Win2k + A7V + GeForce =

[Crusade_Asus 0]

Have posted this to a couple of other forums, so why not post it here too?

 

Believe that the only thing that helps is to post as many times possible and hope that "arses" (asus) will egmit that there is something wrong with their board, a7v that is.

Anyway I have the same problems as mny others, using Win2k + A7V (kt133) + t-bird + GeForce = lockups and instablility.

Have tried almost everything, including BIOS

upgrades/downgrades, tons of drivers, win2k settings, hotfixes and reg edits. Different settings in BIOS and even moving pci cards around.

Finally tried to run without anything exept with my GeForce installed...

But one thing I´ve noticed is that my computer is much stable without my SB Live and BIOS settings to Normal instead of optimal.

I know that people have suggested it, but is that what I HAVE TO DO??

I choose a Asus because of it´s known stability and performance. But now I have to "strangle and amputate" my computer just to make it run a couple of hours extra?

All the things that people here and others have tried it points to one thing! Incompability!! It´s not up to tomshardware or anandtech to solve It´s ASUS job to solve this issue!

The only thing I can think of is to post as many replies and topics around the internet and hope that Asus will realize that this is real...

And have anyone tried to contact Asus?

What I know, endconsumers is not that important to them...

Enough for now... =)

Excuse my poor english, but I do my best.

 

One thing I would like to add is that I´m using a Adaptec 19160 scsi-board, the SB Live I mentioned earlier, scsi-disks, "certified" PC133 memory, "K7 certified" 300W powersupply and extra cooling.

The point is that I´ve used this in a prior computer with Asus *brr* =) K7V and Athlon 900 without ANY problems.. Funny huh?

 

 

------------------

Have you opened your eyes and looked around lately?

[HarU 0]

I know i am probably going to suggest stuff that you already know and have already been told before. But, you sound like you need help, so i will try.

 

I had the Same exact setup as you until about a week ago. (i got a geforce 2)

 

Okay, first thing i would do with my system is this:

 

1.)install win2k

2.)install Via 4in1 drivers (v. 4.24)

3.)install Geforce drivers (what kind of card do you have? If you have a name brand such as the 3d Prophet, Make sure you use their drivers! That's very important. I know they are better from experience. I think they just spend more time on them.)

4.)Then install the sound and all the other bull****. This was the only way i could stop the lockups. Oh, and when you install the Via 4in1's (which by the way is extremely important) make sure you install the AGP driver in Turbo mode.

 

I really think your problem resides in your video drivers. For some reason i had more lockups with my Geforce in Win2k than any other of my cards. I had a 3d prophet DDR-DVI and i used hercules' new drivers. www.hercules.com. If you have a different brand, give their website a look to see if they have any drivers. I hope this helps. Continue to post your experience with this and i will continue to try and help. Good luck.

[Crusade_Asus 0]

HarU: Thanks alot, but have tried that already and a couple of thousand other combinations, atleast it feels like it. what really pisses me off is that nowhere can you find ANY help from "ARSES" (asus). This "issue" is discussed on MANY forums, so I guess that "they" cannot turn their backs on it forever.....

 

By the way is it not only possible to install Via4in1´s agp driver in turbo mode only in win9x?

[Igor 0]

Had the problem as you with my new system... took 2 fing day to make it stable.

Here is what i my setup:

Gigabyte 7ZM KT Board

AMD Thunderbird 750

TNT2 Ultra

MX300 or Build-In sound

128 Megs PC133 RAM

 

Install Win2k SP1

Install VIA 4-in-1 drivers (Version 4.25a !!! very important)

Install AGP Reg Fix

Install MS AGP driver fix

Install 6.64 NVIDIA Drivers

Set AGP tp 2X

Set memory to PC100 CAS2 (although my ram is PC133)

Take out my MX300 and use the build-in sound.

 

 

Now the system runs fine and it seems to be stable.

[lunner 0]

I am running the same set up right now. Still trying to fix the hang up issue.

 

Usin:

Asus A7V (Bios 1004a)

CL Geforce DDR (Nvidia 6.31 driver)

T-Bird 800

PC150 RAM (set to PC100)

SB Live! Card (base driver)

 

As of this writing.

I installed Win2k SP1

Via 4in1 Driver

MS Pre-SP2 hot fix for Via agp

Nvidia 6.31 driver

Set Bios - Normal (2x agp)

 

To test the system, I run tests using 3DMark2000. Sometimes the system can run the tests without a problem. But it will still lock up after a while. In general, the system is still unstable when it comes to gamming. This is my 5th day trying to fix the problem. And on my 8+th format.

 

I did tried the AGP Reg Fix. But with that fix you will take a "big" performance hit. I get like a 1900ish score in 3DMark2000. Which is very low with this set up.

 

I understand the system might run stable with the AGP Reg Fix. But don't you want to get what you are "suppose" to get with the parts you bought? What I don't understand is this prolonging problem still hasn't been fully corrected. Just my 2 cents....

[tristan777 0]

i want to know where u got pc-150 ram? i've never heard of such a thing.

 

anyway, i don't have any problem in 3d mark, but in UT i do. i have an A7V and tbird 800 as well. i dont know, but i dont think it's the A7V. i've heard similar problems with other kt133 boards as well. it just seems that i hear A7V more often, since it's probably the most popular.

[Crusade_Asus 0]

I´ve read posts and recieved mail about different solutions... ..but most of these "solutions" have I tried already and some of them are just bull****.

 

BUT, the best possible solution right now is to degrade YES! degrade your BIOS to 1003, that is what I´m running now!

Every tweak enabled in BIOS and AGPx4!

I´ve been running 3DMark2000, q3 timedemos and even surfing right now with WinAmp playing!

Sounds good?

 

Or if you don´t want to flash your BIOS I suggest you use these settings, which never hang my computer using Win2k:

System performance setting: normal (agpx2)

PCI and other memory "tweaks": disabled

And leave AGP aperture size to default

And DIMM Interleave: Disabled

 

Right now I´m running my Tunderbird 950@1160, with every tweak enabled in BIOS and even!! AGPx4! That´s true =) But that is with BIOS Rev. 1003

 

The only problem I encountered is when i make a cold boot my "post" reports 1133 instead of 1150, and a slight decrease in cpu-temprature. And it is not possible to disable the ata100 controller.

 

------------------

Have you opened your eyes and looked around lately?

 

[This message has been edited by Crusade_Asus (edited 15 November 2000).]

[HarU 0]

Hey crusade, im glad everything is working now. I have a question though. How do you get AGP 4x enabled in the bios?? What is the exact setting? Do i need to do anything in windows also? or to my vid card? Can you please let me know how to get my machine to run at AGP 4x?? I've done a post about this before but no one could help me. Obviously, you know how to do it...

 

Here are my specs:

 

Asus A7V

Thunderbird 1000mhz.

Asus Geforce 2 GTS 64MB Pro

256 PC-100 RAM

SB Live!

 

My settings are not tweaked at all. Everything is running at normal clock speed. I know my card and my Mobo can do AGP 4x, i just need a little help enabling it. Thank you.

[lunner 0]

I got some Mushkin CAS 2 Modules (2:3:2) @ 150 MHz. And I also got some KingMax PC-150 TinyBGA.

 

Isn't there a problem with the BIOS 1003, something about Win2k not seeing the secondary IDE? What is the solution for that again? I forgot...

[tristan777 0]

i dunno i was wondering the same thing, but i have the latest bios, and i still can't get the secondary channel to work if i put both of my CD-ROMS on it.

 

i have a 4x4x24 HP CD-Writer and another 48x cd-rom.

 

currently the 48x is on my primary ide channel with my hard drive and the cd-writer is alone on my secondary channel.

 

when i put both of the cd-roms on the secondary channel it doesnt detect my hard drive on the first, and it only detects my cd-writer on the second.

 

that was probably the most confusing thing ever written, but if anyone can decipher it do u know how i could fix it?

 

thx,

-tristan

[Crusade_Asus 0]

HarU:

Leave Win2k as it is, the only updates/mods I´m using are: SP1 and "windowsupdate", but one thing I´ve noticed is that "tweaks" (specially those in HKLM\ system\ currentcontrolset\ control\ sessionmanager\ memorymanagement\) made some of the "insability" reappear. I don´t know if it has anything to do with BIOS rev. 1003 or win2k + A7V...

To enable/disable AGP4x on the A7V use:

System performance setting: normal (agpx2) or optimal (agp4x)

 

To check what settings you are currently using (like agp, fastwrites etc.).

Use WinCpuID from: http://www.h-oda.com/

 

Had to move my IDE Plextor CD-R to the primary IDE channel, rest of my drives are SCSI.

But there must be a way to enable the seconday channel, have read that this problem is a flaw in this Bios Rev. (1003).

I don´t know how the IDE Channels behave with 1002? Perhaps someone knows?

Getting a bit sleepy here.. (01.54, Sweden) See you tomorrow then...

[BDW_OX 0]

The A7V works the best with the 1002 bios it ships with. Everything else so far "screws the pooch." Asus has dropped the ball big time on the BIOSes for this board. I installed 1004a and my computer blue screen giving me a new error on every reboot. The best advice is just wait the extra seconds on boot for the ATA100 controller to cycle and not try to upgrade to disable that function.

[nt4xp 0]

I see that your posts are all a couple of years old now, but anyway...

 

I still have an Asus A7V (Rev 1.0) and have been using it with a 1GHz Tbird & an Elsa ErazorX GeForce 256 SDR for around two years now, but have recently replaced this with a GeForce4 Ti4200 with Windows XP Home.

 

I used to get the same lockups as you guys, but finally resolved it by opening up the case and directing a fan onto the motherboard for added ventilation/cooling. From what I can tell from various sources, I think more than anything the problem with lockups on this system & type of setup is due to the fact that - high-speed AMD Thunderbirds and the original GeForce are both notoriously power houngry whilst also producing a lot of heat, so that the issues over lockups are a resut of the system's instability due to overheating (this is despite th fact that I have a GlobalWin FOP32-1 cooler & heatsink + additional case fans & thermal compound), really you need a damn good PSU & a very effective cooling setup.

 

You can also find info & a patch on fixing these issues here

http//www.evga.com/support/utilities/default.asp

http//support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q270/7/15.asp

 

It's a great mobo though.

Anyone have any ideas what it's upgrade potential is (will it take CPUs above 1250MHz, will it take Athlon XPs etc)?

 

Cheers

All the best,

G

wink

[Brian Frank 0]

I've had an A7V (1.02) , a Duron 800 and a Hercules 3D Prophet II MX (GF2 MX) running fine for almost 2 years now. I'm using BIOS 1007 and the 21.81 drivers. Under Win2k I stuck with the 10.80's for quite some time. I know you've fixed yer problem, but I've had this system running like this for quite a while.

[rensole 0]

Hi.

I had the same problem. Asus A7V133, VIA chipset and GForce 2 MX400. Huge lockups when gaming. The solution was opening up the case and directing a fan onto the motherboard. Just like Crusade_Asus wrote previously. No more AMD nor VIA for me after all this suffering. It took me almost a year to find out the solution because, my first board was a SIS 305 AGP. In the beginning, I blamed it for the problem.

[Brian Frank 0]

Did you get the Win2k/AMD patch that was supposed to fix the lockups. I'd heard about it before I used Win2k so I got it before trouble started.