graphics cards voltages

[Guest]

how do i know my motherboard is compatible with possible video cards i want
to purchase? for example, do AGP 8x cards work with AGP 2x motherboards (at
reduced speed or something). what about the voltages that are sometimes
mentioned? what if nothing is mentioned?

ps: the motherboard is a MS-6309v1 (according to aida32) but since i bought
it as a whole (as a packard bell pc) i have no motherboard manual or stuff
like that

 

[~misfit~]

how do i know my motherboard is compatible with possible video cards
i want to purchase? for example, do AGP 8x cards work with AGP 2x
motherboards (at reduced speed or something). what about the voltages
that are sometimes mentioned? what if nothing is mentioned?

AGP 1x and 2x work on 3.3v, 4x on 1.5v and 8x on 0.8v signalling strength.
Therefore if the slot is only specc'ed to 2x it would blow an 8x card up.

ps: the motherboard is a MS-6309v1 (according to aida32) but since i
bought it as a whole (as a packard bell pc) i have no motherboard
manual or stuff like that.

Google MS-6309 and find out for yourself. Or Google MSI and go from their
site.

 

[DaveW]

8X cards generally work with 4X or 8X AGP slots, voltage wise. Not 2X; too
old and wrong voltage.

 

[Guest]

AGP 1x and 2x work on 3.3v, 4x on 1.5v and 8x on 0.8v signalling strength.
Therefore if the slot is only specc'ed to 2x it would blow an 8x card up.

But what with cards marked "2x 4x" and a AGP slot marked "1x 2x" ? How can
you explain the card specs?

Google MS-6309 and find out for yourself. Or Google MSI and go from their
site.

I have. None of the mentioned MS-6309 types seems to be my board, probably
something MSI made especially for Packard Bell computers. Or maybe wrong
info by Aida32

 

[CB]

I'm not sure, but don't the different AGP cards with different voltages have
different shaped slots? Therefore a AGP 1x,2x won't fit a 8x slot will it?

--
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Bird sightings based around 'Craven' Skipton, North Yorks.
http://cravenbirds.mysite.freeserve.com/
http://mysite.freeserve.com/cravenbirds

 

[kony]

I'm not sure, but don't the different AGP cards with different voltages have
different shaped slots? Therefore a AGP 1x,2x won't fit a 8x slot will it?

You are correct, an AGP 1x, 2x, won't fit in a 4x, 8x slot. It would fit
in a universal slot. A 4x, 8x card will fit in a 1x, 2x slot, IF they
designed it to do so. Up until recently the manufacturers had been doing
this, but the newer models of 8X card, (not 100% certain of which specific
models) will not work, won't physically fit into the old 1x, 2x AGP slots.

 

[Mike Walsh]

There are "universal" AGP slots, e.g. my home PC will accept 1x, 2x, or 4x cards. A card marked "2x 4x" is designed to work in a 2x or 4x slot.

 

[jamotto]

how do i know my motherboard is compatible with possible video cards i want
to purchase? for example, do AGP 8x cards work with AGP 2x motherboards (at
reduced speed or something). what about the voltages that are sometimes
mentioned? what if nothing is mentioned?

ps: the motherboard is a MS-6309v1 (according to aida32) but since i bought
it as a whole (as a packard bell pc) i have no motherboard manual or stuff
like that

This should help you.
http://www.ertyu.org/~steven_nikkel/agpcompatibility.html

 

[jamotto]

how do i know my motherboard is compatible with possible video cards i want
to purchase? for example, do AGP 8x cards work with AGP 2x motherboards (at
reduced speed or something). what about the voltages that are sometimes
mentioned? what if nothing is mentioned?

ps: the motherboard is a MS-6309v1 (according to aida32) but since i bought
it as a whole (as a packard bell pc) i have no motherboard manual or stuff
like that

This should help you.
http://www.ertyu.org/~steven_nikkel/agpcompatibility.html

 

[~misfit~]

But what with cards marked "2x 4x" and a AGP slot marked "1x 2x" ?
How can you explain the card specs?

This simply means the slot only provides 3.3v (but can run at different
transfer speeds) and the card is capable of running on 3.3v or 1.5v. My card
is 4x/8x compatible, meaning it can run on 1.5v or 0.8v, my slot is also
4x/8x meaning it can supply either 1.5v or 0.8v depending on what the card
needs. My card has an couple of LEDs on it to tell you what mode it's
running in. It's running in 8x mode.

In your scenario the card would run fine, at 2x.

As mentioned somewhere else in this thread, *some* cards/slots don't allow
you to fit the wrong card.

I have. None of the mentioned MS-6309 types seems to be my board,
probably something MSI made especially for Packard Bell computers. Or
maybe wrong info by Aida32

Ok, it could be either. Aida, while a good proggy, does get it wrong
sometimes and Packard Bell does use proprietry boards, made for them by
various companies.

See what CPU-Z says. Or (ugghh) SiSoft Sandra.

Can you get a manual from Packard Bell's website?

 

[Robert Downes]

how do i know my motherboard is compatible with possible video cards i want
to purchase? for example, do AGP 8x cards work with AGP 2x motherboards (at
reduced speed or something). what about the voltages that are sometimes
mentioned? what if nothing is mentioned?

ps: the motherboard is a MS-6309v1 (according to aida32) but since i bought
it as a whole (as a packard bell pc) i have no motherboard manual or stuff
like that

I have a Gigabyte GA-8IHXP board, and it warns me not to use AGP cards
that use the higher voltage, because doing so will melt the Intel
chipset on the motherboard.

The only way to really know is to find your motherboard manual. Do they
not have a copy online? Ah, they don't appear to have the manual
anymore. Not even archived.

The best I could find is this link:

http://www.msi-polska.pl/program/support/manual/mnu/spt_mnu_list.php

which includes a link to this page for the 6309 (under 'Socket 370'):

http://www.msi-polska.pl/program/support/manual/mnu/spt_mnu_detail.php?UID=124&NAME=MS-6309

but the link to documentation is an .exe file, which could be hazardous.
I'd only open that file if you have active virus scanning on your
machine, and know what you're doing with it.