Problems With Changing Video Cards

Dark Auro · Aug 30, 2003

Today I switched from a nVidia Geforce2 MX to a ATI Radeon 9800 and I'm having some problems. I uninstalled the nVidia display drivers, shut down, put new video card in, powered up and etc. I installed and stuff but whenever I play a game it will play for like one second then the screen will go blank and I have to restart the computer. I used that Driver Cleaner thing to get rid of the nVidia stuff but that was after it didn't work. Does anyone know what I can do to fix this? Please help.

SpuD · Aug 31, 2003

What mother board do you have?
I upgraded from my GF2 to a radeon 9500 Pro and I had that same problem, What your supposed to do is update the AGP driver, if that doesnt work (Didnt for me) get a new Mother board.

Sigoo · Aug 31, 2003

I hope your not talking about the PGA423 Intel 850 mobo. I'm doing a similer upgrade and i dont have the money for a new mobo just yet.

Dark Auro · Aug 31, 2003

I have a Soyo KT400 Dragon Lite motherboard. I just got it last month for HL2.

Shirow-DG · Aug 31, 2003

I'd do a format, if I was you.

Check your BIOS though. Make sure AGP apeture is between 64-128mb, turn fast writes off and don't overclock, if you are.

SpuD · Aug 31, 2003

Why turn fast writes off?

Also, should video ram cacheing be on?

Doobz · Aug 31, 2003

what kind of power supply do you have? the 9800s are power hungry, and if it's not getting enough power, something like what you're experiencing could be happening

Hudson · Aug 31, 2003

there is a program over at 3dguru i believe called Nasty File Remover, it gets rid of all the dirty nvidia drivers that are lying around your system, so your new card will run better.

SidewinderX · Aug 31, 2003

It's http://www.guru3d.com, but it seems like your card doesn't have enough power, or you have OCed it a ton.

Dark Auro · Aug 31, 2003

I'm not really sure what power supply I have but my dad said that wouldn't be the problem that its good enough. Everything works with ATI like movies and etc. EXCEPT for games. I can do everything else fine except play games. Should I try reinstalling the games?

Shockwave · Aug 31, 2003

use drive cleaner in safe mode and also cab cleaner that comes with it.

This order
In windows unisntall ati 9800 (control panel and driver)
reboot into safe mode then use cab & drive cleaner
reboot into windows and install 9800

This will do what needs to get done, if it doesnt work its not the driver install, theres something with your system that is screwing it up. THe PSU needs at least 15amps on the +12 rail to run these cards without problems. Look up your PSU if it doesnt have at least 15 on the 12 then thats probably the cause of the problem

Noodlygod · Aug 31, 2003

Have you updated to the latest drivers/Direct X 9?

Dark Auro · Aug 31, 2003

Yeah I have the latest drivers and Direct X 9. My Dad is checking right now to see how much the PSU is

He found out the 12+ rail only goes up to 12 amps. So I guess I need to get a new power supply? Are you sure I need 15 amps to use the card?

Shockwave · Aug 31, 2003

Yes %99.9 sure...

This is why some 250 watt powersupplys can run 9800pros and 5900ultras..because they have 15 or over on the 12. Be carefull though what you buy because even some 400 or 500 watt powersupplys dont even have 15 on 12 because they are poor quality. Antecs almost always have 15-18.(the 400watt antec smartpower i got from best buy for $80 has 18)

Also make sure you install direct9 BEFORE you install your card. a shitload of problems can happen if you do it after.

Shockwave · Aug 31, 2003

Originally posted by Dark Auro
I'm not really sure what power supply I have but my dad said that wouldn't be the problem that its good enough. Everything works with ATI like movies and etc. EXCEPT for games. I can do everything else fine except play games. Should I try reinstalling the games?

games use 10x more of the cards resources than movies and such.

Dark Auro · Aug 31, 2003

Hm. Yeah I guess I'll try that. One more thing though. I tried playing those Havok demos on the Havok website and they did work for a little while longer and then froze. I guess even those basic games will screw it up too?

Edit: Oh yeah. I remember while I was playing the demos before they messed I checked to see if the AA was working on the games and they weren't. They use to on the old card. I'm not sure if this means but just saying incase it does. It just makes me wonder though shouldn't it still have the AA showing even though the power supply isn't good enough? I mean, show all the stuff before it goes out?

Washuu · Aug 31, 2003

how do u find out how much amps ur power supply has... i have some powermagic 450watt powersupply, i would like to know that as reference for later upgrades..

Guest · Aug 31, 2003

am i stuck with rdram? can i use ddr ram on my pc? or no?

Doobz · Aug 31, 2003

you'd have to look at your mobo specs, but i'm pretty sure that you're stuck with RDRAM, as i am

Xenome · Aug 31, 2003

Turning "fastwrites" off at the smartgart tab in your catalyst driver settings, that fixed the problem for me..no performance loss

Xenome · Aug 31, 2003

Btw is it true, that with a readeon 9700 pro and such ( like i have), that with a better psu, you get more performance?

Dark Auro · Aug 31, 2003

Well I think I fixed it. I changed the AGP to 4x and it automatically turned fast write off and now the games are working.

Dark Auro · Sep 1, 2003

Can someone give me any info about how to get my card to go up to 8x without it messing up?

Shockwave · Sep 1, 2003

8x gives liek less than a %1 increase in performance..It is HIGHLY overrated and i consider more of a scam than improvement.

SidewinderX · Sep 1, 2003

You have to make sure your motherboard support 8X AGP, then activate in BIOS, but *X AGP form 4X AGP isn't much of a performance boost.

Mac · Sep 1, 2003

i would even go as far as to say NO performance boost whatsoever by going to 8x agp

jbscotchman · Sep 1, 2003

Its pretty said when someone has to go through so much trouble just to get a video card to work properly. ATI really needs to improve their drivers.

SidewinderX · Sep 1, 2003

jb, this has almost nothing to do wiht the fact the card is ATI.

jbscotchman · Sep 1, 2003

^^What the hell are you talking about? It has everything to do with it.

SidewinderX · Sep 1, 2003

The problem was that the card was in 8x AGP mode, and his mobo couldn't handle it. He changed it down to 4x AGP, and he was fine.

TheRook · Sep 1, 2003

Originally posted by jbscotchman
Its pretty said when someone has to go through so much trouble just to get a video card to work properly. ATI really needs to improve their drivers.

as much as i would like to blame ATI drivers this issues is about his motherboard... and its 8xagp...

(although admittedly i wish you have a 5900ultra to plug in there at 8x's and see if it effects them both)

then you could define if it as an ATI problem or a motherboard problem...

therook

Shockwave · Sep 1, 2003

you peopled are wacked...There hundreds of thousands of people who buy ati cards and in all the boards combinded around the net probably 10,000 people have problems total, its not the card asswipe its the n00b who doesnt know how to install it

SidewinderX · Sep 1, 2003

shockwave, chill out. It was one person who blamed ATi not "us people"

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