To PCI-E or not to........

[Romanov]

Hi,
Ive got a machine currently running the configuration in my sig but Im now on the look for a new grafix card and came up against a brick wall?? Theres now PCI-E btu in order to get use it could you tell me what (and recommend)

- Motherboard I could use with my old P4 3.2 Ghz and what socket set this is called? (is it 478?)

- Memeory - Do I need DDR2 in which case what do you think is best?

- What grafix card to get with PCI-E

OR

do you think that AGP is worth staying with for the next year or so?

thanks
Mark B

[Hans Voralberg]

I don't know any mobo that have socket 478 and PCI-E. So if you want PCI-E you have to change the CPU to socket 775, not neccessarily DDR2, there are mobo support DDR. And i think AGP still worth it, till next year at least. Wat's ur need and budget anyway ??

[skattrd]

For P4 if you want pci-e its basically going to mean a cpu (and poss RAM) change as well as motherboard and gfx, an expensive upgrade.

Persoanlly I'm avoiding pci-e and DDR2 for now, but most graphics still come in AGP flavour as well as pci-e.

[Scarlet Infidel]

Yeh, id definately stay with AGP for now. I decided to avoid the 'new' technologies until my next system when BTX and 64bit windows is ready for a leap in technologies.

[skattrd]

If I was going to change to pci-e and needed a new motherboard and processor I'd be tempted to look @ an AMD64

[Romanov]

Heh thanks that made my mind up its AGP for now

[arthurleung]

If you are going dual core you'll need a new motherboard with PCIe for sure.

Intel is being nasty to have 875, 915 and 925, all using different CPUs.

[Stephen B]

as far as performance there is no difference at all, I have a Shuttle with a P4 478 chip and asus xtpe [agp], my other system is a dell 5000 with a P4 775 and PCI version of the same Asus video card.

unless you are looking to futureproof your purchase for the next few years I wouldn't feel compelled to leave agp at this time, AGP and good low latency ram is easily as fast as 775 and ddr2