Aren't video cards upgradable any more

[mhaff]

OK, It has been a heck of a long time since I bought a video
card. But the last time I did, you could buy a card, and add more memory down the road if you wanted to. Just plug in a vram sim. Now, as I shop for cards, I don't see memory slots on the boards(in the pictures). Am I missing something, or to I simply have to buy one with as much memory as I can anticipate ever needing. This is for CAD Solid Modeling applications with gaming as a secondary consideration.

TIA

 

[Frank4d]

As far as I know you're stuck with whatever memory is on the card when you buy it. Post a price range ($50 to $400), MOBO model, and display model and we can help you choose a card.

 

[micker377]

Yes, they quit selling those boards years ago. I still have a couple of 8m chips. Old vid cards had 4 to 8 meg onboard, with holders to insert 8 to 16 meg chips. The new cards start at 32meg, all the way to 256 meg (higher if you want to pay for it). For normal use 128 meg is all you need. In your case (cad), you should get all you can afford. Remember, a high grade vid card won't do any good if your CPU and monitor are not up to the job.

 

[felixc]

The current DRAM technologies have speed and signal quality constraints that can not be met anymore with the use of expansion memory modules. On your new video card you will probably see unused memory chip footprints. This is as far as they can go now. They make a PCB that can accomodate two memory size configurations, and they either stuff them all or not.

 

[pmonett]

For CAD design and 3D work applications in general, the Nvidia Quadro appears to be among the best. You cannot upgrade RAM on those cards either - either you buy the 256MB version, or the 512MB version.
They are not good for gaming - you're much better off with a Radeon 9800 Pro or an FX 6600GT for that.

Pascal.

 

[cdogg]

Felix is exactly right. The older DRAM technology wasn't as tightly integrated or subject to the same restrictions as today's DDR and DDR-II memory.

Therefore, video RAM that is integrated on a motherboard or video card is not upgradeable as it was in the past. I'm sure there would have been a way for them to design it that way, but somewhere down the line that practice became unpopular.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[norty303]

I think the issue was that with the rate of development of GPU's, by the time you wanted to upgrade RAM, there was another superior card available at the same price point as the old one and people would rather put their money into that than stretching an older card to the limit. Also, I'm sure the markup for retailers and manufacturers is better selling a new card.

 

[mhaff]

Thanks everyone for the input. I guess that I'll just start looking for a 256mb card. Even though I'm using it for CAD, the models just won't be that big. To be honest with you, the current chipset(on the motherboard) handles small assemblies just fine and gaming is a minor concern.

Thanks again.

 

[felixc]

If your on-board video does a decent job, then you don't even need to look for a high-end video card. Any mid-range card like a Radeon 9600XT will outperform your current video adapter by far. Your concern will only be to find one that is compatible with your motherboard. Wait until you really need one, the products are evolving so rapidly that looking for one now is just a loss of time.

 

[mhaff]

Felixc, now that you mention it. How do I ensure that it is compatible with my motherboard?

 

[cdogg]

Start by finding out what model motherboard you have (some apps like Everquest or Belarc Advisor may tell you if you don't already know). Then you can look at the specs out on manufacturer's website or post back here...

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[felixc]

In theory every AGP8x card should work in any AGP8x motherboard. But it seems like mixing and matching isn't perfect for any combination. Drivers for so many different components are required to get a good graphics performance that there are combinations that may just not work perfefctly. (but this has always been the case since there are graphics cards on the market)
It can be more touchy if your motherboard is AGP2X or 4X. So as cdogg says, when you're ready, google a bit about your motherboard make and model, check in forums. It will help in making a view of the picture.