GeForce 4 MX440 + VIA KT133(A) = Problems?!

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Guest

Guest
Hi,
I tried a couple of newly bought GeForce 4 MX440 video cards. These cards have a definite problem with VIA KT133(A) chipset based motherboards. I tried them on two motherboards one with KT133A and the other with KT133. On the first one none of them booted and on the second one only one (gainward) booted with a garbled output. On the other hand they all work fine on an Intel motherboard. Has anyone else tested G4MX cards with these KT133 boards? I tried three G4 cards of two different brands and from 2 different sources and they show the same problem. So it is surely not a coincidence or a problem with one card only. Other cards like Radeon and GF2MX, SiS etc work fine on these boards. There is definite issue with G4 and KT133. Or at least with the FIC based KT133 boards that I have.

Following is the configuration I tried with -
Motherboard 1:
VIA KT133A chipset FIC AZ11EA brand motherboard
Athlon XP 1800+ CPU, 1GB PC133 SDRAM, 40+60GB Maxtor HDD
SB Live!5.1, Realtek N/W card

Motherboard 2:
VIA KT133 chipset FIC AZ11E brand motherboard
Athlon 1.3 GHz CPU, 384 MB PC100 SDRAM, 20GB WD HDD
Realtek N/W card, Trendnet WinModem

The Intel board I tried was on a standard Dell Precision 220 Workstation.

The cards I used were Leadtek and Gainward G4MX440 ones

I hope some other folks out there can verify this. Its a shame that they didn't do a good job of compatbility testing. Also most of the reviewers seem to use only high end VIAKT266A based boards.
I'd warn anyone with a KT133 based board to think seriously and do some testing before buying a G4MX based video card.

Thanks,
WhoDaresWins


Who Dares Wins!
 
G

Guest

Guest
I am having problems booting as well, I did a clean install a few days back and when I install the GF4's driver my computer reboots after loading xp screen. Windows than has to go back to last known conifg as it cannot boot.

MSI K7T Pro2-A (MS-6330)
AMD Thunderbird 1200 MHz
1x Kingston pc133 512MB
2x Kingston pc133 256MB
Maxtor ATA100 40GB
Maxtor ATA66 20GB
Acer DVD-Rom 12x
Acer 52x CD-Rom
Buslink 16x/10x/40x CD-RW
Geforce 4 Mx 440 64 MB
Sound Blaster Live
Realtek RTL ethernet
Promise Tech INC Ultra 66 IDE
Wintech 400w PS

Windows Xp Pro
BIOS v 3.3
 

rcf84

Splendid
Dec 31, 2007
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I hope your not planning using a GF4 MX and lorddusty i feel sorry for because your using one.

THGC, saving 1 pc user from buying a GeForce4 MX at a time.
 
G

Guest

Guest
You know of another card that supports two crt's for around 175$? if so i am open to new suggestions. Oops... and before i forget, i tried my card out on a friends asus mobo and guess what... works fine, so i am definitally thinking this is Via's fault.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by lorddusty on 02/22/02 06:27 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
 

Helpmostimes

Distinguished
Feb 20, 2001
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18,680
Well i called FIC the other day on this subject.It seems you have to install the pro drivers,right after you install windows (excsept for XP).Even before you install any drivers.Seems you have to do this on All Via 133s.No matter who makes it.Seems if you install the PRO drivers first,you are building on them.Where if you install them after,It sets up.Not allowing you to put new Cards,except what brands you are using.Which makes sence.Since i can put any voodoo card in without a glich.Ive had 2 nvidia cards.Gforce2mx400,and the new 1 i got,Gforce2TI500 Golden series Dont install.They also said that A lot of the new Gforce cards are not tested on FIC mobo's.Or recomended..
 
G

Guest

Guest
I have a Tyan Trinity K7 motherboard with a Slot A Athlon 750mhz which uses the VIA KX133 chipset. I'm running XP Home Edition with a clean install. I have a hercules GeForce2 card that works great. But for some reason when I tried using a PNY GeForce3 Titanium or the GeForce4 MX440 PNY card my system locks up. The GeForce3 card takes at least until I do something graphical to lock up.. including just browsing the web. The GeForce4 card locks up as soon as windows starts to load. I noticed a tiny colored pixel in the top left of my screen when the GeForce4 locked up. Before when I tried to get the GeForce3 card to work I did absolutely everything, upgrading powersupply, setting every possible bios setting imaginable, you name it. There was only one situation where I got the GeForce3 card to work and that was when I pulled out every single PCI card in my system. If I so much as put a NIC card in.. it would lock up.. but with no PCI cards in my system I could run the chameleon color changing 3D demo and the GeForce3 wouldnt lock up. I wasnt about to pull out all my crap to see if the GeForce4 would work.. probably wouldnt. Is all of this just because PNY is crap? Should I try a hercules GeForce3 card? Or is this a chipset/motherboard problem?

I have 384 MB Ram so thats not the problem, I'd hame all of my pci cards but like i said it crashes if I put just a NIC card in (tried 3 kinds) and if even I put just my pci soundcard in.

I updated my VIA chipset drivers, USB Filter driver, tried Nvidia drivers.. you name a version and I tried it, the PNY drivers that came on the cd, I have the latest bios version for my motherboard. And as I said before I tried every single bios setting you can think of, and I have just about any setting available that you can think of.
 

rcf84

Splendid
Dec 31, 2007
3,694
0
22,780
Yeah, its called the Radeon 8500 Retail. Seems to support 2 crt monitor and it costs $160 and it alot faster then a GeForce 4 MX.

THGC, saving 1 pc user from buying a GeForce4 MX at a time.
 

AMD_Man

Splendid
Jul 3, 2001
7,376
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25,780
Troll! Stop advertising ATI! There's a fine line between liking a product and trolling about it and you're crossing it.

P.S. Don't take this the wrong way, but you're asking for trouble from nVidia fans by always recommending the Radeon 8500. Keep an open mind.

AMD technology + Intel technology = Intel/AMD Pentathlon IV; the <b>ULTIMATE</b> PC processor