Just asking...

[brainnysmurfs]

Can I use the latest Nvidia or Ati video cards even though my Processor is only Pentium 3?

[Shendo]

Well the latest are PCI express cards, so no, no motherboard which supports
pentium3 would support PCI express slots, you need to use AGP card if you
even have AGP port.

[S.SubZero]

There would also be little point as your CPU would be the bottleneck for just about anything.

[brainnysmurfs]

So in that case I can use any latest kind of video cards, but it must be in AGP slot? what kind of video card do you suggest? Thanks for replying!!

[Shadow_Cast]

Do you know what speed it is?

I'd say to go with either A: Buying a new computer or (since that is, in all likelyhood, unfeasable) B: a Geforce series 3, maybe 4 card (But NOT that crap 4MX line).

[FrostyTheSnowman]

The Geforce FX series would be the best option for you, IMO. I would go with a Geforce FX 5200, seeing as how they are AGP, and only cost about $30.

[Hard core Rikki]

even though fx5200 can handle directx9 features, apart from 5700, all the FX simply lack the power needed to handle those in a satisfying way, especially if shaders are used.

best card in the FX category is FX5700. My 2 cents, just get any cheap directx9 card, whatever works.

in the FX5200 model, better get the FX5200 Ultra and avoid standard FX5200 and FX5200SE. Avoid any card that has 64 bits memory as it is basically 50%slower as more standard 128bits memory.

================
FX5200 line:

Has 2 pixel pipelines if pixel shading is used. Each pixel pipe = 1 FP32 ALU handling 2 TMUs + 2 FX12 Mini-ALU (each one can do 2 MULs or 1 ADD or 1 MAD)


Core/memory clocks Memory Bus
FX 5200 Ultra 325/325 128 bit
PCX 5300 250/325 64 or 128 bit
FX 5200 250/200 64 or 128 bit
FX 5500 270/200 128 or 256 bit

[S.SubZero]

even though fx5200 can handle directx9 features, apart from 5700, all the FX simply lack the power needed to handle those in a satisfying way, especially if shaders are used.

The OP is using a P3, so I don't think that would be a problem. Like I said, the CPU will bottleneck them loooong before the video card does.

So in that case I can use any latest kind of video cards, but it must be in AGP slot?

There are some voltage concerns with some older systems (like P3s). Most modern videocards only support certain voltages that older motherboards can't support. I don't think P3 boards kept up with the AGP spec in this regard. You would need to ask whoever you buy a card from if it will support your motherboard.

[Hard core Rikki]

FX5200 is available in PCI and AGP. We'd need more detailed specs from mister phillipines to recomend something

using Everest Home edition should help him compile some specs for this post.

Who knows... He might have AGP 1.0 (1x and 2x) or 2.0 (2x and 4x) only, and most recent cards are either PCI-Express or AGP 3.0 only (4x and 8x).

agp 1x = 3.3 V signaling
agp 2x = 3.3 V signaling
agp 4x = 1.5 V signaling
agp 8x = 0.8 V signaling

AGP cards are backwards and forwards compatible within limits. 1.5 V cards will not go into 3.3 V slots and vice versa, though "Universal" slots exist which accept either type of card.