Announcement

**paulcs** · 12 October 1999, 21:09

I'm beginning to feel like the proverbial broken record. Please post your system specs. And maybe your friend's. There are quite a few, very fixable issues related to certain hardware configurations. Also, tell us what drivers you're using.

I've never heard of anyone losing data from a video board install. What went on there?

Also, you hold a unique place in Matrox corporate history as the first person to accuse them of rushing anything.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

**GinoCyber** · 12 October 1999, 21:17

Please post your system specs, scratch, Please post your system specs, scratch, Please post your system specs, scratch, Please post your system specs, scratch, Please post your system specs, scratch, Please post your system specs, scratch,

I agree with Paul. Matrox are slow as molasses when it comes to releasing anything.
But the lastest drivers getting released on time looked impressive

Ciao

**Paul Taylor** · 12 October 1999, 21:36

Sorry I meant to give the spec:-

My system :
P2-350 w/128 Mb PC100 SDRAM (yes I know its underpowered for a G400MAX!!)
Abit BX6 (revision 1)
SBLive Value
G400 drivers: version 5.30
DirectX 7

My friend system is :
P2-450 w/192Mb PC100 SDRAM
Gigabyte BX based Motherboard (sorry dont know model/version)
Nobrand Aureal based sound card
G400 drivers: version 5.30
DirectX 7

Well I've solved the problem of the corrupted DVDMax (and maybe the lockups), something had turned off the "Allocate IRQ for VGA" in the BIOS.
But I am still getting evidence (corrupted files) of HD transfers being corrupted (read are ok but writes are sometimes getting corrupted). It is not a problem with my HD controller as when the card is removed and replace with my old G200 the corruption does not occur.

------------------
"Sleep, Oh how I loathe those little slices of death..."

**paulcs** · 12 October 1999, 21:55

You have an Abit motherboard and a Soundblaster Live soundcard, two devices that have been known to cause problems with the G400, although none that I know of that are quite as severe as yours. I'll leave the data loss issue for the more technically adept on this forum.

Make sure your G400 is not sharing an IRQ with anything. Including your ACPI controller. (This may not show up in Windows.)

Also, a number of people have had problems with seating the G400 in the AGP slot of Abit motherboards. Try reinstalling it. Ant has posted a lot of information about this on his news page.

There have been conflicts with the Soundblaster Live and G400 drivers. These tend to be corrected by updating to the SB Live's latest drivers.

Your data loss problem is about as serious an issue as you can have. I'm speculating, but maybe you're having a motherboard or hard drive problem.

Good luck.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[This message has been edited by paulcs (edited 13 October 1999).]

**Strider** · 13 October 1999, 10:17

I can't see how a video card can directly cause data corruption. However, having the card in the system might cause something else to change which leads to the corruption.
You mentioned that this problem does not happen with the G200. What are the IRQ assignments for all the devices when you have the G400 in there vs the G200? Does the IRQ assignment get switched around when going from one card to the other?

**Paul Taylor** · 13 October 1999, 12:37

My SBLive is on IRQ 10, and the G400 is on IRQ 11.
When the G200 is installed it uses the same IRQ as the G400 does when installed (IRQ 11).
Both devices are not sharing their IRQ with any other device, but they are both shared with the useless "Holder for IRQ steering".
I would have thought IRQ steering would not be needed (seeing as not sharing is used) but windows insists on using it.
I have tried manually turning IRQ steering off but it appears to have no effect at all (ie still getting corruption).

------------------
"Sleep, Oh how I loathe those little slices of death..."

[This message has been edited by Paul Taylor (edited 13 October 1999).]

**The Rock** · 13 October 1999, 13:16

Paul Taylor:

There's no way in hell you can blame data corruption and loss on a video card. I've been building PCs for 11 years and THAT would be a first. That SB Live is a bug-riddled piece of pure filth; THROW IT AWAY. Everyone who buys an SB Live has problems regardless of video cards; I've spoken to ATI Rage 128/TNT2/G400/S3 users who have ALL had problems with that godforsaken piece of shit. Creative Labs fell flat on their faces with that one. There have also been reported problems with that Abit board and the G400.

------------------
The Rock
"Discourage incest - ban country music NOW!"

System:
P2 350 /w Asus P2B /w 128 Meg PC100 SDRAM
17.2Gig Maxtor DiamondMax HD + 6.4Gig Fujitsu HD
Matrox G400 32Meg + SB PCI 128 Sound
Modem Blaster 56K Modem + Panasonic 2x/4x SCSI Toaster + 32X CD-ROM

**Paul Taylor** · 13 October 1999, 13:28

You can stick your unhelpful suggestion up the darkest hole you posess!

Why would a soundcard be more likely to do damage than a videocard??? I myself have built a large number of PCs and ANY card can cause problems (sound, LAN & YES, VIDEOCARDS), usually something to do with memory addresses or conflicting IRQ numbers!
However there is no evidence of either on this system!!

The SBLive has nothing to do with it, same thing occurs with it taken out!!

What is your problem againt the SBLive I have NEVER had a problem concerning this card, it is one of the best(for non-professionals atleast) cards EVER made and its a FAR better card than your PCI 128!!

------------------
"Sleep, Oh how I loathe those little slices of death..."

[This message has been edited by Paul Taylor (edited 13 October 1999).]

**The Rock** · 13 October 1999, 17:06

Paul Taylor:

My problem with the SB Live is that is a miserable piece of shit, based on many accounts from users (well documented ones too) about the SB Live causing MANY crashes in every game imaginable. This may be fixed by now with driver updates, but I've heard tons of issues (usually game-related crashes) coming from SB Live owners. Obviously you didn't read my post carefully; I wasn't trying to say that the SB Live caused your data corruption, I just said it has been known to cause problems for lotsa folks. As for my SB 128, it does what I want it to do: makes noise when I shoot things. Relax man; drink less coffee and you'll live longer.

------------------
The Rock
"Discourage incest - ban country music NOW!"

System:
P2 350 /w Asus P2B /w 128 Meg PC100 SDRAM
17.2Gig Maxtor DiamondMax HD + 6.4Gig Fujitsu HD
Matrox G400 32Meg + SB PCI 128 Sound
Modem Blaster 56K Modem + Panasonic 2x/4x SCSI Toaster + 32X CD-ROM

**Paul Taylor** · 13 October 1999, 20:00

Well sorry if I sounded a little harsh, but this is problem is really starting to p*ss me off (you couldn't you tell?? :-) ).

You have obviously seen a different side of the SBLive (never had any cause for concern with it).
Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this issue, it aint the SBLive (this time! <G>).

------------------
"Sleep, Oh how I loathe those little slices of death..."

**motub** · 13 October 1999, 20:47

Excuse me, Paul, there's no need to be rude...!

Apparently this SB thing is quite real and so is the Abit problem... maybe you haven't been keeping up, so here's a few links (by no means comprehensive, I'm neither an Abit nor a SB Live user, as you can see)...
http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/005078.html
http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/004628.html
http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/004606.html
http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/004853.html
http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/005202.html

It seems to me that if someone who has built PCs for 11 years says that this rather heavily posted HW problem is not confined to a conflict with Matrox boards, but crosses all manufacturer's lines, then maybe he's on to something... and spitting at him might not be the wisest course of action...

Just my opinion...
------------------
Holly

What? System specs? Oh, yes, right...well, at the moment, it's: Soyo 5EMA, K6-2 333, 256MB PC100 SDRAM, Maxtor 7GB HDD, LS-120, Promise Ultra33 EIDE controller, Diamond Monster Sound MX300, HP 8100i CD-RW, Hi-Val (Nakamichi) 16X 5-disk CD changer, Win98 +SR1...oh yeah, and a Millennium G200 8MB SGRAM.

[This message has been edited by motub (edited 14 October 1999).]

**Paul Taylor** · 13 October 1999, 21:03

Look, I've apologised to "The Rock", I myself also have considerable experience of building PCs, but I can't see the problem being (just) down to the Abit motherboard.

As mentioned earlier my friend has neither a Abit Motherboard or SBlive and he is having the same problem with data corruption!!

Maybe he is unlucky to get another brand that is incompatible with the G400!!
Whatever is causing the problems (regardless or whatever hardware) the problem comes down to one thing, the G400 is doing (or not) something that the motherboards dont like, motherboards that MANY other card have no (or very little problems with).
The issues (not just my own) is down to Matrox and no-one else and yes I do realise that no card is without fault and and that they cannot be expected to work 100% in all hardware combinations, but the G400 is causing a LOT of problems for a LOT of people, more so than MANY competitors cards!

------------------
"Sleep, Oh how I loathe those little slices of death..."

[This message has been edited by Paul Taylor (edited 14 October 1999).]

[This message has been edited by Paul Taylor (edited 14 October 1999).]

**Rags** · 13 October 1999, 21:06

Man, I thought you were maybe a bit confused when I read your first posts. But, Paul with this one, you are COMPLETELY off your rocker!!!!

Rags

**Cmag** · 13 October 1999, 21:13

Rock,

You know, the funny thing is, is that I had a SB PCI 128, and I though that IT was the biggest piece of shit ever made. We all have our own opinions of hardware, and they will never exactally match. For me, the move to the SB Live Value was a GIANT step up from the 128. I don't think that bashing people around with your personal views on hardware is going to help anyone. And as for the statement "Everyone who buys an SB Live has problems regardless of video cards." well that's just a joke. I am one person who hasn't had ANY. I appreciate the fact that you have had plenty of computer related experience, but there are lots of us that have. So please, don't treat us like a bunch of little children and force you opinions down our throats. We can formulate them for ourselves.

Cmag

Announcement

G400 rushed to market?

G400 rushed to market?

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment