I have Wolfdale 1333-D667 motherboard which Supports Dual Channel DDR2 667/533 memory. Can i upgrade it with a DDR3 Graphics card? it has: - 1 x PCI Express x16 slot - 1 x PCI Express x1 slot - 2 x PCI slots Check this for motherboard specifications: http://www.asrock.com/MB/overview.asp?Model=Wolfdale1333-D667
Atlantisshak, you can use a graphics card with ANY graphics ram memory.
A graphics card has it's own Processor, and graphics memory.
Doesn't depend on the system resources, ( Processor and Ram Memory)
GPU = Graphics Processing Unit, the graphics card's processor,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPU
Doesn't matter if you use a graphics card, that has GDDR3, or GDDR4, or GDDR5, graphics ram memory.
I do however, recommend using a PCI Express graphics card based on the 2.0 technology. (PCI Express 2.0), and NOT the PCI Express 2.1 technology.
Could have problems.
For additional questions please post in a Comment.
Regards,
joecoolvette
{ ALSO;
Make SURE you,
1) Windows running on the computer, install the graphics card's Installation Disk. (CD disk)
AFTER loading the graphics card's 'Control Panel', and drivers,
DO NOT RESTART.
Close all windows, go back to the desktop screen. Shut the computer down normally.
THEN unplug from power, AND follow Anti-Static Precautions.
Physically install the graphics card. Plug the monitor into the graphics card. Close the computer case.
Plug the computer into power. WAIT 1 minute, turn the computer on.
IF you do not, you stand the chance of driver conflict.
To explain;
When a device (Such as this graphics card), is installed on a computer, Windows 'break it's neck' to find suitable, matching drivers.
If THE drivers are not there, Windows will match up one of it's
THOUSANDS of generic, one size fits all, drivers.
This = NO.
Could cause a driver conflict.
Windows: " Which drivers do I use? These or THESE?"
[ If you install the graphics card FIRST, THE drivers are NOT there.
Then you go back, and do install the drivers, there may be a driver conflict ]
Drivers:
Small pieces of software that allow the Operating System to communicate with a device.
Some O/S examples are Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.
The graphics card is an example of a device.
[ When you put the Installation Disk in the optical drive's tray, and close it, the graphics card's software will come up. Go for the option with the 'Control Panel', AND drivers.
Example; For an ATI Radeon graphics card, the 'Control Panel' is ATI Cataylst Control Center ]
Oh thank you very much for help !
let me summarize your answer...you mean "I can install ANY Graphics card whether its DDR3 or whatever...the must thing is that i should have PCIE2.0 support from my motherboard" right?
Summation with added comment;
1) YES. You can use any graphics card that fits a PCI Express x16 expansion slot.
2) NO, you DO NOT have to have PCI-E2.0 support on your motherboard, IF you are using a PCIE2.0 graphics card.
DO NOT recommend PCIE2.1 graphics card.
Why?
Your motherboard chipset supports PCIE2.0 technology.
It is an Intel 945GC (A2) chipset,
http://www.asrock.com/MB/overview.asp?Mo...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_int...
A) It's a Core 2 chipset
B) The release date is the first quarter of 2007. (2007.1)
This because it is the second revision of the chipset. (A2)
C) PCIE2.0 technology was released on January 15, 2007,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI-Express...
HOWEVER, even if the chipset only supports PCIE1.1, it WILL still work.
Why?
Because PCIE2.0 is Backward Compatible with PCIE1.1,
From the Wikipedia article,
" PCIe 2.0 motherboard slots are fully backward compatible with PCIe v1.x cards. PCIe 2.0 cards are also generally backward compatible with PCIe 1.x motherboards, using the available bandwidth of PCI Express 1.1. Overall, graphic cards or motherboards designed for v2.0 will work with the other being v1.1 or v1.0a."
What happens if you use a motherboard based on the PCIE1.1 technology, with a graphics card based on the PCIE2.0 technology?
You will not get the full capability of the PCIE2.0 graphics card.
".......using the available bandwidth of PCI Express 1.1"
Will you notice?
NO
Why?
Because we haven't even reached the available bandwidth limit of PCIE1.1 technology.
(Things they don't tell you)
Read the PCI Express article.
Added comment I should have stated before, however......
The one limit you MAY have, is your Power Supply.
When looking at what graphics card you wish, you need to look at the
Minimum Requirements.
One of the minimum requirements will be, how many Watts the Power Supply must have.
More specifically, how many Amps on the 12 volt power rail. Graphics cards use the 12 volt power rail, for power.
Confusing? Not meant to be.
Let's use an example;
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/...
Scroll the page down to about 1/4th the way. You should see a photo of the graphics card next to it's box. EVGA GeForce GT 520 01G-P3-1526-KR.
Product details -> blue outlined 'window', to the left.
Now scroll down a little bit to the white subheading - Requirements.
300 watt or Greater power supply, (suply), with a minimum of 18 amps on the +12 volt rail.
This PCI Express 2.0 graphics card doesn't need much power.
Just about ANY ol' 300 Watt power supply, has 18 Amperes available, for it's 12 Volt power rail.
Look at the chart on the side of your Power Supply. Look at the heading -> +12V,
and look underneath it. The Amps will be stated. 18A? 22A? 25A?
Is there more than one +12 Volt power rail shown?
+12V1, and +12V2?
You have two +12 Volt power rails.
You can add the Amps (A) together, and have the TOTAL +12 Volt Amperage available
[ The power needed in Watts, is for the graphics card, AND the rest of the computer. Motherboard, Processor, Ram Memory, optical drive/s, harddrive/s, cooling fan/s, card reader, etc.
Haven't seen a graphics card out there yet, that by itself it needs more than 150 to 175 Watts.
Watts? Volts times Amp's = Watts.
( Voltage x Amperage = Wattage.
Me? With your motherboard, and an economical, reliable, decent Power Supply?
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/...
Older graphics card that has DROPPED in price. When it came out it was around $500.00
I guarantee it will 'SMOKE' any game, or video editing, or any 3D graphics editing, program you have. (Photoshop {CS10?} for one example of 3D graphics editing program.
Needs a Power Supply that has at LEAST 400 Watts, and 40 Amps on the +12 volt power rail.
To continue in an added Comment..........
Using that AsRock motherboard, tells me you are using an ATX power supply.
The form factor of the motherboard is Micro-ATX.
It is 9.6 inches Tall, and 8.7 Inches Wide. (24.4cm x 22.1cm)
You should also be running at least a 500 Watt power supply.
Probably has two +12 Volt power rails, and 18 Amps for each power rail, available.
Not enough power for the above graphics card.
This 600 Watt unit does,
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/...
It has two +12 volt power rails. One can deliver up to 23 Amps. (12V 1)
The other can deliver up to 20 Amps. (12V 2)
Together that is 43 Amps.
It also has the necessary added power cables needed, to attach to the above graphics card;
One - 6-pin PCI Express power cable. (Connector)
One 6/8-pin PCI Express power cable. (Connector)
[ The 6/8-pin PCI Express power cable, can be used as a 6-pin PCI Express power cable, OR an 8-pin PCI Express power cable.
You will see when you view the 6/8-pin PCI Express power cable, and it's connector.
The above graphics card needs -> One 6-pin PCI Express power cable, and one 8-pin PCI Express power cable.
These power cables plug onto the graphics card ]
Based on "More bang for your buck', and deductive reasoning based on intelligent thought.
In otherwords, don't get caught in the hype of the new graphics cards. Most are watered down versions of the above.
(What does it mean by Refurbished for the graphics card?
A) Person who bought it did not want it. Could not afford it, did not know how to hook it up, or whatever.
Therefore they returned it. It is 'Open Box'.
B) Tigerdirect, like other sellers, does NOT fool around. They don't just test the graphics card, and then sell it again. They DO NOT want to lose a customer based on stupidity. (Theirs)
They ship it back to Evga, and Evga does a RIGOROUS testing. Then Evga ships it back to the seller, {Tigerdirect, whoever}, along with a certificate stating it is good )
Just a thought.
Thought I would come back and explain a few things. Perhaps clear up some confusion;
PCI, AGP, and PCI-Express are technologies;
1) Peripheral Component Interconnect,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_local_b...
2) Accelerated Graphics Port,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGP
3) Peripheral Component Interconnect Express,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express
In the expansion slot, (PCI, AGP, PCI-Express slots), are contact pins. The pins are on each side of the slot. These pins in turn connect to Lanes. The Lanes transfer information back and forth to the Processor.
(Via through the Northbridge chip of the motherboard chipset, for AGP, and PCI Express.
Does not apply to PCI, and to motherboards that support the Intel Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9 processors.
PCI uses the Southbridge chip of the motherboard chipset, and Intel Core i uses a different technology)
The Lanes are nothing more than the circuit traces on the motherboard.
(Also known as Signal Traces. For easy explanation, the what look to be, thin flat copper wires on the motherboard)
Since PCI uses the Southbridge chip, (Applying to technology such as used by YOUR motherboard), it is the slowest technology. It is not only used for a PCI graphics card, but also other add-in adapter cards. It is also used for Integrated Graphics.
AGP was the next technology to come out after PCI. (There was a technology before PCI; ISA)
AGP uses a Parallel point-to-point channel.
The AGP expansion slot is for a graphics card ONLY.
PCI Express is deemed to be the fastest technology of the three. It uses Serial point-to-point.
It is ALSO used for more than a graphics card.
ONLY the PCI Express x16 slot is used for a graphics card.
The PCI Express x1 slot is NOT used for a graphics card.
The PCI Express x16 expansion slot has 32 Lanes. Each lane has four circuit traces. (Signal traces)
The PCI Express x1 expansion slot has 1 Lane.
Trying to make sure you do not get the Physical architecture, confused with the Technological architecture, of PCI Express.
There are those however, that feel AGP is better. Feel that AGP can be made better than PCI Express, due to it's architecture, using Parallel point-to-point, rather than Serial point-to-point.
A) PCI Express when it came out was known under another name.
HSI or High Speed Interconnect.
Then it went to 3GIO. Which stands for 3rd Generation I/O.
I/O stands for Input/Output.
Finally the last name is now PCI Express.
At this time it is now the PCI Express 1.0a version.
Year? 2003.
B) PCI Express is developed further. Year is 2005. PCI Express 1.1 version.
(PCI Express is generally stated as coming out in 2004. This was in-between the two developmental years of 2003, and 2005, of PCI Express 1.0a, and 1.1 )
C) PCI Express is developed further again. It is now PCI Express 2.0, and the year is 2007.
D) PCI Express developed further once more. PCI Express 2.1
PCI Express 2.1 follows a lot of the core development, that the PCI Express 3.0 technology does, HOWEVER;
It is NOT compatible, (Backwards Compatible), with the PCI Express 1.0a, and 1.1 technologies.
Frankly, I've seen a lot of problems with it being used in a PCI Express expansion slot, based on the PCI Express 2.0 technology.
NOT IMPRESSED!
C) Last development for the PCI Express technology so far is PCI Express 3.0
The PCI Express 4.0 technology is expected to be released in 2014/2015.
Graphics information from your graphics card, has to go through the Northbridge chip, of the motherboard chipset, THEN to the Processor.
If it 's Integrated Graphics, the integrated graphics borrows from the System Resources; The Processor, and Ram Memory.
A graphics adapter card has it's own Processor, and ram memory.
The GPU (Processor), and graphics memory. (Ram memory)
It DOES not depend on the system resources.
The PCI Express 1.1 architecture has a Per LANE Data Rate, of 250MegaBytes per Second. (250MB/s)
It also has a -> Transfer Rate of 2.5GigaTransfers per Second. (2.5GT/s)
[ Transfer Rate was brought out to help clarify. Old terminology used was either MegaBytes per Second, or GigaBytes per Second.
Technology now moves MUCH faster, and GigaByte (GB) is the norm. Instead of stating so many GIgaBytes per Second, (GB/s), GigaTransfers per Second is used. (GT/s ]
PCI Express 2.0 has a per LANE data rate of 500MB/s.
Transfer rate of 5GB/s.
This means a graphics card using the PCI Express 2.0 architecture, will NOT operate in FULL capability, when plugged into a motherboard with the PCI Express 1.1 architecture.
Will you notice?
NO
It is mostly on PAPER.
Talk to those who KNOW. The gamers who REALLY know, not just the ones who spout off junk to make them look good. (Think it makes them look good, lol!)
If a graphics card is good for INTENSE games, it is good for video editing, and 3d programs.
Good for any intensive, graphics program.
Regards,
joecoolvette
×
SOURCE: I need help choosing a video card.
Hi there.
Any PCI Express card will do as long as its DDR2, DDR3 is not supported by your motherboard.
You have a choice between ATI or Nvidia graphics cards and your system should support up to 1GB of graphics memory.
Good luck and thanks for using FixYa!!
SOURCE: I have a NVIDIA nForce
Hi,
Welcome to Fixya. Nvidia Quadro NVS will not support SLI function unlike the Geforece GTX 460. If you are planning to SLI the 2 video card it would be impossible. If you want to create a 2way or 3way SLI you need to use an identical Video card. Quadro was made for multi display for workstations to run applications like Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Bloomberg, Thomas Reuters and Windows Media Player across multiple screens unlike the GTX version that are for high end gaming.
If you have questions please let me know. Thanks
1,064 views
Usually answered in minutes!
×