Mobo help...

[slicktick]

I need help with my motherboard. I have had this comp for a year or 2, my dad got it from Dell, and I have no Idea what kind of slots I have. I am not much of a whiz with the hardware aspect of a computer, so any help would be appreciated. I just need see if I have an AGP slot on my comp, because I dont want to get a new video card, and not have a slot for it, because I only have PCI.

 

[GPRT]

An easy way to find out is to open up your case and see if there is a slot usually coloured different (eg brown) it is also slightly further back than the pcis and will always be the slot nearest your cpu.

example photo

The agp is the top most slot in the image and is brown.

 

[slicktick]

I have a slot like that but it is green, can that be the same thing?

 

[Meteor_of_War]

yeah, i'm pretty sure the AGP slots in DELL computers are green.

 

[GPRT]

Make sure its at least a 4x agp so that the latest graphics cards run on it!

 

[slicktick]

what is the diffrence between 1x 2x 4x and 8x?

 

[GPRT]

mainly the speed, and shape i think. 4x and 8x agp is required for the latest cards and there is a negligible difference between the two speeds. If your comp is less than 3 years old or so chances are you have 4x or 8x, which is good.

 

[slicktick]

If anybody could help with how to tell it would be appreciated, some cards say they run on all, but some say they need 4x.

Jeez, I never knew upgrading could be so hectic! :flame:

 

[GPRT]

Ok you need to go into your bios (press delete at start up) and go into the agp speed multiplier (sometimes in 'advanced' part of bios. It should say what your max agp speed is.

good luck. And if your comp is less than 3 years old im sure its at least 4x.

 

[Azrael.]

What kind of Dell is it and what card are you looking into buying? From the sounds of it you might need another stick of ram too...

 

[slicktick]

ok, I went into the BIOS and there is no AGP Speed Multiplier. So I think it is in the Advanced part of the BIOS, but how do you get there?

Oh, and Azrael, I know I need more ram, mine sucks I have 4 sticks of 64

 

[GPRT]

might be the dell bios. What model dell is it?

 

[slicktick]

might be the dell bios. What model dell is it?

Its a dell dimension 8200

edit: also, if I am planning on getting 9800 pro, some of them say that they are useable in 1x thru 8x so would it really matter (i would still like to know what speed mine is just asking as a side question)

 

[GPRT]

Well its taken time, however i can finally reveal the agp speed of your dell 8200.
*drum roll*

Its a 4x AGP slot.
*hears sighs of relief all round*

So any recent powerful graphics card will work.

But make sure you have a free molex connector and a powerful enough psu. (300 watts for 9800 pro)

 

[slicktick]

Thanks a lot man. I didnt want to have any body spend that much time, but it is very appreciated. Thanks a million! I owe you one.

 

[GPRT]

no probs, i was bored any way. Good luck with your new graphics card.