PCI-E 2.0 Compatibility (8800gtx vs 9800gtx)

Ashtaroth · May 13, 2008, 07:38 PM

Hey guys,

I'm planning on buying either a 8800 gtx or 9800 gtx, after seeing benchmarking and prices and warranty etc. I'm thinking of getting the 9800 gtx.

I know my motherboard can physically hold both of these cards (PCI-E x16), but my motherboard is pretty old and only the latest motherboards are really PCI-E 2.0 compatible.

So my problem or rather my question is: will I suffer performance loss due to running on the old(lower) PCI-E bandwidth with the 9800 GTX?

In other words, will I be able to fully ultilize the 9800 gtx?

Any help would be awesome !

mkk · May 13, 2008, 11:16 PM

There's been no practical peformance benefit showing with PCIe 2.0 yet so you don't need to worry about that when buying a graphics card today.

Ashtaroth · May 14, 2008, 12:24 AM

I haven't been able to find any real information about PCI-E 2.0 other that it is backwards compatible and will work in most motherboards with an PCI-E x16 slot.

However if you look at motherboard specs they do list if they are PCI-E 2.0 fully compatible or not.

So I assumed that it does have some affect on performance, but it could just be future proofing or marketing at work there.

Thanx for the reply anyway and I'll keep on trying to get more opinions and knowledge from the people who know about this.

**kris23** · May 14, 2008, 12:34 AM

get the 9800GTX man

May 13, 2008, 07:38 PM	#1
Ashtaroth DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	PCI-E 2.0 Compatibility (8800gtx vs 9800gtx) Hey guys, I'm planning on buying either a 8800 gtx or 9800 gtx, after seeing benchmarking and prices and warranty etc. I'm thinking of getting the 9800 gtx. I know my motherboard can physically hold both of these cards (PCI-E x16), but my motherboard is pretty old and only the latest motherboards are really PCI-E 2.0 compatible. So my problem or rather my question is: will I suffer performance loss due to running on the old(lower) PCI-E bandwidth with the 9800 GTX? In other words, will I be able to fully ultilize the 9800 gtx? Any help would be awesome ! Last edited by Ashtaroth; May 13, 2008 at 07:42 PM. Reason: typo

May 14, 2008, 12:34 AM	#4
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,019 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	get the 9800GTX man __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

May 13, 2008, 11:16 PM	#2
mkk Cthulhu/Dagon 2012 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Gefle, Sweden Posts: 4,495 Rep Power: 132 System Specs	There's been no practical peformance benefit showing with PCIe 2.0 yet so you don't need to worry about that when buying a graphics card today.

May 14, 2008, 12:24 AM	Thread Starter #3
Ashtaroth DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	I haven't been able to find any real information about PCI-E 2.0 other that it is backwards compatible and will work in most motherboards with an PCI-E x16 slot. However if you look at motherboard specs they do list if they are PCI-E 2.0 fully compatible or not. So I assumed that it does have some affect on performance, but it could just be future proofing or marketing at work there. Thanx for the reply anyway and I'll keep on trying to get more opinions and knowledge from the people who know about this.