4X vs. 8X AGP Question(s)--help please

[aReda]

I have a Dell Dimension 8200 bought in November of 2001 and I would like to upgrade its CPU and GPU. Unfortunately, I have a dilemma. My mobo's AGP slot is rated at only 4X AGP and the GPU I'm buying is a Sapphire Radeon 9800 XT which is (luckily) rated for both 4X and 8X AGP slots.

My question what's the difference between 4X AGP and 8X AGP??

My computer’s stats are as follows:
P4 1.8GHz 400MHz FSB
640MB RAMBUS 400MHz
GeForce MX 440 32MB GPU

Now, I am upgrading this system with a Sapphire Radeon 9800 XT VPU and a 2.4GHz 400MHz FSB CPU (this is as fast as I can get a 400MHz FSB CPU at), and I would really like to know whether my graphics will be bad since I'm not using an 8X AGP slot. I'll have all that but no 8X AGP slot, and I'm wondering if my video performance in games such as UT200X will not be uber good because I don't have the 8X AGP.

If there is ANY NOTICIBLE difference between using 4X AGP and 8X AGP in UT200X, please tell me, and to how much of an extent.

Also, any comments on this computer upgrade of mine are more than welcome. I have also been considering the less expensive Radeon 9600 XT, but I'm pretty sold on the 9800 XT.

[tony_j15]

There is NO NOTICABLE difference. At most, you would get perhaps a 10% increase in 3Dmark. Good choice on the vid card and CPU, you should be very satisfied with them.

[aReda]

Thx Tony, that's seriously music to my ears!

[Xtreeme]

Yea, 4x isnt even taxed bandwidht wise. Maybe next gen of cards. But not yet. So in games there will be NO diff as AGP texturing is slow to start with. Accelerated Graphics port(direct link to cpu) simply sends textures to system mem when the video onboard mem is overfilled. This is very very slow in comparison to the super fast onboard video mem. The cards is 128mb. It will not overfill with todays games hence agp texturing isnt even going to be used. So as long as its "volted" properly the x scheme should be ignored. Pure marketing BS. I.E. performance not issue. But volts are as persay a 4x/8x card on a 2x mobo will burn! 4x/8x card on 4x board totally fine!

[HeadBand]

you might give dell a call...even thoug it is a 400 bus cpu dosent nessacaraly mean that it will run on that motherboard

[cysus]

While 8x performance is almost the same as 4x performance on similar cards, my experience shows that on many GeForce FX cards 8x works far better and give smoother performance than 4x, I believe this has to do with core multipliers not motherboard to gpu bandwidth. I've noted this on my asus FX 5600, a 5200ultra and my 5900xt.

[aReda]

Bah Dell.

You know I used to promote DELL, but after THAT phonecall, forget it. They couldn't even speak english, or, if it was, it was pathetic.

One tech support representative told me that my computer didn't have a CPU, and another told me that I will only be able to install a GeForce4 64MB card. I laughed at them and hung up.

~Red

[cysus]

You should have no problems running a 9800xt, but I go a 9800pro because you wont see much of a difference, especially on your system and the price is so much better.

[Xtreeme]

"While 8x performance is almost the same as 4x performance on similar cards, I've experience shows that on many GeForce FX cards 8x works far better and give smoother performance than 4x, I believe this has to do with core multipliers not motherboard to gpu bandwidth."

Explain? How does the 8x/4 setting change the gpu multi? IT doesnt. I game exactly same in 4x or 8x, I checked before. And benches gain maybe 100points from it. That just my experience though. Many others have had the same so take it as you will.

[cysus]

I haven't had that happen on ati cards or geforce 4 cards, solely of the fx based cards, I don't know why but it always seems to happen, 4x being unplayably glitchy while still looking very good and 8x being far smoother and very playable. I honestly have no idea why it happens but I think it has to do specifically with the geforce FX gpu.