Are There Different Types of AGP Video Cards?
An AGP port used to be the most common graphics port used in a personal computer. Currently more popular are the PCI express ports (PCIe), which allow for faster memory access and smaller graphics cards. However, if you still own an older computer, you may need to replace an AGP video card at some point.
What to Look for in AGP Video Cards
There are not so much different types of AGP video cards as there are different brands. Radeon and nVidia are the most common brands of video cards. The things to consider when buying a new AGP video card are similar to the considerations when buying a new PCI express video card.
Video Card Compatibility
The first item to consider is the type of slot that the graphics card will fit into. Open the case. If you have a slot that is only a little longer than the standard PCI slot, you cannot use an AGP video card. If the slot is much longer than the others, you will need to replace your video card with another AGP model.
Video Card Memory
The second thing to consider is the amount of video memory that you will need. Most AGP models came with built-in graphics memory that freed the motherboard from some graphics-processing tasks. Modern video cards have a small processor dedicated to handling these graphics tasks. Generally speaking, video cards with more memory will result in better graphics quality.
Other Video Card Considerations
Brand preference and price are usually the deciding factors in a consumer’s choice of which AGP video card to buy. The popular brands work equally well for commercial video applications, but a gamer may be interested in the card that works best for the games they like to play. Some games, such as real time strategy games, have less intensive graphics requirements than other types of games. nVidia cards are usually better supported by most developers, although AMD now owns the company that made the Radeon cards, and AMD processors are usually considered to be better than Intel processors for gaming purposes.
Recommended AGP Video Card: nVidia GeForce
The nVidia GeForce is the better choice for the hardcore gamer, but there is one other factor a person should consider when buying a new AGP video card. This technology has been replaced by the PCI express technology and the AGP cards may be harder to find. Many places still sell them and new AGP video cards can be bought for a reasonable price. That being said, a hardcore computer gamer may want to upgrade his computer to a model with a motherboard that supports the newer technologies.
