AGP vs. PCI Express

[Cpt_cock_rocket]

I know this might sound like a simple question but I'm trying to put together a shopping list for a new computer. I used to be fairly knowledgable when it comes to hardware but I've been out of school for a few years now and my memory is failing me.

I was hoping someone could briefly lay out the pro's and con's of

AGP cards vs. PCI Express Cards

which provides better preformance?

 

[runswindows95]

AGP is obsolete. Don't even bother looking at it. Just go with PCI Express.

 

[spuddyt]

pci express = newer, faster technology (although pci 2.0 is coming soon) agp, while you can get some decent graphics cards on it is on its way out and you can't get an 8800 on it (which imo means it sux )

 

[Cpt_cock_rocket]

thanks a lot for the info!

 

[mike99]

Wrong question, most graphics cards don't exceed limit of AGPx8, so , in theory, very little difference in performance.
However, AGP is now obsolete. Most new motherboards only use PCI-e. There are at present, AFAIK, no DX10 cards for AGP. If you want/need the VERY highest performance then it's PCI-e!

Mike.

 

[spuddyt]

oh, and btw, don't fall for the 8600's if your building a system

 

[honestjohn_]

Wrong question, most graphics cards don't exceed limit of AGPx8, so , in theory, very little difference in performance.
However, AGP is now obsolete. Most new motherboards only use PCI-e. There are at present, AFAIK, no DX10 cards for AGP. If you want/need the VERY highest performance then it's PCI-e!
Mike.

Exactly, Take a look at the benches in the link below of a PCI-E X1950 Pro VS. and AGP X1950 Pro. They are pretty much dead even. Unfortunately AGP has been forced out to pasture and top-of-the-line cards will always be PCI-E cards and AGP users will be condemed to using at best mid-range cards for as long as they remain on AGP.

Regarding DX10 on AGP, there are already a few available from ATI. They are really not a serious gaming card but they're DX10 cards none the less. See the link to the HD 2600 Pro below. Also, Nvidia supposedly has a new A05 PCI-E/AGP Bridge chip up their sleeve which is compatible with the 8xxx/9xxx series of cards. After all, they wouldn't let ATI have all the fun.

PCI-E X1950 Pro VS. and AGP X1950 Pro
http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews/Sapphire%20X1950Pro%20AGP/messiah.php

AGP DX10
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129092

 

[spuddyt]

the agp dx10 bit is news to me

 

[Guest]

agp is also more expensive than pci-e cards

 

[michiganteddybear]

agp is also more expensive than pci-e cards

only due to supply/demand reasons. most of the manufacturing has been moved over to PCI-E, whereas a few years ago (when PCI-E first came out) it was the other way around.

yea, some agp cards require a bridge chip these days, but thats because the core chip is pci-e native. when agp was king, it was the other way around!

 

[spuddyt]

still, the fact remanis pcie is the superior technology

 

[uberman]

Honest John,
Since the only halfway decent gaming cards for AGP are DX9 then DX10 is a moot point.DX10 still hasn't shown that much to be thrilled about anyway IMO.

 

[rethdog]

I think the term for pcie is more ‘flexible’ rather than superior i.e. you can have two fast cards, where as with AGP you were limited to one. As stated above no cards can saturate the 8 x AGP bus.

I’m very skeptical about why this change happened, as both SLI and crossfire seem to be more a marketing gimmick with issues / compatibility still present and alive!

 

[rodney_ws]

If you're building a new computer from the ground up, there is absolutely no reason (that I can think of) to go the AGP route. You'll have a smaller selection of cards to pick from, you'll likely limit your CPU choices and on top of that the cards that are still AGP are generally more expensive than their PCI-E counterparts.

 

[Mach5Motorsport]

If you're building a new computer from the ground up, there is absolutely no reason (that I can think of) to go the AGP route. You'll have a smaller selection of cards to pick from, you'll likely limit your CPU choices and on top of that the cards that are still AGP are generally more expensive than their PCI-E counterparts.

I really can't believe this is something to discuss in September 2007. Although it's nice to see new AGP DX 10 cards! Something a few "experts" claimed would never ever happen.

yeah PCIe 2.0 will make PCIe and AGP moot. right..

 

[honestjohn_]

I really can't believe this is something to discuss in September 2007. Although it's nice to see new AGP DX 10 cards! Something a few "experts" claimed would never ever happen.

yeah PCIe 2.0 will make PCIe and AGP moot. right..

Yes, be prepared for inevitable "PCI-E 1.0 is Dead" threads.

 

[honestjohn_]

Honest John,
Since the only halfway decent gaming cards for AGP are DX9 then DX10 is a moot point.DX10 still hasn't shown that much to be thrilled about anyway IMO.

Ummm, Uberman. All I was doing was letting spuddy know that are indeed DX10 cards since he said he wasn't aware of any. I never said anything regarding how great DX10 was or wasn't?? So that would make your post moot, wouldn't it? ........

 

[spuddyt]

thats the meaning I took from it

 

[uberman]

OK

 

[onestar]

Fine then....<smile>

 

[deathblooms2k1]

To me it's like comparing ram technology's (price wise). Meaning AGP will cost more for less, much like DDR costs more for less in comparison to DDR2. As it stands the same card on either interface currently performs the same but as it's been said the best cards out are only pci-express and I would imagine that anything comparible would cost much more then that of the same performance on the pci-express interface. So really when push comes to shove you get more bang for your buck with pci-express.