Using 8x AGP card in 4x AGP slot?

[ShawnD1]

I want to buy a GeForce FX 5200 (economy card) which is meant for 8x AGP slots but my motherboard only supports 4x on the AGP slot. Would I see only minor loss or would I just be pissing into the wind by getting this card?

your system specs are more what you should be worried about

what are they? instead of the video card being the bottle neck the cpu and the rest could be


8x is not really useful right now, but someday it could be.

[tony_j15]

That card is 4x and 8x, so no problem there. Not to throw you off, but how much do you want to spend? There might be better out there depending on your budget.

[vass0922]

I was using a 8x card in a 2x slot... no worries you'll be fine

[ShawnD1]

AthlonXP 1700+
512MB ram
KT266A northbridge (does that imply 266mhz system bus?)
5400RPM hard drive (shouldn't be a problem)

As for budget, I have lots of money to spend but I swore that I would never get scammed by getting top of the line. Cards like the FX 5900 may be twice as fast but they cost 4x as much.

[tony_j15]

KT266A northbridge (does that imply 266mhz system bus?)

Actually, its 133 double data rate, so yeah, 266mhz.

If you have more money, let me steer you towards some better cards. The ATI radeon 9500 is only around 150, a 9700 can be had for 220. These cards outperform the FX's(except for the 5900).

[ShawnD1]

Yes they are better but 150 and 220, that's like twice as much. The FX 5200 costs $100 at the store. I know it's only $50 to $100 more, a few days of work, but still that's 50% to 100% more more.

[tony_j15]

I hear ya there. The 5200 will play Doom3 and HL2, so you'll be set for those.

[ShawnD1]

I sort of wonder who uses those cards like the Radeon 9800 pro, GeForce FX 5900 and so forth. We don't yet have programs that require that kind of insane speed lol

[tony_j15]

It never hurts to have bragging rights. "Look what I got!" But those programs are right around the corner. Half Life 2 come out in September, and you'll need a top of the line card to play it with all the candy on. Is it worth the money? That depends on who you ask. I would never spend more than 200 or so on a card.