Little Concerned

**Real_Bullet** · 07-04-2006, 08:52 PM

Mostly about when it comes to gaming and such, as you see my computer to the side listed, doesnt have PCI-E slots, and lately most of the video cards past the 6800 is requiring PCI-E Slots, which has me concerned that my motherboard doesnt have the slot, would their be a way to add one to it? or would I have to completely scratch my current MB and Processor and get another with PCI-E support?

**Ralck** · 07-04-2006, 10:31 PM

Basically, to answer your question, no, there's no way to add a PCIe slot to your system that I know of. It's essentially because it has to do with the motherboard chipset (the southbridge, I believe, to be exact), and it creates lanes. These lanes are then distributed to the slots. 16 lanes are distributed to a PCIe lane, making it 16x. I'm trying to simplify it down slightly, as it's much more complicated than that.

Now, about your video card/system. What do you use your system for? You may want to look for a 7800GS, which I think is the latest/fastest AGP card out now. Also you could grab an extra gig of RAM for your system to bump it up to 2 gigs.
Unless your trying to run the latest games at max settings, I'd suggest you look at some of the upcoming processors and such, and think about holding off for a while to upgrade. There are a lot of impressive components coming out shortly (Core 2 Duo, for example, if it lives up to it's pre-release benchmarks). If I were you I'd think about saving up my money for a year and then buying the latest and greatest, but again, it's up to you so more memory and the 7800GS could be a good option for you.

Let us know how you make out! :)

Indoril Nerevar · 07-05-2006, 02:26 AM

Ralck is correct - adding PCI-Express to your motherboard is not possible, unfortunately.

However, as Ralck said, there are still some very good AGP video cards available - the 7800GS being the best. Even the 6800 range will handle all the latest games at low to medium detail settings. If you're looking to get more performance, I'd upgrade to a 6800, and then start saving. IMHO, if you have enough money to buy a 7800GS, you might as well upgrade your system to PCI-Express.

I'd definitely hold off a while for a major upgrade - save your money and do it right.

07-04-2006, 08:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
Real_Bullet TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2005 Location: Lumberton, MS Posts: 517 OS: Windows Vista Home Basic My System	Little Concerned Mostly about when it comes to gaming and such, as you see my computer to the side listed, doesnt have PCI-E slots, and lately most of the video cards past the 6800 is requiring PCI-E Slots, which has me concerned that my motherboard doesnt have the slot, would their be a way to add one to it? or would I have to completely scratch my current MB and Processor and get another with PCI-E support? __________________ I can speak Chinese, PPHUBK'YU.

07-04-2006, 10:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ralck TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,454 OS: 98SE/XP PRO/FC4 My System	Basically, to answer your question, no, there's no way to add a PCIe slot to your system that I know of. It's essentially because it has to do with the motherboard chipset (the southbridge, I believe, to be exact), and it creates lanes. These lanes are then distributed to the slots. 16 lanes are distributed to a PCIe lane, making it 16x. I'm trying to simplify it down slightly, as it's much more complicated than that. Now, about your video card/system. What do you use your system for? You may want to look for a 7800GS, which I think is the latest/fastest AGP card out now. Also you could grab an extra gig of RAM for your system to bump it up to 2 gigs. Unless your trying to run the latest games at max settings, I'd suggest you look at some of the upcoming processors and such, and think about holding off for a while to upgrade. There are a lot of impressive components coming out shortly (Core 2 Duo, for example, if it lives up to it's pre-release benchmarks). If I were you I'd think about saving up my money for a year and then buying the latest and greatest, but again, it's up to you so more memory and the 7800GS could be a good option for you. Let us know how you make out! :) __________________ Power Supply Info Everyone Should Read! How to Post Your System Specs

07-05-2006, 02:26 AM	#3 (permalink)
Indoril Nerevar Manager, Games Team Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Queensland, Australia Posts: 4,966 OS: Windows 7 RC 64-bit My System	Ralck is correct - adding PCI-Express to your motherboard is not possible, unfortunately. However, as Ralck said, there are still some very good AGP video cards available - the 7800GS being the best. Even the 6800 range will handle all the latest games at low to medium detail settings. If you're looking to get more performance, I'd upgrade to a 6800, and then start saving. IMHO, if you have enough money to buy a 7800GS, you might as well upgrade your system to PCI-Express. I'd definitely hold off a while for a major upgrade - save your money and do it right. __________________ Donating to the forum keeps TSF free for all. • Common PC Game Issues • Common Installation Issues • Posting System Specs • Power Supply Information • • NVIDIA Drivers • ATI Drivers • Thermal Paste Guide • System Requirements Lab • YouGamers Game-o-Meter • • Everest • Prime95 • DirectX • AMD Drivers • Memtest86 • SensorsView • Driver Cleaner • I do not give help via PM. Please post your question on the forum.