Pcie 1.1 with 2.0/2.1 vid card

[venture08]

Hi Everyone,
I'm building my first computer and salvaging old parts from a HP Pavilion Elite I bought 2 years ago. I'm trying to make a good gaming rig. The motherboard it has is a IPIBL-LB

I've been doing some research about video card slots and it seems I can put a 2.0 or 2.1 in the pcie 1.1 slot but some vid cards also require a power plug which I don't think I have.

I was hoping to get some feedback about the compatability of this, and if there was an ideal video gaming card I can get for this motherboard without having to buy a new board.
THanks,

 

[T_T]

First, PCI-E is indeed backward compatible. That is, you can use the 2.0 or 2.1 card in the 1.1 slot, or you could use a 1.0 in a 2.0/2.1 slot (though, why would you want to?).

The auxillary plug comes from PSU, not the mobo. So what this means is that if your GPU (video card) requires a 6 or 8-pin connector, you'll need to get a new Power Supply Unit.

 

[venture08]

Im going to be getting a new power supply also, 700-800w range, so that should have the pin connectors right?

 

[T_T]

Most of the PSUs manufactured today do come with the GPU connectors; however, not all PSUs are good. Here's a list of quality manufacturers:

1. Antec
2. Cooler Master
3. OCZ
4. Thermaltake
5. Corsair

Keep in mind that the output (wattage) isn't as important as the load (amps). If you're going to install a GPU that requires the 6/8-pin plug, you'll need a PSU that has at least two dedicated +12V rails, with each rail able to support the amperage requirement for your GPU.

My suggestion is to find out the requirments for the GPU, then base your search based upon your budget, while keeping in mind the manufacturers mentioned above. Also worth mentioning is that PSUs with at least 80+ Bronze Certified are viable candidates.

 

[venture08]

I'm looking at
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130595

Seems it doesn't require a lot of power, I'm a bit hesitant about the price though.

Thank you for the help by the way, this is all new for me.

 

[T_T]

Ahh the 570. Nice choice. Depending on the CPU and RAM, you may find that despite this powerful card, you'll still experience some bottlenecking. Use Newegg's PSU calculator to help with finding a sufficient PSU.

 

[venture08]

The calculator said around 650w so in the future im going to upgrade so I think I might go with a 750 or 800, but im looking for the ones with multiple 12v rails and all are singles. I'm definitely going to go with the EVGA GeForce GTX 570 GPU. Just a bit confused about the 2x6 pin power conector compatibility with a PSU.

 

[kilo_17]

What proc are you putting in?

 

[venture08]

its got a intel 2 quad core Q6700 in the mobo

 

[venture08]

trying to get the most out of the IPIBL-LB mobo to avoid buying a new one, but I dont want to fry it either lol

 

[venture08]

think I figured out the PCI-Express Connector issue, looks like the ones im looking at have 4 rails. thanks for the help!!

 

[venture08]

Best answer selected by venture08.