G400 Max and AGP 4x

[waldo22]

Is there some reason that the G400 Max is COMPLETELY unstable at AGP 4x?

It defaults to 1x, works fine at 2x, but corrupts after about 3 min. at 4x.

Any clues?

Am I just a moron who doesn't know that the g400 is only supposed to run at AGP 2x?

sorry, but I am a naive Murc-er

Wes

[J1NG]

Okay....

If I remember correctly only certain G400's (MAX only? I can't remember) can run at 4x AGP. The only way to ID your card is capable of 4x AGP is (I think) it had something to do with a + at the end of the id number or something like that. Anyway, if your card can't do 4x AGP it's safe to assume it's not capable of running at 4x, even with cooling and what not. SO I wouldn't push it too much.

Then again, it might even be other components in your system that's buggin out. I mean, here I am with a 56k connection, barely able to go faster than 44000bps download, and now I've got 115.2 for absolutely no reason, just because I'm running Win2k. (Oh, I haven't managed to get the HW DVD module going yet.) Life's great isnt it?

J1NG

[Wulfman]

4x? 1x...

I am not able to run my card at 2x - every game crashs within seconds if I am using something above 1x...

g400 dh (non max)

mfg
wulfman

[waldo22]

modems and HW DVD's

Hi,

just a comment about your modem and the DVD thingy...

The modem speed is a bug in win2k... you aren't really getting 115,000 (unfortunately

The HW dvd module is another story. I have it also, and Matrox does not support it AT ALL in Win2K. This really makes me angry.

In my opinion, however, and this is just my opinion, it is capable of working in Win2k and all it needs is support from a DVD player app.

I THINK cinemaster for win2k (cinemaster 99 or 2000) has native support for this decoder card, but I am not sure. I am waiting for a response from them.

I do know that it shows up as an "add-on" in my drivers, so hopefully if the Cinemaster supports it, it will work! We will see.

BTW the DVD module uses Zoran's Vaddis III chipset, version ZR36700. (just in case that helps some good programmer write a driver for it

Wes

[J1NG]

The modem speed is a bug in win2k... you aren't really getting 115,000 (unfortunately

Really? I got a 10/9kbps download tho... Feels like 115.2 to me Don't ask how it's done, all I know it's a 115 connection all of a sudden! (Backed with the download of around 10-9kbps download as prrof of course ) Although I only get it in like a few hundred connections

Anyway, as for the HW DVD in Win2k. I've just installed Win2k (as if you didn't know ) and I've tried Cinemaster 2000 (which works with the module in Win9x) and have had no joy. What's really needed is the Zoran DVD software to install in Win2k and then it'll work. (Theoritically) Unfortunately I can't get the damn thing to install in Win2k.

Good luck in your hunt for a solution tho.

J1NG

[Rags]

Originally posted by J1NG


Really? I got a 10/9kbps download tho... Feels like 115.2 to me Don't ask how it's done, all I know it's a 115 connection all of a sudden! (Backed with the download of around 10-9kbps download as prrof of course ) Although I only get it in like a few hundred connections

Anyway, as for the HW DVD in Win2k. I've just installed Win2k (as if you didn't know ) and I've tried Cinemaster 2000 (which works with the module in Win9x) and have had no joy. What's really needed is the Zoran DVD software to install in Win2k and then it'll work. (Theoritically) Unfortunately I can't get the damn thing to install in Win2k.

Good luck in your hunt for a solution tho.

J1NG

It's called the placebo effect.

Rags

[omegaRED]

Placebo Effect?

Huh? He said he actually did d/l 10kbps to prove it ... surely you cant confuse 4.5K/s with 10K/s? J1NG, how did you test the transfer rate?

Not that i believe it, mind you ... i wish i`d have those transfer rates, yet getting them on a 56K modem is impossible. Point.

edit: I wish i could convince myself i`m not lagging about 350ms while playing UT online ... yet firing a rocket, running ahead and then after a while getting hit by that same rocket convinces me i must be lagging ... unfortunately, it seems that i`m not affected by the Placebo effect ...

[J1NG]

Haha

It's called the placebo effect.

Wonder if it'll work with turning my G200 PCI into a G800 when I overclock it?

.
.
.
.
.
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Mmmm..... Nope. Didnt work

J1NG
Though I wish it WOULD work
Unfortunate that the Placebo effect doesn't work with me... too realistic a person

[J1NG]

I downloaded images...

As the title, I downloaded images. Art images... (No really ) Anyway, the images are my own work I put up on some site. Haven't accessed them in months. Accessed the site and got the image in 20-30 odd seconds. The images are about 250k to 350k in size. I then downloaded some backup files averaging 1.1MB, taking a under two minutes for each file.

Was I under the influence of Placedo effect? I dunno, but those download times were SWEET

As I said, I've only every encountered this every few hundred connections and then most of the time I get disconnected from my ISP inside a minute. (Probably didn't want me having 2x56k for the price of 1 )

J1NG
Wondering how he can change his G200 into the G800...

[Goc]

Just a little comment on the AGP4X question...
Early G400 boards were AGP2X only (including MAX), but after a few months Matrox started releasing AGP 4X boards that can be recognized if you look at the sticker on the board on the opposite side from where the chip, and all the stuff is... if your part number looks like G4+MMDH4A32GR then you own a G400 MAX that is AGP4X compatible, but if you owned a MAX that is only AGP2X the number would look like this: G4+MMDHA32GR. Notice how 4 is missing in the middle. Well that goes for any G400 board. Look for a 4 between H and A... If it's there than you own a AGP 4X capable board, if it is missing - tough luck, pal!

[waldo22]

more modems

First of all, Thanks Goc for the 4x Answer. I'll check to see which one it is.

All I know is that the first time I ran the "official" matrox tweak util, It said current AGP 1x, chip maximum is 4x, and so I changed it to 4x. All hell broke loose. System locked up every 5 min or so. Changed back to 2x and everything is fine, but from then on 4x was not available as a selection. Go figure. Apparently, it worked at 4x for a little while, and I use the term "worked" loosely.

They advertise it as a 4x board, then by God, it should work at 4x.

I want my money back. I didn't buy a MAX for nothing.

Jing-- (just a chance to show off a bit )

-a telephone line samples your voice 8,000 times per second (8KHz). each sample is 8 bits of data.

- 8 bits/sample * 8,000 samples/second = 64K bits/second

That means it is impossible to get better than 64 Kb on a line, because that is the best it can even get to the Telco's switches.

(unless someone has invented a new compression technology that DOUBLES the rate)

Sounds great.

Microsoft Windows and Explorer have been known to miscalculate download speeds. I'm sure it says 9KB/sec but I think it is probably just wrong.

My 1.5 Mb DSL has been known to download at 280 KB/sec, which isn't right either. The ATM switches aren't set that high. Just a poor speed calculator from Microsoft.

I have seen the same thing with my El Cheapo software modems under win2K.

Finally, unfortunately Matrox will not supply us with a Zoran SoftDVD that works with NT or 2K. Oh well. It's a crappy player anyway.

Does Cinemaster work with 2000 at all, or just not using the HW module?

Let me know,

Wes

[J1NG]

Heh...

Yeah I know about the phone line capacity too, but I'm just returning what results I got. 9kbs no mistake...

EDIT: D'oh! I've just been told that the connection I was using in win2k was a shared leashed line So it looks like I made a complete fool of myself back there with the lines So, yeah 10/9kbps is right but the 56k line was a false alarm.

Anyway, on to your Cinemaster 2000 question. I can tell you that it WILL install and run, but not use the HW DVD Module... It'll only work in win9x.

J1NG
How embarrising, got electronics know how, computer know how, <B>communications</B> know how and I still manage to make a booboo of things... must be all these late nights I'm having...

[waldo22]

no worries

I'm sure I've done more bonehead things than you have....

[Venturer]

Waldo i have the same problem: Matrox G400MAX whit 4A in the S/N that doesn t work properly at 4x (system hangs after few minutes).
All i can say that isn t a Matrox related issue but a motherboard/chipset issue. Matroxs' techs have done tests and discovered that some motherboard (expetially VIA for ATHLON one) have serious electric instability to AGP slot.
I ve tried my G400MAX on an Intel i815 system and it works perfectly and rocks stable at 4x.
No way to work on my Abit KA7 (VIA KX133). Probably all ATHLON motherboards are affected by this issue to work at 4x whit G400MAX (It s confirmed even Abit KT7 and Asus A7V (VIA KT133 have the same instability). I hope that a future BIOS update will solve this!
By the way try to disable busmatering! It should became a little more stable at 4x!

MATROX RULEZ

[Goc]

AGP 4X works perfectly for me, but even if didn't I wouldn't worry. 4X and 2X is really no big difference, especially with a board that is 2 years old, and doesn't have the need for lots of AGP transfers, basically because it can't handle them because the board itself is to slow....
So just stick with AGP 2X, and don't worry...