Chip/Mobo Limiting Graphics Performance

chenba

Distinguished
May 14, 2001
7
0
18,510
Question: Will my motherboard/CPU speed limit the performance graphics card? I would like to upgrade my ATI RagePro PCI card, but won't do it if I will only see minor performance increases.

System Description:
-Epox Socket 7 Motherboard w/ Via MVP3 Chipset
-312 MB RAM
-AMD K6-2 400Mhz processor (not sure if it has 3DNow)
 

phsstpok

Splendid
Dec 31, 2007
5,600
1
25,780
What a coincidence! I was just playing around with a Radeon 8500 on my old K6-2 system, 400 Mhz, FIC 503+ - MVP3+, Win 98SE, VIA 4-in-1 4.40, ATI Catalyst 2.3 drivers (I forget the build number). These latest drivers are the only ones with which I have been able to get the 8500 to work with the K6-2 system.

Yes, the K6-2 limits performance. A lot!

I just scored <A HREF="http://service.madonion.com/compare?2k1=4629076" target="_new">1540 in 3DMark2001</A>. The same card scores 7000 stock on a Tbird 1.5 Ghz system w/ SDRAM and over 8000 when the video card is overclocked.

I can't really say how much improvement you might get over a PCI RagePro as I only have a PCI AIW (Rage II) to compare against. 3D on the AIW is totally unusable in any games at any resolution. You must be doing better than this.

The 8500 gets about 27 fps in the Quake3 demotest which is about the same I got when my K6-2 system had a Geforce256 and a Geforce2. It seems the system is too slow to get any better performance no matter what video card is used.

<b>I have so many cookies I now have a FAT problem!</b>
 

Crashman

Polypheme
Former Staff
AGP will give you a little edge, I would go with a GeForce2 MX/MX400 (NOT MX200) or a Radeon DDR (NOT VE).

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>
 

Crashman

Polypheme
Former Staff
Even with his weak CPU and chipset, AGP offers more performance than PCI. He has an AGP slot. And the AGP card is the same price (sometimes cheaper).

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>