GF2 MX + Asus A7V + AGPx4 lockups

[bell_rj]

Hi, hope someone can help me with this annoying problem. I have a Hercules GF2 MX video card running on an Asus A7V KT133 Apollo M/B, Athlon 1Ghz CPU, which I have never been able to run at 4xAGP. If I change the system mode to 'Normal' (1x, 2x AGP) it works just fine. If I try 'Optimal' mode (which enables 4x AGP) then the PC boots fine but as soon as I try to run a DX8 game, or DXDiag.exe video tests (you know - the spinning textured cube test) then the display locks up within about 5 seconds. My question is, is this a cooling issue, driver issue, AGP slot power issue or something else? Would it be solved by buying a GF3 or 4? I've detailed some more specs below showing what combinations of things I tried to solve it - nothing works!

OS: Both Win ME and Win 2000 (original OEM versions + versions with latest service packs)
Video drivers: many different versions, both Hercules and Detonator. Original (over 1 yr old) + latest XP drivers.
VIA 4in1 - various versions tried, always installed in Turbo mode
Direct X - both 7 + 8
M/b Bios version - never touched - still 1004
Video bios - never touched still 008 version

I hope someone can help me on this! In the five seconds before the PC crashes I can see the power of 4xAGP and I want it bad!!! :-)

[Wiggo]

It sounds much like a driver issue to me and what game do you have that requires DX8? Do DX7 games do the same thing? :?:
<center>:cheers:</center>

[Anonymous]

Yes they do also lock up in DX7. I bought this PC when DX7 was the standard and I've tried various versions of Direct X and other drivers as and when they've been released. The only difference between the working and non-working state seems to be this system speed mode in the bios (Normal or Optimal). I'll post some better m/b specs here in the hope that they may help as I've just found the manual...

Asus A7V
VIA Apollo KT133 chipset
200 MHz FSB
PC133 DRAM
AGP Port Pro/4X - complies with v2.0 AGP spec for 1x, 2x and 4x (according to the manual that is!)

[volton]

the AGP GART driver Must be installed in Standard mode for VIA
chipsets

If it is set to 2x there is hardly any difference ,but i know the temptation is there for more power so i would suggest getting
the newer version GF3 card which is Dx 8 compatible

:)

[Anonymous]

hi
ive had the same problem and i fixed it on my via apollo 133+ board
first you need to install the via drivers

http://downloads.viaarena.com/drivers/4in1/4in1433V.zip

and you must install the detonatordrivers from nvidia
i have the 23.11 version
next you have to tweak your register

http://www.tweaktown.com/document.php?dType=guide&dId=68

(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servi ces\nv4\Device0
"EnableVia4X"=dword:00000001)

and with rivatuner you can set your agp to 4x

http://www.guru3d.com/files/

everytime reset your computer
for an explanetion from your detonator drivers look at

http://www.guru3d.com/guide/detonator-explanation/

[Albinus]

the AGP GART driver Must be installed in Standard mode for VIA
chipsets

Bull****!!!

I have AGP 4x enabled, I install the AGP GART in Turbo mode.... why don't I have any problems? :?:

[bell_rj]

I have made some progress here. After experimenting with different BIOS and drivers I have managed to get AGP4x working with total stability for a couple of hours. Now this isn't to say that it won't crash after more extensive usage, but since before it used to crash after about 2 minutes or less, it's certainly a good sign.

I think the thing was enabled it to work was disabling fast writes in the BIOS. I also installed the latest official Detonator drivers. So now I have the PC set to 'Optimal' speed in the BIOS (allowing 4x AGP), latest Via 4in1's, latest Detonators but with the same ASUS 1004d BIOS and sidebanding and fast writes disabled.

Funny thing is, the computer 'seems' faster in Windows but games don't seem to be a whole lot improved and FPS statistics seem to give the same measurements. After running 3d Mark 2001 se, I only got an extra 200 marks (10% ish). I am guessing (can someone confirm this?) that even though 4x AGP does some some benefit over 1x or 2x mode, my GeForce 2MX graphics card can't take full advantage of 4x AGP. If I buy a GeForce 3 or 4, will my system be able to take full advantage of the extra speed that they offer?

Thanks for all your suggestions and helpful comments so far.

[volton]

Bull****!!!

I have AGP 4x enabled, I install the AGP GART in Turbo mode.... why don't I have any problems? :?:

Maybe because you have a different Chipset Mate

Oh , but you new that anyway didnt you :very angr

[Albinus]

I've installed the GART in Turbo mode on KT133, KT133A and many other VIA chipsets..... no problems :toung:

[ivan]

:glasses: A builder I know swears you have to leave pci slots 1 AND 2 open on the a7v(the earliest version) to get geforce/nvidia to be stable. Doesn't make sense and I never tried it. Certainly you have to leave slot 1 open since it shares an IRQ. I had the same problem as you with an a7v more than a year ago but I solved it by getting a voodoo5 when 3dfx was still alive. Still works great and runs everything out there.

[Shepps]

I have the same graphics card as you, the herc prophet 2 GF2 MX and before i installed win XP was running in turbo mode..never had ne problems with it

[bell_rj]

I have 1 and 2 both free. 3 is a 56k modem which is disabled in win2k. 4 is a Creative Sounblaster PCI. All of these 3 devices have been given an IRQ of 9 (by win2k I assume). Could this be a problem? And if so, anyone know how I change it? Thanks.

Update:

Windows System Information shows that I have the following devices all sharing IRQ9:

MS ACPI-compliant system
NVIDIA GeForce 2MX
VIA USB Universal Host Controller
VIA USB Universal Host Controller (yes, listed twice)
Creative Soundblaster PCI (WDM)
HCF 56k PCI Modem
Win2000 Promise Ultra 100 IDE Controller

Surely this cannot be good??!!

[Shepps]

erm.............all thoses devices sharing 1 IRQ....hmmm that dont look right.:?: :?: :?: :?: :?: :?:

[Wiggo]

All devices sharing 1 IRQ is standard in all Windows NT OS's unless you set up the install of the OS as a standard PC during the install. :smokin:
<center>:cheers:</center>

[Albinus]

On many boards PCI Slot 3 has the highest priority - especially on the ASUS A7V - if you have a SoundBlaster Live! on this board then you can eliminate some of the problems by placing it in PCI Slot 3 :thumb: