AGP 4x vs. 8x

> So far, the system requirements for Aero have not mentioned anything about
> what type of port is required, just that you need a graphics card with a
> minimum of 64 MBs vRam, supported WDDM driver, Direct X 9 complient with
> support for Pixel Shader 2.0 technologies.
>
> I personally would recommend getting the best video card you can afford
> and quality DDR2 RAM, as much as possible. I personally say PCIx would be
> a good choice going forward, as AGP will eventually be phased out.
> Microsoft will release Service Packs or Interim releases of Windows that
> will better support the superior technologies that are a part of PCIe.
>
> Here is nice write up about the PCIe technology by Dell and the advantages
> over AGP:
> http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topi...us&l=en&s=corp
> --
> --
> Andre
> Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
> Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
> Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
> http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
>
> "Travis King" <Anonymous@none.com> wrote in message
> news:OxPiSJDXGHA.3972@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> We've brushed on this subject with me before, but not in depth. What
>> performance difference really is there with Aero Glass between 4x and 8x
>> AGP? Is it actually noticeable, non-existent, or drastic? Having said
>> that, what difference if any is there between AGP 8x and PCI-Express x16?
>> Thanks. I've heard from various people on this NG including Zack that 4x
>> works fine, but I really haven't done more than brush the subject
>> otherwise. (Meaning I don't know the true difference in performance with
>> Aero Glass between 4x and 8x, just that I know that 4x should work fine.)
>> The main reason I brought this up is I'm just considering doing a partial
>> rebuild of my computer. What do you think I should do?
>> I plan on building a whole new computer in two years... In the meantime,
>> do you think I should do a partial rebuild or just upgrade my RAM and
>> video card (if necessary) and call it good for two years?
>>
>> The partial rebuild will include:
>> Motherboard
>> CPU
>> RAM
>> (Video card if needed and if I can afford it)
>>
>> I've run the Doom3 Demo and it runs fairly smooth at an 800x600
>> resolution on high settings with shadows disabled.
>>
>> Current specs:
>> Asus A7V333 motherboard (supports AGP 4x or lower only)
>> AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (just overclocked to 155FSB = 2.17GHz)
>> 768MB of RAM
>> NVIDIA Geforce FX5600 256MB DDR
>> WD 80GB 7200RPM IDE 2MB cache
>> WD 120GB 7200RPM IDE 8MB cache
>> Lite On 16x DVD drive
>> Memorex (Lite On) 52x32x52 CD-RW drive
>> 3 1/2" floppy drive
>> 400-watt PSU
>> Creative Audigy soundcard
>> 3 case fans
>> Aspire X-Infinity case
>> 10/100 network card
>>

>
>

> Do you recommend doing a partial rebuild now or just upgrade my computer
> as I have it now with a new video card (if necessary) and RAM if I'm going
> to rebuild it in two years anyway? I know it would be just your opinion,
> but I need advice because I'm stuck on what to do.
> "Andre Da Costa [Extended64]" <andred25@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:OQO5u9DXGHA.4144@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> So far, the system requirements for Aero have not mentioned anything
>> about what type of port is required, just that you need a graphics card
>> with a minimum of 64 MBs vRam, supported WDDM driver, Direct X 9
>> complient with support for Pixel Shader 2.0 technologies.
>>
>> I personally would recommend getting the best video card you can afford
>> and quality DDR2 RAM, as much as possible. I personally say PCIx would be
>> a good choice going forward, as AGP will eventually be phased out.
>> Microsoft will release Service Packs or Interim releases of Windows that
>> will better support the superior technologies that are a part of PCIe.
>>
>> Here is nice write up about the PCIe technology by Dell and the
>> advantages over AGP:
>> http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topi...us&l=en&s=corp
>> --
>> --
>> Andre
>> Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
>> Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
>> Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
>> http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
>>
>> "Travis King" <Anonymous@none.com> wrote in message
>> news:OxPiSJDXGHA.3972@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>> We've brushed on this subject with me before, but not in depth. What
>>> performance difference really is there with Aero Glass between 4x and 8x
>>> AGP? Is it actually noticeable, non-existent, or drastic? Having said
>>> that, what difference if any is there between AGP 8x and PCI-Express
>>> x16? Thanks. I've heard from various people on this NG including Zack
>>> that 4x works fine, but I really haven't done more than brush the
>>> subject otherwise. (Meaning I don't know the true difference in
>>> performance with Aero Glass between 4x and 8x, just that I know that 4x
>>> should work fine.) The main reason I brought this up is I'm just
>>> considering doing a partial rebuild of my computer. What do you think I
>>> should do?
>>> I plan on building a whole new computer in two years... In the
>>> meantime, do you think I should do a partial rebuild or just upgrade my
>>> RAM and video card (if necessary) and call it good for two years?
>>>
>>> The partial rebuild will include:
>>> Motherboard
>>> CPU
>>> RAM
>>> (Video card if needed and if I can afford it)
>>>
>>> I've run the Doom3 Demo and it runs fairly smooth at an 800x600
>>> resolution on high settings with shadows disabled.
>>>
>>> Current specs:
>>> Asus A7V333 motherboard (supports AGP 4x or lower only)
>>> AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (just overclocked to 155FSB = 2.17GHz)
>>> 768MB of RAM
>>> NVIDIA Geforce FX5600 256MB DDR
>>> WD 80GB 7200RPM IDE 2MB cache
>>> WD 120GB 7200RPM IDE 8MB cache
>>> Lite On 16x DVD drive
>>> Memorex (Lite On) 52x32x52 CD-RW drive
>>> 3 1/2" floppy drive
>>> 400-watt PSU
>>> Creative Audigy soundcard
>>> 3 case fans
>>> Aspire X-Infinity case
>>> 10/100 network card
>>>

>>
>>

>
>

> Travis, the only thing I see worthy upgrading (to more) is RAM, I would
> try get as much installed that you can afford. I have 2.6GBs in my system,
> 128 MB Geforce FX 5200 AGP and its running just fine, although when I have
> up to 20 windows open, it begins to get a bit slow. So, upgrade the RAM,
> Vista will appreciate that. If you can upgrade the processor, I would also
> do that. But, the two most important ones are the GPU and installed RAM,
> you got a good GPU, so I would focus primarily on getting more RAM in that
> system.
> --
> --
> Andre
> Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
> Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
> Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
> http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
>
> "Travis King" <Anonymous@none.com> wrote in message
> news:%23Qf9gEEXGHA.3760@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> Do you recommend doing a partial rebuild now or just upgrade my computer
>> as I have it now with a new video card (if necessary) and RAM if I'm
>> going to rebuild it in two years anyway? I know it would be just your
>> opinion, but I need advice because I'm stuck on what to do.
>> "Andre Da Costa [Extended64]" <andred25@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:OQO5u9DXGHA.4144@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>>> So far, the system requirements for Aero have not mentioned anything
>>> about what type of port is required, just that you need a graphics card
>>> with a minimum of 64 MBs vRam, supported WDDM driver, Direct X 9
>>> complient with support for Pixel Shader 2.0 technologies.
>>>
>>> I personally would recommend getting the best video card you can afford
>>> and quality DDR2 RAM, as much as possible. I personally say PCIx would
>>> be a good choice going forward, as AGP will eventually be phased out.
>>> Microsoft will release Service Packs or Interim releases of Windows that
>>> will better support the superior technologies that are a part of PCIe.
>>>
>>> Here is nice write up about the PCIe technology by Dell and the
>>> advantages over AGP:
>>> http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topi...us&l=en&s=corp
>>> --
>>> --
>>> Andre
>>> Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
>>> Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
>>> Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
>>> http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
>>>
>>> "Travis King" <Anonymous@none.com> wrote in message
>>> news:OxPiSJDXGHA.3972@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>> We've brushed on this subject with me before, but not in depth. What
>>>> performance difference really is there with Aero Glass between 4x and
>>>> 8x AGP? Is it actually noticeable, non-existent, or drastic? Having
>>>> said that, what difference if any is there between AGP 8x and
>>>> PCI-Express x16? Thanks. I've heard from various people on this NG
>>>> including Zack that 4x works fine, but I really haven't done more than
>>>> brush the subject otherwise. (Meaning I don't know the true difference
>>>> in performance with Aero Glass between 4x and 8x, just that I know that
>>>> 4x should work fine.) The main reason I brought this up is I'm just
>>>> considering doing a partial rebuild of my computer. What do you think
>>>> I should do?
>>>> I plan on building a whole new computer in two years... In the
>>>> meantime, do you think I should do a partial rebuild or just upgrade my
>>>> RAM and video card (if necessary) and call it good for two years?
>>>>
>>>> The partial rebuild will include:
>>>> Motherboard
>>>> CPU
>>>> RAM
>>>> (Video card if needed and if I can afford it)
>>>>
>>>> I've run the Doom3 Demo and it runs fairly smooth at an 800x600
>>>> resolution on high settings with shadows disabled.
>>>>
>>>> Current specs:
>>>> Asus A7V333 motherboard (supports AGP 4x or lower only)
>>>> AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (just overclocked to 155FSB = 2.17GHz)
>>>> 768MB of RAM
>>>> NVIDIA Geforce FX5600 256MB DDR
>>>> WD 80GB 7200RPM IDE 2MB cache
>>>> WD 120GB 7200RPM IDE 8MB cache
>>>> Lite On 16x DVD drive
>>>> Memorex (Lite On) 52x32x52 CD-RW drive
>>>> 3 1/2" floppy drive
>>>> 400-watt PSU
>>>> Creative Audigy soundcard
>>>> 3 case fans
>>>> Aspire X-Infinity case
>>>> 10/100 network card
>>>>
>>>
>>>

>>
>>

>
>

> All I could upgrade my CPU is to a 2600+, but it would still have a 266MHz
> FSB. (Now if I could trade with my grandmother who has the same
> motherboard I have but a newer revision, I could get a 333MHz FSB CPU.)
> Her CPU she has is a 2000+, so it's still a 266FSB anyway, and I'd give
> her my processor out of the deal. I was planning on buying a gig module,
> however, my motherboard only supports two sticks of PC-2700 RAM at the
> same time (and the later revision), so if I wanted to use three sticks,
> I'd have to run the FSB back to 133 again. (That means either 1.75GB of
> RAM and slower CPU speed or 1.5GB of RAM and faster CPU speed.) My Athlon
> XP 2400+ being overclocked, it runs almost as fast as my other grandma's
> computer that has a 2800+ Barton in it. (Although not quite.) I'm
> noticing that I can run my Blazing Colors - Firey Colors visualization in
> WMP10 at a little bit of a larger size now without slowing down and I'm
> not taking a hit at all in temperatures. Although my mom's new computer
> with an Athlon 64 x2 3800+, I can run that visualization at no more than
> 30% usage at a full screen without any slowdowns. I believe the newer
> revision of my board still only supports AGP 4x also. See where I'm
> starting to run into problems with upgrading much further?
> "Andre Da Costa [Extended64]" <andred25@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:uAOWncEXGHA.196@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> Travis, the only thing I see worthy upgrading (to more) is RAM, I would
>> try get as much installed that you can afford. I have 2.6GBs in my
>> system, 128 MB Geforce FX 5200 AGP and its running just fine, although
>> when I have up to 20 windows open, it begins to get a bit slow. So,
>> upgrade the RAM, Vista will appreciate that. If you can upgrade the
>> processor, I would also do that. But, the two most important ones are the
>> GPU and installed RAM, you got a good GPU, so I would focus primarily on
>> getting more RAM in that system.
>> --
>> --
>> Andre
>> Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
>> Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
>> Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
>> http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
>>
>> "Travis King" <Anonymous@none.com> wrote in message
>> news:%23Qf9gEEXGHA.3760@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>> Do you recommend doing a partial rebuild now or just upgrade my computer
>>> as I have it now with a new video card (if necessary) and RAM if I'm
>>> going to rebuild it in two years anyway? I know it would be just your
>>> opinion, but I need advice because I'm stuck on what to do.
>>> "Andre Da Costa [Extended64]" <andred25@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:OQO5u9DXGHA.4144@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>>> So far, the system requirements for Aero have not mentioned anything
>>>> about what type of port is required, just that you need a graphics card
>>>> with a minimum of 64 MBs vRam, supported WDDM driver, Direct X 9
>>>> complient with support for Pixel Shader 2.0 technologies.
>>>>
>>>> I personally would recommend getting the best video card you can afford
>>>> and quality DDR2 RAM, as much as possible. I personally say PCIx would
>>>> be a good choice going forward, as AGP will eventually be phased out.
>>>> Microsoft will release Service Packs or Interim releases of Windows
>>>> that will better support the superior technologies that are a part of
>>>> PCIe.
>>>>
>>>> Here is nice write up about the PCIe technology by Dell and the
>>>> advantages over AGP:
>>>> http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topi...us&l=en&s=corp
>>>> --
>>>> --
>>>> Andre
>>>> Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
>>>> Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
>>>> Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
>>>> http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
>>>>
>>>> "Travis King" <Anonymous@none.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:OxPiSJDXGHA.3972@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>>> We've brushed on this subject with me before, but not in depth. What
>>>>> performance difference really is there with Aero Glass between 4x and
>>>>> 8x AGP? Is it actually noticeable, non-existent, or drastic? Having
>>>>> said that, what difference if any is there between AGP 8x and
>>>>> PCI-Express x16? Thanks. I've heard from various people on this NG
>>>>> including Zack that 4x works fine, but I really haven't done more than
>>>>> brush the subject otherwise. (Meaning I don't know the true difference
>>>>> in performance with Aero Glass between 4x and 8x, just that I know
>>>>> that 4x should work fine.) The main reason I brought this up is I'm
>>>>> just considering doing a partial rebuild of my computer. What do you
>>>>> think I should do?
>>>>> I plan on building a whole new computer in two years... In the
>>>>> meantime, do you think I should do a partial rebuild or just upgrade
>>>>> my RAM and video card (if necessary) and call it good for two years?
>>>>>
>>>>> The partial rebuild will include:
>>>>> Motherboard
>>>>> CPU
>>>>> RAM
>>>>> (Video card if needed and if I can afford it)
>>>>>
>>>>> I've run the Doom3 Demo and it runs fairly smooth at an 800x600
>>>>> resolution on high settings with shadows disabled.
>>>>>
>>>>> Current specs:
>>>>> Asus A7V333 motherboard (supports AGP 4x or lower only)
>>>>> AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (just overclocked to 155FSB = 2.17GHz)
>>>>> 768MB of RAM
>>>>> NVIDIA Geforce FX5600 256MB DDR
>>>>> WD 80GB 7200RPM IDE 2MB cache
>>>>> WD 120GB 7200RPM IDE 8MB cache
>>>>> Lite On 16x DVD drive
>>>>> Memorex (Lite On) 52x32x52 CD-RW drive
>>>>> 3 1/2" floppy drive
>>>>> 400-watt PSU
>>>>> Creative Audigy soundcard
>>>>> 3 case fans
>>>>> Aspire X-Infinity case
>>>>> 10/100 network card
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>

>>
>>

>
>

> Travis, the only thing I see worthy upgrading (to more) is RAM, I would
> try get as much installed that you can afford. I have 2.6GBs in my system,
> 128 MB Geforce FX 5200 AGP and its running just fine, although when I have
> up to 20 windows open, it begins to get a bit slow. So, upgrade the RAM,
> Vista will appreciate that. If you can upgrade the processor, I would also
> do that. But, the two most important ones are the GPU and installed RAM,
> you got a good GPU, so I would focus primarily on getting more RAM in that
> system.
> --
> --
> Andre
> Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
> Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
> Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
> http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
>
> "Travis King" <Anonymous@none.com> wrote in message
> news:%23Qf9gEEXGHA.3760@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> Do you recommend doing a partial rebuild now or just upgrade my computer
>> as I have it now with a new video card (if necessary) and RAM if I'm
>> going to rebuild it in two years anyway? I know it would be just your
>> opinion, but I need advice because I'm stuck on what to do.
>> "Andre Da Costa [Extended64]" <andred25@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:OQO5u9DXGHA.4144@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>>> So far, the system requirements for Aero have not mentioned anything
>>> about what type of port is required, just that you need a graphics card
>>> with a minimum of 64 MBs vRam, supported WDDM driver, Direct X 9
>>> complient with support for Pixel Shader 2.0 technologies.
>>>
>>> I personally would recommend getting the best video card you can afford
>>> and quality DDR2 RAM, as much as possible. I personally say PCIx would
>>> be a good choice going forward, as AGP will eventually be phased out.
>>> Microsoft will release Service Packs or Interim releases of Windows that
>>> will better support the superior technologies that are a part of PCIe.
>>>
>>> Here is nice write up about the PCIe technology by Dell and the
>>> advantages over AGP:
>>> http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topi...us&l=en&s=corp
>>> --
>>> --
>>> Andre
>>> Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
>>> Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
>>> Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
>>> http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
>>>
>>> "Travis King" <Anonymous@none.com> wrote in message
>>> news:OxPiSJDXGHA.3972@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>> We've brushed on this subject with me before, but not in depth. What
>>>> performance difference really is there with Aero Glass between 4x and
>>>> 8x AGP? Is it actually noticeable, non-existent, or drastic? Having
>>>> said that, what difference if any is there between AGP 8x and
>>>> PCI-Express x16? Thanks. I've heard from various people on this NG
>>>> including Zack that 4x works fine, but I really haven't done more than
>>>> brush the subject otherwise. (Meaning I don't know the true difference
>>>> in performance with Aero Glass between 4x and 8x, just that I know that
>>>> 4x should work fine.) The main reason I brought this up is I'm just
>>>> considering doing a partial rebuild of my computer. What do you think
>>>> I should do?
>>>> I plan on building a whole new computer in two years... In the
>>>> meantime, do you think I should do a partial rebuild or just upgrade my
>>>> RAM and video card (if necessary) and call it good for two years?
>>>>
>>>> The partial rebuild will include:
>>>> Motherboard
>>>> CPU
>>>> RAM
>>>> (Video card if needed and if I can afford it)
>>>>
>>>> I've run the Doom3 Demo and it runs fairly smooth at an 800x600
>>>> resolution on high settings with shadows disabled.
>>>>
>>>> Current specs:
>>>> Asus A7V333 motherboard (supports AGP 4x or lower only)
>>>> AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (just overclocked to 155FSB = 2.17GHz)
>>>> 768MB of RAM
>>>> NVIDIA Geforce FX5600 256MB DDR
>>>> WD 80GB 7200RPM IDE 2MB cache
>>>> WD 120GB 7200RPM IDE 8MB cache
>>>> Lite On 16x DVD drive
>>>> Memorex (Lite On) 52x32x52 CD-RW drive
>>>> 3 1/2" floppy drive
>>>> 400-watt PSU
>>>> Creative Audigy soundcard
>>>> 3 case fans
>>>> Aspire X-Infinity case
>>>> 10/100 network card
>>>>
>>>
>>>

>>
>>

>
>

> I've heard of some people getting Aero Glass to work, but without
> transparency. Is this true and have you experienced it? Thanks Andre,
> you're an asset to this newsgroup.
> "Andre Da Costa [Extended64]" <andred25@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:uAOWncEXGHA.196@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> Travis, the only thing I see worthy upgrading (to more) is RAM, I would
>> try get as much installed that you can afford. I have 2.6GBs in my
>> system, 128 MB Geforce FX 5200 AGP and its running just fine, although
>> when I have up to 20 windows open, it begins to get a bit slow. So,
>> upgrade the RAM, Vista will appreciate that. If you can upgrade the
>> processor, I would also do that. But, the two most important ones are the
>> GPU and installed RAM, you got a good GPU, so I would focus primarily on
>> getting more RAM in that system.
>> --
>> --
>> Andre
>> Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
>> Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
>> Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
>> http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
>>
>> "Travis King" <Anonymous@none.com> wrote in message
>> news:%23Qf9gEEXGHA.3760@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>> Do you recommend doing a partial rebuild now or just upgrade my computer
>>> as I have it now with a new video card (if necessary) and RAM if I'm
>>> going to rebuild it in two years anyway? I know it would be just your
>>> opinion, but I need advice because I'm stuck on what to do.
>>> "Andre Da Costa [Extended64]" <andred25@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:OQO5u9DXGHA.4144@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>>> So far, the system requirements for Aero have not mentioned anything
>>>> about what type of port is required, just that you need a graphics card
>>>> with a minimum of 64 MBs vRam, supported WDDM driver, Direct X 9
>>>> complient with support for Pixel Shader 2.0 technologies.
>>>>
>>>> I personally would recommend getting the best video card you can afford
>>>> and quality DDR2 RAM, as much as possible. I personally say PCIx would
>>>> be a good choice going forward, as AGP will eventually be phased out.
>>>> Microsoft will release Service Packs or Interim releases of Windows
>>>> that will better support the superior technologies that are a part of
>>>> PCIe.
>>>>
>>>> Here is nice write up about the PCIe technology by Dell and the
>>>> advantages over AGP:
>>>> http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topi...us&l=en&s=corp
>>>> --
>>>> --
>>>> Andre
>>>> Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
>>>> Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
>>>> Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
>>>> http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
>>>>
>>>> "Travis King" <Anonymous@none.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:OxPiSJDXGHA.3972@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>>> We've brushed on this subject with me before, but not in depth. What
>>>>> performance difference really is there with Aero Glass between 4x and
>>>>> 8x AGP? Is it actually noticeable, non-existent, or drastic? Having
>>>>> said that, what difference if any is there between AGP 8x and
>>>>> PCI-Express x16? Thanks. I've heard from various people on this NG
>>>>> including Zack that 4x works fine, but I really haven't done more than
>>>>> brush the subject otherwise. (Meaning I don't know the true difference
>>>>> in performance with Aero Glass between 4x and 8x, just that I know
>>>>> that 4x should work fine.) The main reason I brought this up is I'm
>>>>> just considering doing a partial rebuild of my computer. What do you
>>>>> think I should do?
>>>>> I plan on building a whole new computer in two years... In the
>>>>> meantime, do you think I should do a partial rebuild or just upgrade
>>>>> my RAM and video card (if necessary) and call it good for two years?
>>>>>
>>>>> The partial rebuild will include:
>>>>> Motherboard
>>>>> CPU
>>>>> RAM
>>>>> (Video card if needed and if I can afford it)
>>>>>
>>>>> I've run the Doom3 Demo and it runs fairly smooth at an 800x600
>>>>> resolution on high settings with shadows disabled.
>>>>>
>>>>> Current specs:
>>>>> Asus A7V333 motherboard (supports AGP 4x or lower only)
>>>>> AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (just overclocked to 155FSB = 2.17GHz)
>>>>> 768MB of RAM
>>>>> NVIDIA Geforce FX5600 256MB DDR
>>>>> WD 80GB 7200RPM IDE 2MB cache
>>>>> WD 120GB 7200RPM IDE 8MB cache
>>>>> Lite On 16x DVD drive
>>>>> Memorex (Lite On) 52x32x52 CD-RW drive
>>>>> 3 1/2" floppy drive
>>>>> 400-watt PSU
>>>>> Creative Audigy soundcard
>>>>> 3 case fans
>>>>> Aspire X-Infinity case
>>>>> 10/100 network card
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>

>>
>>

>
>

> I've heard of some people getting Aero Glass to work, but without
> transparency. Is this true and have you experienced it? Thanks Andre,
> you're an asset to this newsgroup.
> "Andre Da Costa [Extended64]" <andred25@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:uAOWncEXGHA.196@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> Travis, the only thing I see worthy upgrading (to more) is RAM, I would
>> try get as much installed that you can afford. I have 2.6GBs in my
>> system, 128 MB Geforce FX 5200 AGP and its running just fine, although
>> when I have up to 20 windows open, it begins to get a bit slow. So,
>> upgrade the RAM, Vista will appreciate that. If you can upgrade the
>> processor, I would also do that. But, the two most important ones are the
>> GPU and installed RAM, you got a good GPU, so I would focus primarily on
>> getting more RAM in that system.
>> --
>> --
>> Andre
>> Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
>> Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
>> Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
>> http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
>>
>> "Travis King" <Anonymous@none.com> wrote in message
>> news:%23Qf9gEEXGHA.3760@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>> Do you recommend doing a partial rebuild now or just upgrade my computer
>>> as I have it now with a new video card (if necessary) and RAM if I'm
>>> going to rebuild it in two years anyway? I know it would be just your
>>> opinion, but I need advice because I'm stuck on what to do.
>>> "Andre Da Costa [Extended64]" <andred25@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:OQO5u9DXGHA.4144@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>>> So far, the system requirements for Aero have not mentioned anything
>>>> about what type of port is required, just that you need a graphics card
>>>> with a minimum of 64 MBs vRam, supported WDDM driver, Direct X 9
>>>> complient with support for Pixel Shader 2.0 technologies.
>>>>
>>>> I personally would recommend getting the best video card you can afford
>>>> and quality DDR2 RAM, as much as possible. I personally say PCIx would
>>>> be a good choice going forward, as AGP will eventually be phased out.
>>>> Microsoft will release Service Packs or Interim releases of Windows
>>>> that will better support the superior technologies that are a part of
>>>> PCIe.
>>>>
>>>> Here is nice write up about the PCIe technology by Dell and the
>>>> advantages over AGP:
>>>> http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topi...us&l=en&s=corp
>>>> --
>>>> --
>>>> Andre
>>>> Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
>>>> Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
>>>> Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
>>>> http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
>>>>
>>>> "Travis King" <Anonymous@none.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:OxPiSJDXGHA.3972@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>>> We've brushed on this subject with me before, but not in depth. What
>>>>> performance difference really is there with Aero Glass between 4x and
>>>>> 8x AGP? Is it actually noticeable, non-existent, or drastic? Having
>>>>> said that, what difference if any is there between AGP 8x and
>>>>> PCI-Express x16? Thanks. I've heard from various people on this NG
>>>>> including Zack that 4x works fine, but I really haven't done more than
>>>>> brush the subject otherwise. (Meaning I don't know the true difference
>>>>> in performance with Aero Glass between 4x and 8x, just that I know
>>>>> that 4x should work fine.) The main reason I brought this up is I'm
>>>>> just considering doing a partial rebuild of my computer. What do you
>>>>> think I should do?
>>>>> I plan on building a whole new computer in two years... In the
>>>>> meantime, do you think I should do a partial rebuild or just upgrade
>>>>> my RAM and video card (if necessary) and call it good for two years?
>>>>>
>>>>> The partial rebuild will include:
>>>>> Motherboard
>>>>> CPU
>>>>> RAM
>>>>> (Video card if needed and if I can afford it)
>>>>>
>>>>> I've run the Doom3 Demo and it runs fairly smooth at an 800x600
>>>>> resolution on high settings with shadows disabled.
>>>>>
>>>>> Current specs:
>>>>> Asus A7V333 motherboard (supports AGP 4x or lower only)
>>>>> AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (just overclocked to 155FSB = 2.17GHz)
>>>>> 768MB of RAM
>>>>> NVIDIA Geforce FX5600 256MB DDR
>>>>> WD 80GB 7200RPM IDE 2MB cache
>>>>> WD 120GB 7200RPM IDE 8MB cache
>>>>> Lite On 16x DVD drive
>>>>> Memorex (Lite On) 52x32x52 CD-RW drive
>>>>> 3 1/2" floppy drive
>>>>> 400-watt PSU
>>>>> Creative Audigy soundcard
>>>>> 3 case fans
>>>>> Aspire X-Infinity case
>>>>> 10/100 network card
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>

>>
>>

>
>

> So far, the system requirements for Aero have not mentioned anything about
> what type of port is required, just that you need a graphics card with a
> minimum of 64 MBs vRam, supported WDDM driver, Direct X 9 complient with
> support for Pixel Shader 2.0 technologies.
>
> I personally would recommend getting the best video card you can afford
> and quality DDR2 RAM, as much as possible. I personally say PCIx would be
> a good choice going forward, as AGP will eventually be phased out.
> Microsoft will release Service Packs or Interim releases of Windows that
> will better support the superior technologies that are a part of PCIe.
>
> Here is nice write up about the PCIe technology by Dell and the advantages
> over AGP:
> http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topi...us&l=en&s=corp
> --
> --
> Andre
> Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
> Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
> Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
> http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
>
> "Travis King" <Anonymous@none.com> wrote in message
> news:OxPiSJDXGHA.3972@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> We've brushed on this subject with me before, but not in depth. What
>> performance difference really is there with Aero Glass between 4x and 8x
>> AGP? Is it actually noticeable, non-existent, or drastic? Having said
>> that, what difference if any is there between AGP 8x and PCI-Express x16?
>> Thanks. I've heard from various people on this NG including Zack that 4x
>> works fine, but I really haven't done more than brush the subject
>> otherwise. (Meaning I don't know the true difference in performance with
>> Aero Glass between 4x and 8x, just that I know that 4x should work fine.)
>> The main reason I brought this up is I'm just considering doing a partial
>> rebuild of my computer. What do you think I should do?
>> I plan on building a whole new computer in two years... In the meantime,
>> do you think I should do a partial rebuild or just upgrade my RAM and
>> video card (if necessary) and call it good for two years?
>>
>> The partial rebuild will include:
>> Motherboard
>> CPU
>> RAM
>> (Video card if needed and if I can afford it)
>>
>> I've run the Doom3 Demo and it runs fairly smooth at an 800x600
>> resolution on high settings with shadows disabled.
>>
>> Current specs:
>> Asus A7V333 motherboard (supports AGP 4x or lower only)
>> AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (just overclocked to 155FSB = 2.17GHz)
>> 768MB of RAM
>> NVIDIA Geforce FX5600 256MB DDR
>> WD 80GB 7200RPM IDE 2MB cache
>> WD 120GB 7200RPM IDE 8MB cache
>> Lite On 16x DVD drive
>> Memorex (Lite On) 52x32x52 CD-RW drive
>> 3 1/2" floppy drive
>> 400-watt PSU
>> Creative Audigy soundcard
>> 3 case fans
>> Aspire X-Infinity case
>> 10/100 network card
>>

>
>