Hardware requirements for graphics cards ?

Are there hardware requirements for enabling graphics cards to function at all ?

I mean, the card's got to pysically fit into the PC and be electrically compatible, and have the power connectors (if applicable), but I'm concerned about the CPU and FSB, and other things that I don't know about.

I don't care if the card isn't working as optimally as it might, if it's working to the capacity of the rest of my system.

I have my eye on an Radeon X1950 Pro based card....(I have other PSUs an OCZ, Seasonic and Akasa allrated above 400W)

Dumb_Question
30.July.2013

Compaq Presario S5160UK DT261A under XP/SP3
Processor - Celeron 2.7 GHz
Motherboard - MSI MS-6577 v2.1
RAM - 1GB + 512MB (1GB +1GB max) DDR PC2700
PSU - Octigen 300W model 10270PSOTG ('upgraded' from original Bestec 250W PSU [in 2011?])
Nvidia GeForce 6200 graphics card in AGP slot

 

I'd use the Radeon with the SeaSonic, the card should be fine in that 'board.

 

Whoa! A simple quick search shows that card will NOT fit that motherboard!

@D_Q According to your motherboard specs, your board supports 1 AGP slot and 3 PCI slots. It does NOT support PCI Express (PCIe). And a quick check of the Radeon X1950 Pro specs shows that uses PCIe x 16. Therefore, that card will NOT physically fit your motherboard and is not electrically compatible either.

P.S. As to the rest of your concerns - no, the CPU and FSB don't matter. If the motherboard supports the interface, the motherboard will support cards designed for that interface.

 

The x1950 Pro also came in AGP flavours.

 

Digerati, Thanks for your comment re CPU/FSB and for being so vigilant concerning the Sapphire Radeon X1950 Pro. I concur with your reading of the m/b specs, if indeed that is m/b in my PC, which was purchased in early 2001, and the HP webpage strictly is only for S5160UKs made in 2003 or later.

For my interest in this card see http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?psn=000101&pid=64&lid=1, a page from the sapphire website.

But I have decided that this card is too awkward as I have read that occupies three (3) card spaces - on third thoughts I have seen another picture with some sort of scale which indicates that a single card is one slot wide, going up to 3 if you use two at once (which I'm never going to do with my S5160UK) - now I'm uncertain. I have decided that a GeForce 6800 GT with nearly the same performance (not quite as good ?) but only taking up the AGP slot makes another good option. Like the Sapphire card this card was also based on PCI-E but has an ASIC onboard to do the conversion (so a review I read said).

Dumb_Question
31.July.2013

 

addendum: the ASIC referred to is "ATI's Rialto PCIe-to-AGP bridging ASIC"

Dumb_Question
31.July.2013

 

Wow. Not so simple or quick after all. My apologies to both D_Q and satrow as there are some versions of the 1950 in AGP. Thanks.

If me, I would look for a card with the most RAM on board. The Sapphire has 512K.

 

Just checked the Sapphire Radeon X1950 Pro again, my source (an old playtools table) doesn't say it's three slots wide (that's the Radeon X1950 XT apparently), 512K RAM is right, Digerati, though that info doesn't appear to be on the page I liked to on the Sapphire website. The GeForce 6800 GT based cards I've seen have only 256MB RAM, but as all of them seem to be like that I guess there's a restriction elsewhere which means there's no point in having more with that.

Dumb_Question
31.July.2013

 

No, that is not a restriction and there is definitely a point to having more - significantly better performance. I would not settle for less than 1Gb of on-board graphics RAM if I had a choice and I definitely would go for 512 over a measly 256Mb.

 

Maybe I should've started a new thread, but I'm still on about graphics cards.

In some specifications, I have seen reference to 'Display Interface' (eg, DVI) and 'Output Interface' (eg, S-video) and under these headings are listed different standards for transferring video information. In each list on the picture I can often make out the different types of connector listed under both types....so what's the difference ?

Dumb_Question
31.July2013

 

Some won't connect directly to your monitor.

 

I have not seen, or don't remember "Output Interface" but S-Video is, or was, used primarily to output the video to a TV, and not computer monitor.

Generally, you want a digital output to feed a digital input to your monitor for best performance. That typically happens via DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort connections. There is no advantage with one over the other - when it comes to image quality. HDMI came out of the home theater world and is being pushed by the major monitor makers (who just happen to be the major TV makers) and is capable of carrying 5.1 audio too - all in one cable with a fairly small connector. DVI uses larger connectors. I don't really like pushing audio over HDMI with computers because like most computer users, I use computer speakers - not monitors with speakers. So more cables in back my way, but I don't have to mess with running audio through the graphics card, then split it out later to run my speakers.

Display Port is an oddball thing, IMO and I don't think it will survive as a standard because DVI and HDMI still dominate -even with new cards.

D-Sub is the standard VGA analog interface.

 

-> satrow: so which type won't connect to your monitor - 'Output Interface' or 'Display Interface' ?

Dumb_Question
31.July.2013

 

Thanks Digerati. VGA, where present, comes under of 'Display Interface' as does DVI, haven't seen HDMI on a AGP card, while S-video, VIVO, TV are labelled as 'Output Interface' where present. That's all I know. Just wondered what characterised a signal as belonging to Display or Output

(where DVI type is not specified, I assume it will be a DVI-I type)

Dumb_Question
31.August.2013

 

My monitors will use DVI-D/D-sub(VGA) and DVI-D/DP(DisplayPort)/D-sub.

The S-video and composite types are commonly used on TV's, public displays, in-car displays and probably POS screens.