Bloody Nvidia !! HELP

Tutonic · November 02, 2002, 09:50:39 AM

What sort of crash is it?

Is it a "Send info to Micro$oft" crash, or the dreaded blue screen of death?

Any meaningful error messages?

JB · November 02, 2002, 10:00:45 AM

Little update, the card replaces my Geforce 2 GTS which was working fine.
My pc:-
Amd 1800XP
Sblive
Soltek 75kav MB
380Mb ram
Usb Fujitsu modem
Usb mouse
Xp pro os.

I'm using no other cards in pc, i've tried the manafacturers own drivers that came with the card, which were just default nvidia ones. I've tried latest drivers from Inno3d site, i've removed all previous drivers possible before rebooting and reinstalling new ones.
Got no conflicts in Pc and as there's nothing called Irq holder for pci steering in device manager.

Later today its going round a mates house to be thrashed in numerous games where it'll no doubt work just fine. :cry:

JB · November 02, 2002, 10:01:51 AM

Oh yeah btw when it crashes it just totally lokks up the PC, no blue screen, no error messages just a dead stop and any sound there was will be looping.
It does this within a second of any 3d graphics come on screen on all games/3d demos i've tried.

smilodon · November 02, 2002, 11:56:40 AM

Best advice is as suggested try it in another PC and then send it back for a replacement. If the new card still falls over then try some fixes etc as suggested.

I'm not aware of any issues specific to the GF4 that wouldn't also be a problem with the GF2, so you can discount loads of BIOS tweaks etc. The two things that come to mind are power supply and AGP apperture size.

To run a GF4 especially with a power hungry Athlon CPU, needs a fair bit of juice. A 300w power pack would a be ideal, a 250w should work but you could be getting into trouble with a 230w pack.

The problem might be with your AGP apperture size (although this usually manifests as a perfromance problem). The KT133 boards sometimes have a problem with running in AGP 2x or 4x. There are tweaks that can be done to fix the problem. Try running the card with AGP1x enabled. If it works Ok then you've found your problem. This problem also existed with the GForce 2 GTS Ultra, so if that card ran OK it suggests the GF3 should too ??

Testing in another PC would be a good idea. Of course if you test in another Athlon 1800XP - Soltek mobo PC you might get the exact same problem?

JB · November 02, 2002, 12:11:26 PM

Thats just the problem, my mate has the same MB and CPU just as me, but he uses win2k.
I got a 300w psu.

Anonymous · November 02, 2002, 12:58:41 PM

Set AGP Aperture to half of your fitted system memory. You have 380Mb so suggest you use Aperture of 128Mb (close enough).
Ensure that Video BIOS and Video RAM are NOT cached/shadowed in BIOS.
If you can set an option for AGP driving control in BIOS make sure it is set to "CC".
Get latest drivers for motherboard and use 30.82 drivers for Graphics card. Uninstall any existing Nvidia drivers using control panel. Delete all of the nv*.* files in your windows system folder. Delete the "HKLM/Software/NVIDIA Corporation" key in your registry. Reboot and let XP redetect the card. Use the 30.82 drivers which you have thoughtfully extracted to a folder on your hard disk :-)

If that doesn't work you may well have a faulty card.

Doorman · November 02, 2002, 01:16:34 PM

QuoteSet AGP Aperture to half of your fitted system memory. You have 380Mb so suggest you use Aperture of 128Mb (close enough).
Ensure that Video BIOS and Video RAM are NOT cached/shadowed in BIOS.
If you can set an option for AGP driving control in BIOS make sure it is set to "CC".
Get latest drivers for motherboard and use 30.82 drivers for Graphics card. Uninstall any existing Nvidia drivers using control panel. Delete all of the nv*.* files in your windows system folder. Delete the "HKLM/Software/NVIDIA Corporation" key in your registry. Reboot and let XP redetect the card. Use the 30.82 drivers which you have thoughtfully extracted to a folder on your hard disk :-)

If that doesn't work you may well have a faulty card.

Couldn't have put it better myself

JB · November 02, 2002, 02:37:39 PM

Well the card works fine in a mates PC who has exactly the same motherboard and cpu, only diffrence is he uses onboard sound, so i tried that but no change. He also uses win2k unlike my XP pro, so is it time for the win2k discs to some out do we think?

JB · November 02, 2002, 02:48:38 PM

Oh ffs, the day just gets worse. Now my second Hard drive has decided that its never been formatted, despite me using it for the last 2 years and it containing all my CS stuff, my downloaded music, films and all my passwords. :x

But on a lighter note, the chafing in my boxers has gone now i have them on the right way round and not back to front. 8O

Think i'll save my money and not put owt on lottery today.

Anonymous · November 02, 2002, 02:59:51 PM

Just noticed that windows update has an updated driver foor Nvidia (30.87 as opposed to 30.82)

albert · November 02, 2002, 04:33:40 PM

Send the bugger back and get one from //www.komplett.co.uk. A more well know make like Creative or Gainward e.g.

Gainward AGP GeForce4 Ti4200 64MB DDR, Â£112.05 which includes VAT and delivery.

Creative 3D Blaster GeForce4 Ti4200 64MB, Â£118.80 which includes VAT and delivery.

Where did you get the card you have and what was the price?

Your dilema is even getting me frustrated now, I hate faulty or tempremental hardware/ software, it's not right and shouldn't happen!

|:

Doorman · November 02, 2002, 05:59:40 PM

QuoteJust noticed that windows update has an updated driver foor Nvidia (30.87 as opposed to 30.82)

Being a 'latest drivers' hound, my ears pricked up at this. So off I went helter skelter to Update. Nahda! Nothing! Zilch!. Went to Nvidia's site and 30.82 is the latest. Where'd you get that?

JB · November 02, 2002, 06:09:16 PM

Right finally installed Win2k on my machine, only to remember that my D: drive (all my games) were missing. Funny thing is that it appears fine in dos, i can read it ok. Anyway, m'off to find a small 3d test routine.

This card cost me Â£119 which included Vat and delivery, and is also 128Mb unlike those u posted Albert.

Anonymous · November 02, 2002, 06:25:53 PM

Quote
QuoteJust noticed that windows update has an updated driver foor Nvidia (30.87 as opposed to 30.82)

Being a 'latest drivers' hound, my ears pricked up at this. So off I went helter skelter to Update. Nahda! Nothing! Zilch!. Went to Nvidia's site and 30.82 is the latest. Where'd you get that?[/b]

It is for WinXP. If you go to windowsupdate then it will appear as an option under driver updates.

TeaLeaf · November 02, 2002, 06:48:13 PM

QuoteBut on a lighter note, the chafing in my boxers has gone now i have them on the right way round and not back to front. 8O

ROTFLMAO - and it made my mother-in-law laugh heartily - she read it over my shoulder whilst I was guffawing 8O

GL with the system fix - you have my sympathy......

TL.