Monitor - G400 MAX 32MB

[Gazza]

Hi,

Is it possible that a non-supported (i.e. one that doesn't appear on Microsofts driver database 95&98) Monitor using Plug n Play Generic driver could cause the system to lock-up at random intervals?

Perhaps I have been tweaking all the wrong settings to get this thing to work and the problem lies with the monitor?

Any help appreciated.
Gary

System Specs :
Intel PIII - 550Mhz
Asus P2B , G400 32MB MAX , IBM DTTA 16.8Gb H/D, 128 MB RAM, Creative 6X DVD with DXR3.
(At present I have a Creative RIVA TNT slugging away ... why because the Matrox still locks up the system) **SOB** **SOB**

[IceStorm]

I seriously doubt your monitor would make your PC lock up. You'd have to be sending data back to your machine from the monitor to have that happen.

If you've a USB hub in your monitor, that may be it. If anything, disable Plug-N-Pray support for the monitor and see what happens...

Just my $0.02


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Primary System: PIII-540 (450@4.5x120), Soyo 6BA+ III, 256MB PC100 ECC SDRAM, G400 MAX in multi-monitor mode. V2 SLI rig. Two Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 900u monitors, 3Com 3C905, SoundBlaster Live!, Altec Lansing AC5 spkrs, 2nd Parallel Port, WD AC41800 18GB HD, WD AC310100 10GB HD, Toshiba SD-M1212 6x DVD-ROM, HP 8100i CD-RW, Epson Stylus Pro, Sharp JX-9400 LJ-II compatible, OptiUPS PowerES 650, MS SideWinder Precision Pro USB joystick, Logitech 3-button mouse, Mitsumi keyboard, Win98 SE, Belkin OmniCube 4-port KVM

Secondary System: PII-266, Asus P2B BIOS 1008, 128MB PC100 ECC SDRAM, Millennium II, 3Com 3C590, ADSL Modem 640kbit down/90kbit up, 3Com 3C509, Mylex BT-930 SCSI card, Seagate 2GB Hawk, NEC 6x CD-ROM, Linux distro S.u.S.E. 6.1 (IP Masquerade works!)

Tertiary System: DFI G568IPC Intel 430HX chipset, P200MMX, 96MB of non-parity RAM, Millennium II, Intel Pro/100+ client NIC, SoundBlaster 16 MCD, Fujitsu 3.5GB HD, WD 1.2GB HD, Creative Dxr3 DVD decoder card, Hitachi GD-2500 6x DVD-ROM, Win98 SE

All specs subject to change.

[Gazza]

Thanks for the Prompt Reply IceStorm
(this forum really is GREAT!)

I'll sum up everything I've done.
1. Received the card and tried it with out the box drivers Pre-September release of Powerdesk. Locked up machine.

2. Dowloaded the latest drivers (10th September drivers posted on www.matrox.com). Machine Locked up.

3. Dowloaded the Reg_Hacks. Enforced Agp1x ... Machine Locked up

4. Disabled Shadowing in BIOS, double checked IRQ conflicts. Machine locked up.

5. Disabled Bus Mastering, Triple Buffering ...etc (all setting that appear on Matrox Display settings) ... machine locked up.

After trying all of the above ... the following errors seem to be consistent.

1. Techdemo ... gives strange multi-coloured lines in the top of the screen. The Desktop freezes, but the mouse still moves around the screen.

2. Expendable Demo ... Gives a Video Memory error and kicks you back to the desktop. (I think my specs more than meet the required )

3. Dungeon Keeper 2. Machine locks up after entering Campaign (after selection from Main Menu).

What could be causing so many errors? When I run the TNT it cruises.....but I dont want the TNT I want my £180 MATROX....

[IceStorm]

What are your system specs? Motherboard, CPU, RAM, speeds you're running at, etc?

You may have a bad card, too...

[Gazza]

Processor : Intel PIII 550
Motherboard : Asus P2B P2B BIOS Ver. 1010. 07/29/99
Bus - 100 , CPU 5.5
RAM : 128MB 100MHz PC100 SDRAM
Sound Card : (oldish) Sound Blaster 32 ISA
Video : AGP Matrox Millennium 32MB MAX (10th Septmember drivers
Hard Drive : IBM DTTA 16.8Gb UDMA 33
other stuff : Creative DVD 6X with Dxr3 (PCI slot 2)
OS : Windows 98.

Like I said the Creative 16Mb TNT RIVA with the above configuration works fine?

[SteveC]

Sounds like a duff card. Can you try it in another machine and/or get another to try in your PC?

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Cheers,
Steve

PS: Some or all of the above message may be wrong, or, just as likely, correct. Depends on what mood I'm in. And what you know. ;¬)

[IceStorm]

Either there are remnants of the TNT's drivers around that are conflicting with the G400, or you've a bad card...

Last thing you can try is reinstalling Win98 from the ground up - reformat and reinstall it like new. If that doesn't work, I'd RMA the card, or exchange it where you bought it.

[Gazza]

Hmmm, yeah I think I may have a stuffed card.
the problem is I went to all the trouble of getting the thing in London. I'm off to South Africa next week for good... and I'm not sure if Matrox will ship me a replacement back to South Africa...... (not available there yet)

Looks like ... I'm gonna have to give it a ceremonial burial ... It promised so much ... and now .... Oh well I'll rip the fan off it ... maybe that'll come in useful later on.....

[SteveC]

Try it in another PC, or just sell it off in PC Mart or something cheap, and pretend as far as you know there's nought wrong with it...

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Cheers,
Steve

PS: Some or all of the above message may be wrong, or, just as likely, correct. Depends on what mood I'm in. And what you know. ;¬)