Problems with G400

[Mick7]

I have a G400 running on a ABIT KA7 motherboard.Im running Win2k
the KA7 is agp 4X but the g400 will only run at 2x.... why?

[Rags]

Is your G400 AGP 4X transfer capable? The only way for us to tell is to have you give us the part number off of your G400.

Rags

[Mick7]

is the part number g4+mdha32g ?
there is anougher number on what looks like a price tag (no this is not store bought, it was bought online)

[Mick7]

that other number is 021600

[Rags]

Your card is only capable of 2X transfers. Which, I wouldn't worry about. Your motherboard is not capable of really supplying AGP4X to the video card, anyhow. This is because of the memory bandwidth your motherboard has, and the memory speed at which it runs. In short, you wouldn't see any difference (or very minute), anyhow.

Rags



[This message has been edited by Rags (edited 24 September 2000).]

[Mick7]

thanks...kinda sucks that they say on the g400 box that is can do 4x trans...as for my motherboard it has AGP 4X and the memory bandwidth is probobly the fastest on the market with the exception to the KA7-100. It has much improved cpu-to-ram bandwidth due to the 4 meg ram buffer that is built on to the motherboard... but if you get off into sever boards then my motherboard starts to go down for ram speed.

[Rags]

It does not say on your box it can do 4X transfers, it says it is AGP 2X/4X. This means that it will run in an AGP 4X board (there are some 4X slots that won't fit a non compatible 2X board in it, and the G400 works fine in it).

As far as your motherboard, I don't care how much you say it's good, PC100 and even PC 133 DON'T have the bandwidth to fully supply AGP 4X. You need over 1GB/s to feed AGP 4X. With PC100 you are theroetically going to get a max of 512 MB/s, PC133 gives theroetically a nudge over 750 MB/s. In practice, these rates are never achieved. 4MB cache or not, your motherboard cannot feed AGP 4X. Period. If you want AGP 4X you will need to wait for DDR chipsets or purchase a Rambus system. Sorry.

Rags

[EchoWars]

There goes Rags...busting bubbles again

[Mick7]

Just so you know... Im a hardware guy, thus I know what is in my machine. so dont think im getting all upetty here, ill take your word on the video card, but as for the motherboard, i did not stick 2 weeks of resurch in my head on that mother board for nothing.

[Mick7]

Just so you know... Im a hardware guy, thus I know what is in my machine. so dont think im getting all upetty here, ill take your word on the video card, but as for the motherboard, i did not stick 2 weeks of resurch in my head on that mother board for nothing.

[Rags]

That's fine. I am sure your memory performance is wonderful compared to all the other Athlon and PC100/PC133 systems out there. It still doesn't matter. Your motherboard cannot break the laws of physics, and will not be able to use AGP 4X properly. I am sorry, but that is the truth. By them advertising AGP 4X on their boards (and all the other mfrs that are advertising AGP 4X on PC100, PC133), they are misleading you. You have not done enough research to understand what AGP 4X does, and what it means, otherwise you would not be arguing right now. Even if your motherboard DID fully support it, I bet your performance difference between 1X and 4X would still be under 5%.

Rags

[Mick7]

sorry for the double post.. internets a liitle slow today.

for quick refrence before you spout off again the mem buffer on the KA7 has right around 825 Mb/s trans rate....of course you ar correct about the ram...

[Mick7]

I know what AGP 4X is, but was mostly wondering if it would work. kinda like every cd-rom (with the exception of the kenwood) SAY they read at 42X bot they only do that on the outer tracks and not the inner tracks due to the diffrent speeds. I thought this was kind of the same thing " yup we will go up to the limit of AGP 2X and say its 4X"... thats it.

[Rags]

At any rate, I wouldn't sweat it. Getting AGP2X is good enough.

[EchoWars]

Mick7--

As long as you are running 2x, you are getting all the advantage you can expect from todays vid card / motherboard combos. Gains from 1x>2x= 'somewhat' significant, gains from 2x>4x= negligible to non-existant. My g400 (4x capable) will not run at 4x without crashing, so I'm doing 2x. Would be nice if it hit 4x, but I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it.