video ram, and this what defines most of the card's speed and is NOT bottlenecked; you will see an improvement.

 

[cdogg]

"[blue]Many, many, many, many AGP 2x motherboards have been ruined simply because someone put a 4x card (1.5v) into a 2x slot (3.3V).[/blue]"

I should have said "2x card into a 4x slot". If I'm not mistaken, 4x universal slots can accept older 2x cards. I believe dakota is right in saying that the reverse is not true, since 4x cards are keyed not to fit in older 1x/2x slots.

~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle

 

[ANFPS26]

Some more info:

http://www.hardtecs4u.com/reviews/2001/agp4x_e/index2.php

Jim

 

[no25]

So, does all current cards sport the 1.5v AGP card? Mine's a Geforce2 MX400 and looks similar to it. I'm planning on replacing it with a 4Ti because of tight budget.

 

[cdogg]

The entire GeForce4 line (MX and Ti) supports 1.5v AGP 4x. As a matter of fact, every current 4x and 8x card does.

~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle

 

[no25]

I think my slot is only 2X and seems to be keyed at 3.3v. Is it ok to insert an nvidia (inno3d tornado) Geforce4 4200ti 8x in it?

 

[cdogg]

I'm not aware of any GeForce4 Ti cards that are keyed for both 1.5v and 3.3v AGP. However, you can always refer to dakota's links above to see what one should look like.

Before you buy anything, look up the product's name in a google search and see if you can find a picture of it. If so, it has to match dakota's second link.

~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"
[tab][tab]- Aristotle

 

[KingboyD]

Thanks for all the help. So now that I know what cards I can use, what recommendations do people have for me? I have a 700 MHz Athlon processor with the 3.3V 2X AGP slot (according to HP, my slot is actually 3.4 V?!?!). I am using WIN XP, and it seems that many of the older cards are not compatible with XP, at least with DVD features (although I have no current or future plans to ever connect my computer to a TV). I wanted to keep costs low (preferably under $30 - money is very tight these days), and was checking ebay for deals. I was thinking of the GeForce2 MX400 64MB. I could probably pick one up used for about $25. Is this worth it or is there something else for this price range that would outperform it or is more reliable? Thanks.