MAX unable to run 3D games is there anything left to do?

[CMB]

Hi. Thanks for reading my last desperate plee.
I put in my MAX and RRG...
and i am unable to run any 3d game be it open GL or D3D If they do run. there is unexpected slowdown or texture corruptions.. but when games do work they dump back to windwows unexpectedly
general windows use seems fine
just no games for me

PIII 450 256mg
Be6 i think its seated properly in.
is there a way to be sure?
SBLIVE
G400 MAX
RRG
more details in my other thread here.. http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/007517.html

A friend got these. My marvel worked fine before games and all (except for vid out but thats a whole other thread)
i repleace with these and no games....

So is there anything i can do or is it time to give Insight UK a ring for an RMA???

[paulcs]

Just to update everyone, CMB has his board isolated on IRQ 11. He has he has tried both recommended AGP apertures, 128 and 256, and disabled all video caching, snooping, and shadowing.

He has attempted to reseat his board on his Abit BE6. This was all done after a clean install of Windows, should there shouldn't be any old videocard drivers lying around, causing trouble. He has a Soundblaster Live.

What Matrox drivers are you using?

Assuming that you are using PD 5.41 or 5.30, I think we have four things left:

Soundcard driver conflict. Matrox drivers have a conflict with versions of Liveware before 2.1. If you're using 2.0 or something earlier, this is most likely the cause of your problems. To make matters worse, the drivers don't uninstall well, and the problems don't go away if you install over them. Some people have had to reinstall Windows to get rid of all traces of them.

Heat. Try booting into Windows and playing a game with the case open. If the game runs properly, there's a good chance you're having a heat problem.

AGP Divider. Make sure your AGP divider is set to 2/3. If it's set to 1/1, you're overclocking your board by a substantial margin.

Power Issues. If you're using a generic 235 Watt power supply, this could be the cause of your problems. Sometimes with cheaper power supplies, even 250 and 300 Watt units, power distribution can be uneven, and the AGP slot just doesn't get enough juice. What kind of power supply do you have?

I'm going to return to the "improperly seated AGP card" theme. Make sure it's all the way in there. Give it a good push. Make sure the back doesn't pop up at all when you screw the plate onto your case.

I hope I hit on something.

Good luck.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[CMB]

WOW youve really been keeping check :O)

I'd like to thank you for helping, that took a lot of effort to type :O)

I am running Liveware 3.0

Using 5.41 (thought 5.30 is the same)

My heat is around 35 degrees,
i have a fan on the front, as well asthe right side and the top of the case off to allow air to flow

AGP divider? i just had it set to default 450(100) in the motherboard.. i shall try a custom configuration..... and make it 2/3
Also there is no O/clocking going on

i should also point out that reinstalling windows did improve things, EG TR4 wouldnt work... reinstalling windows make it go, but now it has corrupted textures??

I have 3 hard drives. have the current build of windows im using now, and a fresh install on another. I can switch between the 2 on bootup via the highpoint bios. THis is how i am sending this mail , as the net isnt set up on the other yet. its that fresh.. just Grahpics and sound on

I'll give it a god push.. but my performance hasnt changed at all since earlier this week and i have reseated the card loads of times. Even left it unscrewed once or twice but still problems.

Power Supply--- interesting
I am using the 230 watt supply i got with my case, Never had any problems before, and as the marvel i used to have worked fine for games. Does the MAX draw more power?

anyhow.. I think i have a bog standard supply. I have seen a New power supplys in town a 250 watt for £17.50 should i buy that as a last resort...

My other option is of course RMAing back to Insight UK but i really would like to get it going myself and save the hassle if at all possible

right then im off to try those things..
Thanks Paulcs

[CMB]

update...
I have a POWER WINtm Switching power supply
Model Number PW-250 ATX
AC input 115V-/ 230V 10/5A 60/50 Hz

does that help at all cos i cant as hell understand it... that means i have a 250 watt supply?

[CMB]

OK.
I tried going into custom conifg.. and setting 4.5 100 FSB and AGP 2/3
but it ran with corrupted textures. then not at all

no joy there.. I also tried it without the RRG in the case Just the MAX .. same
and i also reseated it and left the case off and the card not screwed down... the same..

I also get General protecteion faults
and DDhelp errors... i ment to mentio it before.

I have also tried moving mt memory around.
i have a 128mg dimm and 2x 64mg dimm

The problem is definatly whenever i try to use Direct 3D, though the Direct X self test thing is ok
but anything else wont go at all... just dumps me back to desktop or runs randomly..

Again Everything was fine game wise with the marvel before introducing the MAX into the system.. so is it all pointing to the max now..

The pc is fine in windows and non-3d apps as fart as i can tell.. surfing the web ect
So does this rule out impropper seating, as wehn i read the threads about the prob. it was random windows lockups and crashes as well as game faults.... all i get is game faults.....

Anything else I can do....?

[Vlip]

Your case seems to be desesperate!
You still may try to put in another card, like a Voodoo or a TNT, just to check that your card is not flawed!

Vlip

------------------
"Il est toujours intéressant de parler avec quelqu'un d'intelligent"
Dostoïevski

AMD Athlon 500, Asus K7M, 128Mb PC100 SDRAM, Matrox G400MAX, Sb Live and a lot more toys and gadgets.

[Scytale]

RMA

[RAB]

Just for kicks, try your main memory at a slower front side bus speed, like 95. Also, in bios set the CAS to 3 if its not already. If nothing changes, its easy enough to switch things back. If it does help, then it indicates some compatability problems with your three memory sticks. More than likely, one of them is just not up to true PC100 standards.

RAB

[CMB]

A breakthrough... I arranged with INSIGHT UK to RMA m card... as i took it out i put in my old Marvel (i couldnt bring my self to RMA the marvel until i knew everything was working ok for me)

And its exactly the same as the max..

So now the culprit is obviously the ABIT BE6 correct? im thinking theres something wrong with the AGP slot?
anyhow. I called into Software warehouse where i got it from. I explained my problem and they said i should install the AGP driovers that came with it?
I said it was an intel chipset and doesnt need them, cos window had them on allready. but again they said to look on the CD.
So i came home and i just have.. there are Drivers for WIN95 but im Running 98SE
all my friends with ABIT BE6's didnt have to install any specific drivers.. i mean itsn o like the VIA 4in1, WINDOWS just finds the INTEL bits right??

anyway the manual doesnt mention either, just the UDMA66 ones, and there on. besides that shouldt effect 3d????

anyhow.. im gonna ring them up now and see what else they say...
So everyone else think i should swap my ABIT for a new one too???

[paulcs]

All the drivers for the BX chipset are installed when you install Windows 98.

Maybe a small amount of dust has gotten into your AGP slot. (I hate to have you tearing open your case every five minutes, but your Marvel worked before, and now it isn't. I'm running out of potential causes.)

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[This message has been edited by paulcs (edited 31 January 2000).]

[Scytale]

If your Marvel worked fine before in the same box, then what have you changed after you took out the Marvel and swapped in the G400? If you can't figure that out, then maybe a fresh install of W98 might do the trick.

[Jorden]

Maybe a really strange thing to try, but have you removed the RRG??

Just an option.

Jord.

[CMB]

hey, yes ive tried without the RRG
i think i missed something in my post earlier....

I bought a BE6 board.. and put my marvel in.. it all worked apart from video capture and playback which was funny and never was before...

I took the abit back and the tested it for a week.. in the meantime i out my marvel in my old jetway board and it was the same. same video problem..

After talking with Haig we determin its the marvel.. somethings gone. and i arrange an RMA

in the meantime a I order a MAX and a RRG for a friend...

I get my ABIT back..

My friends MAX and RRG come.
and we do a deal whereas i get to keep the max and RRG and he gets my new marvel when it comes back from the RMA and i pay him the difference. I get to video edit in the meantime and everyone is happy

I assemble MAX and RRG in the NEW ABIT BE6
this is the replacement one the shop gave me.

since then ive had problems with 3d
but video was fine :O)

I take out the max and RRG today to try the marvel. ( i have arranged an RMA but hadn't sent it off yet)
And it performs exactly the same in 3d as the max.. not at all. random crashes and dumping back to desktop

I had never before tried my marvel in this replacent BE6 if you see what i mean

Does that make sense now??
its confusing i know..
So now i am where i am today
so now the only thing i can think of is the new motheboard is faulty?????

[Scytale]

I see. Indeed the mainboard may be the cause of your problem (or the mounting of the MB, or seating of DIMMs, connectors, etc.).
But then again, since you have swapped mainboards your W98 setup will have been touched too, and it might be worth trying to reinstall W98.

[Mellow_Dude]

How many of Matrox's drivers have you tried?

Have you gone back to 5.2, 5.25 to see if they are any better. Even try 5.50.

I have found that I get kicked out of any D3D app when I use drivers 5.15, 5.20 and 5.30. If I use 5.25 or 5.41 or any earlier than 5.15 everything runs great. I now use 5.41 quite happily.

Is your G400 bios up to date aswell.

Just an idea.