Video card compatibility?

[buckle]

Hi,

I'm not that techi but I want to add a video card to my pc to enable me to play some games.

I need to add a GeForce 6600 or higher but how do I know if my pc is compatible for which card?

I have a AMD Sempron(tm) 2300+.

Can anyone help me out?

 

[djjtone]

well do you have a pci Express x16 slot?

 

[buckle]

not sure...now can i find out?

 

[djjtone]

well what your computer model number? look it up at google look for you comps SPECS

or you can open you pc and look for what you have

Will Your Motherboard Support the Video Card You're Purchasing? Here's the Answer...

Before you buy - make sure your motherboard is compatible with this video card. For example, PCI Express video cards won't work with motherboards designed only for AGP or PCI video cards, and vice versa. Please read the specifications carefully or call us for expert advice.

Close-Up: PCI, AGP, and PCI-E (PCI Express)

Check your motherboard and make sure you are purchasing the correct cardbus type.

There are 3 types of cardbus slots currently available: PCI, AGP, and PCI Express (PCIe 2.0 is compatible with PCIe slot)

PCI - The most widely used I/O bus, it provides a shared data path between the CPU and peripheral controllers, such as network, display, SCSI and RAID cards. Though limited in terms of performance, they are considered the best value when you upgrade your video capabilities on a PC. The PCI interface can be found and used in nearly any motherboard.
Click here to view our selection of PCI Cards

AGP - The AGP slot is next in line of higher graphic performance. It was designed especially for the throughput demands of 3-D graphics. It offers up to 8x improvement over a PCI card, is 32 bits wide and runs at 66 MHz. It provides a direct connection between the card and memory, and only one AGP slot is on the motherboard. The motherboard must be equipped with an AGP bus slot for an AGP card to be compatible.(AGP 1x provided a data transfer rate of 264 Mbytes/sec. AGP 2x is 528 Mbytes/sec. AGP 4x is 1 Gbyte/sec. AGP 8x is 2 Gbytes/sec.)
Click here to view our selection of AGP Cards

PCI Express - PCI Express is the newest technology that is superior to both PCI and AGP, in terms of graphic performance. It offers performance as much as 4x faster than the fastest AGP 8X slot. PCI Express connections can support fast data transfer rates, which can be used to connect high-speed devices such as high-end video cards. The slots come in different variations and speeds, such as x1, x4, x8, and x16. Presently, most high-end motherboards meant for design, video production, or gaming come with PCI express slots. To use a PCI Express card, your computer must have at least one available PCI Express slot.

 

[buckle]

Dies this help?

Computer Information
Manufacturer: ASUSTek Computer INC.
Model: A7S8X-MX


System Information
Chipset: SiS 741/741GX/M741 Host
PCI standard host CPU bridge
Motherboard: ASUS A7S8X-MX
CPU: AMD Sempron(tm) 2300

 

[djjtone]

well the main thing i look at was this
Expansion Slots What is "Expansion Slots"?
AGP x8 x 1 • PCI x 2

so you dont have a pci express you have agp but there outdated you can find a decent pci card but im not quiet sure about pci cards

 

[buckle]

so what do you suggest?

 

[djjtone]

go to Tigerdirect.com and search for a pci grapichs card ill see if i can find you one

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

AGP cards are still far more powerful than their PCI brethren, so getting a PCI card with an AGP slot available is just plain stupid.

@buckle, you can get a 7600GS AGP, which is a fairly low-power card that is much faster than the GeForce 6600 while running cooler.

 

[djjtone]

thanks rage i wasnt really sure about pci vs agp i had never had to use those slots

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

No problem mate, just research a little before posting an answer, that's all.

 

[buckle]

thx rage....anything a little cheaper that will still do the job?

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

You can find 6800GS cards on eBay, as well as 6600GTs. Both are pretty decent cards and can be had for relatively cheap.