+1.5V AGP card???

[nosed_b18b]

I was reading my mobo manual, and it said that my AGP slot only supports +1.5V AGP cards. Could someone enlighten me on this a little more???

[Rugor]

Early AGP cards, using AGP version 1.0 used 3.3v rather than the now current 1.5v.

What it means is you can't use an older AGP card in that system.

[Kruzin]

To simplify it...
If it fits in the slot, it should work.
AGP cards are keyed to only fit in slots they will work in.
Some are keyed only to fit in 3.3v AGP slots, some only for 1.5v slots. Many will fit either, meaning they can run at either voltage.
Basically, if it wont go into the slot, it won't work...

[Dracas]

Going to interject a second:

While some older AGP graphics adapters may have used 3.3v power configurations (I've never seen one personally, and I have some old 1x AGP cards sitting around), the primary reason newer mainboards will have this "1.5v only!" warning is because (like my Asus A7N8X Deluxe) the plastic socket they have mounted to the mainboard is what was originally used for AGP Pro video graphic adapters, that used 3.3v (for instance, the wildcat series and Oxygen series workstation graphics adapters).

This warning would NOT be necessary but many workstation graphics cards (again, the wildcat series) still use a 3.3v configuration as apposed to an external power source (re: the GeForce FX or Quadro FX) so they provide a warning LED or other way of letting you know that sometimes unlabled workstation graphics adapters aren't compatible with the socket.

Initially the AGP Pro socket configuration was created to prevent end-users from using Workstation graphics cards in the early 1x/2x and even 4x configurations that only offered 1.5v, putting a card that required 3.3v into a socket that only provided 1.5v would overdraw the mainboard and let the magic smoke escape.

After tinkering around with the Wildcat series a bit and even some of the new cards, I wouldn't worry about the warning unless you were intending to buy a $3000 professional graphics adapter that used 3.3v, that little warnings just there to let you know they'll fit the socket, but it won't work and safeguards will prevent the system from booting with a 3.3v video card installed

Equally, its impossible to mount a Wildcat or Oxygen (depending on which models) in a traditional AGP 4x graphics adapter slot, they'll only fit the 3.3v AGP Pro slots or the new AGP 8X Pro 1.5v slots, and they won't work in the latter.

Whew, everyone get that?

Edit:

http://www.agpforum.org/specs_specs.htm

Everything you've ever wanted to know about each AGP revision and AGP Pro 3.3v graphics adapters and AGP Pro 1.5v graphics adapters (AGP Pro is also called "Full-Length AGP" from time to time)

http://www.supermicro.com/TECHSUPPORT/FAQs/AGP_Pro.htm

Thats helpful too, Supermicro provides some useful tips from time to time in their FAQs

[Rugor]

ATI has a very good chart of the different AGP specs on their site here. If you scroll down you can see the various connectors and what they mean.

However, the advent of the universal slot has led to a few problems. One is with 3Dfx based boards. Every 3Dfx board ever built used 3.3v AGP signalling. One result of this is that you cannot use them in an i845 based board, as one or the other will fry if you try.

Some early ATI cards have the same problem as indicated by the notes at the top of the link.

Do be careful.

[Dracas]

Hmm, that makes me wonder a bit Rugor, my Asus A7N8X Deluxe has a 1.5v only Pro socket, and I've used my 3DFX Voodoo 3 2000 16MB in it before without issues, if they're 3.3v rated videocards, you'd think it would have fried the board, but this isn't the case, the little light never came on when I was using it, maybe the V3 series were switched somehow?

now, with a bit of research I'll reneg what I said earlier about not having seen a 3.3v standard AGP card before, as I found one in my arsenal last night, and its technically still a workstation graphics card (Intense3D Voodoo2 Wildcat 6MB w/ TV-out and Stereo) which is a Voodoo2, so maybe that changed around the time the V3 and V4/5 came out?

No idea to be honest, but keeping in mind what Rugor's said and my comments about workstation graphics cards will very likely keep you out of trouble nosed_b18b, so keep this thread handy when picking out a videocard

[nosed_b18b]

Wow. I'm sorry, but Dracas, thaat post you made was too big to input into my brain. It's approximately 10:30 here and I just got off working a doulbe shift, most of the words in that post have more than 3 syllables, and I have a mild form of ADD. So, if you don't mind could I get some cliffs notes please??? I do appreciate all the hard effort though. I'd buy ya a beer for all that work, but we're online so that's virtually impossible.

[Dracas]

ROFL - gave you a biot of mental constipation eh?

here's all the cliff notes you need:

Avoid 3DFX Videocards.
Avoid Wildcat II, II, IV and 5 Series videocards
Avoid 3DLabs professional videocards
Avoid anything you find that says "3.3v"
Avoid anything that says "AGP Pro" unless it says "1.5v"

And look for these cards:
GeForce 2
GeForce 3
GeForce 4
GeForce FX
ATi Rage Pro
ATi Radeon 7000, 7500, 9000, 9200, 9500, 9700, 9800
ATi Radeon All-in-Wonder (All)
SiS Xabre 80, 200, 400, 600
and pretty much any recent (last year or so) AGP 4x graphics adapters

If anyone would like to add to or remove from that list, feel free, I don't own alot of those and have never used them, so I'm uncertain of their voltage requirements

[Rugor]

Avoid ANY AGP Pro video cards.

The AGP Pro interface has a higher power budget and uses a physically longer slot.

Unless your motherboard comes with an AGP Pro slot you will not be able to put any AGP Pro card in it, it won't physically fit.

[Dracas]

Err...here, maybe this will help, what model of mainboard are you using nosed_b18b?

Rugor:

The A7N8X/A7N8X Deluxe has an AGP 'Pro' socket but supports 1x/2x/4x/8x 1.5v ONLY, hence why I said avoid anything labeled "AGP Pro" as most of them will have the 3.3v requirement, but they will fit on the A7N8X and like boards (asus seems to like using the AGP pro socket on their boards)

So before we make any real recommendations, it would probably be best to figure out what nosed is using