Can an AGP slot be added?

[Shaft]

I ordered a Gateway computer for my mom and just got it this week. The motherboard is an Intel D815EFV with integrated video *shudder*. The computer didn't come with an AGP slot, but there is clearly a space on the mobo for one. There are two empty holes and what looks like a number of silver dots between them in the shape of an AGP slot. Can I get an actual slot and install it there? If so, where would I find one? I have an old TNT2 I'd like to install if I could do this. Thanks.

Here is a pic of the mobo.

 

[Rick]

The answer is no.

However, there are excellent alternatives such as PCI-based Geforce 4. It won't be nearly as good as the real thing, but it would be infinitely better than what you currently have.

Even an old card like your TNT2 would probably be better.. I'm sure you can find a Radeon or a Geforce 2 (or higher) that will fit into your PCI slot.

 

[Shaft]

That's what I figured. Just thought I'd better make sure before I bought a PCI card. Thanks.

 

[Vehementi]

All you need is a AGP seat w/ the pins in it, a soldering iron and some solder!

Just kidding. You can't do it - just buy a PCI video card.

 

[Shaft]

I already did...several weeks ago .

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Originally posted by Vehementi
All you need is a AGP seat w/ the pins in it, a soldering iron and some solder!

Just kidding. You can't do it - just buy a PCI video card.

How do you know that someone can't do it? I would have tried that. AGP controllers & logic is in the chipset, all you need is that bus slot (I think).

 

[Vehementi]

I'm sure if he puts the AGP slot in, if he could, then the sysbo won't recognize it anyway.

Besides, that's about 200 individual pins you have to solder :dead:

 

[Phantasm66]

I am fairly sure that the following is true:-

I maybe haven't read this post as clearly as I should, but if the mobo has onboard AGP graphics, then the answer is no. AGP is a port and (I believe) there can only be one AGP device on the chipset. That's either an integrated device, or its a seperate card in the AGP slot. That's why boards with integrated AGP video do not have AGP slots.

 

[StormBringer]

For the record, it can be done but it is NOT cost effective, and I wouldn't attempt it myself unless maybe on an old board I didn't care about. This would be an engineering level project because you would be redesigning the board.

Now if the chipset doesn't support it then you'd open a whole new can-o-worms...

If I ever have a few weeks to kill and feel that I need a project to drive myself completely insane, I might give it a shot, otherwise it isn't really feasable.

 

[Vehementi]

Originally posted by StormBringer
Now if the chipset doesn't support it then you'd open a whole new can-o-worms...

That's what I was thinking...

Originally posted by Phantasm66
if the mobo has onboard AGP graphics, then the answer is no. AGP is a port and (I believe) there can only be one AGP device on the chipset. That's either and integrated device, or its a seperate card in the AGP slot. That's why boards with integrated AGP video do not have AGP slots.

Yes. It's different with the NForce though, where one AGP device can be disabled to use another one.
He may be able to flash his BIOS to support this - but I'm really not sure it's worth trying.

 

[yamaraion]

AGP Mobo chip and slot

What I have seen on tech sites is that If you have a graphics integrated chip on mobo and a AGP slot, you can disable the chip and enable the slot and your new video card.

yamarion

 

[Vehementi]

But if you have a system board that doesn't have an AGP slot altogether, then it's eliminated from the BIOS.

 

[Nick]

Yeah go with a geforce 4 mx whatever pci card, i just installed one for my little brother on his celeron 667 mhz, 384 ram and hes gettin a solid 100 fps in counter-strike.

 

[Th3M1ghtyD8]

Originally posted by Vehementi
But if you have a system board that doesn't have an AGP slot altogether, then it's eliminated from the BIOS.

Yeah but you could patch the BIOS file and then reflash it

 

[Vehementi]

Originally posted by Th3M1ghtyD8
Yeah but you could patch the BIOS file and then reflash it

There might even not be buses leading to the AGP area :giddy:

I doubt it will work anyway.

 

[deskjet390]

no no no
ive seen some bios's hehe
with a function for AGP even when the board did not have an AGP slot on it..............just look

 

[Vehementi]

I think the bottom line is that he can't do it

Look at all the pins you have to solder!!!!

What makes you think the TNT2 is faster than the onboard GFX? :stickout:

The bottom-most port on that sysbo looks like it may get in the way of a GFX card, anyway. Well wait...maybe, maybe not.

 

[SNGX1275]

Originally posted by Vehementi
What makes you think the TNT2 is faster than the onboard GFX? :stickout:

If you look at this link I think a 16 or 32 Meg TNT2 might be quite a bit better than onboard video.

 

[Vehementi]

Indeed SNGX. 2MB. That's inhumane.

 

[StormBringer]

Why does this thread still live and breathe. It is pretty apparent to me that very few of us have the skills necessary to complete this project. Then there is the fact that it would cost more than buying a new board. It would definately cost more than a PCI Vid Card and the reliability of the rigged port would be questionable, that is if it worked.