8x card on 2x mobo

[blackie]

Hey ppl,
i am just wondering if any of you can shed light on this..

i am ordering a gfx card for my old P-II box.. mainly cuz i want to watch divx on my tv

Since its just going in my p-II box, i figured a Gf4 mx440 would easily be powerful enough, and seems like a good value for money option..

Initially i was going to buy a 4xAGP card, but have just discovered an 8xAGP card which i found for the same price..

The card is a Leadtek 180DDR T, 64mb ddr, 8xagp, tv/out etc..
It claims to support 8/4/2xAGP.. but all the voltages and stuff are confusing, and i dont want to fry my family pc LoL.

Does anyone know if it will work ok in my computer??

I am using an ABIT BH-6 motherboard; the manual says it supports 1x/2x AGP Sideboard @ 3.3V. I currently have a Riva TNT... ah the glory days, that was equivalent to a 9800 pro when i got it hahaha.


Thanks

[Atomic Rooster]

Yes it should work fine.

[blackie]

Are you sure rooster?

Thanks for the reply man.. well i did order it already, just gotta make payment for it..

i have a 53" Flatscreen tv.. i CANNOT WAIT to watch my many, many divx/xvid movies on it

[Omardeth]

bh6 use to be the king of them all ...ahhh those were the days . but like the 1 eyed rooster said it should be ok but you will have to enable 2x in the bios . i don't think 8x cards can go back to 1x . but i could be wrong .

I don't think it'll work. The reason is that your mobo manual ONLY states 3.3V AGP support. All 4x and over AGP cards are only 1.5V. AGP2,0 Standard allows for both 3.3 and 1.5V, so some boards may allow both voltages. But if your board only allows 3.3V - put an 8x card in and it'll be toast!

Here's a link to help explain.

Sorry to be a doomsayer.

Cheers
Mick

[Peter M]

Not correct, mickwish.

Cards can be universal-voltage just as well as boards may be. Now if you have a universal card and a 3.3V-only board, that'll work anyhow.

_Chipsets_ that do AGP 3.0 usually can't step back to 3.3V signalling to support old cards, but the other way round, _graphics units_ that support 8x but can go back to 2x, is still pretty common. Amongst other reasons, this is also because 3.3V signalling is also required if you intend to make a PCI card from this graphics chip.

Thanks PeterM, I think I got it now.

AGP 3.0 only allows for 1.5V - but that the chipset. Cards themselves can support anything the manufacturer allows.

So if you have a AGP2.0 compatible slot - provided the graphic card manufacturer says it supports 2x slot, then should be fine.

I've seen a few 8x cards that say they are:

compatible with AGP 2X or AGP 2X/4X/8X universal slot.

So I guess if the card says that, should be OK.

Still a worry if the cards not 2x compatible and you put it in a 2x slot, though.

Cheers
mick

[blackie]

Thanks for the replies guys

..it should work if the Leadtek is a universal card?

But, my mobo wont have an AGP 2.0 slot, it will be the original AGP 1.0.. will it fry!? lol

[Omardeth]

i don't think 8x video card will go all the way back to 1x agp period . also i haven't looked in a bios of a bh6 in a long time but i think there is a voltage setting to do 1.5 or 3.0 . but check i could be wrong . i might be thinking of the be6. there are also acouple different revisions of the bh6 so you might want to check on that also . it should be printed on the board somewhere , i think it is between pci slots where it says bh6 . it should also be on the sticker on the side of the bottom isa slot . but you will have to remove the board to see it

[blackie]

Thx omardeth..

Im referring to AGP 1.0 standard, not agp 1x.. I will be attempting to run it at 2x AGP, in the AGP 1.0 slot of my BH-6.

Hmm, i'll try check the revision later, gotta go to work now.. its bios is classic, go the CPU Soft Menu II.. when i first got this baby, i o/c'd my PII by 204mhz.. and left it there for like 3 years

If this card doesnt work, one of the normal gf4 4x/2x AGP cards will work it in, right? Also, what will happen if its like the wrong voltage, will it just fry the card, or will my mobo be screwed aswell??