prob: nvidia GFX on a viaKT133

[Manoah]

System:

800mHz Athlon
via mainboard - GA-7ZX via KT133
256mb SDRAM (133mHz)
128mb Geforce 4 Ti4200 (MSI)
Creative labs 128 sound card (on-board)
Seagate Baracuda hard drive 7200rpm, 30gb
350W PSU


I just upgraded these things in my computer; new GFX card, new PSU, new speakers and ive
had some problems installing the via motherboard drivers. They seem to install fine, when i
restart it detects everything it should but then the display settings dont work properly.
The monitor and GFX card are functioning normally according to windows but i cant get colour
higher than 256 on 1024x768. It does allow 16bit colour in 640x480 but thats useless. The
system then becomes very unstable after installing the via drivers, it restarts when loading
windows, the monitor goes on standby and you can rarely get back into windows after the 1st
restart.

Another problem ive experienced before the upgrade is a 'cackle' in the speakers which has
gotten gradually worse over time. I first noticed it with warcraft 3; where it would go
off and on, but it happens in every game now almost all of the time. The strange thing is
it only happens in games, windows plays music fine.

I could use any help you guys can give me.
Thanx

 

[Crashman]

These are classic VIA chipset problems which are normally caused by using trash (VIA) for parts.

Well, at least the second problem is. The first problem could be a VIA problem or a user problem, depending on this-you must reinstall you video card drivers after reinstalling the chipset drivers. If you've already done that, it's no longer a user problem but a VIA problem.

The SB Live crackling problem is limited almost exclusively to VIA chipsets, the same chipsets that didn't like the Aureal SQ2500, Diamond MX300, Turtle Beach Montego II, and a few other sound cards. Some say it's an issue with bus parking, but since that problem doesn't occur with Intel chipsets even prior to bus parking, I think it's a problem with bus mastering. I've had serious problems configuring two or more bus mastering cards on a VIA chipset.

A lot of people defend VIA because they think of VIA as being on the AMD team in the war against Intel's dominance. But VIA is only out for themselves, they knew they had problems with their chipsets and therefore decided to target hobbyist instead of professionals, the same market AMD is mainly confined to.

Hopefully one of those more experienced hobbyist will be along to help you, as I have grown far too weary to spend hours diagnosing yet another one.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[phsstpok]

Ain't VIA chipsets fun!

If you are using Windows 9x/ME try <A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=faq&notfound=1&code=1" target="_new">this</A>. If you aren't then do the best you can. The key is clean install of Via chipset drivers followed by a reinstall of the nVidia drivers. Clean installs are best (see link) but do what you can. It should fix your graphics problem. Ran into it many times myself.

As for the sound problem. Not everybody seems to have it. There doesn't seem to be a permanent fix short of getting a different sound card. Don't know which ones work. (I use an old ISA Turtle Beach card but I would suggest this a solution).

I've heard that one possible workaround for the sound problem is to lower the sound card's output level, via the Windows volume control, and then use the speaker's volume control to make up the difference. This is supposed to improve the signal to noise levels thus producing less "cackle". It worked for my friend's Asus A7V and Creative Sound Blaster Live.

<b>I have so many cookies I now have a FAT problem!</b>

 

[Manoah]

it almost worked...
the directx unistall program isnt available for download but i used the others. it got onto the last screen just before getting into windows, the mouse appeared in the correct resolution, when a white box came up with a rundll error or something, had the option to close or ignore, pressed ignore and it crashed. after that i had the same problems as before.

 

[phsstpok]

OK. Here's the other fix for the resolution problem. Assuming you just finished the clean installs and haven't tried anything else yet. Use Display Properties to change the display adapter to "Standard PCI Graphics Adapter(VGA)". Be careful to select "Display all adapter drivers..." and also "Show all hardware". Otherwise Windows will go off on the auto hardware detection mode. When prompted to reboot you want to boot to safe mode. Use Device Manager and see what there are for installed display adapters. Delete all but the one labeled "Standard PCI Graphics Adapter(VGA)". Reboot the system. Windows may detect the Geforce card it may not. If it don't let it load the drivers. Just cancel out of everything. Once Windows boots load the nVidia drivers manually. I know it seems like deja vu but this time it will work. Everything will be the same. You even likely run into the resolution problem. However, this time when you change the resolution it will work.



<b>I have so many cookies I now have a FAT problem!</b>