AGP video card help

Here's my problem, I want to replace my pci video card with a agp video card. The computer is a Compaq Presario 800 Mhz with 3 pci slots and 2 agp slots. The video card that is installed is a Maxi Cougar pci card. The video card that I want to install is a Nvidia GeForce 2 MX400 agp card that I took out of my Dell. The problem is, the card doesn't seem to fit right. Can this card be installed in the Compaq computer I have? I've installed cards before and they just pop right in but this combo doesn't seem to work. Any help guys? Thanks

 

Unless its a built in card, all cards are interchangable. Be sure you are in the right place and are putting it in the AGP slot(most are brown). Make sure it is an AGP video card. Then look for a troubleshooter or walkthrough on the internet (just search on google or something). This way you can make sure you don't have to unclip something like you do with putting in ram. After that install the drivers and any software and windows should automatically set it as the default. If not, take out the pci and just leave the AGP one in there.

 

I very much doubt you have two AGP slots?
i suspect if Compaq shipped that machine with a PCI card that there is in fact no AGP slot,(but you never know with compaq ) your PCI slots are usually white and the AGP should be just above coloured brown and set slightly further back, you may also have a small brown slot under your PCIs this is an old standard CNR and of no use to this particular problem
If you are still unsure please list your exact model Compaq so we can check their website for full system specs or download and run this
http://majorgeeks.com/download4181.html

 

Thanks guys. I'm going to take some pictures of the slots and cards and upload them to the internet, then I'll post a link so you can get an idea of where I stand. The two brown colored slots are longer than the three white colored slots and are also closer to the rear than the white ones. I should just take my Dell apart and compare the two, I may do that later but not now. I'll get the link posted later today. Thanks again guys.

 

even easier, give us the Compaq model number and we can tell you anything you'd ever want to know about what you can upgrade

edit: oops, just saw that general lee already asked for it..

 

ya think he might have ISA slots? although mine are black but he describes them the same otherwise

 

That would be a first!

 

LMAO still it is a Compaq

 

Ok guys I have two links for the cards and the slots. I thought the slots looked more black than brown, dark brown. Thought there were only two types of slots pci and agp. Anyway the links are below. I get the feeling no agp slots right

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v336/SharpShooter0/P1010139.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v336/SharpShooter0/P1010134.jpg

Thanks for the help guys.
P.S. If any of you play Americas Army the online game let me know, maybe we could meet up and play a few rounds.

 

Could you mean a 2x AGP slot? AGP slots come in four flavors: 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x. The number is what you think. The 4x is twice as fast as a 2x, which is twice as fast as a 1x.

Here's a pic of a mobo. The brown slot is a universal (1x/2x/4x) AGP connector. The white slots are PCI slots. The long black slot at the bottom is an old ISA slot.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/images/itemDetails/S450-20052.jpg

It is not unheard of for computers to have onboard AGP video and no AGP slots for expansion cards. A lot of budget computers come like that.

If you tell us the model number of your Compaq (should be printed right on the front of the case) we'll be able to tell you exactly what your motherboard looks like.

 

Ok, just saw your pictures. The slots you took pictures of are ISA (black) and PCI (white) slots. In fact, one of the slots is shared... because ISA cards are upside-down (the capacitors and crap are on the top of the board rather than the bottom like PCI cards) the slot where the ISA and PCI slots come together is actually just one slot. You have room to add one ISA card and either one more ISA card or one more PCI card. ISA is very old, however (PCI began replacing it back around 1994/1995) so you won't find many cards for it any more.

As for the two adapter cards, they are, indeed, both video cards. The top one is an nVidia PCI video card. You are able to put this one into your system. The bottom one is an AGP 1x/2x/4x nVidia GeForce2 MX. You don't have an AGP slot, however, so you can't put this into your system.

 

OK here's the only number on the front cover
3h9act9f906y
I bought this computer back in 1994-1996 or so forget now. Boy I wish computer makers build computers to be upgraded, same standard layout. I get the feeling put the pci card back in and forget about upgrades.
Thanks guys. You guys are quick to respond with great feedback, thanks.

P.S. Whats the ISA slot for?

 

ISA slots are the older slots. First came ISA slots, then PCI slots, then AGP slots, and now PCI Express slots will be here soon. Nobody makes cards with ISA connectors anymore, so the slots are pretty much useless. And to answer your first question, obviously you can not use the AGP video card in your current computer if you only have PCI and ISA slots. If you want to upgrade your video card, you could get something like a Geforce 4 MX PCI card. I think you can find them for around $50. For example:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-140-036&depa=0
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-139-146&depa=0

I probably wouldn't get a card any better than those unless you plan on upgrading the rest of your computer because anything better will be bottlenecked by your current setup.

 

Thanks for the great advice guys. I'm just going to reinstall the pci card. I had the GeForce 2 laying around and thought I'd upgrade the video in that computer. Thanks again guys.

Hey Wyatt_Earp, thanks for the info on the PCI Express slots. I'll keep that in mind next time shopping for a computer or new cards.

 

Well, PCI Express isn't compatible with PCI, so you'll need a whole new system to take advantage of it.

Besides, installing a PCI Express card with you current components is a little like putting a Chevy big block into a Yugo.