Dx9 v Dx7 .. how do I tell the difference

[zakelwe]

http://www.aocb77.dsl.pipex.com/msi.jpg

Ones a DX9 card with 128 bit bandwidth and ones a DX7 card with 64 bit bandwidth.

Can you tell which is the Fx 5500 and which is the GF4 MX 4000 ?

Regards

Andy

[rewt]

They both look like MX 4000s to me. lol. I take it there is no sticker on the card telling what it is??

My BFG has stickers telling me model # of the card. Heck, it even tells what type of RAM is on it. So remember, next time buy BFG (xmastong)

[kev13dd]

I believe the one on the left is the FX. Just a hunch because of the placement of the wording on the top left metal thingy on the card. And since the model picture off MSI's website has it in the middle for the FX and not the MX

K

[Johnny Chimpo]

that is a really dirty keyboard

[zakelwe]

I believe the one on the left is the FX. Just a hunch because of the placement of the wording on the top left metal thingy on the card. And since the model picture off MSI's website has it in the middle for the FX and not the MX

K

Excellent deduction ! :)

Andy

[zakelwe]

that is a really dirty keyboard

You know what they say, dirty keyboard, sweaty fingers ....

Yours,

Pervert

[Soylent]

One day I decided to clean out my keyboard, so I took of the plastic layer containing all the buttons and washed it in the bath tub with a shower(ignoring the rubber matt and other layers). The amount of disgusting lumps of hair that was somehow invisibly tucked away inside that keyboard was completely gross and unexpected. We are talking hundreds of little lumps of a few tens or so hairs each.

[kev13dd]

Excellent deduction ! :)

Andy

Neat! Was I right?

K

[Slyder]

that is a really dirty keyboard

Ditto.. :D

[ALobpreis]

MX4000
http://www.msi.com.tw/images/product_img/vga_img/8936-64bit.jpg

FX5500
http://www.msi.com.tw/images/product_img/vga_img/8936_FX5500.jpg

It seems it's as posted above. :)

You can also tell the difference by watching the slot connector (I think it's the third from the right), which defines if the card is AGP 2.0 or 3.0 (the MX4000 es AGP 2x/4x).

[NightFire]

Before reading any of the posts, I guess the left one, due to the shape of the TV Out connector. Although...now they look kind of the same...

[msxyz]

I 've reasons to believe they both use a 64 bit bus. The memory chips employed (2 for each side) are likely to have a 16 bit datapath each

[kev13dd]

Nah, if you look on MSI's website they say the FX has a 128 bus and the MX a 64, even though they look the same

K

[msxyz]

Probably an error. Those boards pretty much follow the reference design.

Check the picture I've made: the card on top is a FX5200 with a 64 bit bus, the other has a 128bit bus: notice how memory is arranged. There might be another explanation for what is written on MSI site. Some vendors produce two models of the same card: one with half-height PCB and 64 bit bus and the other with a full height PCB, 128 Bit bus and twice the memory.

The first type of cards usually find their way in dirty cheap pre-assembled PCs while the latter are usually reserved for the retail market, although many shops are likely to sell the 64bit OEM model at full retail price!

There is another way to tell if the card has a 128 bit bus: test it with 3dMark 2001: a FX5200/5500 with 128Mbit bus should exceed 7000 points on a 2GHz+ PC.

[ChrisRay]

One day I decided to clean out my keyboard, so I took of the plastic layer containing all the buttons and washed it in the bath tub with a shower(ignoring the rubber matt and other layers). The amount of disgusting lumps of hair that was somehow invisibly tucked away inside that keyboard was completely gross and unexpected. We are talking hundreds of little lumps of a few tens or so hairs each.

Ya.. I buy 10 dollar keyboards. Use them for a year.. and then throw them a way. They arent worth the hassle of cleaning..

[Cota]

Yesterday I got a MSI fx 5200 for a customer and it looks exactly like the mx4000. So much that when I installed it windows recognized it as a MX4000.

(xmastong) (xmastong) (xmastong)

[WeReWoLf]

Very strange... i thought all FX cards came with a DVI port?

[bknblk]

I just scanned this thread very briefly, but has anyone told you that you have the most disgustingly dirty keyboard? Do you keep all your stuff in such a fine state?

[kev13dd]

Ya.. I buy 10 dollar keyboards. Use them for a year.. and then throw them a way. They arent worth the hassle of cleaning..

I built my computer around Christmas time last year

My dad asks about on the 23rd or so what I was doing for a keyboard and mouse. My responce? "Oh buying some cheap ones for 5 bucks each. Keyboards and mice are so rediculously cheap if you buy them at a surplus store"

On the 25th I open up a 80 buck wireless Microsoft Delux keyboard and mouse wireless set. From my dad. His responce? "I can tell you one thing, that sure as hell wasn't 10 bucks"

Getting cheap keyboards is always fun, but I love this thing more than any cheapo set can ever get me. When it comes time to clean it, even an entire day's worth of hassle is worth it

K

[TheSmJ]

It's all about the old-school, clicky, loud as hell, no Windows-key keyboards for me. I collect them from all sorts of places (including the trash), clean them up in the bathtub after taking them all apart, and they look (and work) as good as new!

One of them I have has an AT/XT switch on the back! Manuf. date is 1987. It's heavy as hell (could prolly take a few bullets, it has a solid steel plate in it) and sturdy as hell. They sure don't makeum like they used to.

[stncttr908]

Very strange... i thought all FX cards came with a DVI port?
Nope. The very low end cards (the 64-bit FX's and whatnot) still seem to leave out DVI.