Buying a video card for my GF.

[[v]@bans]

She plays WoW and has a HP Pavilion A1206N Desktop PC and needs a video card. I went to HP's site and it says there is 1 PCI express slot but the slot looks like a PCI Express x16. I was wondering if anyone on here had some insight on the correct information on this is PCI Express 1 or 16?

I have a PC I built and don't have the foggiest idea how the A1206N is really setup. Thanks in advance..

 

[stealthy123]

whatever you decide, tell her someone else did the work and blame it on them when it doesn't go perfectly, which with women, nothing is ever perfect enough.
just saying

 

[[v]@bans]

lol but seriously need an answer. =P

 

[HardwareGuru]

It's a PCI Express 1 and it uses the ASUS A8AE-LE mobo. To verify, you can download and run CPU-Z program.

 

[[v]@bans]

Ok, so would using a PCI Express 16 work but rather just be clocked down for it?

 

[HardwareGuru]

Yes, it will work. PCI X16 cards are backwards compatible to work in a PCIe 1 slot. Pop in a Radeon HD 4670 video card. You should be good. The Radeon HD 4670 does not require an additional 6 pin PCI-E power connector.

 

[HardwareGuru]

Is your HP an Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0ghz system?

 

[[v]@bans]

Yes.. it's 2.0 ghz I am looking to spend a litlle less like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130097

 

[engiNURD]

The picture diagram of the board layout on the HP site looks like it has a PCI-Express x16-sized slot, labeled PCIEX1 (as in, the first PCI-E slot). To determine the speed of the slot, run CPUZ, as there is no definitive answer online that I could find. I've found other HP systems using that same board and denoting that the PCI-E slot was in fact 16x.

If you have a PCI-E 1x-sized slot, without an open backend, then a PCI-E 16x card would not fit. However, it is possible to have a PCI-E 16x-sized slot, but only runs at 1x speed.

edit: found a pic online, http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/2285/dsc00879cq9.jpg ... it looks like all the electrical pins are there for a full 16x speed. You can look at yours, too. But its best to run CPU-Z.

 

[HardwareGuru]

This will be fine for WOW if that's all she will be playing.

Yes.. it's 2.0 ghz I am looking to spend a litlle less like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130097

 

[[v]@bans]

FYI for anyone else who may have this board. I ran CPU-Z and it is PCI-E 16x. Figured I'd pass on info.

 

[Jospeh]

Yes.. it's 2.0 ghz I am looking to spend a litlle less like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130097

Is 20$ all your girlfriend is worth?

 

[engiNURD]

FYI for anyone else who may have this board. I ran CPU-Z and it is PCI-E 16x. Figured I'd pass on info.

Thanks for the update!