That motherboard has PCI ex v1.0, despite some claims to the contrary: Proof, more proof
Here is the concern I'd have with this:
However, it would seem that mobo has been designed for the increased power and is actually version 1.1, not 1.0, which is why the mobo states it is v2.0 ready... such a misleading statement! The mobo also comes with scant 250w PSU and from what I can tell, only one fan on the side of the case. So, if you upgrade the vid card to something more powerful, you'll definitely need a more powerful PSU, and could use better airflow in the case via additional fans. Depending on which video card you get, I'd recommend a minimum of 350w power supply, but to feel comfortable and be sure the PSU had all the connectors for a new vid card, I'd most likely go with a 550w+ gold standard for that system. In theory, that mobo should be able to handle any PCI ex 2.0 and up vid cards, but the performance will definitely be lackluster in a 1.1 conversion slot as opposed to a 2.0+ slot. I'd say that's the cheapest route to be sure, however on a personal note, I'd not bother upgrading that pos, but rather get start with a new mobo and see what's needed from there. Regarding the vid card itself, the sky's the limit - obviously, the more powerful the card, the better the performance with one caveat; as I said in another thread on here, if you had 2.0 slots and got a 2.1 or 3.0 vid card, you should hardly notice the performance gains versus if you had a 3.0 slot, but the difference would definitely be notable from a 1.1 slot using a 2.0+ vid card as opposed to a 2.0, but that can't be helped. Best of luck!
Here is the concern I'd have with this:
Wikipedia Wrote:Unfortunately, the increase in power from the slot breaks backward compatibility between PCI Express 2.1 cards and some older motherboards with 1.0/1.0a, but most motherboards with PCI Express 1.1 connectors are provided with a BIOS update by their manufacturers through utilities to support backward compatibility of cards with PCIe 2.1
However, it would seem that mobo has been designed for the increased power and is actually version 1.1, not 1.0, which is why the mobo states it is v2.0 ready... such a misleading statement! The mobo also comes with scant 250w PSU and from what I can tell, only one fan on the side of the case. So, if you upgrade the vid card to something more powerful, you'll definitely need a more powerful PSU, and could use better airflow in the case via additional fans. Depending on which video card you get, I'd recommend a minimum of 350w power supply, but to feel comfortable and be sure the PSU had all the connectors for a new vid card, I'd most likely go with a 550w+ gold standard for that system. In theory, that mobo should be able to handle any PCI ex 2.0 and up vid cards, but the performance will definitely be lackluster in a 1.1 conversion slot as opposed to a 2.0+ slot. I'd say that's the cheapest route to be sure, however on a personal note, I'd not bother upgrading that pos, but rather get start with a new mobo and see what's needed from there. Regarding the vid card itself, the sky's the limit - obviously, the more powerful the card, the better the performance with one caveat; as I said in another thread on here, if you had 2.0 slots and got a 2.1 or 3.0 vid card, you should hardly notice the performance gains versus if you had a 3.0 slot, but the difference would definitely be notable from a 1.1 slot using a 2.0+ vid card as opposed to a 2.0, but that can't be helped. Best of luck!
"The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained liberation from the self." -Albert Einsetin