Argh! Hercules FDX8500LE headache!

[Fat Tone]

I built a system for a mate on a k7s5a, with the above gfx card (using WinXP Pro SP1). It passes the dxdiags. When I start 3dmark2k1se, I just get a blank screen (no matter what drivers I've tried), and can't even get the monitors OSD to work!

I swapped it with my ATI 8500, and things work fine! My card worked in the k7s5a with 6071 & 6166 drivers, and the Hercules worked in my Asus board!

AGP 2x/4x doesn't help. The mobo has the latest bios. SP1 didn't help.

Any ideas how to make the Hercules work in the ECS board greatly appreciated!

TIA

Tony.

[Gurm]

You're hitting a refresh rate WAY out of range, is my guess. Some systems you really have to force that refresh. There are programs like "RefreshForce" and "RefreshLock" that will remove all refresh rates except ... say ... 85. Or 100. Or whatever you like.

- Gurm

[Fat Tone]

Thanks for the idea, but after messing with powerstrip, and paying closer attention to the behaviour of the monitor, I think the output of the gfx card is shutting down.

T.

[luni]

Hercules 8500LEs are just an example of horribly built card. If it works for you, you are happy. But most likely it doesnt. I had two different cards and both had severe display problems, first even in 2D, other only in 3D. No ammount of driver changing or additional cooling could help so I got rid of them...

Anyway, I reccomend taking that Herc back and getting some other 8500 card, preferrably ATI, Gigabyte or Sapphire.

[Fat Tone]

anybody?

[MK]

Luni - isn`t Sapphire the real producer behind the "Bulit by ATI" cards ?

MK

[Slougi]

Try running at 100/100 Mhz FSB/mem with conservative timings. I had a similar problem with a gf2mx, this board is VERY picky about SDRAM.

[Fat Tone]

Hi Sloughi. I tried that too, although I am using 512MB PC2100.

Cheers

Tony.

[luni]

MK I think only manufacturer that builds "Built by ATI" cards is ATI himself. That said, I have no idea where their fabs are. AFAIK, Sapphire is "just" another "Powered by ATI" partner.

Edit: found this on Sapphire home page:

Our factory has always been the major manufacturer
on ATI boards for most of the top ten tier 1 OEMs worldwide.
With this background, you should undoubtedly be guaranteed
on the impeccable quality, production capacity and
product reliability of all ATI video boards from SAPPHIRE.

The text is somewhat dubious, but it is possible that their factory was used to produce original ATI cards and that they opened OEM bussiness later on under their own brand.

[MK]

luni - yes, that matches perfectly the informations I have so far (original ATI card producer, own OEM business later) !

MK

[Tempest]

Originally posted by luni
Hercules 8500LEs are just an example of horribly built card. If it works for you, you are happy. But most likely it doesnt.

I guess I'm one of the lucky few. I bought my 64 meg FDX 8500LE a month ago, flashed the retail Radeon BIOS, fired up the latest Catalyst drivers, ensured that the card worked then equipped it with some self-made RAM sinks using Arctic Alumina and have been relatively happy with it ever since. Of course all the card provides is decent 2D and 3D, but then again that's all I bought it for - I have another machine for viewing DVDs. If I ever get enough money to go multimonitor I'll return to Matrox, but since my new digicam ate my Parhelia budget the Herc will do for now. And since it's such a cheap card I'll get no second thoughts when squeezing every extra MHz from it (okay, so I bought it to abuse it ).

http://service.madonion.com/compare?2k1=4363013 (retail BIOS @ 275/275, no overclocking)

Oops, sorry for interfering with your thread Tony

[Fat Tone]

NP!

Prob solved anyway - the PSU was maginal - a 375 watter too!
I have the same one in my own system - it was the first to solve all my shimmering probs, so it was the last thing I expected.

Cheers

Tony.

[luni]

Tempest good for you, no ammount of bios flashing, underclocking, tweaking etc would solve horrible 2D/3D problems for me. I tested 2 different cards, also read about many users having problems with Hercs. Hope they fixed most problems in later revisions of card, but first samples sure were horrible.