Matrox still delivers quality!

[franksch3]

About my previous posting about TV-out not working. Well, it seems my TV scart input simply has given up on me and luckily not my G400. So Matrox still delivers quality in my opinion. :-)

[Kayes]

I am very disappointed in Matrox. How can they produce a card that claims to be AGP2X but cannot run stable on it? I thought I am alone in having this problem but guess not. I paid a lot of money for my G400 and I don't have much of them so I expect hiccup free performance. I did not ask for fastest, greatest but at least be compatible and stable.

[Muad'Dib]

I'm not a hardware expert, but as I understand it, doesn't the AGP settings depend on whether or not the mobo "can handle it?" Sorry if this is really off, but as I said, I'm not a hardware expert (or any expert for that matter ). If I'm wrong, please explain.

[Kayes]

your idea does make sense. anyone care to clarify this? anyway, it is strange to see so many people facing the problem of AGP 1x/2x with this card

i love my G400 but if this is the life of matrox user, i feel that it is not worth it especially when you have save up for this.

[[SITH}PELADO]

i'm sure it is a motherboard problem.
my g400 use to work at agp2x (133fsb)in my old asus p2-b ..but now with the p3b-f i can only do 1x...
so don't blame matrox if you haven't try your card in any other motherboard ...
maybe it;s a problem with your machine

[Kayes]

What I am saying is that why is it that Matrox card must be so sensitve to other components? It should be stable across all board. have you ask yourself why is that you must give up your AGP2X when you upgrade to P3B? Must we look for mobo, ram etc. that the card like and want to work with? The motherboard I am using is highly rated. It's Aopen AX6BC Pro. I don't see a reason why after I paid so much money I must search for a mobo that can make it work. It should work with all motherboard that what I am saying.

[Haig]

Hi Kayes,

In most cases, it's related to noise on the agp bus of your motherboard. No matter how much you pay for a mobo, the first revs are usually noisy and then they come out with a 2nd rev.

During boot up, we run a read/write test to AGP memory. If we don't read what we wrote, we swicth to 1x.

In rare cases, it is an PS problem. You can also check on Guillemot's site. They have a statement as to why their Geforce cards are downclocked and can run in AGP 1x because of power problems.

Haig

[Kayes]

Hello Haig,

Please help me get the registry hack to force AGP1X in win2k. I really wanted to cry thinking that I won't see my G400 again.

[Thundrchez]

nVidia has problems with AGP2X as well. Don't think that it is exclusively a Matrox problem. More likely, it is the motherboard that cannot handle the agp2x.

For example, all GeForce 256 cards running on Athlon mobos with the AMD northbridge are running at AGP1X.

AGP2X is just problematic with some combinations. Eventually the hardware will mature, but it is still an evolving process.

[Haig]

Will do Kayes.

Haig

[paulcs]

Hi Kayes,

You can get the reg hacks here:

http://www.murc.ws/Utils/PD5RegHacks.zip

There are several. Make a directory and unzip them into it.

Before you use the hack <ForceAGP1x.reg>, you want check the following area in your registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Class\Display\0000

See that 0000? If it's the only number there, then you're OK. If there's a 0001 (0002, etc.), you should determine which is for your Matrox board, because that's where you want the hack to end up.

If 0000 is for your G400, you're set.

Shut down your registry and double-click on ForceAGP1x.reg. Windows will give you a message that it was entered into your registry. Reboot and you're set.

If you have a 0001, or 000-anything else, again, determine which is for your G400.

Shut the registry down.

*Right* click on ForceAGP1x.

A menu will pop up. Click on edit.

Change 0000 to whichever folder you found the Matrox keys in, save it, and follow the instructions above.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[This message has been edited by paulcs (edited 20 January 2000).]

[Kayes]

Thanks Haig and Paul,

Paul, I need the regitry hack for win2k pro build 2195.

Anyway, guees what I am writing this from win2k. I changed the driver set to the latest nt driver and itis stable so far in AGP@X

Regarding the registry Hack. I will still need it and maybe some future user will need it too so just post here if possible.

Thanks again to all that helps.
I am glad I get to keep my G400 or else I will have to get a S3 Trio (cheap)

[paulcs]

W2K. Ack! Sorry. I didn't see that.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[This message has been edited by paulcs (edited 20 January 2000).]