PCI Express 2.0 x16 card compatible with PCI Express x16 slot?

[BGHS]

I'm thinking of upgrading my 7800gt to a 4870 but I don;t know if there'll be problems. Is it safe to do so?

Processor:
AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3200+ 2.0GHz

Memory:
2 gig RAM

Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT

Motherboard:
ASUS A8N5X

Computer Case:
Cooler Master CAC Centurion

PSU:
xClio 480w

Windows Xp Pro

My 7800gt is going upwards of 115 degrees Celsius (when playing COD4) even with side door case open. Making me want to just getting something new.

[liambl]

1. Yes PCIe 2.0 will work in a 1.0 slot

2. A 7800gt should not run that hot, consider cleaning out/checking the operation of the heatsink.

3. I strongly doubt the 480w PSU will handle the HD 4870, it has a high power requirement and needs 2x PCIe supplimentary power connections from the PSU.

4. Your CPU would also bottleneck a 4870 quite a lot, since newer games with a lot of physics are increasingly dependant on the CPU.

[Rev_pizzaguy]

Agreed. I have a PCIe 2.0 card running in a PCIe 1.0 slot running at x8. It works fine. Tomshardware did several tests awhile back and from their benchmarks, it really doesn't make that much of a difference, maybe a couple frames at most. A GOOD 500W power supply would be enough for a single 4870:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/253473-33-hd4870-requirement

Also, that processor will be quite a bottleneck. I have the AMD BE-2300 (1.9GHz) in my pc. I went from an 8600GT to a 9600GSO and I notice that my processor is bottlenecking that card. Oh, and I have my processor overclocked to 2.6, too. Needless to say, next year is gonna be a new build.

[BGHS]

Ehh, I figured there will be problems. I'm actually planning on a Nehalem build sometime next year and the 4870 would be part of the build so I thought I might as well buy one now. Then again, new cards are coming out in Spring (correct me if I am wrong). This single core just isn't cutting it anymore. I think the only issue with my future build is the GPU. I don't know if I should buy a 4870 now or wait till new cards come out.

Anyone wanna direct me to sites about info on new vid cards? Would be helpful. I'll most likely make a thread in the BYOC section come the time I'll be ready to build.

Also, I might as well ask this now. I plan on getting this PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139001

You guys think this will be enough for a 4870 (or any current/future high-end card) and a core i7 920? If not I'll just upgrade to the 620w.

[liambl]

This PSU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&Tpk=corsair%20650w) is cheaper both with and without the rebate and offers quite a bit more power, providing you're not hard set on modular.

[cmichael258]

Here's an article that compares the 4870 from different companies:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-4870-palit,2096.html

[glc]

I would wait till you actually do the new build before buying a video card. The longer you wait, the better a card you can get for the least cost. Your current card is a good match for the rest of your system, a new strong card may be bottlenecked by your processor.

[BGHS]

Thanks for the replies all. Yeah, I'll wait until I actually begin building before I buy a new card. Hopefully prices drop enough. It's so tempting to get into a new build especially with the new technologies right now.

About the PSU, I'm kinda hard set on modular PSUs. I just don't want to deal with cable management at all. My current build is a total mess and there really isn't anyway for me to improve on it seeing as how the case is laid out.

[glc]

The best modular PSU's out there are the Corsair 520HX and 620HX.

[BGHS]

I'll probably go with the 620hx. It's more expensive, but better safe than sorry.

I haven't cleaned out my entire computer since earlier this year. Does age play a big factor in why my Video card runs so hot? It's almost 3 years old now.

[glc]

Age? Not really, but dust certainly will. When you blow the dust out of the computer, pull the video card and blow the dust out of its heatsink and fan.

[Planefreak]

Couldn't help but notice we have very similar systems. You definitely need to clean out the fan and heatsink. Mine clogs up from time to time and can really drive up the temps. My GPU is currently at 44 degrees C. Aren't you reaching or at the card's shutdown threshold?