How to install ATI AGP Drivers

The bad news: Your motherboard uses the nForce3 chipset, which means the AGP card will not work in Vista nor 7.

The good news: Your motherboard also has a PCI-e (which is different than normal PCI and much better for video card) slot - which means that you can install any of the latest and greatest video cards in it. All you'd have to do is make sure your power supply has enough power output to handle it and that it has the proper connections available. If needed, you can get crafty and "make" the proper connections.

If you need any help or advice, please let us know.

I am very sad because I built this PC piece by piece recently.
And now I know I bought a piece that is not useful.
Anyway I was not happy with the AGP's performance

And this is my system. without radeon course. :-)




Thank you !

That card is a good card when installed in a motherboard/OS combo that can handle it (like for you with your motherboard and XP).

Contact the retailer that you bought the video card from and explain truthfully your situation. Tell them you'd like to return the AGP in exchange for a PCI-e card. You might have to pay slightly more or they might have a comparable card to switch for no money at all.

The only thing they can tell you is no.

I don't suggest being dishonest, but you can simply tell them that the card does not work for you. You discovered that you also have a PCI-e slot...."Can I please make a switch for a PCI-e?"....

That's how I'd do...

Good luck and you're welcome.

There are several adapters available that convert 4-pin Molex connections to 6-pin or 8-pin video card connections.

Hi, it's me again.
I sat and I thought, why go on XP, and Windows 7 is not working?
Because the motherboard is the same.

I do not believe that the motherboard is to blame, probably Microsoft or ATI.
Do not you think so?

I already told you who is to blame and what I think so. That is NVIDIA because they no longer support your old chipset nor have they ever made an AGP driver for it that would work for Vista or 7.

Do you think I make this stuff up?

This is the page for your motherboard:

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.as...ivedual-esata2

On it, is this:

"*If you plan to install Windows® XP 64-bit / Vista™ 32-bit / Vista™ 64-bit OS on this motherboard, please click here to read instructions and limitation carefully. For Windows® 2000 / XP OS, there is no such limitation."

When you click the link, it tells you this:

"
C. ATi™AGP Card (Windows® XP 64-bit / Vista™ 32-bit / Vista™ 64-bit):
Under Windows® Vista™ 32-bit / Vista™ 64-bit OS, this motherboard does not support ATi™ AGP card because NVIDIA® does not provide nForce3 250 relevant driver for Windows® Vista™ OS.
* AGP texture acceleration will be disable under Windows XP 64-bit OS."

Okay. I did not want to upset anybody, I probably rushed me, being upset myself.
Even I'm sorry.
I'll take another video card and the next PC which I will build, I will document before.
Cheers!

No, no...

It didn't upset me. lol

It's just that for years I've been telling people about this and constantly I've been questioned on it by people thinking I'm wrong - or in some actual cases - they thought I was making it up to appear like I knew because I couldn't fix the issue.

Tell the retailer. They will probably exchange for a PCI-e card and you'll be much better off anyhow. It would be worth a few extra dollars to get a PCI-e card in NVIDIA's Fermi line or ATI's HD 5xxx line since they both would have full DirectX 11 capabilities.

Being slow to leap to Win7, I wanted to thank you for your detailed info. I am amazed at number of "experts" publishing that just leap forward assuming their readers are fully tech competent.

But I need to pick your brain. Using WinXp for years my ATI Wonder 9600 AGP card has suited me perfectly. However, it's a legacy card and using it my cursor freezes and windows 7 has to "recover" from driver fail. I am running dual boot right now, but want to migrate fully away from XP sometime. Would appreciate thoughts about an AGP card to move to. My MoBo does NOT have a PCI-e slot and I am not in position to change MoBo.

If this is not right forum to ask, please point me in correct direction.

Thanks in advance for your time and assistance.

Chuck