The Accelerated Cartoon Port (often beneath to AGP) is a accelerated point-to-point approach for adhering a video agenda to a computer's motherboard, primarily to abetment in the dispatch of 3D computer graphics. Since 2004 AGP has been progressively phased out in favor of PCI Express (PCIe). By mid-2009 PCIe cards bedeviled the market; AGP cards and motherboards were still produced, but OEM disciplinarian abutment was minimal.1
Monday, February 6, 2012
Advantages over PCI
As computers became more graphically-oriented, alternating ancestors of cartoon adapters began to advance the banned of PCI, a bus with aggregate bandwidth. This led to the development of AGP, a "bus" committed to cartoon adapters.
The primary advantage of AGP over PCI is that it provides a committed alleyway amid the breach and the processor rather than administration the PCI bus. In accession to a abridgement of altercation for the bus, the absolute affiliation allows for college alarm speeds. AGP aswell uses sideband addressing, acceptation that the abode and abstracts buses are afar so the absolute packet does not charge to be apprehend to get acclamation information. This is done by abacus eight added 8-bit buses which acquiesce the cartoon ambassador to affair new AGP requests and commands at the aforementioned time with added AGP abstracts abounding via the capital 32 address/data (AD) lines. This after-effects in bigger all-embracing AGP abstracts throughput.
In addition, to bulk a texture, a PCI cartoon agenda have to archetype it from the system's RAM into the card's framebuffer, admitting an AGP agenda is able of account textures anon from arrangement RAM application the cartoon abode remapping table, which reapportions capital anamnesis as bare for arrangement storage, acceptance the cartoon agenda to admission them directly.2 The best bulk of arrangement anamnesis accessible to AGP is authentic as the AGP aperture.
The primary advantage of AGP over PCI is that it provides a committed alleyway amid the breach and the processor rather than administration the PCI bus. In accession to a abridgement of altercation for the bus, the absolute affiliation allows for college alarm speeds. AGP aswell uses sideband addressing, acceptation that the abode and abstracts buses are afar so the absolute packet does not charge to be apprehend to get acclamation information. This is done by abacus eight added 8-bit buses which acquiesce the cartoon ambassador to affair new AGP requests and commands at the aforementioned time with added AGP abstracts abounding via the capital 32 address/data (AD) lines. This after-effects in bigger all-embracing AGP abstracts throughput.
In addition, to bulk a texture, a PCI cartoon agenda have to archetype it from the system's RAM into the card's framebuffer, admitting an AGP agenda is able of account textures anon from arrangement RAM application the cartoon abode remapping table, which reapportions capital anamnesis as bare for arrangement storage, acceptance the cartoon agenda to admission them directly.2 The best bulk of arrangement anamnesis accessible to AGP is authentic as the AGP aperture.
History
The AGP aperture aboriginal appeared on x86 accordant arrangement boards based on Socket 7 Intel P5 Pentium and Aperture 1 P6 Pentium II processors. Intel alien AGP abutment with the i440LX Aperture 1 chipset on the August 26, 1997, and a flood of articles followed from all the above arrangement lath vendors.3
The aboriginal Socket 7 chipsets to abutment AGP were the VIA Apollo VP3, SiS 5591/5592, and the ALI Aladdin V. Intel never appear an AGP-equipped Socket 7 chipset. FIC approved the aboriginal Socket 7 AGP arrangement lath in November 1997 as the FIC PA-2012 based on the VIA Apollo VP3 chipset, followed actual bound by the EPoX P55-VP3 aswell based on the VIA VP3 chipset which was aboriginal to market.4
Early video chipsets featuring AGP abutment included the Rendition Vérité V2200, 3dfx Voodoo Banshee, Nvidia RIVA 128, 3Dlabs PERMEDIA 2, Intel i740, ATI Rage series, Matrox Millennium II, and S3 ViRGE GX/2. Some aboriginal AGP boards acclimated cartoon processors congenital about PCI and were artlessly bridged to AGP. This resulted in the cards benefiting little from the new bus, with the alone advance acclimated getting the 66 MHz bus clock, with its consistent angled bandwidth over PCI, and bus exclusivity. Examples of such cards were the Voodoo Banshee, Vérité V2200, Millennium II, and S3 ViRGE GX/2. Intel's i740 was absolutely advised to accomplishment the new AGP affection set. In actuality it was advised to arrangement alone from AGP memory, authoritative PCI versions of the lath difficult to apparatus (local lath RAM had to challenge AGP memory.)
Microsoft aboriginal alien AGP abutment into Windows 95 OEM Account Release 2 (OSR2 adaptation 1111 or 950B) via the USB SUPPLEMENT to OSR2 patch.5 After applying the application the Windows 95 arrangement became Windows 95 adaptation 4.00.950 B. The aboriginal Windows NT-based operating arrangement to accept AGP abutment was Windows NT 4.0 with account backpack 3, alien in 1997. Linux abutment for AGP added fast abstracts transfers was aboriginal added in 1999 with the accomplishing of the AGPgart atom module.
The aboriginal Socket 7 chipsets to abutment AGP were the VIA Apollo VP3, SiS 5591/5592, and the ALI Aladdin V. Intel never appear an AGP-equipped Socket 7 chipset. FIC approved the aboriginal Socket 7 AGP arrangement lath in November 1997 as the FIC PA-2012 based on the VIA Apollo VP3 chipset, followed actual bound by the EPoX P55-VP3 aswell based on the VIA VP3 chipset which was aboriginal to market.4
Early video chipsets featuring AGP abutment included the Rendition Vérité V2200, 3dfx Voodoo Banshee, Nvidia RIVA 128, 3Dlabs PERMEDIA 2, Intel i740, ATI Rage series, Matrox Millennium II, and S3 ViRGE GX/2. Some aboriginal AGP boards acclimated cartoon processors congenital about PCI and were artlessly bridged to AGP. This resulted in the cards benefiting little from the new bus, with the alone advance acclimated getting the 66 MHz bus clock, with its consistent angled bandwidth over PCI, and bus exclusivity. Examples of such cards were the Voodoo Banshee, Vérité V2200, Millennium II, and S3 ViRGE GX/2. Intel's i740 was absolutely advised to accomplishment the new AGP affection set. In actuality it was advised to arrangement alone from AGP memory, authoritative PCI versions of the lath difficult to apparatus (local lath RAM had to challenge AGP memory.)
Microsoft aboriginal alien AGP abutment into Windows 95 OEM Account Release 2 (OSR2 adaptation 1111 or 950B) via the USB SUPPLEMENT to OSR2 patch.5 After applying the application the Windows 95 arrangement became Windows 95 adaptation 4.00.950 B. The aboriginal Windows NT-based operating arrangement to accept AGP abutment was Windows NT 4.0 with account backpack 3, alien in 1997. Linux abutment for AGP added fast abstracts transfers was aboriginal added in 1999 with the accomplishing of the AGPgart atom module.
Versions
Intel appear "AGP blueprint 1.0" in 1997.6 It included both the 1× and 2× speeds.3 Blueprint 2.0 accurate AGP 4×7 and 3.0 accurate 8×.8 Available versions include:
AGP and PCI: 32-bit buses operating at 66 and 33 MHz appropriately Blueprint Speed Pumping Rate (MB/s) Frequency (MHz) Voltage (V)
PCI - single 133 33 3.3
AGP 1.0 1× single 266 66 3.3
AGP 1.0 2× double 533 66 3.3
AGP 2.0 4× quad 1066 66 1.5
AGP 3.0 8× octuple 2133 66 0.8
AGP 3.5 * 8× octuple 2133 66 0.8
AGP adaptation 3.5 is alone about mentioned by Microsoft beneath Universal Accelerated Cartoon Anchorage (UAGP), which specifies binding supports of added registers already apparent alternative beneath AGP 3.0. Upgraded registers cover PCISTS, CAPPTR, NCAPID, AGPSTAT, AGPCMD, NISTAT, NICMD. New appropriate registers cover APBASELO, APBASEHI, AGPCTRL, APSIZE, NEPG, GARTLO, GARTHI.
There are assorted concrete interfaces (connectors); see Affinity section.
edit Official extensions
AGP cartoon agenda (Apple Macintosh)
AGP Pro cartoon card
edit AGP Pro
It is an official addendum for cards that appropriate added electrical power. It is a best aperture with added pins for that purpose. AGP Pro cards were usually workstation-class cards acclimated to advance able computer-aided architectonics applications active in the fields of architecture, machining, engineering, simulations, and agnate fields.
edit 64-bit AGP
A 64-bit approach was already proposed as an alternative accepted for AGP 3.0 in abstract documents,9 but it was alone in the final adaptation of the standard.
The accepted allows 64-bit alteration for AGP8× Reads, Writes, and Fast Writes; 32-bit alteration for PCI operations.
edit Unofficial variations
A amount of non-standard variations of the AGP interface accept been produced by manufacturers.
edit Centralized AGP interface
Ultra-AGP, Ultra-AGPII
It is an centralized AGP interface accepted acclimated by SiS for the arctic arch controllers with chip graphics. The aboriginal adaptation supports aforementioned bandwidth as AGP 8×, while Ultra-AGPII has best 3.2GB/s bandwidth.
edit PCI-based AGP ports
AGP Express
Not a accurate AGP interface, but allows an AGP agenda to be affiliated over the bequest PCI bus on a PCI Express motherboard. It is a technology acclimated on motherboards fabricated by ECS, advised to acquiesce an absolute AGP agenda to be acclimated in a new motherboard instead of acute a PCIe agenda to be acquired (since the addition of PCIe cartoon cards few motherboards accommodate AGP slots). An "AGP Express" aperture is basically a PCI aperture (with alert the electrical power) with an AGP connector. It offers astern affinity with AGP cards, but provides abridged support10 (some AGP cards do not plan with AGP Express) and bargain performance—the agenda is affected to use the aggregate PCI bus at its lower bandwidth, rather than accepting absolute use of the faster AGP.
AGI
The ASRock Cartoon Interface (AGI) is a proprietary alternative of the Accelerated Cartoon Anchorage (AGP) standard. Its purpose is to accommodate AGP-support for ASRock motherboards that use chipsets defective built-in AGP support. However, it is not absolutely accordant with AGP, and several video agenda chipsets are accepted not to be supported.
AGX
The EpoX Advanced Cartoon eXtended (AGX) is addition proprietary AGP alternative with the aforementioned advantages and disadvantages as AGI. User manuals acclaim not application AGP 8× ATI cards with AGX slots.
XGP
The Biostar Xtreme Cartoon Anchorage is addition AGP variant, aswell with the aforementioned advantages and disadvantages as AGI and AGX.
edit PCIe based AGP ports
AGR
The Advanced Cartoon Riser is a aberration of the AGP anchorage acclimated in some PCIe motherboards fabricated by MSI to action bound backwards affinity with AGP. It is, effectively, a adapted PCIe aperture acceptance for achievement commensurable to an AGP 4×/8× slot,11 but does not abutment all AGP cards; the architect appear a account of some cards and chipsets that plan with the adapted slot.12
AGP and PCI: 32-bit buses operating at 66 and 33 MHz appropriately Blueprint Speed Pumping Rate (MB/s) Frequency (MHz) Voltage (V)
PCI - single 133 33 3.3
AGP 1.0 1× single 266 66 3.3
AGP 1.0 2× double 533 66 3.3
AGP 2.0 4× quad 1066 66 1.5
AGP 3.0 8× octuple 2133 66 0.8
AGP 3.5 * 8× octuple 2133 66 0.8
AGP adaptation 3.5 is alone about mentioned by Microsoft beneath Universal Accelerated Cartoon Anchorage (UAGP), which specifies binding supports of added registers already apparent alternative beneath AGP 3.0. Upgraded registers cover PCISTS, CAPPTR, NCAPID, AGPSTAT, AGPCMD, NISTAT, NICMD. New appropriate registers cover APBASELO, APBASEHI, AGPCTRL, APSIZE, NEPG, GARTLO, GARTHI.
There are assorted concrete interfaces (connectors); see Affinity section.
edit Official extensions
AGP cartoon agenda (Apple Macintosh)
AGP Pro cartoon card
edit AGP Pro
It is an official addendum for cards that appropriate added electrical power. It is a best aperture with added pins for that purpose. AGP Pro cards were usually workstation-class cards acclimated to advance able computer-aided architectonics applications active in the fields of architecture, machining, engineering, simulations, and agnate fields.
edit 64-bit AGP
A 64-bit approach was already proposed as an alternative accepted for AGP 3.0 in abstract documents,9 but it was alone in the final adaptation of the standard.
The accepted allows 64-bit alteration for AGP8× Reads, Writes, and Fast Writes; 32-bit alteration for PCI operations.
edit Unofficial variations
A amount of non-standard variations of the AGP interface accept been produced by manufacturers.
edit Centralized AGP interface
Ultra-AGP, Ultra-AGPII
It is an centralized AGP interface accepted acclimated by SiS for the arctic arch controllers with chip graphics. The aboriginal adaptation supports aforementioned bandwidth as AGP 8×, while Ultra-AGPII has best 3.2GB/s bandwidth.
edit PCI-based AGP ports
AGP Express
Not a accurate AGP interface, but allows an AGP agenda to be affiliated over the bequest PCI bus on a PCI Express motherboard. It is a technology acclimated on motherboards fabricated by ECS, advised to acquiesce an absolute AGP agenda to be acclimated in a new motherboard instead of acute a PCIe agenda to be acquired (since the addition of PCIe cartoon cards few motherboards accommodate AGP slots). An "AGP Express" aperture is basically a PCI aperture (with alert the electrical power) with an AGP connector. It offers astern affinity with AGP cards, but provides abridged support10 (some AGP cards do not plan with AGP Express) and bargain performance—the agenda is affected to use the aggregate PCI bus at its lower bandwidth, rather than accepting absolute use of the faster AGP.
AGI
The ASRock Cartoon Interface (AGI) is a proprietary alternative of the Accelerated Cartoon Anchorage (AGP) standard. Its purpose is to accommodate AGP-support for ASRock motherboards that use chipsets defective built-in AGP support. However, it is not absolutely accordant with AGP, and several video agenda chipsets are accepted not to be supported.
AGX
The EpoX Advanced Cartoon eXtended (AGX) is addition proprietary AGP alternative with the aforementioned advantages and disadvantages as AGI. User manuals acclaim not application AGP 8× ATI cards with AGX slots.
XGP
The Biostar Xtreme Cartoon Anchorage is addition AGP variant, aswell with the aforementioned advantages and disadvantages as AGI and AGX.
edit PCIe based AGP ports
AGR
The Advanced Cartoon Riser is a aberration of the AGP anchorage acclimated in some PCIe motherboards fabricated by MSI to action bound backwards affinity with AGP. It is, effectively, a adapted PCIe aperture acceptance for achievement commensurable to an AGP 4×/8× slot,11 but does not abutment all AGP cards; the architect appear a account of some cards and chipsets that plan with the adapted slot.12
Compatibility
AGP cards are astern and advanced accordant aural limits. 1.5 V-only keyed cards will not go into 3.3 V slots and carnality versa, admitting "Universal" cards abide which will fit into either blazon of slot. There are aswell unkeyed "Universal" slots that will acquire either blazon of card. When an AGP Universal agenda is plugged-into an AGP Universal slot, alone the 1.5 V allocation of the agenda is used. Some cards, like Nvidia's GeForce 6 alternation (except the 6200) or ATI's Radeon X800 series, alone acquire keys for 1.5 V to anticipate them from getting installed in earlier mainboards after 1.5 V support. Some of the endure avant-garde cards with 3.3 V abutment were the Nvidia GeForce FX alternation (FX 5200, FX 5500, FX 5700, some FX 5800, FX 5900 and some FX 5950), Geforce 6 Alternation (6200, 6600/6600 LE/6600 GT only) and the ATI Radeon 9500/9700/9800(R350) (but not 9600/9800(R360)). Some Geforce 6200 and Geforce 6600 cards will action with AGP 1.0 (3.3v) slots.
AGP Pro cards will not fit into accepted slots, but accepted AGP cards will plan in a Pro slot. Motherboards able with a Universal AGP Pro aperture will acquire a 1.5 V or 3.3 V agenda in either the AGP Pro or accepted AGP configuration, a Universal AGP card, or a Universal AGP Pro card.
Some cards afield acquire bifold notches, and some motherboards afield acquire absolutely accessible slots, acceptance a agenda to be acquainted into a aperture that does not abutment the actual signaling voltage, which may accident agenda or motherboard. Some incorrectly-designed earlier 3.3 V cards acquire the 1.5 V key.
There are some proprietary systems adverse with accepted AGP; for example, Apple Ability Macintosh computers with the Apple Affectation Adapter (ADC) acquire an added adapter which delivers ability to the absorbed display. Some cards advised to plan with a specific CPU architectonics (e.g., PC, Apple) may not plan with others due to firmware issues.
AGP Pro cards will not fit into accepted slots, but accepted AGP cards will plan in a Pro slot. Motherboards able with a Universal AGP Pro aperture will acquire a 1.5 V or 3.3 V agenda in either the AGP Pro or accepted AGP configuration, a Universal AGP card, or a Universal AGP Pro card.
Some cards afield acquire bifold notches, and some motherboards afield acquire absolutely accessible slots, acceptance a agenda to be acquainted into a aperture that does not abutment the actual signaling voltage, which may accident agenda or motherboard. Some incorrectly-designed earlier 3.3 V cards acquire the 1.5 V key.
There are some proprietary systems adverse with accepted AGP; for example, Apple Ability Macintosh computers with the Apple Affectation Adapter (ADC) acquire an added adapter which delivers ability to the absorbed display. Some cards advised to plan with a specific CPU architectonics (e.g., PC, Apple) may not plan with others due to firmware issues.
Power consumption
Actual ability supplied by an AGP aperture depends aloft the agenda used. The best accepted fatigued from the assorted balustrade is accustomed in the blueprint for the assorted versions. For example, if best accepted is fatigued from all food and all voltages are at their defined high limits,8 an AGP 3.0 aperture can accumulation up to 48.25 watts;13 this amount can be acclimated to specify a ability accumulation conservatively, but in convenance a agenda is absurd anytime to draw added than 40 W from the slot, with abounding application less. AGP Pro provides added ability up to 110 W.14 Abounding AGP cards had added ability connectors to accumulation them with added ability than the aperture could provide.
Legacy use
By 2010 few new motherboards had AGP slots. No new motherboard chipsets were able with AGP support, but motherboards connected to be produced with earlier chipsets with abutment for AGP.
Graphics processors of this aeon use PCI-Express, a general-purpose (not belted to graphics) accepted that supports college abstracts alteration ante and full-duplex. To actualize AGP-compatible cartoon cards, those chips crave an added PCIe-to-AGP bridge-chip to catechumen PCIe signals to and from AGP signals. This incurs added lath costs due to the charge for the added arch dent and for a abstracted AGP-designed ambit board.
Various manufacturers of cartoon cards connected to aftermath AGP cards for the shrinking AGP user-base. The aboriginal bridged cards were the GeForce 6600 and ATI Radeon X800 XL boards, appear during 2004-5.1516 In 2009 AGP cards from Nvidia had a beam of the GeForce 7 Series. In 2011 DirectX 10-capable AGP cards from AMD vendors (Club 3D, HIS, Sapphire, Jaton, Visiontek, Diamond, etc.) included the Radeon HD 2400, 3450, 3650, 4350, 4650, and 4670. The HD 5000 AGP alternation mentioned in the agitator software was never available. There were abounding problems with the AMD Agitator 11.2 - 11.6 AGP hotfix drivers beneath Windows 7 with the HD 4000 alternation AGP video cards;17 use of 10.12 or 11.1 AGP hotfix drivers is the recommendedby whom? workaround. Several of the vendors listed aloft accomplish accessible accomplished versions of the AGP drivers.
Graphics processors of this aeon use PCI-Express, a general-purpose (not belted to graphics) accepted that supports college abstracts alteration ante and full-duplex. To actualize AGP-compatible cartoon cards, those chips crave an added PCIe-to-AGP bridge-chip to catechumen PCIe signals to and from AGP signals. This incurs added lath costs due to the charge for the added arch dent and for a abstracted AGP-designed ambit board.
Various manufacturers of cartoon cards connected to aftermath AGP cards for the shrinking AGP user-base. The aboriginal bridged cards were the GeForce 6600 and ATI Radeon X800 XL boards, appear during 2004-5.1516 In 2009 AGP cards from Nvidia had a beam of the GeForce 7 Series. In 2011 DirectX 10-capable AGP cards from AMD vendors (Club 3D, HIS, Sapphire, Jaton, Visiontek, Diamond, etc.) included the Radeon HD 2400, 3450, 3650, 4350, 4650, and 4670. The HD 5000 AGP alternation mentioned in the agitator software was never available. There were abounding problems with the AMD Agitator 11.2 - 11.6 AGP hotfix drivers beneath Windows 7 with the HD 4000 alternation AGP video cards;17 use of 10.12 or 11.1 AGP hotfix drivers is the recommendedby whom? workaround. Several of the vendors listed aloft accomplish accessible accomplished versions of the AGP drivers.
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