AGP to PCI-E Bridge, Cool enuff or too late??

Rockyme2002 · May 18, 2005, 6:38am

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Albatron Technology, a leading IT solutions provider, recently announced the world’s first AGP-8x to PCI-Express bridge card. The “ATOP”(AGP-To-PCIe) bridge card will allow a user to use their existing AGP-8x VGA card in a mainboard designed for PCI-Express resulting in considerable savings in upgrade expenditures.
Because the AGP 8x standard has been around for a while and continues to provide more than adequate graphics performance, there still exists a large base of users with very capable AGP 8x VGA cards. Until now consumers have been hesitant to upgrade to a mainboard with the PCI-Express standard because it would also mean having to purchase a new PCIe VGA card. With the ATOP card you can now upgrade to a PCI-Express mainboard, continue to use your existing AGP-8x card and worry about purchasing a new PCI-Express VGA card at a later time.
Your AGP-8x card simply piggybacks on the ATOP card’s AGP-8x slot located on the top edge. The ATOP card is then plugged into the mainboard’s PCI-Express slot. The only other installation requirements are replacing the bracket on the AGP-8x card with an ATOP bracket and installing the appropriate driver.
The ATOP bridge is the perfect solution for cost conscious users caught in the middle of the PCI-Express, AGP-8x transition. With the ATOP, you can have the best of both worlds in addition to reducing expenditures and extending the life of your original investmen

http://www.albatron.com.tw/english/news/news_detail_pr.asp?news_id=167

_HeadShot · May 18, 2005, 7:17am

Hmm… Yeah! Read it at Tom’s! I wud say “its damn cool enuf”!

Nikhil · May 18, 2005, 8:38am

I would seriously think of buying one if it is good enough, stable and gets good reviews.

jai · May 18, 2005, 9:26am

Hey is there one the other way round? I mean, use a PCI-e card in an AGP mobo? That would mean I can buy a PCI-e card and still retain my K8N-E mobo for my next upgrade.

I dont know many (make that any) user who has a PCI-e mobo and an AGP card. Most new mobo buyers will also buy a PCI-e card anyway. But guys with an AGP mobo need something like this, so that they can buy the newer PCI-e cards.

Quad_Master · May 18, 2005, 9:32am

Well this is the bridge which i was looking for since a long time
Dont know how its priced at its cosnt will be the catch of its selling point

Too high a cost will not be worth getting it.
Any idea , Is it available in India.

Well one more thing as its running the PCI-E card in a AGP Slot the persformance
Will not be to its max potential it will perform at AGP8X Speed only.

But the good thing is that not ppl with AGP Mobos can also get PCI-E based GPU’s