AGP Slot Gone Bad

[Gabe1972]

I have an inexpensive motherboard that is about 1.5 years old that the AGP slot has gone bad in. When I say gone bad, it's that the contacts in the slot have widened out and no longer works. I know that this is the problem because if you are lucky enough to actually get it to work, then slightly move the card, it goes dead. My question is if I buy a PCI video card will that work? I have three open PCI slots. This is all due to financial reasons. I can buy another motherboard, but then I'd have to buy another power supply because this one is a 20 pin and almost all of them nowadays are 24 pin. The computer is only used for going online and nothing more. It's my parent's computer. So do you think a PCI video card would work? Thanks in advance...

 

[SNGX1275]

Yep, it will work. The only catch might be you'd have to set your BIOS for a PCI video card rather than AGP, but it should even autodetect. Hopefully you are correct that it is just a widened slot, in my expierence if something on a motherboard dies, other things are going to follow.

 

[Firedawg1971]

Well there are some different things to do.

1. buy a pci new vid card (make sure not a pci-e card)
these are expensive for what you get out of them and if you dont game at all than that is the perfect fit for a new card.

2. Not enough info about computer for suggestions on motherboards or even if that is feasible. Make, model, ram type, cpu and so on

Like you stated this is only for internet so go to your local Pc repair shop and I bet they have some old pci vid cards for around 10.00 to 15.00 US.

Most of these old cards will auto recognize with win xp but drivers are easy just ask the repair shop to help.

 

[Gabe1972]

I'm about 95% sure that it is the slot itself. LIke I said, if you are lucky enough to get it to work, which it won't at all now, when the card is moved up or down slightly, it blinks out. If this isn't really the problem, then I haven't really lost much as a PCI card is pretty cheap.

Also, my local PC repair shop is about 35 miles away in Buffalo. I don't get to the city that much, so it's not really an option for me. I'll just get the card off of ebay or something like that. Perhaps just wait until I have an order for other things too and get it from Newegg. I have a laptop that they can use for the time being, and with them just using it for the net, it will work fine for the time being. But I want it back...LOL.

The Motherboard is an Asus AV8 K8T800PRO Socket 939, 1GB PC3200 Ram, Athlon 64 3500+. Rosewill 450 20 pin power supply.

It's one I built myself. Unfortunately the motherboard is out of warranty. I can get a motherboard with the added advantage of onboard graphics, but it is a 24 pin board. So after the board and the power supply, I'm looking at close to 100 bucks. I figured this was just the easier way to go...

Thanks for the help guys...

 

[Firedawg1971]

20-24 pin adapter

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=20+to+24+pin+adapter

also vid cards used ( the nvidia vanta is a plugin and go card winxp has drivers for it)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Used-Nvidia-8MB-AGP-Video-S3-2MB-Trio64-PCI-Video-Card_W0QQitemZ250164012065QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Gabe1972]

Firedawg1972,
Thanks for the links, especially for the adapter. That opens up a whole new option. A bit more expensive than the PCI card idea, and a bit less than the new motherboard AND new power supply idea. A viable option. I think I am just going to go with the PCI card idea, and if that isn't the problem, I will just pay the 15% restocking fee. 15% of 30 or 40 bucks isn't that bad. Ether way, they just need to eventually buy a new computer and stop using my old ones that I could be selling on Ebay when I upgrade to a new one. This is the third one in six years now...LOL

 

[Firedawg1971]

Im glad i was able to help , Hope I didnt give you to many options

 

[Gabe1972]

Very helpful and not too many opinions at all. Thanks to all for all of your help...