Confused by GCUs... :(

[shirleyfarmersmarke]

Hi there…

I am considering upgrading the graphics card for my aging Gigabyte motherboard.

I am confused by specifications.

My current card is a Sapphire Radeon HD 4550, 512 MB, DDR3.

I want to upgrade and buy a used 2 GB card, but many newer cards are DDR5. Are DDR5s and DDR3s interchangeable or backward compatible?

Are there any other specifications I should be on the lookout for to ensure compatibility?

Also, i'd like to go outside of the lines and ask a question about memory.

I have a similar confusion about memory. My current memory is DDR3, and I presume I have no choice but to stick with DDR3 as an upgrade? my motherboard has specifications as to what frequency of memory to use, but many modern memory sticks have different specifications, although seemingly with in the spec range. example, my motherboard states compatibility with 2200/1333/1066/800 MHz, and most of the newer modules are, say 1600, which is within the range, but not exactly a spec # for the board. Do you think that if the number falls within the frequency range, it would still work? This is pretty far outside of my knowledge base…

Thanks for any thoughts or help you can give! My aging computer seems to be falling behind a lot of software that I need to use for productivity… Ughhh!!

Thanks for any thoughts or help you can give!

 

[2sidedpolygon]

As long as your motherboard has a PCI-E slot, any modern card should work. Think of it as a tiny, self-contained graphics computer with its own memory that just happens to communicate with your computer. It doesn't matter what memory your graphics computer has as long as it can communicate with your main one.

You might actually be wanting a new platform, though. If the GPU is that old, I'd imagine the CPU would be pretty old as well. What processor do you have?

 

[Math Geek]

the gddr5 on the gpu has nothing to do with the ram on the motherboard. so that is not a concern at all.

as for ram. you do have to stick with ddr3 since that is what your motherboard uses. to get ddr4 will take an upgraded mobo and cpu. you should be ok with 1600 speed ram but does not hurt to check. what is the exact motherboard model? can see what is compatible.

 

[shirleyfarmersmarke]

As long as your motherboard has a PCI-E slot, any modern card should work. Think of it as a tiny, self-contained graphics computer with its own memory that just happens to communicate with your computer. It doesn't matter what memory your graphics computer has as long as it can communicate with your main one.

You might actually be wanting a new platform, though. If the GPU is that old, I'd imagine the CPU would be pretty old as well. What processor do you have?

Thank you for your speedy reply!

I don't have the means to upgrade my entire platform, which is why I am trying to improve capacity by upgrading peripherals. I am trying to run some pretty deep video and audio software, and their manufacturers recommend faster graphics and a memory than I currently have.

I have a pretty solid CPU that I think will work for a few more years… It's an Intel Core i7 930 quad core 2.8 MHz.

I am glad to hear that any modern video card should be an upgrade. If I am understanding you correctly. So, it could be DDR3 or DDR5?

Again, thank you… You rock!

BTW, my motherboard is a gigabyte GA – X 58A, and the supported memory speeds are as mentioned above…

 

[Math Geek]

the updated ram compatibility shows plenty of 1600 ram being used. so you should be ok with it.

http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Memory/mb_memory_ga-x58a-ud3r_v2.0.pdf

gddr3/5/5x or even the new 6 should be no problem. won't mess with system ram at all enjoy the upgrade.

 

[2sidedpolygon]

As long as your motherboard has a PCI-E slot, any modern card should work. Think of it as a tiny, self-contained graphics computer with its own memory that just happens to communicate with your computer. It doesn't matter what memory your graphics computer has as long as it can communicate with your main one.

You might actually be wanting a new platform, though. If the GPU is that old, I'd imagine the CPU would be pretty old as well. What processor do you have?

Thank you for your speedy reply!

I don't have the means to upgrade my entire platform, which is why I am trying to improve capacity by upgrading peripherals. I am trying to run some pretty deep video and audio software, and their manufacturers recommend faster graphics and a memory than I currently have.

I have a pretty solid CPU that I think will work for a few more years… It's an Intel Core i7 930 quad core 2.8 MHz.

I am glad to hear that any modern video card should be an upgrade. If I am understanding you correctly. So, it could be DDR3 or DDR5?

Again, thank you… You rock!

BTW, my motherboard is a gigabyte GA – X 58A, and the supported memory speeds are as mentioned above…

Yeah, that CPU should serve you pretty well for a while longer. You can go up to a 580/1060 without experiencing bottlenecking on that. So, yes, it could be DDR3 or DDR5 for your VRAM (You graphics card's memory). Just don't confuse this with your regular system memory, which will probably be restricted to DDR3.

 

[shirleyfarmersmarke]

I decided to raid my piggy bank and go for a used Gigabyte GTX 1050 it 4GB DDR 5 card.

I am hopeful this will help me run my very dense software much better than my 512 MB card.

I will report back and let you know how it goes in a bit.

 

[2sidedpolygon]

I decided to raid my piggy bank and go for a used Gigabyte GTX 1050 it 4GB DDR 5 card.

I am hopeful this will help me run my very dense software much better than my 512 MB card.

I will report back and let you know how it goes in a bit.

Nice. The 1050ti is always a good pick.