G450DH PCI, W2K/XP, DVDmax crashs

[ripclaw]

Hi, last weekend was hell as I spent most of it installing an deinstalling about a dozen different Matrox drivers.

The system:
Shuttle SV24 (FV24 motherboard)
Via C3 800A
256MB RAM
Realtek 100mbit, some onboard via soundchip

tried W2K SP2 and XP Pro both with the same results (fresh installs)

ACPI has been turned off (I also tried it turned on)
there are no IRQ conflicts
the card uses IRQ 10
its the only PCI card inside

The problem:
with the 5.3x drivers: I get Clone and DVDmax to work. However, the system crashes for no reason now and then. I just have to sit and watch it reboot. It simply resets.

with 5.5 drivers: Clone works, DVDmax aint. See 5.7

with 5.7x drivers: System runs stable, Clone works, but whenever DVDmax starts, it produces garbage on the TV screen. The video will run for some seconds (on the main screen, not TV) and then the whole system hangs up. Only a cold reset will restart it.

This is what it looks like when DVDmax starts:

http://ripclaw.free.fr/matrox/MVC00002.JPG

http://ripclaw.free.fr/matrox/MVC00003.JPG

Short after the whole system crashs.

Any ideas please? I bought this card so I would have a good tv-out for videos and now I cant use it for that at all!!

Michael

[dZeus]

just out of curiousity: what does OpenGL do?

both OpenGL and DVD-MAX use busmastering, and maybe there's something going on with the busmastering on your system?

Check which PCI/AGP slots on your motherboard share hardware IRQ channels. Make sure the one your AGP slot uses isn't used by another PCI card (most often IRQ #A).

Also make sure you install the chipset drivers for your motherboard. (in case of the SV24 you need to install the VIA 4-in-1 drivers (though the IDE drivers are not needed).

I noticed your motherboard has integrated AGP graphics. To get DVD-MAX to work, you need to set the PCI card to be primary in the BIOS.

btw. you bought the G450 PCI, which Matrox explicitely states for that DVD-MAX and OpenGL (busmastering) aren't guaranteed to work on non-Intel chipsets (which you've got). So there is a chance that it won't work whatever you try. Though first there is some stuff to try before you give up

[Maggi]

Hi ripclaw,

I hate to say it, but I fear you're trapped ...


From Matrox's FAQ:

http://forum.matrox.com/mgaforum/Forum15/HTML/000008.html

Topic: Does the G450 PCI support bus-mastering for non-Intel chipsets?

Answer: For non-Intel chipsets, the G450 PCI does not support bus-mastering. While this lowers performance on synthetic benchmarks, it does not hinder the everyday usability of the card. Additionally, for the combination of G450 PCI and non-Intel chipsets, Open-GL acceleration and DVDMax are not supported.
Matrox has identified certain instabilities when bus-mastering is activated on the combination of non-Intel chipset and the PCI version of the Millennium G450 series (model number G45+MDHP16DB).

http://forum.matrox.com/mgaforum/Forum15/HTML/000010.html

Topic: Will bus-mastering ever be supported with the G450 PCI cards and non-Intel chipsets?

Answer: Matrox does not foresee much demand for PCI graphics products for systems with non-Intel chipsets. If Matrox releases a new version of the Millennium G450 PCI with support for such chipsets, this new version will have a different part number and its features will be clearly highlighted.

Cheers,
Maggi

PS: Welcome to the forums of MURC !

[ripclaw]

Problem solved...sort of

Well, I sold the machine (SV24), so this problem is sort of, well, solved....

Thanks for your help, however!