How do I get AGP 4x with G400 and P3V4X?

[JIS]

I just installed my first G400 32 MB DH with support for AGP 4x on my ASUS P3V4X, also with support for AGP 4x (4x enabled in BIOS).

But I only get it run at AGP 2x.
How do I do to get it to AGP 4x?

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JIS

[Kruzin]

Are you sure it's a 4x G400? What is it's part number from the sticker on the card? G4+?????

[JIS]

Yes, I specially checked that when I bought it. The part number on the sticker on the box is: G4+MDH4A32GR

Doesn't the 4A indicate the 4x?

[ski]

Hey Kruzin how do you tell if you card is 4x by the 4a?

My says G4+MDHA32G
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[This message has been edited by ski (edited 16 March 2000).]

[Kruzin]

The 4A in the part number says it's a 4x card. (ski, your's is 2x/4x. it will run in a 4x slot, at 2x transfer rates)

If it's not going into 4x mode, it's because the system failed the AGP test on bootup. The Matrox drivers will do a read/write test. If it does not read what it wrote, it dropps to the next mode, and tests again.

I would not worry about it. You're not missing anything at all.
1) Your system RAM does not have the bandwidth to fully use 4x.
2) Even if you could get it working, you would not see a difference from 2x to 4x. Nothing on the market today uses 2x to it's fullest. Most apps/games don't even use 1x to it's fullest.

4x is a marketing ploy. It's a buzzword. Means nothing in reality.

[This message has been edited by Kruzin (edited 16 March 2000).]

[ski]

Thanks Kruzin, you are probably right about the bandwidth problem, but would ddr sdram help that problem in the future. to make 4x really viable.

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I am one reboot away from prefection

Sys stats: Athlon 800, Epox EP-7KXA, 256MB ram, Matrox G400 32 SGRAM, SoundBlaster Live MP3+, Dxr3 Mpeg decoder, 6x DVD Drive, 33.6 modem (Woohoo ), 28.0 gig Seagate Barrcuda drive 7200rpm baby!!!

www.3dpower.net The coolest placce on the net besides this one!!!

[EchoWars]

Open up Notepad.

Enter the following:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Class\Display\0000\Settings\CPU]
"AGPFlags"="-2"

Save it as "ForceAGP4x.reg", close it, and double-click on it. If it causes problems, re-edit the file and change the last part to "AGPFlags"="1", which will un-force it and allow the Matrox software to decide on the transfer rate.

Course...this works with cards that are able to do the 4x transfers. My understanding is that a lot of the cards manufactured last fall are able to do the 4x transfers, but are not 'officially' tested 4x cards and thus lack the '4a' designation in the part number.

As Krusin says, there is little or nothing to gain. By the time 4x really matters, we'll all have newer cards anyway.



[This message has been edited by EchoWars (edited 17 March 2000).]