G400 Max Problems

[SirJamesIII]

After reading through almost 6 months worth of posts on this site I decided to post my own problem and see if someone could help with it.
As many other people, I am having problems with my G400 max. At random times the screen fragments and horizontal lines begin to appear across the screen. Most of the responses to this problem dealt with IRQ's and such. I checked my IRQ's and sure enough my G400 is sharing an IRQ with my SoundBlaster AudioPCI 64V. They are sharing IRQ 11. Unfortunately, I have found that my sound card is not in a slot, but rather built into my motherboard. So I can't just move the soundcard to assign a new IRQ.

Does anyone know of any way that I can fix this?? Other than buying a new motherboard. I can't quite afford that yet.

I've contacted Matrox's support via email. But all they told me to do was to switch the slot that the soundcard was in. And haven't answered me since I told them I don't have a soundcard.

I'll post my IRQ's and system information just in case.

[IRQs]

0 System timer
1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
2 Programmable interrupt controller
3 U.S. Robotics 56K Voice Win
4 Communications Port (COM1)
6 Standard Floppy Disk Controller
7 Printer Port (LPT1)
8 System CMOS/real time clock
9 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI to USB Universal Host Controller
9 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
10 Realtek RTL8029 Ethernet Adapter and Compatibles
10 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11 Matrox Millennium G400 DualHead - English
11 Creative Sound Blaster AudioPCI 64V
11 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
12 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port
13 Numeric data processor
14 Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
14 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller
15 Secondary IDE controller (dual fifo)
15 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller
5 (free)


350 PII
128 MB Ram
Phoenix Bios - vs. 4.0 release 6.0

Please if anyone could help me I'd greatly appreciate it.

[Dennis]

Hi,

Try to disable you're onboard audio hardware with a jumper or in Bios, look in you're manual how to do it or disable you're audio hardware in windows in device manager so it's not longer using the IRQ from the G400.

Then look if you're problems are gone, then we have more info to go from there if it is really a IRQ conflict.

Dennis

[everettes]

Try running your desktop in 32 bit color and see if you get the lockups.


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PIII550, Tyan S1832DL, 256 PC100 ECC, 2940U2W, Seagte Cheetah, G400-32, PLextor 8\20, Plextor 40Max, Pioneer 303s, SBLive!, MS FFPro, Altec Lansing ACS-48, Sony CDP 520GS

[K4]

I don't know if this will help.

I have an Abit Bp6 with Awards Bios. In the PNP/PCI Config menu, there are two switches:

1. Assign IRQ for VGA : Enable
2. Assign IRQ for USB : Enable

With this setting, my BIOS would forced-assign IRQ 10 to my USB which my SCSI card would also share, with IRQ 11 free. So I disabled "Assign IRQ for USB" in the BIOS and then Windows can assign IRQ 11 to my USB. Solved!

I don't kno if Phonex Bios has similar option, if it does, disabling "Assign IRQ to VGA" may help in your case!

[DuRaNgO]

in your bios, set irq 11 to isa/legacy, tell me where it sends your g400 after that
jim

------------------
PIII-500mhz @ 620 ! with an Abit BE6 mobo
128mb pc-100
Mill G400 (YAHOO!!!) 32mb @ 165/205 with MGATweak), PD 5.30 & bios 1.5-22
Maxtor 14.3 gb Uata66 hdd
SB Live!
Winblows 98se & DX7
32 lbs. of fans, heatsinks and aluminum ductwork
3DMark Result 5954.69 3DMarks
Synthetic CPU 3D Speed 9325.69 CPU 3DMarks
Rasterizer Score 2791.72 3DRasterMarks
Game 1 - Race 65.07 FPS
Game 2 - First Person 54.89 FPS
Fill Rate 268.79 MTexels/s

[SirJamesIII]

Thanks so much for all the help so far. I went through each of your ideas and did what I could with them.

First off. I was able to disable my Audio in my bios. Once I did this, my IRQ's looked like this.

0 System timer
1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
2 Programmable interrupt controller
3 U.S. Robotics 56K Voice Win
4 (free)
5 (free)
6 Standard Floppy Disk Controller
7 (free)
8 System CMOS/real time clock
9 Matrox Millennium G400 DualHead - English
9 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI to USB Universal Host Controller
9 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
9 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
10 (free)
11 Realtek RTL8029 Ethernet Adapter and Compatibles
11 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
13 Numeric data processor
14 Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
14 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller
15 Secondary IDE controller (dual fifo)
15 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller

And I was unable to make the screen mess up. I tried doing all the things that used to make it mess up. Starting a saved game in Thief was a good one. About 1/8 times it would start correctly.

So, I'm pretty sure that the problem lies within the IRQ sharing. So I went into trying to get differing IRQ's with my soundcard and the G400.

I still cannot figure out how to do this. I am using the newest version of PhoenixBios. The only options I have for forcing IRQ's is the Available and Reserved (or something to that effect, can't remember the exact wording) I do have an option to limit IRQ sharing to 3 irqs, 2 irqs, 1 irq, or auto. However, anything but Auto just ends up putting more on the video/sound IRQ.

If anyone has any idea how I could force the IRQ for the AGP slot to differ from the IRQ for the integrated sound card, PLEASE help me, before I find out how far I can punt this card.

Thanks again for all the replies.

[Rimfaxe]

Hello.

I have had the same prob. myself.
I found that disable the "Plug and Pray aware OS" helped alot. If this does not help, try moving your PCI cards to an empty slot or just switch place.
There is also another setting in your BIOS, "Reset Configuration Data". Try Enabled and pray for M$ Bill:s Bless .


/Rimfaxe

[Joel]

The biggest problem is with the G400 sharing an IRQ. Get the G400 on an IRQ by itself and of 9 or higher. If you don't need USB or that second unused COM port try disabling them to free up some IRQs.

Joel