Yet, another problem with G400 Max

[Madman]

Hi,

I'm having problems with my G400 Max. For some strange reason, my computer intermittently locks up and has corrupted picture with weird colored verticle lines appearing across my screen. Here's my config:

Asus P2B-F ver. 1010 award BIOS
G400 Max @ IRQ 11 w/PCI Steering only.

Problems only does not occur when bus mastering is disabled. Thanks in advance.

[IMOTHEP]

I have the same problem with my G400Max and when busmastering is enabled I can't start D3D Games. Really funny ((((

Here's my config:
Abit BX6 rev.2.0
PIII 450
G400 Max @ IRQ 11

[Scytale]

http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/004833.html
http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/005078.html

[WayneHu]

Enforce AGP to 1x should fix this problem immediately...

How about your CPU FSB settings, AGP Bus Speed, and SDRAM CAS Latency ?

I met this problem with G400 with both P2B-F and P3B-F. Even in the non-overclocking AGP bus condition. It seems to be a timing problem with G400. G200 with AGP 2x works fine on my P2B-F without any special tune, but G400 doesn't.

My solution of having a stable AGP 2x is by setting SDRAM CAS Latency to 3 on P3B-F. It even works with 82 MHz AGP bus.

Since my P2B-F had been sold, I didn't have a chance to test if this method also worked with it.

Otherwise, Maybe you can return the one that you are using, and then get a new one to see if it works.

[Zwisch]

When Bus MAstering solves the problem when set to off, you can usualy start looking at your ressources or at another card that does bus mastering. You will get such lockup when you do not have Liveware 2.1 for SB LIVE users for example...At worst, remove all cards and see if it still happens with only the G400 in the system.

Z

[Jorden]

I'd follow Zwisch's advice, then if the machine boots up with the G400 only in it, start moving the other cards back in until you find the cullprit.

Do know that the PCI slot next to the AGP slot uses the same resources as the AGP slot.

Jorden.

[Madman]

Thanks for all the replies guys, but I've already tried letting the G400 Max be the only card in the system, forcing it to be AGP 1X, changing the AGP texture size to 256MB (that worked for a while), almost everything you could think of. I did try to ask a Matrox tech if I could get a RMA for the card, but he rudely replied that they don't give out RMAs for IRQ conflicts. I was just like, "okay, whatever". I already reported his ass to high ups at Matrox for being rude and unhelpful. Anyways, I guess I'm going to try and see if the card does the same thing on my friend's system. That would be the last and final way to find out if it's my system or my card... :I

Mad

[Dyre]

Ok. I HAD THE SAME exact problems. To the letter. I went out and got a new board and chip. my old one was about 18 months old, and even with the patch it couldnt keep up with the Awesome g400 MAX. Now everything screams with my new motherboard and chip. I got an AZZA (generic) BX6 chipset and a pIII 450 oem. I spent 168 on the chip and 77 on the board. Its great. Even without turboGL games scream and dual head rocks on my dual 17in's.... one way to possiable fix your problem short of buying a new board is to check you irq and make sure nothing else is on the same irq as you Matrox.

Have fun. and good luck. i know what it feels like...

[Dyre]

P.S.
I was my motherboard causeing my irq problems. It was setting all pci and agp slots to the same irq, no matter what config i tried and how much bios tweaking i did. I spent 3 full days trying to make it work.
it took a total of 3 reboots to have it working perfectly with the new board.

[Madman]

Okay, I'm really frustrated with Matrox and this card right now so sorry if I sound rude. I already tried everything that people mentioned on this forum so far, and nothing works. I'll post my IRQs on my system:

IRQ Device
0 System Timer
1 Keyboard
2 Programmable Interrupt Controller
3 Com4
4 Soundblaster Live Value
4 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
5 Adaptec 2940UW PCI
5 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI to USB Universal Host Controller
5 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
6 Standard Floppy Disk Controller
7 Printer Port
8 System CMOS
9 Free
10 Creative DVD Encore
10 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11 G400 Max
11 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
12 Cordless(PS/2)
13 Numerica Data Processor
14 Primary IDE Controller
14 Primary Bus Master IDE Controller
15 Secondary "
15 Secondary "

well, that it. I swear that I'm going to sell this card soon. It's giving me such big headaches.

Madman

[Scytale]

IRQ's look fine to me.

It surprises me that tech support would deny you RMA, but if you bought your card from the Matrox Online Store, you can ask them for RMA. Shouldn't be a problem.

[Madman]

It's funny though, because on Matrox's website, they said that in order to get a RMA you have to talk to the tech support

[Scytale]

You did talk to tech support. Tell them tech support have not been able to help you solve your problem, so you want to try another board.

If this doesn't work out, you may want to send another message to tech support, but to attention of Haig Dedeyan, tech support manager, because in http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/004833-2.html he said:

If anyone wants to RMA their cards, they are free to do so. I never told anyone that they can't have their boards replaced.