Is my AGP card 3.3 or 1.5V ???

[Tiger-Heli]

I got a new mobo and it only supports newer 1.5 V AGP cards, not older 3.3 V AGP cards.

I have a Daytona Riva 16M TNT2 M64 card that I would like to use.  I have the driver CD and visited their website (www.palit.com.tw), but neither has any info.

I found this site:

http://www.motherboards.org/articlesd/tech-planations/920_3.html

which says if the notch is near the bracket, it's 3.3 and away from the bracket it's 1.5.

My card has two notches, so it's probably dual mode.  It also has two pins labelled JP1 that do something (I guess).

The possibilities are:

1) The card auto-senses what the voltage is and automagically adjusts.
2) JP1 closed is 1.5 V and open is 3.3.
3) JP1 open is 1.5 V and closed is 3.3.
4) Something else sets the voltage selection.

Is there any way to tell?

(I am E-mailing them also, but usually get better support from here.)

[Bill_S]

I believe the 2 notch video cards are the newer 1.5 volt AGP.  I just had mine out yesterday and I think it had 2 notches.

What brand is the motherboard?
My Asus motherboard has a red light on it.  If it detects a non 1.5 volt video card, the light comes on and it won't power up, preventing damage to both the video card and the motherboard.
I tested this accidentaly yesterday (oops) with an old video card I was playing with (when I had mine out).

[AlanS17]

Where's that adventurous spirit? Plug it in and turn it on!  

[Tiger-Heli]

I believe the 2 notch video cards are the newer 1.5 volt AGP.  I just had mine out yesterday and I think it had 2 notches.

What brand is the motherboard?
My Asus motherboard has a red light on it.  If it detects a non 1.5 volt video card, the light comes on and it won't power up, preventing damage to both the video card and the motherboard.
I tested this accidentaly yesterday (oops) with an old video card I was playing with (when I had mine out).

According to the link in my initial post, the notch near the bracket is 3.3V, away from the bracket is 1.5.  I am pretty sure (well, guessing) that the dual notch cards can be either way and that the JP1 jumper controls it, but I don't know which way it should be.

It's a shuttle mobo.  It doesn't say anything about an LED and I read on another site that the 3.3V boards will fry the motherboard if installed so I'm not gonna play around unless I'm sure.

[AlanS17]

Come on! Don't be a chicken.  

[Beley]

you have probably allready tried this but, look really closley at the white writing all over the card, often explinations for the jumpers are printed somewhere on the PCB, usally in a box or right next to the jumpers

[Tiger-Heli]

you have probably allready tried this but, look really closley at the white writing all over the card, often explinations for the jumpers are printed somewhere on the PCB, usally in a box or right next to the jumpers

Didn't see anything by the jumper, but I'll look for a box on the PCB.  Thanks for the tip!!!

[Bill_S]

I agree with Alan -
Just plug it in!!

OK - to try and offer more help, I found this site:
http://www.3dlabs.com/product/compatibility.htm

Here's an excerpt:
"To prevent an incompatible card from being inserted into a motherboard manufacturers use a system of 'keys' and 'notches'. A key is simply some material placed in the socket at a specific position. Unless the graphics card has a notch cut out of its edge connector of the correct size and position the key will prevent the card from being inserted properly."

[Bill_S]

OK,
Now I think I really found a good answer:
http://www.hardtecs4u.com/reviews/2001/agp4x_e/index2.php

Take a look at the pictorial comparisons.

[Tiger-Heli]

OK,
Now I think I really found a good answer:
http://www.hardtecs4u.com/reviews/2001/agp4x_e/index2.php

Take a look at the pictorial comparisons.

I take it you didn't follow this link:

http://www.hardtecs4u.com/reviews/2001/agp4x_update_e/

There is no markings on the board.  Palit tech support did e-mail me back and said the board will automagically sense the input voltage and adjust.

But I don't know what the JP1 jumper would be for then, so I replied back to ask.  Will keep you posted.

[F|end]

Come on! Don't be a chicken.  

Agree!   \m/

The good old-school way!  

[Tiger-Heli]

OK,
Now I think I really found a good answer:
http://www.hardtecs4u.com/reviews/2001/agp4x_e/index2.php
Take a look at the pictorial comparisons.

Read through the entire article you mentioned, and it definitely lists a Vanta board as suspect which is what mine is.

Question:  On this page: http://www.hardtecs4u.com/reviews/2001/agp4x_e/index3.php they mention checking for ground between the A2 pin on the board and the edge connector.  If the meter reads 1 it's bad.  But they are using a digital multimeter.  Anyone know what scale they have it set on in the pic?  It can't be 1 ohm can it?  Maybe 20 ohm?

Reason I ask is I have a multimeter, but it's analog.  1 ohm and ground will read the same on it.  This seems like the kind of definitive test I was looking for, though.

[Bill_S]

It looks like the 20k Ohm range to me.

[Tiger-Heli]

It looks like the 20k Ohm range to me.

Agreed, you've got sharp eyes, though.  I found this pic http://www.procontrol.hu/MUSZER/Multimet/Voltcraft/vc444.htm and re-read the article at lunch.  I think that particular meter display a 1 for over-resistance.  So what they mean is infinite resistance, not 1 ohm instead of 0.05 ohm.

So this should help.

Thanks to everyone!!!

[Tiger-Heli]

Tech support replied that JP1 is for the chipset fan power connector, which seems correct.  (The fan is broken and I was going to use the northbridge heatsink from a dead motherboard in it's place).  I forgot where the fan used to plug in.  

I tested and did NOT find continuity between Pin2 and the edge of the VGA connector, but I question the articles methodology.  If Pin2 is supposed to be shorted to ground for 1.5V operation, then shoundn't it connect back through where the motherboard senses ground, I.E. Pin 5 or 13 or 19 if I read Page 231 of the AGP 2.0 Spec referenced on the site correctly?

Also, it's possible that the board will auto-sense the voltage as their Tech Support claims, but is not spec compliant on this pin setting???

[Beley]

....I tested and did NOT find continuity between Pin2 and the edge of the VGA connector, but I question the articles methodology.  If Pin2 is supposed to be shorted to ground for 1.5V operation, then shoundn't it connect back through where the motherboard senses ground, I.E. Pin 5 or 13 or 19 if I read Page 231 of the AGP 2.0 Spec referenced on the site correctly?

Also, it's possible that the board will auto-sense the voltage as their Tech Support claims, but is not spec compliant on this pin setting???

your right, if the card does autodetect which voltage to use then the pins one the card used for telling the motherboard which voltage the card uses would be able to switch back and forth to either tell the motherboard that its a 1.5v card or its a 3.3v card depending on what it autodetects that it should be(if that makes any sence)

ide say that if the card has the proper slots to fit in either 1.5 or 3.3 volt agp connectors and has no jumper pin , then its probably at least 99% shure that it autodetects

[Bill_S]

So plug it in already!@!

[Tiger-Heli]

So plug it in already!@!

Ok, but I gotta fix it first!  See new post on attaching heatsink in the main board in about 15 minutes.

I did some more checking:  Pin 2 on the card is common to Pins 13, 19, 31, 37, 49, and 55, (I stopped there), and ALL of these are GND's according to the AGP 2.0 spec.

So now, the edge notches point to 1.5V, the detect Pin points to 1.5 V, the card manufacturers Tech Support says auto-detect if connected to 1.5V as against: the article stated that some TNT2 Vanta cards might not work (but it had other errors as well), and the store I bought it from said it prolly wouldn't work (but they really wanted to sell me a new GeForce sth.)

So I'll try it out!!!

Thanks to all for the help!!!