Is PCI Express (Not PCI-X) good or bad

[dream431ca]

I need someones professional opinion on PCI Express (Keep in mind that PCI-X is not the same as PCI Express). Is it really faster than AGP right now or is it better to wait a couple years until it really takes off..anyone?? Thanks.

 

[sinkoman]

I need someones professional opinion on PCI Express (Keep in mind that PCI-X is not the same as PCI Express). Is it really faster than AGP right now or is it better to wait a couple years until it really takes off..anyone?? Thanks.

Go with it. Right now, I believe we are at the end of a short intermission between vidcard generations. I don't know if all the next gens are gonna be PCI-E, but I know that if you go agp, you'll be stuck fairly soon on vidcard upgrades.

 

[Adabiviak]

The latest benchmarks I've seen that compare the ports only in as controlled an experiment as was possible, AGP appeared to beat PCIe. My guess is that because AGP has been around for so long as the standard graphics port, every ounce of bandwidth, speed, etc., has been exploited, where as PCIe may not be, as it is a relatively new technology. My thoughts are that, since the CPU is now becoming the bottleneck for graphics, especially with higher end cards, it really doesn't matter. PCIe will be better for forward compatibility, but I'd give you a buck if you could tell by looking at the monitor which box was using a PCIe card or an AGP, everything else being equal.

 

[NonStopableForce]

Yeah, agp, and pci-e are pretty equal right now, because pci-e just came out, and they have yet to fully find out its true potential. But if your upgrading, you mind as well buy pci-e because it will be the new AGP.

-NSF

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Go with PCI Express! I love my Nvidia 6600GT. Not the best card but the best bang for the buck. Sometimes matches 6800 quality and it only cost $180 when I bought it (January)

I had thought x850's were going to be solely PCI Express but I just saw on newegg they have some AGP ones out. But it's best to go PCI Express. The price difference is minimal it's probably with the next r520 going to be the dominant slot.

Buy an SLI board too.

 

[Spoonoop]

My next upgrades are going to be a PCI-E motherboard and video card this summer and I guess i'll find out. I've seen demonstrations of how fast PCI-E is compared to regular PCI (extremely fast), but I don't know the difference between AGP and PCI-E, but i'm going to try it anyway, it doesn't seem to hurt?

 

[jonbob]

You can get an AGP->PCIe convertor board so switching needn't be so bad.

I'm more interested in other PCIe cards, like DV capture, GigE and FW800 cards.

 

[sinkoman]

You can get an AGP->PCIe convertor board so switching needn't be so bad.

Erm... No. Just... No.

 

[Asus]

I would recommend PCI-Express not for it's performance but for upgradability. For one, if you get an AGP card and then down the road you end up with a new PC it will probably have PCI-Express slots and so you wouldn't be able to use your GFX card. Also if you get a PCI-Express motherboard and PCI-Express GFX card now then your next card will work in the board as well.

The only benchmarks I've seen where AGP beat PCI-Express were when an Intel system was involved. At first AMD didn't have PCI-Express boards so there were a few reviews that used both Intel and AMD systems when comparing PCI-Express vs AGP. No clue why they did that though.

I know the most recent comparisons run similar with PCI-Express getting 1-3 FPS more but PCI-Express also didn't dip as bad as AGP in the intense scenes. HARDOCP.com I think had a few reviews that showed this.

 

[sinkoman]

I know the most recent comparisons run similar with PCI-Express getting 1-3 FPS more but PCI-Express also didn't dip as bad as AGP in the intense scenes. HARDOCP.com I think had a few reviews that showed this.

I agree. My 6800 gt never dips below 56 in cs:s, no matter what's going on.

 

[ComradeBadger]

I would recommend PCI-Express not for it's performance but for upgradability. For one, if you get an AGP card and then down the road you end up with a new PC it will probably have PCI-Express slots and so you wouldn't be able to use your GFX card. Also if you get a PCI-Express motherboard and PCI-Express GFX card now then your next card will work in the board as well.

The only benchmarks I've seen where AGP beat PCI-Express were when an Intel system was involved. At first AMD didn't have PCI-Express boards so there were a few reviews that used both Intel and AMD systems when comparing PCI-Express vs AGP. No clue why they did that though.

I know the most recent comparisons run similar with PCI-Express getting 1-3 FPS more but PCI-Express also didn't dip as bad as AGP in the intense scenes. HARDOCP.com I think had a few reviews that showed this.

Plus I believe it supplys more power through the bridge - less cards needing extra connections

Also right now, PCI-E cards are cheaper than their AGP varients (By about £6 though )

 

[jonbob]

Erm... No. Just... No.

I stand corrected

Either that, or a PCIe motherboard with an AGP slot too - they are out there.

 

[bosox188]

I stand corrected

Either that, or a PCIe motherboard with an AGP slot too - they are out there.

If that thing doesn't cost much I'm getting it. I'm probably going to upgrade to a Socket 939 A64 3000+ when I get a job this summer, so I would get a PCI-E 939 mobo because I want to get the R520 when it comes out as well. Nice find.

Edit: It only works with certain types of Albatron's Nvidia cards.

 

[jonbob]

If it's technically possible - which they have proven - then others will probably do it.

 

[bosox188]

Not to hijack the thread but are there any S939 mobo's that have AGP and PCI-E that anyone knows of? That are out already or will be very soon?

 

[duffers20]

I remember seeing an LGA755 board that had DDR & DDR2 ports and a PCI-E and a AGP port on it for an easier upgrade to LGA755 when it first came out. But I havent seen any skt939 boards that do that i'm afraid.

 

[sinkoman]

Not to hijack the thread but are there any S939 mobo's that have AGP and PCI-E that anyone knows of? That are out already or will be very soon?

Lol, agp AND pci-e? Haha, I had no idea they had such a thing.

 

[Asus]

FYI the boards that had both PCI-Express and AGP, the AGP port performed a lot less. It wasn't a 'true' AGP exactly but more of a hack job. It was just a temporary thing to use you GFX card as you upgrade.

 

[bosox188]

FYI the boards that had both PCI-Express and AGP, the AGP port performed a lot less. It wasn't a 'true' AGP exactly but more of a hack job. It was just a temporary thing to use you GFX card as you upgrade.

Well they are going to have AGP versions of the R520 aren't they? I'm pretty sure they're doing AGP one last time, so I'll just stick with that for now if that's true.

 

[Asus]

Oh they will have more AGP cards and those are fine. I was talking about just the board they made that has both slots.