website links to AGP ATI Radeon X1300 but Asus M2N32-SLI has no AGP

[SoftwareGuy]

The link to ATI Radeon X1300 256MB at Amazon is the AGP board not the PCI express version. There is no AGP slot on either the ASUS or MSI. I bought the Asus M2N32-SLI bundle as you recommended and linked over to Amazon to get the video card and I didn't notice that the video card was a AGP type. Now is it sitting in my kitchen and its totally wrong! So now what do I do?? I did contribute to this error by not noticing that the link sent me to the wrong component (stupid me) but I think you made the bigger error being he expert in linking to the AGP board in the first place. Too much trust going on there.

Unless I am missing something I cannot shove this AGP video card on to my new ASUS board. Thank god I didn't open the box yet.
I'm not happy at all with this and I can't believe that this has not been corrected on the website :( So now I need to get a RMA unless you have any other ideas and go through the expense, time and trouble to exchange this and I'm sure there is some restock fee involved!

I was really excited about building this this weekend and now, well, frustration and disappointment that this happened covers it.

wrong: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000E5VQP4/mysuperpc-20
Right: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E5RJJQ/ref=pd_cp_e_1/105-6415287-9328428?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_r=0CR5T9CVFGDKFAX7NCZY&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=250314601&pf_rd_i=B000E5VQP4

[SoftwareGuy]

This was from a poster on the Amazon site on the ATI x1300 video card PCI-E. Is this card really worth recommending as the best?

"As of June 2007, many of ATI's products (including the ATI Radeon x1300 Pro) remain incompatible with Vista. Now understand, ATI will claim that it is compatible but buyer beware because once installed with Vista your machine may essentially become unusable. The problem stems from the software drivers that ATI has made available for their products, with the latest being Catalyst 7.4. The software drivers are extremely buggy and there are many, many users who are pulling their hair out because of poor customer service in resolving these issues. Note, most of these bugs, including a broadly experienced problem where a system process known as ATIMKDAG.sys fails, have been oustanding and unresolved by technical support since Vista was first released. Beware ATI's products until they can fix their software for Vista, I advise that you go with Nvidia for the time being.

I suggest that interested buyers do a few internet searches on the ATIKMDAG issues that users are having with Vista to see if it has been resolved before purchasing what is a defective product, in my experience.

[Rob]

Thanks for the heads up. I've updated the link.

I'm not recommending Windows Vista at the moment and I didn't use it with the latest edition of My Super PC, for just the type of reason you state. I expect it to be some time before I feel comfortable encouraging others to use it, probably January 2008.

[SoftwareGuy]

Tiger Direct was good about taking the card back (at my shipping expense) and I didn't order the ATI card. CNET reviewed the x1300 PCI-E and didn't think it was nearly as good a the NVIDIA line of video. Tiger Direct had a XFX GeForce 7600 GT XXX 256MB PCIe with a rebate.

I have been planning on sticking with XP until next year. I am sure well over half my software will not run correctly on Vista as well has all of the hardware problems and standardization issues.

Glad you fixed the link.

Have you looked at CNETs review on the x1300?
Steve

[Rob]

I've updated the lower-end video card recommendation to an eVGA GeForce 7600 GT video card carried by Newegg for a great price.