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I've installed all three sets of drivers for the G400 and had stability
issues right from the start. The primary stability issues were Explorer
crashes and occasional BSOD entering or exiting any OpenGL application. No
problems in D3D.
Also, exit from standby would frequently crash the desktop. Although each
newer driver version was better the crashes continued. I've combed the
registry, removed all the Nvidia elements from the previous TNT2 Ultra card,
and the G400 has been set up perfectly. The crashes are definitely a driver
issue. This system was 100% rock stable before replacing a TNT2Ultra with
the G400MAX.
I noticed that on some non-fatal Explorer crashes, the memory range
reflected in the Windows dialog box describing the crash reflected a range
on memory used by the SBLive.
I found two things that, once changed, have totally eliminated the crashed.
1) Turn the DOS real mode SBLive driver off and rem out the driver in the
autoexec.bat file (slight improvement). 2) I found that having the
environmental audio effects turned on with the SBlive would also cause
crashes and various stability issues with the G400. Changing the setting to
"No Effects" made a huge improvement.
Once both these changes were made the crashes are 100% eliminated. The
system goes into and comes out of standby flawlessly and OpenGL, D3D, and
Windows business applications and games can be used all day with no
stability issues. This system is never turned off and I have actually gone
three days without a single crash, BSOD, or restart since arriving at the
current setup.
My system:
Asus P3b-F -Pentium 3 500 at 550 MHz
Lots of cooling... heat not an issue
G400M DH not overclocked (yet)
256 Megs Corsair 133 SDRAM
SB Live Value (with Livewire 2.1 update)
3Com 3c900XL (with newest "minimum install" drivers, 2/99 flavor)
Seagate Medallist Pro 7200 RPM 9.2 GB
Hitachi 2500 DVD CD-ROM
Winblows 98 (not SE)
G400 Performance in OpenGL
Quake 2 at 1024, 32 bit with the normal GL_ settings and vsynch off
Demo1.dm2 = 62 FPS
Crusher.dm2 = 37 FPS
Massive1.dm2 = 58 FPS
I don't miss the TNT2 performance numbers as much now...
TNT2 Ultra performance at 190 MHz core with the same Quake 2 settings
Demo1.dm2 = 80FPS
Crusher.dm2 = 54 FPS
Massive1.dm2 = 72 FPS
One more "good" driver improvement and the G400 will be right alongside the
TNT2 in performance in OpenGL... and equally as stable. Plus... at my normal
1280 x 1024 desktop resolution on a Sony 21" GDM-F500 monitor... I can
actually see things with the G400 that the TNT2 kind of fuzzied up.....
------------------
Bob Doran
Intel-AMD Products Dealer
Cyberdyne Systems
issues right from the start. The primary stability issues were Explorer
crashes and occasional BSOD entering or exiting any OpenGL application. No
problems in D3D.
Also, exit from standby would frequently crash the desktop. Although each
newer driver version was better the crashes continued. I've combed the
registry, removed all the Nvidia elements from the previous TNT2 Ultra card,
and the G400 has been set up perfectly. The crashes are definitely a driver
issue. This system was 100% rock stable before replacing a TNT2Ultra with
the G400MAX.
I noticed that on some non-fatal Explorer crashes, the memory range
reflected in the Windows dialog box describing the crash reflected a range
on memory used by the SBLive.
I found two things that, once changed, have totally eliminated the crashed.
1) Turn the DOS real mode SBLive driver off and rem out the driver in the
autoexec.bat file (slight improvement). 2) I found that having the
environmental audio effects turned on with the SBlive would also cause
crashes and various stability issues with the G400. Changing the setting to
"No Effects" made a huge improvement.
Once both these changes were made the crashes are 100% eliminated. The
system goes into and comes out of standby flawlessly and OpenGL, D3D, and
Windows business applications and games can be used all day with no
stability issues. This system is never turned off and I have actually gone
three days without a single crash, BSOD, or restart since arriving at the
current setup.
My system:
Asus P3b-F -Pentium 3 500 at 550 MHz
Lots of cooling... heat not an issue
G400M DH not overclocked (yet)
256 Megs Corsair 133 SDRAM
SB Live Value (with Livewire 2.1 update)
3Com 3c900XL (with newest "minimum install" drivers, 2/99 flavor)
Seagate Medallist Pro 7200 RPM 9.2 GB
Hitachi 2500 DVD CD-ROM
Winblows 98 (not SE)
G400 Performance in OpenGL
Quake 2 at 1024, 32 bit with the normal GL_ settings and vsynch off
Demo1.dm2 = 62 FPS
Crusher.dm2 = 37 FPS
Massive1.dm2 = 58 FPS
I don't miss the TNT2 performance numbers as much now...
TNT2 Ultra performance at 190 MHz core with the same Quake 2 settings
Demo1.dm2 = 80FPS
Crusher.dm2 = 54 FPS
Massive1.dm2 = 72 FPS
One more "good" driver improvement and the G400 will be right alongside the
TNT2 in performance in OpenGL... and equally as stable. Plus... at my normal
1280 x 1024 desktop resolution on a Sony 21" GDM-F500 monitor... I can
actually see things with the G400 that the TNT2 kind of fuzzied up.....
------------------
Bob Doran
Intel-AMD Products Dealer
Cyberdyne Systems
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