5.13 drivers...A far fetched theory...

[JohnnyB 0]

Ok guys, I have been reading all the posts on people having trouble with Nvidias 5.13 drivers. I have a theory, and I may be WAY off base, but I have seen stranger things happen in Win2k. Please no flames, just a thought on the basis of everyones reports.

 

Here are some of the problems people have been claiming...

 

1) After 15 - 20 mins into a game,

computer locks up.

2) Some computers wont even bootup

3) Funny glitches on screen at desktop

4) Funny glitches on screen using browser

5) Improved framerates... (Yeah!)

6) Strange Colors (I.e. Screen is all pink and green

7) Colors are swapped (RGB -> BGR)

8) Games that worked before no longer work now

 

 

Some of you may see what Im getting at, just by reading the list. While no one mentions that they are overclocking their graphics cards, Is it possible that somehow these drivers are "Mistakenly" overclocking our cards? I dont know if the drivers can do that, but seeing how you can get a panel in our nvidia-control panel for overclocking, it obviusly can be done through the drivers.

 

 

This would explain the improved performance and all the above mentioned anamolies. Being that some cards have better chip yields for overclocking would also explain why some of us are having problems and some of us are not.

 

Like I said, I am coming from way left field with this and really do not have a total understanding of how the drivers interact with the actual clock speeds of our cards, but you must admit that these are all some the symptoms we get when we overclock our cards too much.

 

Lemme know what ya think...(Gently! Haha)

 

 

Johnny

[EddiE314 0]

though i truely doubt that the new drivers overclock the cards, it is very possible and your list of problems do backup your theory, i haven't used those particular drivers, but after reading your post, i am very curious as to what happens with my TNT with those...if they'll work with my TNT. I am going to shut down now and swap out my voodoo3 and put in my TNT right after I download those drivers. I'll get back to you with my opinions of the drivers and tell you if i have any of those problems on the list.

 

-EddiE314

 

[This message has been edited by EddiE314 (edited 05 April 2000).]

[sotti 0]

This was also a common theory back when Nvidia did the first detonator release for the TnT. Remember their was even an unofficial rumor that the reason STB(newly purchased by 3dfx at the time) was not releaseing detonator drivers because they caused basically overclocked the hardware and were unstable(wich is false), and sited examples very simialar to the ones you mentioned. The truth was that they didn't support the Detonator drivers was because they made the TnT look alot faster than a Voodoo2 in D3D.

 

Anyway the bottom line is Nvidia refrence drivers will never overclock hardware by default, because they need to know the hardware is stable when they are working with beta drivers. They use the scientific method you know, they are scientists. Anyway they totally restructured their texture management structure to be able to handle anti-aliasing and this is a beta so they're are natuarally gonna be show stopping bugs

[EddiE314 0]

yea, they stop the show alright!

[slkh 0]

I guess I have 1, 3, 4, 5 ,6, 7 of your list. Haven't have problem cannot boot my computer. Games still works on my system. I think the driver is seriously bugged.

 

Regarding the overclocking stuff. I don't overclock my graphics card, still get those sort of problem. If I overclock my graphics card, I get quite a lot of improvement in speed but still have the problem that you have listed.

 

Hence, I think it is not quietly overclocking the graphics card but rather a very buggy driver.

[simonroockley 0]

While the new drivers do not overclock the card (JonnyB may not be so far off base) they unlock more features of the nvidia card and could be putting it under greater strain which could cause overheating problems and would produce the same symptoms that overclocking a card does.

[JohnnyB 0]

Keep in mind, I am not suggesting that Nvidia is purposely overclocking the cards. Im just thinking maybe while developing the win2k drivers along win9x drivers, there may be something in the registry that reacts differently. I know that a clean install of win2k makes a world of difference from a win98 upgrade.. Are the registries Identical?

 

 

As I said before it is a reach and most likely you guys are right.. Interesting topic nonetheless.

 

Johnny

 

 

[This message has been edited by JohnnyB (edited 05 April 2000).]

[ledzeppel 0]

More to the theory:

 

I do alot of computer testing, and I've played around alot with the new 5.13 drivers. Just remember everybody, these are leaked, if you are looking for stability and no lock ups or strange colors, textures or whatever. Go back to the 3.72 drivers. I believe these drivers are for everybody to try, but not everybody to experiment with.

 

Another thing I've noticed about the drivers is that they are very stable with my TNT2 Ultra (not one lock up glimmish or crash) but not my GeForce DDR. If I run UT and try to go out on the desktop (resize the window in the upper right hand corner) and then go back to fullscreen again (this is in D3D only btw). RESTART! Computer just restarts itself. I've tested this with overclocking, rated speed, and UNDERCLOCKING (via FSB) the CPU. All the same results. These are the first drivers I have found to do a crazy restart like that, none of the earlier versions would do this. This is one of the bugs i've found in the 5.13 drivers with my Geforce. With my Ultra, nothin. Rock stable.

 

The 98 5.13 drivers with my Geforce? Rock stable.

 

My conclusion:

The new drivers (and possibly all the latest releases) take advantage of the extra features of the Geforce (not the TNT2 Ultra, it's probably reached it's potential). The 98 drivers show more stability, and they should. They've matured.

 

Also, I don't believe that the drivers overclock the hardware in any shape or form.

[cdspaco 0]

Yes, I have a TNT2 non-ultra, and the 5.13 drivers for win2k work great for me. No problems at all.

[DFranch 0]

I have had no problems with the 5.13 under 98 or 2000 on my Hercules TNT. in fact Quake 3 is now faster on Win 2000 than in Win 98 (about half a frame).

[JohnnyB 0]

Hey you guys have a point... Going back and rereading alot of the posts usually involve the newer chipsets. I have a STB4400 (TNT 1), and it remains rocksolid with these drivers...

 

Just something I didnt notice before...

 

Thanx for the input guys!

[Spastic Computer Guru 0]

Just out of curiosit, how did you get the Velocit 4400 to work good, I have a Velocit 4400 and had to purchase a new video card due to the fact the card would refuse to use 3D acceleration, or the AGP support........

Win 2K would not let me install any new drivers, I also lost the TV out capabilities....

[JohnnyB 0]

I just installed Windows 2000 and everything worked fine. Did you ever flash your bios on your Video Card? I dunno if that would do it, but I had mine flashed to 1.1 (I think that was the number) I flashed it way back when using Win98. I recall it was to correct something to do with AGP. Then I just "Updated Drivers" and it worled like a charm.

 

Are you using an Intel Chipset? Super 7?

 

Johnny

[HarU 0]

Well, i have a geforce ddr and i had those drivers installed. To make a long story short: two nights in a row, up to wee hours in the morning, I was trying to revive my broken computer. I mean, the damn thing would act like it was booting up normal, then it would get to win2k loading screen and all the way to the end of loading, then my hard drive clicked and restarted. Ain't that some sh*t.

 

Well, i had to use a 98 floppy disk and reinstall windows through a damn dos prompt because not even my cd-rom would boot the win2k cd. After a long arduous night last night, i ended up getting my machine up and running and using the 3.78 drivers now. *sigh*

 

Just thought i would add some hardships to these stupid drivers.

[mike3411 0]

Weren't you able to boot into safe mode even?

-Mike

[Crash99 0]

In regards to the card being overclocked, I noticed after I added the "coolbits" hack in win2k, it reported the correct clock speed for my ddr geforce...As for the list of symptoms, all I encountered were the faster frame rates...I guess I got lucky...maybe some of the anomalies come from various options enabled in the d3d/open gl panels?