PCI version compatibility and video card question

["David Schneider" <herblisa@ultinet.net>]

Hello,

I have a question-problem that any assistance you might offer would be
helpful to many others as well.

I've posted to a few general PC question forums on the Web and to the
newsgroup comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video with little response to this
point.  I'm inserting below my question followed by that of another
person I just noted asking for advice on the same issue.

Thank you very much!

Regards,

Dave Schneider
herblisa@ultinet.com

"I'm in the process of buying a new monitor and decided to upgrade my
video adapter as well. Since I'm holding off on a more powerful PC for
the time being (money) and staying with my Dell 60MHz Pentium, I'm
restricted to PCI models.

I've read the "fact sheets" of several graphics cards and come across
statements such as: "One available PCI 2.1 compliant slot" for
Diamond's Monster Fusion card, and "Bus: 33 MHz PCI local bus 2.1
compliant" for ATI's XPERT@Work.   Others just state something like
"One available PCI slot" under requirements list.

The last time I upgraded my system BIOS it stated it supported PCI
version 2.0.  Close but no cigar?  Am I going to have problems running
a card with a PCI version 2.1 compliant local bus requirement?  I
don't know if there is a more recent system BIOS for my PC, nor am I
certain I want to go through the upgrade after I just recently
restored my system (and have it working!) after some still unexplained
problems with Win95 (I'm still with OSR1) and my hard disk.

Dave"

"I  am considering one of the newer 2D/3D video cards but I noticed 
that most new video cards require PCI 2.1 compliance.  Will these 
newer video cards work in my older system/motherboard which is only
certified for PCI 2.0 compliance?   If I do purchase and install one,
what would the results be, for example, would the video work but the
Plug-n-Play features would be limited?

Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you in advance,

Bob"