A couple of upgrade questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter GeoffC
  • Start date Start date
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GeoffC

** System info printed below.

I am planning to upgrade my graphics card to a GF5900 which is AGP 8. My
motherboard is only AGP 4, so will this work and the AGP 8 card will step
down, or are they incompatible?

The second question concerns memory. I would like to add 512MB to the
current system and as can be seen by the output below the current memory is
PC2100 (133 MHz). Having had a very quick look, it appears that the 266mhz
is more common. Can the 266mhz chips be mixed with 133mhz. Will this
create an unstable system. If so is it actually easy to get hold of the
133mhz chips anyway

I want to run two monitors and I'm curious how these cards support that. Do
they have a standard SVGA analogue type connector as well as a DVI. If yes
can the DVI port also drive an analogue monitor, and if so does this require
a conversion cable.

Thanks

Geoff



--------[
Motherboard ]---------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------

Motherboard Properties:
Motherboard ID
08/03/2002-SiS-646-6A6IXG0QC-00
Motherboard Name Gigabyte GA-8ST(-L)

Front Side Bus Properties:
Bus Type Intel NetBurst
Bus Width 64-bit
Real Clock 133 MHz (QDR)
Effective Clock 533 MHz
Bandwidth 4264 MB/s

Chipset Bus Properties:
Bus Type SiS MuTIOL
Bus Width 16-bit

Motherboard Physical Info:
CPU Sockets/Slots 1
Expansion Slots 5 PCI, 1 AGP
RAM Slots 3 DIMM
Integrated Devices Audio
Form Factor ATX
Motherboard Size 200 mm x 300 mm
Motherboard Chipset SiS645DX
Extra Features EasyTune 4

Motherboard Manufacturer:
Company Name Gigabyte Technology
Co., Ltd.
Product Information
http://www.giga-byte.com/products/products.htm
BIOS Download
http://www.giga-byte.com/support/mbbios_index.htm


--------[
Memory ]--------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------

Physical Memory:
Total 511 MB
Used 232 MB
Free 279 MB
Utilization 45 %

Swap Space:
Total 1250 MB
Used 168 MB
Free 1082 MB
Utilization 13 %

Virtual Memory:
Total 2047 MB
Used 119 MB
Free 1928 MB
Utilization 6 %


--------[
SPD ]-----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------

[ Nanya NT512D64S8HA0G-7K ]

Memory Module Properties:
Module Name Nanya
NT512D64S8HA0G-7K
Module Size 512 MB (2 rows, 4
banks)
Module Type Unbuffered
Memory Type DDR SDRAM
Memory Speed PC2100 (133 MHz)
Module Width 64 bit
Module Voltage SSTL 2.5
Error Detection Method None
Refresh Rate Reduced (7.8 us),
Self-Refresh
Highest CAS Latency 2.5 (7.0 ns @ 142
MHz)
2nd Highest CAS Latency 2.0 (7.5 ns @ 133
MHz)

Memory Module Features:
Early RAS# Precharge Not Supported
Auto-Precharge Not Supported
Precharge All Not Supported
Write1/Read Burst Not Supported
Buffered Address/Control Inputs Not Supported
Registered Address/Control Inputs Not Supported
On-Card PLL (Clock) Not Supported
Buffered DQMB Inputs Not Supported
Registered DQMB Inputs Not Supported
Differential Clock Input Supported
Redundant Row Address Not Supported

Memory Module Manufacturer:
Company Name Nanya Technology
Corp.
Product Information
http://www.nanya.com/e-htm/abc/abc-03.htm


--------[
Chipset ]-------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------

Chipset Properties:
Motherboard Chipset SiS 645DX

Memory Slots:
DRAM Slot #1 512 MB (PC2100 DDR
SDRAM)

AGP Properties:
AGP Version 2.00
AGP Status Enabled
AGP Aperture Size 64 MB
Supported AGP Speeds 1x, 2x, 4x
Current AGP Speed 4x
Fast-Write Supported, Enabled
Side Band Addressing Supported, Disabled

Chipset Manufacturer:
Company Name Silicon Integrated
Systems Corporation
Product Information
http://www.sis.com/products/index.htm#chipsets


--------[
BIOS ]----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
** System info printed below.

I am planning to upgrade my graphics card to a GF5900 which is AGP 8. My
motherboard is only AGP 4, so will this work and the AGP 8 card will step
down, or are they incompatible?
Click to expand...

Yes it will work.
The second question concerns memory. I would like to add 512MB to the
current system and as can be seen by the output below the current memory is
PC2100 (133 MHz). Having had a very quick look, it appears that the 266mhz
is more common. Can the 266mhz chips be mixed with 133mhz. Will this
create an unstable system. If so is it actually easy to get hold of the
133mhz chips anyway
Click to expand...

Perhaps you mean "DDR266", not 266MHz? Or perhaps some vendors have
misidentified it. You might do well to avoid vendors that can't even
provide proper terminology, they're either misleading on purpose or of
questionable competence to sell memory.

Generally it's best to stay with the "PC" rating, which in your case
means you need PC2100. True 266Mhz memory would be called PC4200...
not too common yet.

I want to run two monitors and I'm curious how these cards support that. Do
they have a standard SVGA analogue type connector as well as a DVI. If yes
can the DVI port also drive an analogue monitor, and if so does this require
a conversion cable.
Click to expand...

Yes, "usually" they have one of both connectors, and so long as it's a
retail package it's typical to include the adapter, is a small inline
type, not on a cable, similar to
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-999-201


Dave
 
GeoffC said:
The second question concerns memory. I would like to add 512MB to the
current system and as can be seen by the output below the current memory is
PC2100 (133 MHz). Having had a very quick look, it appears that the 266mhz
is more common. Can the 266mhz chips be mixed with 133mhz. Will this
create an unstable system. If so is it actually easy to get hold of the
133mhz chips anyway
Click to expand...

PC2100 is DDR memory - operating at 266MHz, with a FSB of 133MHz (hence DDR)

HTH

Andy
 
GeoffC said:
** System info printed below.

I am planning to upgrade my graphics card to a GF5900 which is AGP 8. My
motherboard is only AGP 4, so will this work and the AGP 8 card will step
down, or are they incompatible?

The second question concerns memory. I would like to add 512MB to the
current system and as can be seen by the output below the current memory is
PC2100 (133 MHz). Having had a very quick look, it appears that the 266mhz
is more common. Can the 266mhz chips be mixed with 133mhz. Will this
create an unstable system. If so is it actually easy to get hold of the
133mhz chips anyway

I want to run two monitors and I'm curious how these cards support that. Do
they have a standard SVGA analogue type connector as well as a DVI. If yes
can the DVI port also drive an analogue monitor, and if so does this require
a conversion cable.

Thanks

Geoff
Click to expand...

1.)Yes, you may use the AGP 8X card it will only run at 4X though.
Make sure you have an extra 12V power plug from your powersupply as
you need to use it to power the video card.

2.)266MHz is PC2100. Same as is in your computer now.
100MHz=DDR200=PC1600
133MHz=DDR266=PC2100
166MHz=DDR333=PC2700
200MHz=DDR400=PC3200
Anyhow if you where to mix PC2700 and PC2100 then the memory would
operate at the slower PC2100 speed and may or may not cause some
unstable operation.

3.)The cards have the standard VGA analog connectors and a DVI
analog/digital
connector. This allows two analog devices to be connected to the
graphics card. As far as how two LCD digital monitors would be hooked
up I'm not sure I have not tried to install two LCD's

good luck with the upgrade.
 
Thanks for the answers it clears things up for me.

The PC2100 (133mhz) memory is actually 266mhz DDR then. Maybe that would
explain why I found so much of it then :-))

As for the two monitors, whilst I have a TFT now it is analogue, so I would
be asking the card to provide two analogue ports effectively. Is this
achieved by turning the DVI port into an analogue port with a cable??

Thanks again

Geoff
 
Thanks for the answers it clears things up for me.

The PC2100 (133mhz) memory is actually 266mhz DDR then. Maybe that would
explain why I found so much of it then :-))
Click to expand...

No, it's not. It's EITHER (266) MHz or DDR, but not both. It is
incorrect to use both terms at the same time, those who do so are the
whole reason for the confusion in the first place.

DDR means double date rate. You are not doubling a 266MHz rate,
rather doubling the 133MHz rate, so one or the other can't exist in
the same description for PC2100 memory, not as a relation to each
other.



Dave
 
kony said:
No, it's not. It's EITHER (266) MHz or DDR, but not both. It is
incorrect to use both terms at the same time, those who do so are the
whole reason for the confusion in the first place.

DDR means double date rate. You are not doubling a 266MHz rate,
rather doubling the 133MHz rate, so one or the other can't exist in
the same description for PC2100 memory, not as a relation to each
other.



Dave
Click to expand...

Maybe this will clear up any confusion.
What is the difference between PC2100 (DDR266), PC2700 (DDR333), and
PC3200 (DDR400).

PC2100 DDR (DDR 266) is designed for use in systems and motherboards
which require a 133MHz front-side bus. While the system or motherboard
may operate a 133MHz front-side bus, its effective front-side bus
speed is 266MHz in DDR operation. To get the effective front-side bus
speed of a DDR system, double the operating frequency -- which in this
case is 133 MHz -- to get the 266MHz.

PC2700 DDR (DDR333) is designed for use in systems and motherboards
which require a 166MHz front-side bus, with an effective front-side
bus speed of 333MHz.

PC3200 DDR (DDR400) is designed for use in systems and motherboards
which require a 200MHz front-side bus, with an effective front-side
bus speed of 400MHz.
article here http://www.crucial.com/kb/answer.asp?qid=4003
 
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