Max Video Card Upgrade available for old computer

I have an Biostar m6vlr motherboard with a VIA PLE133T Chipset. The board is an old pentium 3 and comes with a built-in AGP 4X video controller with 8 MB shared memory.

The video sucks when i am playing simple games on it, and i am opting to buy a PCI video card.

I was wondering if there is a limit to the size of the video card that i can use in this motherboard. I can't afford to buy a new computer with a PCI Express or an AGP slot, and i don't play graphics intensive games on it.

What options do i have?

Thanks in advance

 

Yeah, You can't use modern AGP graphics cards (they're 8x, and some 4x units are the wrong voltage), you'll probably be better off with PCI, such as a Geforce FX5200. However, that's very poor value for money, considering modern low-end graphics cards are anything up to 50x faster, and cost less. Not opting to buy new components may make things more expensive for you.

 

I was told that these older computers can't work with any video cards with more than 32MB of video memory, is there any truth to this?

Even if the video memory is locked, is it actually set to <32MB, or does it vary, also is there a way to calculate or software to tell me this?

Thanks

 

I've not heard of that, I upgraded to a 64MB PCI graphics card in a Pentium 3 450mhz from 1999. (It was a Sparkle GeForce 4 MX440). The thing wasn't fast, but back then I didn't encounter any performance issues because I didn't run heavyweight games. It did however pick up all 64MBs, so I don't see why you'd have any trouble.

 

Ok cool

Thanks a lot sammorris, so there is hope for my little rig

I know it ain't much but it serves me well.

I have a few more questions, i would be grateful if you could help me out:

I doubt that they will have the video cards instock that you suggested, especially where i am from. So if i was to buy a video card what specs should i ask for besides the memory size?

 

Well, you just want the fastest one you can get, as long as it's PCI.

 

I have 384 MB PC133 Ram installed

using a celeron rated @ 1300 but running @ 1400 Mhz

 

throw the comp out

 

What a useful comment.

It all depends on what games you're looking to play BadBone, the amount of memory you have and the CPU speed may bar you from some games the new grapics card may be capable of running.

 

BadBone, if you get a new video card for your computer, make sure that you get a PCI video card, not a PCI-e video card, as the PCI-e uses a special slot on the motherboard. Your motherboard does not have that slot.

 

Ok, i'll see what they have at the parts store, but like i said they probably won't have much to choose from, i'm in the caribbean and we don't get as many options as everyone else around the world does we only get a few brands and models and at rediculous prices.

xXxBG

My computer may not stack up to yours in any way, but this is the best computer i have ever had, i can't afford to buy a new one since they are very expensive here. Mabye you could send me your system


And like i said before, i don't use it for anything extreme, i play simple 2D games and Old school console emulators.


Thanks for all the posts

 

BadBone, i have an old PNY 5700ultra AGP card i could send for free if you'd like.. I think it's AGP 4X, this damn thing has been in my closet for several years now without being used, i bought the card new at Compusa several years back and barely used it, never overclocked it..etc.etc. I'm not sure if it's compatible with that motherboard though?? Get back at me...L8tr

 

depends which AGP 4x it is, there were too voltages. Get it wrong and the card is history.

 

Yeah, i forgot about the different voltages for AGP 4X slots.. There were two different voltages on that 4X slot, 1.5v and 0.8v right?? It was AGP 8X that had one voltage and it was 0.8v, i don't remember if there were any more voltages.

 

As far as I know, AGP before 4x was the high voltage, 8x was the low voltage and 4x could be either, but not both!

 

elusiv1

Thanks for the offer, but unfortunately the board only comes with 3 pci slots but no AGP slot, it has built in video.