PCIe Version

[addfoster]

Hi all,
Im looking at upgrading my graphics card, currently im running the Radeon x800 Pro (AGP). I have been nosing around on www.overclockers.co.uk and decided I would like the Radeon HD 3850 Pro Turbo X 512MB (PCIe)

I notice that it says it needs PCI Express 2.0 x16 bus interface. i found out my motherboard book (ASRock 939Dual-Sata2) to see that it only has PCIe 1.0a.
I read on wikipedia that..
PCIe 2.0 is completely backwards compatible with PCIe v1.x. Graphic cards and motherboards designed for v2.0 will be able to work with v1.1 and v1.0, and vice versa.

I may be getting confused, does this mean a card designed for PCIe 2.0 will still run even tho i only have PCIe1.0a?
Sorry if I seem a total n00b.
Cheers

 

[Evilonigiri]

Yes it will run, theoretically. Some motherboards may have issues running PCIe 2.0 though.

 

[physx7]

I run a HD 3850 in my PCI-E 1.0 with no problems.........

 

[IndigoMoss]

Yup the majority of people do not have a problem. You should be fine.

 

[addfoster]

cool, ill get big purchase on then, hehe.
Thanks for all your help

 

[rgeist554]

Yeah, you'll be fine as long as you don't have a VIA chipset... lol. I believe quite a few of those had trouble with 38xx series ATI cards w/ no BIOS / driver updates released.

Anyways, PCIe 2.0 just expands the bandwidth of the current x16 slots. That being said, no card currently released will even use the entire bandwidth offered by PCIe 1.0a / 1.1 slots. So you've got nothing to worry about.

 

[addfoster]

manual says i have a ULi M1695 Chipset (north bridge) for 939Pin CPU
ULI M1567chipset (south bridge)
so i guess its all good