- On the Motherboard Overview
- Processor Overview
- Processor Basics
- Speeding Up Processor Operations Overview
- Cache
- Clocking
- Threading Technology
- Connecting to the Processor
- Multi-Core Processors
- Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
- Virtualization
- Intel Processors
- CPU Sockets
- AMD Processors
- Processor Cooling
- Installing a Processor
- Upgrading Processors
- Overclocking Processors
- Installing CPU Thermal Solutions
- Troubleshooting Processor Issues
- Expansion Slots
- PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
- AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)
- PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)
- Chipsets
- Types of Motherboards
- Upgrading and Replacing Motherboards
- Motherboard Troubleshooting
- Soft Skills-Active Listening
- Chapter Summary
- Key Terms
- Review Questions
- Exercises
- Activities
- Labs
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) is a bus interface for graphics adapters developed from the PCI bus. Intel provided the majority of the development for AGP, and the specification was originally designed around the Pentium II processor. AGP speeds up 3-D graphics, 3-D acceleration, and full-motion playback. Previous video adapters were limited by the bottleneck caused by going through an adapter and a bus shared with other devices. With AGP, the video subsystem is isolated from the rest of the computer. Figure 3.30 shows an illustration of an AGP slot compared with PCI expansion slots. All of these expansion slots have been replaced by PCIe (covered next).
Figure 3.30 AGP and PCI expansion slots