PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

[T1no]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

currently there is no real reason to invest into a new mobo to get pci-e

current AGP cards are still fast enough, even fast enough to run future games

i think he meant the other way around.
there is no reason to buy agp board lol if you are getting a new system.

[ChopperKill]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

No he got it the right way round and it's true. PCI-e won't really show significant performance increases for a while yet. Unreal Engine 3 games might be the first to do this. Gears of War probably. Even then it's yet to be seen just how much better.

Current games and upcoming games are no where near using all the bandwidth of AGP. Upgrading to PCI-e is sort of like putting a tuned engine in your car and then limiting it to 50mph. A lot of power that just isn't being used.

[imported_Anzen]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

1) Not a single card uses the full bandwith of the AGP8x bus. (No, not the 7800GTX nor the announced x900xt [and yes, there are AGP versions announced for both, and both are coming soon :) ] )

2) Don't get dual cores for gaming. And besides, there is hardly any software that is able to handle 2 cores.

3) Do not buy stuff because it's shiny and has features which aren't going to be needed until 2007.

4) Future game processor: Pentium M Dothan. ("But it's intel and crap and blabla" to be exact; the Pentium M Dothan 1.8Ghz laptop owns the crap out of a AMD 3000XP+ Desktop. Overclocked @ (the P-M is the easiest to overclock around: low Vcore, low temps) 2.4Ghz it owns the 3500+ Venice and the FX-55 (at multitasking and gaming). Although there are only some mobo's that support this thing now, just you wait. Next gen intel is kick ass :)

[claevade]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

There is no real way to buy AGP, since if you ever want to upgrade to a new CPU/Mobo it won't work. Besides that PCI-e is faster.

[imported_bosx2]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

There is no real way to buy AGP, since if you ever want to upgrade to a new CPU/Mobo it won't work. Besides that PCI-e is faster.

PCI-e is currently not faster at all, because the bandwith pci-e offers is not reached at all

guess why ati brings out the crossfire tech? because AGP is not dead at all

[DakotaDoc64]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

I have one thing to say.

Dual PCI-E video cards in SLI. Dual AGP will never exist.
one card now, one later.

Think future, if your budget can.

[Mr. ADHD]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

You mean my Dell 4700 might not be able to support a PCI-E slot??? Hmmm, I guess I'd better check first. I bought it this year. I'm not sure what kind of mobo, I have...I'll have to check..

thanks again...I guess I owe you all a beer...or 2.

[ChopperKill]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

The mobo you have now is likely AGP. Moving to PCI-e means upgrading your motherboard and obviously your graphics card and then while you're at it you might as well do the CPU. This is why it's not such a great idea if you already have a halfway decent PC which you do.

You basically have to change the whole PC just to get PCI-e and what benefit will you get? None. Take an AGP 6800GT and a PCI-e 6800GT for example running on identical CPU's and similar spec mobos and you will get pretty much the same results. PCI-e is of no benefit right now and will not be for at least 12 months.

Buy an AGP card and then in 12-18 months buy a whole new system with a dual core CPU and PCI-e mobo, maybe even SLI. By then all these will be pretty cheap and games should really be taking advantage of PCI-e and dual core and you will be able to build a kick ass system that will be easily upgradable and last you a long time.

[Mr. ADHD]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

Got it...so if I don't have PCI-E...go for AGP and save the bucks...but if I do have PCI-E ...do it ...or wait...

Either way, I think you may be right abou the PCI-E slot.

Hmmmm Slots....gotta go..

thanks.

The mobo you have now is likely AGP. Moving to PCI-e means upgrading your motherboard and obviously your graphics card and then while you're at it you might as well do the CPU. This is why it's not such a great idea if you already have a halfway decent PC which you do.

You basically have to change the whole PC just to get PCI-e and what benefit will you get? None. Take an AGP 6800GT and a PCI-e 6800GT for example running on identical CPU's and similar spec mobos and you will get pretty much the same results. PCI-e is of no benefit right now and will not be for at least 12 months.

Buy an AGP card and then in 12-18 months buy a whole new system with a dual core CPU and PCI-e mobo, maybe even SLI. By then all these will be pretty cheap and games should really be taking advantage of PCI-e and dual core and you will be able to build a kick ass system that will be easily upgradable and last you a long time.

[imported_bosx2]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

I have one thing to say.

Dual PCI-E video cards in SLI. Dual AGP will never exist.
one card now, one later.

Think future, if your budget can.

SLI on ONE CARD is called crossfire and its coming in a few month ..

[UnrealAlex]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

PCI-E definetly.

I have AGP right now and checked that if I get a good PCI-E mobo I have to change everything. RAM, Video card, and processor. I = screwed.

[Cicchetti]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

pci-e is better i think and also because i heard that ati isnt going to offer agp for there next card

[slosh]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

If you want to be preapared for future vid cards with better performance go with PCI-E. AGP will still be popular for quite a while but eventually it will be phased out by AGP...in my opinion.

[Cicchetti]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

Yeah thats very true

[1twelve2]

Re: PCI-E or AGP, what's worth buying?

...I know PCI-E is the "new" technology, so is it worth it to purchase an AGP card?...

PCI-E is 25% faster out of the box...... end of discussion