Video Card needed for Older System

[Bugman]

Hello Everyone.

I have an issue with some upgrading that I need to do. I have a PIII 550 running on an Intel 440BX chipset. From what I can tell, it has an AGP 1.0 Slot (there isnt a lock on it, I dont know if that makes a difference....)

The card I have is an Nvidia TNT2, which is starting to very much show its age. I asked some Gateway Reps if I could use a GeForce 4MX440, and he told me it would not work. He also told me the best card I could get for this system would be a GeForce 2MX PCI.

Is this the case? I have looked on MSI's site to see what they had, and it says that their GeForce 2MX400 only requires an AGP slot, it does not say what revision....

Any help is much appreciated!!!

[Wiggo]

Any GF2 card should be ok in that but if it's a Gateway PC then I'd think twice about changing anything in it. :smokin:
<center>:cheers:</center>

[Ehhe Yebeb]

Basically gateway = crap. You are better off not upgrading anything in it and saving the money to get a better system, even if you cant get one for a year or something. Let me tell you from experience you are going to go through hell trying to change anything in there. I had a gateway Celeron 400 (also 440BX) with 8 meg onboard STB Velocity 128 (nVidia Riva 128) , and when i wanted to upgrade the video the best i could get was a 32meg TNT2 model 64, and it was a pain to say the least

[Ehhe Yebeb]

Also the gateway dude is correct, you wont be able to put a GeForce 4 in there, and dont try it either because you will fry your mobo and the card as well. basically AGP 1.0 = 3.3V = GeForce 2 and under.

[Bugman]

Well, the Gateway belongs to a friend of mine looking to upgrade. I have a Dell also running a PIII on the 440 BX chipset and I was looking for another card (if he could find one cheap). So, I figured one size would fit both our comps.

Do you know if any of the Geforce 2 cards will work? Meaning the MX series, GTS, or the Pro or Ultra? Ill tell him that the card isnt a good idea, but if he wants to try can I throw in a top end GeForce2, or do I need to stick with MX? Thanks again guys!

~Bugman

[RDR]

Gateway & Dell = Crap discussion aside....

I've had a GF3Ti200 running in a 3 year old Epox i440BX board for the last 3 mo. with absolutely zero problems....A friend of mine has been running a GF4MX in an even older Epox BX board (this one originally had a PII400 in it) for 2 months also with zero problems.

in fact the nVidia website lists the GF3, GF4MX & GF4Ti as having support for both AGP 2x and 4X...although I have heard that the GF4Ti's do have very specific power requirements.

[Bugman]

Well now there is just a conflict regarding this thread..... Gateway was probably just telling me the max that would run on my system because its what they had in stock.... The only reason I ask is that a GF4 MX is about the same price as a GF2 MX, and I would rather take the fastest I can get now rather than later.....

~bugman

[RDR]

All I know is what runs on my Epox BX boards - I've never owned or used a Gateway - and I have no idea what the limitations of your motherboard are.
But I do think the GF4MX would be worth a shot - just try to buy it some place that would let you return it if doesn't pan out.

[Bugman]

Thanks RDR. Ill try to find out what works and what doesnt. I really appreciate your input.

~Bugman

[Ehhe Yebeb]

For now ignore AGP 2x and 4x that will just confuse you. The fact is you have an AGP 1.0 slot correct? that means that you have a 3.3V AGP slot. Which means you cant run 1.5V AGP cards. If you put an AGP 2.0 (1.5V) card in an AGP 1.0 slot you will fry the card as well as the motherboard, so be sure before you do stuff.

[Ehhe Yebeb]

And i dont think gateway were trying to swindle you. Just warning you be sure before you try, because you will have trouble exhanging/refunding a fried mobo & vid card. See the way it is, is that some mobo support STRICKTLY 3.3V AGP(old) and some support both, and some support STRICTLY 1.5V AGP(new intel boards). Some cards can only run off 1.5V agp, some can run off both, and some can run only off 3.3V AGP.

[Wiggo]

Check this thread out, http://forums.tweaktown.com/showthre...;threadid=3608 :smokin:
<center>:cheers:</center>

[zeradul]

If I didn't have a computer and my only two choices were a Dell or a Gateway, I would pay double for a Dell before I accepted a Gateway for FREE.

Dell is not even in the same leage with Gateway. Of the Engineering businesses I have toured, Of the computers that aren't made by SGI, 90% are Dell, and the remaining 10% are mostly compaq.

[Bugman]

I have had great luck with my Dell. I even had my 19" monitor go (with about 1 week left in the warranty) and they sent me a new one right out, no questions asked. I got this one through work, which is why I didnt build my own.

I also work here at school in the computer services department where we had a TON of gateways. They were pretty crappy, we still have a bunch of them kicking around. However, we are now running IBM's. the IBMs suck more than anything I thought possible....