What is the BEST video card for a PCI slot?

[Destroyeron]

What is the BEST video card that will fit into a PCI slot?

For some reason, Gateway felt no reason to attach my AGP slot, :mad: everything else is there, but just not the connector. So I need to get a video card for a PCI slot before Planetside. What is the best one? If possible please post a link to the manufacturer/approx. price. Price is not a limit.

Thanks

[Hunter83]

If price is not a limit then I strongly suggest that you get a new PC. The PCI bus runs at 66Mhz and has a maximum tranfer limit of 133MegaBytes per second.
That can't come close the the AGP's 266Mhz 1.1GBps(that is for AGP 4x, 8x is theoretically twice that).
The PCI bus' speed is the total of everything you have in all your PCI card slots. So, if you also have a sound card and ethernet card, you won't even reach 133MBps.

The "best" PCI GFX card, which is really a waste of money, is the GeForce4 MX, which is just a glorified GeForce2. I don't follow useless products, but that's probably under $100.

I strongly recommend, that if price is really not an issue, that you get a new system. If your worried about losing all your data, a good company or shop could put your old harddrive in your new system.
If you know what your doing you could build your own high-end system for under $1,000.

[Edit:] Right, u wanted a link: Linky (http://store.yahoo.com/amamax/innvgemx4401.html)

[SpaceDrake]

Simple rule for today: if the machine doesn't have an AGP slot, it's time for a new computer. If this is a new computer you got from Gateway (who have really become crap as of late), then take it back and demand your money back. Then go get a vpr Matrix machine from Best Buy (yes, Best Buy.) Even their lowest-end machine has a 4x AGP slot.

[Destroyeron]

I would get a new computer, but this computer is brand new and my parents won't get another for quite a while. Also is there anyway to put an AGP slot on my motherboard? cause its got the space and thingy...

[powdahound]

Destroyeron do you mean put on an AGP <b>slot</b> or put on in an AGP <b>card</b>? If you have an AGP slot (It's brown and above all the white PCI slots) you can put in an AGP card very easily. If you don't have the AGP slot there's nothing you can do besides buy a new pc/motherboard.

[FireFrenzy]

Originally posted by powdahound
(It's brown and above all the white PCI slots) .

Unless you for some reason use your mobo upside down, it should be below the white pci slots.

Also, even the best PCI card will probably run PS quite poorly. I assume that if you get a better PCI card, a constant 60 FPS will still be just a dream to you.

[Hunter83]

It's not always brown. But it is above all of the PCI slots and below the CPU. It'll be a little further in on the board then the PCI slots.

Also, could u tell us the model number of the Gateway, or if you have it, the motherboard?

[FireFrenzy]

Originally posted by Hunter83
But it is above all of the PCI slots and below the CPU.

Then my mobo manufacturer really messed up :p

[Hunter83]

It's a little hard to see in this picture, but I circled the AGP slot in red:

http://216.73.96.225/hunter/temp.jpg

[powdahound]

Ya, it's usually above the PCI slots and below the cpu socket. :)

[FireFrenzy]

Interesting, i'll try to get a pic of my mobo, as it is below all the PCI slots.

[Hunter83]

Here's a pic of my mobo in my case:
http://216.73.96.225/hunter/Case/Case,side,inside.JPG

http://216.73.96.225/hunter/Case/

That's how I see most motherboards mounted, I've see some other designs, but 95% of cases go with this setup.
And yes, I know the wires are messy.

[Zatrais]

Uhm hunter 83, your PCI speeds are way off, standard PCI runs at 33mhz. The AGP slots runs at 66mhz by default. ISA runs at 8mhz if memory serves me right. they're both 32 bit ports meaning they have a byte retrival ratio of 4...

yes there are other systems than 32 bit PCI slots but they are generally not used, you have 64bit slots also and the uber PCI-X slots that runs at 133mhz.

[Hunter83]

Blah, yeah, ur right about the speeds, but I am right about the transfer rates. My point was that PCI is much worse then AGP now.

[Zatrais]

Yup, theres no contest between AGP and PCI.. unless it's PCI-X 133, that has 1066mb/sec, same as agp4x but no display adapters are made for those so AGP cards own PCI cards hard =)

[mistled]

If you want either a cheap card or one to hold you over until you can get a lot of cash for a really good one, Best Buy has a 64MB GeForce4 Asylum PCI card on sale this week (starting today) for $29. It's normally 70 or 80 I think.

[Destroyeron]

Thanks mistled I'll do that. I'll post a pic on my board so you guys can see what I mean.