Please help me! I am at the mercy of my G400! need advice in 1 day.. PLEASE!

[DataOrb]

wow, sorry about that title, but I REALLY need advice.
I orderd the Matrox G400 SH (plan to upgrade to DH with the Matrox Add-on) 32mb SGRAM OEM Card a few days ago.
it arrived yesterday, boy, I was happy.
anyway, I have orderd the 6ns SGRAM model and got the 6ns SDRAM model.
Now, I asked the store to replace it, but they said the OEM SGRAM model is not avilable. and since I have found NO online store in the USA that both carry the SGRAM model and can ship world wide, I have two options.
either return it, and get a refund.
or keep it.
now, I would keep it, but I need to know if the cost of SDRAM is high, does the preformance hit (both 2D And 3D) is big?
thanks.

------------------
"Excuse me for butting in, but I'm interrupt-driven..."
__________________________________________________ ____
Worstation Specs:
Asus P3B-F w/Celeron@680mhz
Matrox G400 DH 32Mg SGRAM
IBM 'Pluto' 34Gb UDMA66 7200
Seagate U8 4.1gb Hdd,
SBlaster Live! Digital.
17" Mag InnoVision PrefectVision 770Ti TrinitronFR Monitor (Amazing VQ, the sharpest screen on the market).
Logitech MouseMan Wheel USB (on Everglide Giganta)
and Focus 127keys MM Keyboard.
HP SCSI Cd-Rw 7200Si
Aopen X48 Optical Disc Drive.
3Com NIc @ Tevel/3Com Cable Modem
Modded case, the "banshee". 6 fans.
3Com Palm IIIx + GoType + AxxPAC

[paulcs]

Sorry about the "yes and no" answer I'm about to give. Yes, SGRAM is faster and more expensive than SDRAM. No, all things being equal, I have never seen or heard of a performance difference between an SGRAM board and an SDRAM board.

I'm basing this on experiences with the G200, which was available both with SGRAM and SDRAM. Possibly, there are issues related to the faster G400 that I'm not aware of. I doubt it.

Have you tested the board out? Is its performance adequate to your needs? If not, you have the perfect excuse to send it back. If you like the board, and it is fast enough for you, I think you should keep it.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[DataOrb]

well, 2D Quality and Preformance is great.
3D Quality, well... even the Textures looks SOO much sharper!
superb!
only problem, 3D FPS not as high as I have expected.
Hmm...
any advice?

------------------
"Excuse me for butting in, but I'm interrupt-driven..."
__________________________________________________ ____
Worstation Specs:
Asus P3B-F w/Celeron@680mhz
Matrox G400 DH 32Mg SGRAM
IBM 'Pluto' 34Gb UDMA66 7200
Seagate U8 4.1gb Hdd,
SBlaster Live! Digital.
17" Mag InnoVision PrefectVision 770Ti TrinitronFR Monitor (Amazing VQ, the sharpest screen on the market).
Logitech MouseMan Wheel USB (on Everglide Giganta)
and Focus 127keys MM Keyboard.
HP SCSI Cd-Rw 7200Si
Aopen X48 Optical Disc Drive.
3Com NIc @ Tevel/3Com Cable Modem
Modded case, the "banshee". 6 fans.
3Com Palm IIIx + GoType + AxxPAC

[xortam]

Try tweaking it with MGA Tweak (See MGA Tools forum).

P.S. Check your spec sig

[DataOrb]

it's now more "SAD YET TRUE"...
/


------------------
"Excuse me for butting in, but I'm interrupt-driven..."
__________________________________________________ ____
Worstation Specs:
Asus P3B-F w/Celeron@680mhz
Matrox G400
IBM 'Pluto' 34Gb UDMA66 7200
Seagate U8 4.1gb Hdd,
SBlaster Live! Digital.
17" Mag InnoVision PrefectVision 770Ti TrinitronFR Monitor (Amazing VQ, the sharpest screen on the market).
Logitech MouseMan Wheel USB (on Everglide Giganta)
and Focus 127keys MM Keyboard.
HP SCSI Cd-Rw 7200Si
Aopen X48 Optical Disc Drive.
3Com NIc @ Tevel/3Com Cable Modem
Modded case, the "banshee". 6 fans.
3Com Palm IIIx + GoType + AxxPAC

[Barmaleus]

Hi, DataOrb...

Hehe...nice touch with the "1 day" thing ;(

I'm glad you're pleased with the picture quality...well, with that kick ass monitor i would settle for nothing less...

You did't mention in your specs whether you use Win2k or 98...or the driver version

For tweaking you can use also matrox's own utility (called Matrox Tweak Utility...you can find it here somewhere...i think in the utils section or something...)You just use a slider...it's pretty basic stuff...and you can disable vsync...anyway, i use it...
Oh, it doesn't work with the latest (beta) drivers...anyway, as i told you before, i still use the 5.52s since i never got any issues with them...

And tell us some fps results please (you know Quake, UT...)

Laterz...

P.S. If it makes you feel better, my card is also a 6ns SDRAM...

[DataOrb]

hey,
first, I want to say that the Matrox DH upgrade is really kicking some ass!
if I keep my G400, I will buy it (http://www.matrox.com/mga/products/dh_mod_g400/home.htm).
anyway,
Some Frame Rates:
Quake3
okay, with this game I have problems, ONLY in quake 3 I can't run the G400 with any AGP bus higher then 66Mhz. with any other software / game I can, but not with this one.
odd.
so, with 66Mhz AGP Bus (533Mhz Celeron, 66Mhz FSB ):
800X600
32bit color, 32bit Z-Buffer, High Geo, Billiner Filter, All options ON:
34.4fps (that's with my celey at 66FSB, so it's kinda expected.
now, UT Benchmarks will soon be published, but here are 3D Mark 2000:
533Mhz, 66FSb, 66AGP - 1560
600Mhz, 75FSB, 75AGP - 1890
680Mhz, 85FSB, 85AGP - 1980 (Darn! still no 2000 3d marks!!, perhpas with 6.00 drivers, btw, should I install them?)
and 3D Mark ran on Software TNL, since my Celey does not support SSE
anyway,
my card is at: 115% OC.
which should be 143Mhz Core / 182Mhz Mem.


------------------
"Excuse me for butting in, but I'm interrupt-driven..."
__________________________________________________ ____
Worstation Specs:
Asus P3B-F w/Celeron@680mhz
Matrox G400
IBM 'Pluto' 34Gb UDMA66 7200
Seagate U8 4.1gb Hdd,
SBlaster Live! Digital.
17" Mag InnoVision PrefectVision 770Ti TrinitronFR Monitor (Amazing VQ, the sharpest screen on the market).
Logitech MouseMan Wheel USB (on Everglide Giganta)
and Focus 127keys MM Keyboard.
HP SCSI Cd-Rw 7200Si
Aopen X48 Optical Disc Drive.
3Com NIc @ Tevel/3Com Cable Modem
Modded case, the "banshee". 6 fans.
3Com Palm IIIx + GoType + AxxPAC

[DataOrb]

Btw, Win 98.
anyway, just to add, I have some ACPI problems with the G400.
I can't seem to do a "soft shutdown".
all I get is a black screen, and I have to do a reset (power button not working) or pull the plug from the wall!!
using 1.06 BIOS.

[DataOrb]

Btw, Win 98.
anyway, just to add, I have some ACPI problems with the G400.
I can't seem to do a "soft shutdown".
all I get is a black screen, and I have to do a reset (power button not working) or pull the plug from the wall!!
using 1.06 Matrox BIOS.
1005 P3B-F BIOS.
both non beta.

------------------
"Excuse me for butting in, but I'm interrupt-driven..."
__________________________________________________ ____
Worstation Specs:
Asus P3B-F w/Celeron@680mhz
Matrox G400
IBM 'Pluto' 34Gb UDMA66 7200
Seagate U8 4.1gb Hdd,
SBlaster Live! Digital.
17" Mag InnoVision PrefectVision 770Ti TrinitronFR Monitor (Amazing VQ, the sharpest screen on the market).
Logitech MouseMan Wheel USB (on Everglide Giganta)
and Focus 127keys MM Keyboard.
HP SCSI Cd-Rw 7200Si
Aopen X48 Optical Disc Drive.
3Com NIc @ Tevel/3Com Cable Modem
Modded case, the "banshee". 6 fans.
3Com Palm IIIx + GoType + AxxPAC

[kimble1]

Kruzin really helped me out on this forum so I will help where I can. Your G400 can only run at 66mhz on the AGP port. Boy have I learned that the hard way. If your bios has a fsb/agp divider setting ala the bp6 from Abit then with a fsb of 66 you can set the divider 1/1, otherwise the divider is 2/3.
Your ACPI problem could be in the settings on your motherboard. If ACPI is enabled in your power setting in bios, then upgrade win2k from the autorun on the win2k cd. The ACPI functions should be in place. If Not the bios on the motherboard needs to be updated, then try again. I learned all this the hard way....

[Ashley]

Have to ask: since 32MB G400DH cards are now widely available at $130, why would anyone want to buy a SH ($110?) and then fork out $50 for a DH daughterboard upgrade that won't work with any future Matrox cards?

[DataOrb]

hey,
well... things work a little diffrent on the Asus P3B-F.
The AGP Divider Keeps itself ABOVE the 66Mhz line anytime.
so at,
66Mhz 1/1 AGP.
75Mhz 1/1 AGP.
83Mhz 1/1 AGP.
85Mhz 1/1 AGP.
now, I wonder why only Quake3 won't take a 75Mhz AGP Bus (I am not saying anything about running it in 85Mhz AGP, since not all cards can do it, but can't it take 75Mhz?).
any what puzzles me even more, is that 3DMark 2000 runs perfetly good on a 75/85Mhz AGP Bus.
Any one else have this sort of problem?
The problem I have with ACPI is complex...
the P3B-F support Suspend to ram (a REALLY neat feature... ) and/or standart suspend.
Standart suspend works out good. no problem.
but STR, well... that's a diffrent story...
when I lunch STR, the computer sleeps fine. but once I turn it back on.. Wow!
Display is Currupted and computer hangs. any idea about this?
and yes, even the windows Soft shutdown/reset feature does not work.
blank screen, computer stcuk.
any, ANY ideas guys?
Ashley, I guess you are from the US, right?
well, there are still some of use who live out side the US... so prices are diffrent...
anyway, if you have a link of a US based on-line store, that will ship world wide, without a 40$ Shipping fee, PLEASE send me the link, I would be forever greatful!
and Will order a DH card.

------------------
"Excuse me for butting in, but I'm interrupt-driven..."
__________________________________________________ ____
Worstation Specs:
Asus P3B-F w/Celeron@680mhz
Matrox G400
IBM 'Pluto' 34Gb UDMA66 7200
Seagate U8 4.1gb Hdd,
SBlaster Live! Digital.
17" Mag InnoVision PrefectVision 770Ti TrinitronFR Monitor (Amazing VQ, the sharpest screen on the market).
Logitech MouseMan Wheel USB (on Everglide Giganta)
and Focus 127keys MM Keyboard.
HP SCSI Cd-Rw 7200Si
Aopen X48 Optical Disc Drive.
3Com NIc @ Tevel/3Com Cable Modem
Modded case, the "banshee". 6 fans.
3Com Palm IIIx + GoType + AxxPAC

[Barmaleus]

Well, let's see...

1. Ashley made a point there...couldn't you just change your board with a DH one and pay the difference?

2. I don't use 32 bit Z-buffer...too much performance hit...no big visual difference (for me at least)

3. My G400 runs on a 73 AGP bus (110 FSB) with no problems...but when i try 112/75 something goes bad...i don't know if it's the card or the shitty PC100 RAMs...because if i force the AGP speed to 1x (with some registry hacks from the utils section) it runs fine at 100 AGP (100 FSB, 1/1)...maybe you should try that...no problems with Quake either...

4. Soft shutdown issues...well, i read somewhere on this forum about a shutdown patch...maybe that's the solution...unfortunately i can't remeber where i've read about it...sorry...

5. If you run it at 115%, that's more like 145 core/193 memory...very close to max settings...nice...

Laterz...

[Barmaleus]

OOOOPS...i was a little late...sorry

[DataOrb]

Btw, if you are interested, my card model is:
G4+M4A32DG


------------------
"Excuse me for butting in, but I'm interrupt-driven..."
__________________________________________________ ____
Worstation Specs:
Asus P3B-F w/Celeron@680mhz
Matrox G400
IBM 'Pluto' 34Gb UDMA66 7200
Seagate U8 4.1gb Hdd,
SBlaster Live! Digital.
17" Mag InnoVision PrefectVision 770Ti TrinitronFR Monitor (Amazing VQ, the sharpest screen on the market).
Logitech MouseMan Wheel USB (on Everglide Giganta)
and Focus 127keys MM Keyboard.
HP SCSI Cd-Rw 7200Si
Aopen X48 Optical Disc Drive.
3Com NIc @ Tevel/3Com Cable Modem
Modded case, the "banshee". 6 fans.
3Com Palm IIIx + GoType + AxxPAC