Hardware Knowledgebase - Will my 8X AGP video card work in my 4X AGP slot?

Intel P4HT D850mv2 (4x pro50) silencer 610 psu first install 8x PC/ATI HD3800 card seemed to understand and run at 4x config. However card lasted less than 2 weeks about 1 1/2 hours game time. I will continue to swap cards as long as manufacture claim "backward compatible" me thinks bad card at this point not compatibility, we shall see...

This will answer all your questions.
http://www.playtool.com/pages/agpcompat/agp.html#universalagp30card

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X1050 AGP 8x

was it An Club-3D?
4x/8x?

Its juts Blew out!?
hah confgratulations!

I had a asus a7n266-vm motherboard with
a agp 4x slot.

I put in a Radeon X1050 AGP 8x graphics card into it and it blew out the motherboard. And yes I grounded myself on
the computer case.

So don't put in a agp 8x card into a agp 4x motherboard. It might blow out you motherboard !!!

I got a stock nVidia 6600 8x AGP card and installed it into my Acer S88m (i845 Brookdale) mobo, and the system would not boot at all. The 9600xt 4x/8x AGP card it was to replace works without a hitch.

Saying 8x AGP SHOULD work in a 4x slot is a bit of a game of roulette. There are no guarantees that it is going to work, so do not be lulled into thinking that it WILL work. It may all depend on the card, your 4x AGP motherboard, or a combo of the two.

Ive bought an xfx 6200a ddr2 256mb and placed it on my p4p800s-x from asus. First i had no probs, but when i tryed to install vista on it my system hangs even when i try to set xp back. Then i placed my old ati radeon 9000pro 128mb back in it and i can install xp again verry verry strange

I just bought a GeForce 7800 GS and I also discovered I have an AGP 2.0 setup (motherboard model GA-8IE2004P). Has anyone tested this compination? I hear its the best AGP card on the market and I want to know if this will run in my 1.5v AGP 2.0 system. Also, I was thinking about putting my old GeForce FX 5200 in an older computer which has has an AGP Slot Supports 66/133 MHz speed. (motherboard model GA-5AX). Will this older switch also work?

Victor, download rivatuner and change the agp speed from there.I had the same problem as you.Changed my speed from 8x to 4x with rivatuner and it solved my problem.Hope it helps.

I have a hypothesis which I made by a research into the chipsets of graphic cards
I noticed that in nvidia until Fx-5700 Ultra and in Ati until 9600xt chipsets of these board can not make a head or tail about what is the 8x

So the companies deceived us by telling this card can work in AGP8x

I think evidence can prove these
I need these to be a theory
Please comment

i have a problem with a pny verto geforce 6800gt.

My pc: intel 1.5ghz, mb intel d850gb, 640mb rambus pc800, 1 port agp

4x (agp 2.0 i guess), 380w atx and windows xp sp2.

the problem: i just buy the card since 4 days, used but working fine. the card fit in the port agp right, and the pc turn on, but after install de nvidia drivers (any version)or omega drivers, and the card is recogniced by the pc, start to appear some interferences, green o white lines verticals, sometimes horizontals,
very fast, appears and the go.

The bios of the mobo, dont let me choice option 4x or 2x.. of the agp
port, its automatically set to 4x. And the nvidia control panel and
appears agp 4x bus too. but still having interference. I dont know what is happening here. a lot of

people says that it is simply incompatibility, and clames that it

works fine just with agp 8x.

That people could be right, but i try with a xfx geforce 6600 256mb agp 4x/8x, and a mx440 8x 64mb, and both works perfect in that pc.

anyway i play some games with the 6800gt (testing funcionality)
and really works fast, with high definition and filters... but still
having the interference, and sometimes artifacts.

sometimes after a long time its work fine wihtout interference.

that is the situation, i am worried with that, Please somebody helpme to solve this problem.

if someone solve the same problem, or know what to do, please tellme.

I am not sure but I think my 8x video card tolerated the different voltage for a while but eventually made the card go out. I bought a ATI 9600 Pro and put into my dell system and did not even boot, put it in my AMD system, same processor speed, and it booted and worked fine. The only problem that I had is sometimes when it would go to sleep,it would not wake up with out hard restarting the computer. I think that was my first sign of incompatibility. I had the card for only about 10 months and the card croaked on me. This was a brand new card. My best guess is that the card tolerated the different voltage, but finally went out.

I brought a Zebronics Geforce 6200 256MB card and it's working fine with my Intel 850 motherboard with AGP 4x slot. My SMPS is rated at 300W i think.

I have an 8x/4X AGP 256mb 6200GeForce card and an ASUS p4pe motherboard. The card was running even worse than my old GeForce 128mb 4x card and after trying to work with it for a day my whole system seems to have become unstable. I'm investigating other options for what is going on but since it happened within a day of installing the card it seems very likely. When I reinstall my old 128mb card the system works the same as it did before. The only potential kink in the sytem is that I'm also running the system through my medley raid controller.

After reading the post I'm checking for a voltage incompatibility but havewn't found the information yet. Has anyone had a similar problem or has any ideas on how to go about troubleshooting this? Everything here seems to be a success story.

I have an ECS motherboard (K7VMM+) with a universal agp card (4x,2x,1x), then I bought a Nvidia fx5500 8x card, the card wont work but if fits perfectly on the agp slot. Many says that 8x card will work on 4x card, because it has backward compatability. Please help!

hmm, just what it thought. An 8x card should work but might not. My solution is to just get a PCI card and not waste my time.

I have no idea where the information in the original post comes from, but it is simply incorrect. The folks that posted about Nvidia AGP 3.0 (AGP 8x) chipsets being backward compatible with AGP 4x slots have it right!!

The information about voltage incompatibility had me worried since I was about to install a Gigabyte Nvidia FX5500 in a 6-year old computer with an AGP 4X slot; furthermore, unlike many cards, this one specifically said minimum requirement was AGP 3.0.

But after doing a bunch of research it was clear that it ought to be backward compatible. So I installed it, and it has been working flawlessly for about a week now :) Performance is pretty good, too!

As far as ATI chipsets are concerned, I have no firsthand experience, but all the ones I've seen that are 8X claim full backward compatibility as well. So it does seem to me that the info in the original post is complete B.S. regardless of chip type, but I caution that I am only reporting on my own personal experience. Also, as far as the 0.8v is concerned, AGP 3.0 cards operate with 0.8v voltage swing, but they are powered by 1.5v just like AGP 4X.

Oh, and the guy that had trouble with the system rebooting with the nVidia 6600: my guess is it was because the power supply was inadequate for the big power draw of the 6600, nothing to do with AGP 4X vs. 8X.

The original article about AGP 8X voltage incompatibility seems to be a load of crap. As another poster states, nVidia specifically claims backward compatibility, and that's been my experience.

I installed a Gigabyte FX5500 in a 6-year old computer with an AGP 4x slot. The FX5500 was specifically an AGP 8x card and the manual even stated the minimum system requirements as "AGP 3.0 or better", meaning AGP 8x or better. That, and the scary implications of the original post, made me very hesitant to install the card.

After doing a bit of research it seemed clear that all nVidia chipsets would be backward compatible. So I installed the card and it works like a charm :)

Not sure about ATI chipsets, but all the newer ATI cards I've seen claim 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x compatibility anyway.

I have Nvidia 6800 GT. My computer have onboard Display, after installation Nvidia card & setup machince not accepted this card. My motherboard AGP capture mode is 4x & this card is 8x. Is it neccessory to need motherboard AGP requirement 8x? It's urgent. thanks you...

i have a 256mb gefore 5600 graphics card and want to upgrade, i only have a 8x agp port and on the gefore website it penstions they run on a pci express, does anyone know the best geforce cards i can get that will run on my 8x agp?

I bought a BIG 6600 256 mb card and tried it on 2 pcs with agp 4x but it resulted in an unstable system. The pc would hang/reboot in 2-3 minutes. so i would not recomment anybody to go in for this card if they have a 4x slot.

Hello, my question seems to be one that now has me even more confused. I'm installing a gigabyte GA 81hxp motherboard and am looking for a video card that is good , yet compatible. the manual tells me to be cautious;

Example: Diamond Viper v770 has golden finger that is compatible with the slot on my board, but runs at default at 2x3.3 v, unless the jumper on the board is moved.

Example2: Some ATI Rage 128 pro cards made by "power color" & some sis 305 cards have a finger compatible with that on my agp slot but they support only 2x3.3 and cannot be switched, and will burn up the board.

In essence what matbe, i should gather here is that any 4x card will work also any 8x will work backwards. It looks as if what i'm readinbg tells me tyhat the more the card is multiplied the lower the voltage.

Hmm maybe I've answered my own question here. If you have any comments, I'sd apppreciate them.
Thank you
Mark

Short and to the point idd, however it should be noticed that almost all (if not all) known card manufacturers does integrate a backward compatibility in their newest cards. So if u got an elder PC (ie made before mid 2002) with an AGP 2.0-port which allows a maximum of 4x (66 Mhz = 266Mhz @1.5V) speed,
a 'next generation'-card (AGP 3.0, max of 8x 66Mhz=~533Mhz @0.8V) should work flawlessly on your system.
In every way, none of those (some) cases i've known led to such problems as (serious) system instability..
Moreover, it would be (commercially seen) bad marketing of those manufacturers, the first AGP 3.0-card (chip from Nvidia) was on the market before a 3.0-compatible system!(Who would buy those f***ing cards????? :D)

Conclusion:
Nvidia is very clear about this one, in a press release they state:
--------------------------------------
"NVIDIA AGP 8X graphicssolutions will be able to detect the AGP level of the host system, and automatically configure the AGP interface to run in 3.0 mode (at 4X or 8X speeds), or in 2.0 mode (at 2X or 4X speeds). Therefore, a new NVIDIA graphics solution will be fully capable of 8X speeds, and will be completely compatible with 2X, 4X, and 8X systems. The NVIDIA-based cards will automatically deliver the maximum speed supported by the host system."
(full press release with info about compatibility @ http://www.widowpc.com/pdfs/AGP8X_92502v1.pdf)
--------------------------------------
So if a got an old pc with an AGP-port, don't fear buying one of those newass cards, you'll notice the difference, however you'll never ever use the card's full potential until you upgrade your mobo or buy a new pc..

I am buying a geforce 6600 (not a GT) and i need to find out which brand will work well on a 4x AGP slot. If someone could tell me that would be great...

kjby2k... you really need to disconnect the power before installing/removing cards. This will fix the problem of the motherboard powering itself up. It will also prevent it from melting down or electricuting you.

I am having a similar problem where I have a 4x/8x GeForce4 MX440 that will not output video in a 4x OR an 8x slot. I am beginning to think the card is defective.

I have no clue on how to find out what kind of slot I have, im thinking since i bought this computer brand new in 2001-02, its a sony vaio. I might have 8x, which is good, but i dont know. Please email me with an answer.

xanatos9@hotmail.com

I am looking for a Graphics card that works great with a Dell Dimension 4550 with a 4X AGP Slot, Looking for something great with games.
THanks,
Mike

My research tells me that many of these AGP cards can detect and configure themselves. Example: The System Requirements for the MSI RX9550SE-TD128 states as follows:

"To install the VGA card, your computer system needs to meet the following requirements:
Intel® Pentium® 4/III/II/Celeron , AMD® K6/Duron/Athlon/Athlon XP or compatible
with AGP 4X (1.5V), 8X (0.8v) or Universal AGP 3.0 bus configuration (4X/8X).
128MB of system memory
Installation software requires CD-ROM drive
DVD playback requires DVD drive
Operating Systems Support: Windows® XP/2000"

Nvidia Claims that their AGP 8x Graphic cards can detect the computer AGP level and automatically configure themselves to AGP 3.0(4x-8x) or AGP 2.0 (2x-4x). They will work at maximum speed available and will be FULLY COMPATIBLE !

hi all! :) i have an asus p4p800s-x motherboard and have an AGP 8x slot but it says it only takes 1.5 v cards, what i have to do now?

hi again! :) can someone tell me plz if the MSI Geforce 6200 NX6200-TD256 video card is 1.5 v compatible?

Hightec excallibur 9800 pro supports 4x 1.5v and 8x 0.8v, unfortunately my board PC Chips M848ALU only supports 1.5v therefore only stable in 4x

I have an Compaq PIII/933Mhz with AGP 4x motherboard. I bought an Club3D ATI 9600 XT AGP 8x and it works just fine.
Hope this help someone.

i bought an ASUS P4R800 in 2004 oct i had a 7500 radeon sold the card bought winfast A6200 64 bit 128 mb 3 weeks back it gave me alot of probs ,the games worked but the icons on the desktop were fcuked up a comp guy said its not compatible with ur board i said okay i returned the winfast card paid 40 dollars more got a geforce 6600 128 bit 256 mb inno3d with the hope that it would work but i experienced more probs broken graphics and i was able to see through houses i dont know what to do, do i have to update my motherboard ? please help me. if u can mail me at imranhameedkhan1@hotmail.com i'd be very thankful

but,what is this answer...?
http://nvidia.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/nvidia.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=72&p_created=1097182603&p_sid=Bt84PxBh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD0xOTYmcF9wYWdlPTE*&p_li=

How can you explain ATI certifying AGP8x cards for both 8x and 4x, like on this page: http://www.ati.com/products/certified/gb.html ?

Tommy, how do u email XFX. Are you sure all XFX AGP 8x video cards can support 1.5v?

Very useful. I asked XFX about this and was told that all their cards would work on a 1.5 board. My board is a Soyo SY-P4VTP and there is a tape on the AGP 8X slot that states 1.5 volts, and in the manual. My card is a Gforce XF 5200 3.0 and will boot, but seems to be unstable. However, I have not installed an OS due to error in detecting a SATA drive. Do not know if it would work or not, but know it was extremely hot during the testing of the card and BIOS. I will not be using this card on this board. Thanks for the info. Tommy

i have an agp *4 on an assus/sony motherboard.
I bought an Saphire 256 ati 9600 XT Agp 8*
It just works fine.
I haven't flash the bios yet...

I am looking to buy a GF 6600 gt, and I just found out about agp 3.0 spec. went back did a bit of research. I found a chaintech SA6600G GeForce 6600 GT, and the specs say it supports AGP 8x/4x. (some cards said they would run on a P3 board, these should work no problem) In short this has NOTHING to do with the chipset, basically it is up to the card manufacturer to put a voltage regulator that will detect/switch 0.8/1.5v. Once you find the chipset you want (ie. radeon 9800/GF6800) find a card manufacturer that has implemented compatibility with 4x slots.

Page was very helpful, thank you

I'd like to ask if RADEON 9550 128mb(128bit) will be working on my mainboard which supports only agp 2.0 ?????

Scorpio---------Did you ever come up with your sollution? I too am using a D850GB board and I have been looking to find what AGP card will go into it without ruining anything. I had bought the new medal of honor and this card will not support it and am looking to upgrade it.

very informative
precise

Can I just ask, if all 8x cards are 0.8v only why does my motherboard say it supports 8xagp but only at 1.5v :S Am I missing something here because I just bought a sapphire ati 9800 pro 128 and its 0.8v and a motherboard which I thought could use it (ASUS P4R800-VM) and it turns out that it cant.

Any help would be a god send.

P.S. Before anyone says you should have checked before I bought the stuff, I havent upgraded my comp for about 3 years so I didnt know about all this 0.8v 1.5v agp 2.0 3.0 etc, its still all new to me.

Hi,

I read the article and i am still at a loss. My computer is a 2500+ sempron.. w/ 256 ram 2/ 233mhz bus. the problem is that my rosewill 9600 radeon 128 meg card will not work at all in my computer.. the computer has a 4x agp slot...what confuses me though is that when i put my friends geforce Fx5200 card (which is also 8x) it works great in my computer...

also a side note...when i pull my graphics card out (9600 radeon) the system begins to turn on even though i didnt press the power supply...plz someone get back to me on this.. it would be great

K i have Intel D850GB motherboard whish supports only 4x/2x 1.5v AGP Card... i just wish to know which is the best AGP card in this category coz i want to upgrade using same motherboard

Short and too the point.

All the info I needed in a single page.

Brilliant work.

I have been searching the web for about eight hours straight trying to find this exact information. This has been the single most helpful page I've seen in that time. Thanks.

-Pontus78

"Dang. This thing's like, the neverending soda." -The Homestar Runner

What is AGP 2.0

What is AGP 3.0

Rule #1: Speeds are backwards compatible

Signalling Voltage incompatibility

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