bardoksan

I need some help with installing Nvidia drivers. I have posted here before(danleff), so I'm not going into what all of my specs are. Suffice it to say that I'm trying to install the drivers for a EVGA 7950GT card on Mandriva Powerpack+ 2007. I have read the install instuctions on Nvidia's website, but I can't get it to work. I downloaded the driver from their site and followed the instuctions as best as I could, but I can't figure out how to turn off X and run the install as root and then to turn X on again. Everytime I try it gives an error saying that X can't be running or that I have to run the install as root. I did do this same thing a few years ago, successfully, but for the life of me I can't recall how I did it. The main reason I want ot do this is so I can turn on the 3D Compiz desktop features. It would be SO much easier if they would just have the drivers in RPM format so that anyone could install them.

I've been looking at the 8500GT video cards, and in all of the pictures of all the cards, I don't see a secondary power supply port. Do these cards not require a secondary power supply?? I was thinking of getting a second 7950GT so that I can use SLI, but one 7950GT is $200 and two 8500GT cards would be about $200 also. I know that the 7950GT have a 6 pin power plug, so I was also going to get the Thermaltake 250watt power supply for video cards, and thats another $50. I also compared the specs between the two and it seems that the only thing that the 8500's have that the 7950 doesn't is the ability to run direct X 10 (which is no use to me). So the 8500's are cheaper, especially if they don't need secondary power, but the 7950's have better specs. WTF??

Since nobody else has replied to this, I'll reply to myself. I did some searching and have found that indeed some of the new lower end 8500's and 8600's do not require a secondary power source, all their power is through the bus.

I am trying to install the Nvidia display drivers for Kubuntu 7.04 and it keeps giving me an error message saying the authentication method is not available. I am trying to install as root in the console with x turned off. I get the error when I type su to log in as root. Telinit 3 will only work if I'm root as well. I also tried to create a user account that was just root and use that password, but I get the same error message. This method has worked for me in the past using Mandriva, but is Kubuntu different being Debian based?

Thanks again danleff, again your advice is right on the money. I got the Nvidia drivers, compiz and openGL to work. I thought it might have installed incorrectly at first, because all of the title bars disappeared and I couldn't click on the taskbar. Also the keyboard stopped working. But a quick reboot fixed all that and got the 3D desktop working. Is this all you do all day? Hand out great advice?

Yes, and thank you once again. Everything went smoothly, and I now have the right video drivers for Mandriva. The only odd thing is that now the refresh rate for my monitor is at 52Hz, with the options of 50Hz and 51Hz. It should be at 60Hz, but it seems to display everything just fine. So it's not really a problem as much as it's just kind of odd. I know that the next thing you'd suggest would to set the right monitor, but I tried that. My monitor isn't one of the ones listed under the manufacturer list(all of the ones in the list are 4x3 monitors and mine is a 16x9). So my only choice is the standard LCD 1440x900.

I tried to install Vista to a new partition along side of XP and Mandriva. I have 2 160GB drives in raid zero(120GB for XP and the rest for Vista) 1 250GB drive for files and 1 160GB drive for Linux. When I tried to install Vista it seems to go fine except when it reboots (although I thought it installed awfully fast) (and it does give the message at the top of the screen that it will reboot a number of times). When it reboots it goes directly into the safe mode menu. When I choose which safe mode, I tried them all, it again just reboots back into the safe mode menu. I do see, for a split second, a screen with the microsoft name and a progress bar just before it reboots itself. But it just goes into an endless reboot loop and Vista never loads. When I choose to go into XP, I can see all of the Vista files on that partition but the OS won't load.

I did a fresh install of Vista. I don't know what PowerISO is. My video card is an EVGA 7950GT 256MB PCI-E. And yes, I did run the installation advisor. The only things it said I would have to do was to download the latest drivers/installers for : Nero and Logitech webcam.

Well, I did it. I got Vista to install, finally. I had decided to format the unused(raw) partition on my raid drive to install Ubuntu on(Mandriva doesn't see my raid drives). After I finished formatting the partition in XP, I decided to try to install Vista on that partition instead, just on a whim. The first thing that I really changed was which raid to put the drives on. This motherboard had two, one from Gigabyte and one from Nvidia. My first attempt was on the Gigabyte, so I switched to the Nvidia raid. The difference between these two with the way Vista is concerned is that when I tried to install on the Gigabyte raid, I did have to install the drivers for the raid to be recognized. But after I switched the drive to the Nvidia raid, Vista recognized it before and raid drivers were installed. When I did install the Nvidia drivers, then Vista didn't recognize the raid drives. So I just restarted the install process and didn't install the raid drivers. Low and behold, praise be to Buddha, and with my fingers crossed just for good measure, I watched as Vista rebooted for the first time, and the install continued (and finished even) without going into safe mode. I am even writing this in Vista, who knew. So the three things I changed were: 1. I switched my drives to the Nvidia raid instead of Gigabyte. 2. I formatted the Vista partition in XP instead of letting Vista's installer do it. 3. I didn't use the raid drivers because Vista recognized the raid without them. Now it's not perfect. I have two things in the device manager which don't have working drivers. One is for a raid device (I think that the Gigabyte raid, not the one the drives are on), and the other is an unknown device ( that I think is the scanner part of my HP PSC printer). Also I can't get my Logitech webcam to work, even though the latest Vista divers are being used. And lastly the gameport that's part of the Audigy sound card doesn't work.

I have gotten advice from this forum before, and it was suggested that the order I should install should be XP, then Vista, then linux. When I say that Vista installs quickly, I mean that it finishes copying the files to the partition in 4 or 5 minutes and then does it's first reboot straight into safe mode. I only said that grub points to the both XP and Vista because after the failed attempt to install Vista, I then installed Mandriva. Grub doesn't really point to XP or Vista, it points to the partitions that they're on. The MBR is always on the same drive for all the OS's. The reason I installed them in the order I did is because of the bootloaders. I was told that Vista would overwrite the MBR but still point to the XP partition. When Mandriva installed, it too overwrites the MBR, but points to all three of the OS's. But again, linux isn't the problem because I got the reboot loop before linux was ever installed. All of my hard drives are in the same place as when I installed them. The only thing I changed was the two drives I had in RAID zero. I tried using the drives not in raid to see if raid was the problem, and if Vista wasn't recognizing the raid drivers. The primary boot drive has always been the RAID Zero drives, or the one when not in RAID. My system is as follows: Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-M59SLI-S5 CPU - AMD X2 5200+ RAM - Corsair XM2 DDR2 800, 2x1GB Dual Channel Video - EVGA Geforce7950GT PCI-E x16 256MB Power - Apevia BeastPower680w Sound - Audigy eX Platinum HDD - 2x WD160GB SATA2 (RAID Zero) Two 160GB partitions HDD - WD250GB SATA2 (storage) HDD - Maxtor 160GB PATA DVD - Samsung SH-S162L DVD Burner

I really don't think that the problem has anything to do with the bootloader. I've tried to install Vista on 4 different partitions, on 4 different hard drives. I even tried to do an upgrade on top of XP, which I didn't really want to do because of a compatibility problem with a mmorpg that I play. Both ways, upgrade and clean install, yielded a failed attempt to get vista up and running. At least when the upgrade didn't work, windows gave me the option to revert back to XP. I think that I just happened to get all new hardware that doesn't play well enough together to let Vista install right.

I really don't think that the problem has anything to do with the bootloader. I've tried to install Vista on 4 different partitions, on 4 different hard drives. I even tried to do an upgrade on top of XP, which I didn't really want to do because of a compatibility problem with a mmorpg that I play. Both ways, upgrade and clean install, yielded a failed attempt to get vista up and running. At least when the upgrade didn't work, windows gave me the option to revert back to XP. I think that I just happened to get all new hardware that doesn't play well enough together to let Vista install right.

I'm using grub, for the first time, usually Mandriva has used lilo. But this is the first time the 64bit version installed ok. But that's besides the point. The point is that vista won't boot after it installs(this is before linux is even installed). After I gave up trying to get vista to work, I then installed Mandriva powerpack 2007 64bit. Grub pointed to the partition with the MBR, which then the windows bootloader shows both xp and vista. Vista still just goes into the rebooting without loading thing.

I just built a new system with: Gigabyte M59SLI-S5 MB AMD X2 5200+ CPU 2GB Corsair XM2 DDR2 800 Ram EVGA 7950GT 256mb pci-e Video 2 WD 160GB SATA2 HDD (RAID zero) 1 WD 250GB SATA2 HDD (Storage) Samsung SH-S162L DVD-burner I installed XP without any problems. But when I tried to install linux, it just stopped. I tried Mandriva 2007 Powerpack+, 2007 Free, 2006 Free, One, Ubuntu 6.1.0(both 32 & 64 bit), Kubuntu 6.1.0 (both 32 & 64), Knoppix(not sure what version), and they all just stopped. The Knoppix and Ubuntu gave a vague error about the kernel not being able to load because of APIC or AIPC. I went into the bios and tried to disable that, but I couldn't find it. I mainly use Linux for the internet and listening to my music, I just don't trust XP enough to surf the net. I was thinking that maybe the MB chipset wasn't supported(590SLI). Any other ideas or help would be great.

Thanks for the info, I finally got it to install. It just took me a few tries to figure out which drive had the master boot record for the grub bootloader to install to.

I am in the process of building a new system an I plan to have my video cards in SLI mode. My question is this: Do both card have to be exactly identical? I know that the have to be the same manufacturer and the same chipset. But do they have to have the same amount of memory? I have an evga 7950GT 256mb ordered, and I just saw the same card but with 512mb and I wanted to know if the two could be used together.

Will this mean that I have to buy a third party partition utility the get the two different versions of Windoze installed? I always installed Windoze before Linux bucause Linux has it's own bootloader (I prefer LILO over GRUB), and it has the windoze partitions as an option. Also, can I have 2 HDD in raid zero as one drive (C:), and 2 other HDD in raid zero as another drive (D:)?

Here's another thing I was wondering about (and it has nothing to do with SLI): The version of Vista I purchased is for "system builders" and I know that I can't reinstall it if I get a whole new system. But will Vista consider various upgrades as a new system, and therefore disable itself. For example: if I, down the road, decide to change out my video cards and processor, will Vista shut down (thinking it's a different computer)? The only reason I got this version of vista was because it was only $10 more than a new XP disc. I don't want to get stuck with a dead OS in a year or so, just because I wanted an upgrade. And I won't be stuck with a dead computer, as long as I use linux (a real OS). I just wont be able to play City of Heroes (I've tried to use Cedega in linux to play COH, but I couldn't get it to work right).

Being that I'm on the east coast, there are no Fry's around here. I guess it's equal would be CompUSA, so I will see if they carry the Thermaltake W0099. I just checked CompUSA. They carry it but they want $69.99 for it. It's cheaper online.

Like I had said, I have spent more than I ever thought I would, but I have to agree that it's better if I play it safe and get one. I did happen across one at tigerdirect.com for $45, so I'll get it when I order the last few parts I need to finish this project.

I just looked at the Thermaltake W0099, and I just might look into getting one for myself. I just priced it at newegg.com for $56, but they're out of them for now. Do you really think I would NEED it when my 680w PS is brand new, and I don't really ever put too much of a load on my systems. I mostly do internet surfing and listening to tunes on my computer. The only game I play on a regular basis is City of Heroes and City of Villians. Most places, as far as I can recall, say that a SLI system needs a 550w PS or higher. Last I checked 680 is higher than 550. I know "better safe than sorry", but that's just more $ on this upgrade. I've already spent more than I ever planned to.

I just came across info on nVidia's web site that says that the two SLI video cards can have different amounts of memory. The only requirement is that the gpu's be the same. They even say that an overclocked gpu will work with a non overclocked gpu, but that the oc'd card will be stepped down to the speed of the non-oc'd card. Bardok San http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_diy_videoguide01.html

Thanks for all the info. I'm just trying to keep my upgrade as painless as possible by doing the research beforehand, and asking the people who would know. That's how I learned most of the information about computers to begin with, by asking. Bardok San My Upgrade should be: GIGABYTE GA-M59SLI-S5 Socket AM2 AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ 2.60GHz (1)EVGA GeForce 7950 GT 256MB (1)XFX PVT71JUHF4 GeForce 7950GT 256MB (2) Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600JSRTL 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA (RAID 0) CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit APEVIA ATX-AS680W-BL ATX12V / EPS12V 680W Power Supply SAMSUNG 16X DVD±R DVD Burner With 5X DVD-RAM Write and LightScribe Creative Audigy Platinum eX Sound Card(Linux doesn't like X-Fi) Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Mandriva Linux 2007 Powerpack

Here's another SLI question: Does windows, or linux for that matter, recognize two SLI cards as one? Kind of like two hard drives in raid mode.

How would I be able to tell what the frame buffer size is, or is that the amount of video ram.