No Windows 2000 support for the ATi Rage Fury MAXX

[brocklanders 0]

I thought that some of you here might find this interesting...

http://www.anandtech.com/webnews.html#7853

 

May 10th, 2000 6:03 PM - Brandon Hill

Source: Email

Category: News

 

That is truly some sad news. Seems kinda strange seeing as how 3dfx is due to be releasing Windows 2000 drivers for its multi-chip Voodoo 5 5500 shortly after its release. Thanks to Xanathar for sending me the email:

 

"Dear Customer,

You have previously contacted our Microsoft Windows 2000 feedback email address to comment or inquire about RAGE FURY MAXX drivers and support for the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating system.

 

I regret to inform you that our plan to provide a RAGE FURY MAXX driver for the Windows 2000 operating system cannot be completed. Due to issues with enumerating the chip ID's, of the dual RAGE 128 PRO graphics chips, we are unable to complete the driver for our RAGE FURY MAXX card.

 

ATI sincerely apologizes for promising a driver to you and then being unable to complete it. This was an unforeseen technical issue during the development of the Windows 2000 RAGE FURY MAXX drivers.

 

For those customers who wish to contact me directly to comment on this situation, please email me at cservice@ati.com. I welcome your comments and feedback."

[Damien 0]

I'm sure there must be away around the problem - I don't have an ATI card myself, but I would be pretty pissed off if I'd bought one.

[Jester 0]

I think 2000 has issues with multi-chip video cards. My SLI won't work in SLI mode with real Windows 2000 drivers (D3D support). If I use hacked NT drivers (no D3D) they work fine though. Probably some issue with the way 2000 does D3D or something. If thats so 3dfx is gonna be up a creek with their 2 & 4 chip Voodoo5s.

[ledzeppel 0]

Good point, and remember think future when buying hardware. If it doesn't support 2000 and they say it never will, don't buy it. This may or may not apply to 3dfx, just depends on THEM.

[DrSchmoe 0]

It is possible to have multi-chip video cards in Windows 2000. However, in order to accomplish this, a hardware device needs to operate on the video card that handles resource delegation (usually called a bridge, or proxy).

 

All communications to the video card are routed through the proxy, and not directly to the individual chips (similar to the MPS spec. for multi-processor compatibility).

 

The MAXX does not have this sort of device, hence it isn't possible to talk to the chips individually.

 

It would be possible to talk to *one* of the chips for partial functionality, but that seems like a perfectly good waste of hardware.

 

3DFX's VooDoo 5 will operate fine under Win2K if it includes this aforementioned device. However, I am not familar with the board design so I can't provide accurate information.

 

There is good news to this story... Now that ATi knows the problem, they can develop the necessary components for AFR Radeons in 2K.