Jokerman on 5/2/2010 at 20:27
My video card is showing signs of exhaustion, so I'm on the look-out for a new one.
CPU-Z tells me I have a PCI express interface.
GPU-Z, on the other hand, says I have PCI express 2.0.
How do I verify it?
theBlackman on 5/2/2010 at 22:41
You have a PCI express card. (it fits a PCI EXPRESS SLOT)
The operating design of the card is PCI Express 2.0 as opposed to the lower formats.
Just like a USB. USB 1, 1.5, 2 etc.
You have the information you need.
Jokerman on 5/2/2010 at 22:58
So the 2.0 denotes a type of firmware or something like that?
So basically it doesn't matter which one I get?
Im pressing the matter, because at the price comparison site I'm searching, they divide the cards by this category* (PCI-E vs PCI-E 2.0.).
* among many, more obvious ones
TBE on 5/2/2010 at 23:03
PCI Express 2.0 is like newest version of PCI Express slot. Like USB now has 2.0 as well. Just the faster interface, so you can use better video cards.
Look for a 2.0 card, as it will be the better choice.
Something like a 9500GT 1GB DDR3 is cheap and works good in a 2.0 slot.
Jokerman on 6/2/2010 at 13:33
Ok thanks, to both of you.
My dying GPU is a 9800GTX, only 1 year 10 months old. Customer service in my country sucks, that's why I'm not counting on an RMA, though I admit, Ive yet to try it. (can't find the bloody receipt)
The 9500GT price is very tempting but wont it be a palpable downgrade?
Volitions Advocate on 6/2/2010 at 16:55
who is the manufacturer?
Jokerman on 6/2/2010 at 17:17
Twintech.
And I just found out that the store I bought my system of, has gone bankrupt and shut down. Just great.
TBE on 7/2/2010 at 20:45
Yeah, the 9500GT will be a downgrade, but depending on what kind of gaming you're doing, it will work fine. I have one in my system, and I play S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on medium settings, pretty much everything shy of dynamic lighting, and it works fine. I also play Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 with no problems, with settings maxed. I also play Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 on like high settings. No choking.
Who is the manufacturer of your card though? There are some that will replace it for free for like 3 years to a lifetime. Pull it from your case, and look who made it. Maybe XFX or BFG? BFG has a lifetime replacement on their cards. You only end up paying to ship the card to them. Which may be like $10-15 to mail certified/signature mail, but it beats paying for a new card. I am a big fan of RMAs for dead equipment. I had a BFG 7800 GS AGP card I bought years ago. It was crazy expensive. It died on like it's 4 year anniversary, and I sent it back. Got a brand new replacement card that still works to this day. :thumb:
If you can send it back for replacement, it might take awhile. Buy a decent video card to last you til it returns, and then sell the replacement card.
Jokerman on 7/2/2010 at 21:25
- TWINTECH is the manufacturer.
- Everything in my country goes through the hands of importers- they would laugh and throw me down the stairs, unless I can recruit to my ranks a store owner or anyone who's doing serious business with them.
- My card is not technically dead, only shows signs of dying (minor artifacting flickering in and out, textures pop-in, and twice, a total textures' corruption that lingered even out of game, on the desktop- had to reboot). It's still usable- it just sucks. And they'll sure use that as a case to null the warranty.
- Yep... my country's CS awareness has 3rd world standards...
-I'm gonna try one more thing- I just remembered I updated my drivers for ME2. For a week, I played only that, and since ME1 was full of those textures pop-in, I assumed it's the way it should be.. only when I found out later that FO3, Risen, and even TF2, have it, I started to worry. I completely forgot I updated the drivers.
