I feel stupid for asking but...

Booky

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I have a 32MB TNT2 PCI card now. When I build my system I will have a AGP to use, so I plan on getting the GF2 Ultra. My question is this. If I get the GF2 and just used a PCI instead of a AGP, how much performance would I lose,(doubt they even make a GF2 PCI but this is merely a example so I understand better)? I mean I know AGP is better but I don't know why. Can someone explain why AGP is better?

Someday I will stop asking all the questions!
 

Crashman

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AGP is 66MHz, PCI is 33mhz. AGP is direct to the processor, PCI has to go through the PCI bus. AGP is available in DDR (AGP 2x) and QDR (AGP 4x) PCI is single data rate. So the transfer rates are 2x, 4x, or 8x that of the PCI bus.

Suicide is painless...........
 

Booky

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So what am I doin with this stupid PCI card? I tell you what, stupid Gateway sold me a PC with no AGP slot, bastards. Sorry about that I had to let it out. Oh well come April when I build new system(for my first time) I will definetly get a AGP GF2 Ultra. It should be illegal to sell PCI video cards after hearing that.

Someday I will stop asking all the questions!
 

LordKaos

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Wait a little more time and buy a GeForce 3!
If you waited till now, you can wait a little further for the best, can´t you?

Better burn in Hell with some company than freeze in Heaven all alone
 

Shnak

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"It should be illegal to sell PCI video cards after hearing that."

if it'd be illegal to sell PCI video cards, where would you connect your monitor on your AGP-less system right now? :p

AGP cards are faster when designed to be used on AGP... even there, we're talking 10-12% faster... big wow. 3dfx cards don't use AGP very well, so their PCI and AGP cards are basically on par for their speed...

Shnak

Athlon rocks!skcor nolhtA
 

lagger

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Ahem ahem ... a little more time to buy a gf3???? I don't expect the 600 price tag is comin down for at least a year.. for that he could build a whole 600 mhz celery system with an agp vid card .. wait a month or 2 and the Ultra almost certainly will be affordable and presently and for the next year maybe more .. all you could just about want (ok need.. I want one too but ...) anyway
Lagger
(my 2 cents worth)
 

LordKaos

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Well, the Hercules 3D Prophet III is already at 530$
when all the others start poping, the price will drop a little more! Just wait a while!
Or buy i cheap (Geforce 2 MX?) board and start saving for the Geforce 3, and buy it a couple of months later!

Better burn in Hell with some company than freeze in Heaven all alone
 

slvr_phoenix

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I've got a similar rig at home. It's an old LX motherboard with an onboard integrated AGP2x 3d decelerator. Heh heh. Yet it has no AGP slot. **shrug** So I can't upgrade to a decent AGP video card.

I'm not worried about that though because the system was to just replace my previously dead P1-133. So just about ANYTHING would perform better than that old system. :) And I plan on getting a new system sometime in the future. This system was basically a cheap whim to bridge the gap because it cost less to buy than fixing the P1-133.

But now I'm wondering... I have an old Creative 3D Blaster (Banshee chipset version, I believe ... my memory isn't the best) PCI video card that should still work laying around from past upgrades and fixes to the P1-133.

So despite the fact that AGP video should be able to beat PCI video hands down, in this case of crappy integrated vs. PCI, which do you people think is actually the better performer?

Should I stick with the onboard, or should I disable it and go with the PCI?

- Sanity is purely based on point-of-view.
 

gregorarch

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>>Should I stick with the onboard, or should I disable it and go with the PCI?

Why not try it and find out? Ten minutes to swap out cards and drivers, an hour to run some benchmarks, and you've got the DEFINITVE answer.

I'd expect the offboard PCI card to outperform your onboard AGP, if only because it'll be using it's own memory instead of system memory... But I could be entirely wrong!

Dunc
 

lagger

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Point taken ... btw what software supports all the neato things the gf3 is capable of ? The idea of getting a MX is good especially as they will also be getting cheaper soon too
Lagger