NVidia GeForce 4 Series video card problems


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Thread: NVidia GeForce 4 Series video card problems

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    1

    NVidia GeForce 4 Series video card problems

    Hopefully someone within this forum can help me out, since NVidia techs did zilch for me.

    Here is my problem: It first started when strange patterns would appear on the monitor. Then later, the screen would freeze up without Windows itself freezing up. I would restart Windows and it would be ok for a short time and it would then happen again and again.

    I uninstalled the drivers and reinstalled them without any luck. Tried to upgrade the drivers from NVidia site and that too did not work.

    So I tried and bought a new hard drive and reinstalled Windows XP Pro again. Everything was ok until the point where the drivers needed to be installed for the NVidia card. Patterns and freeze ups came back.

    I can work with the monitor only in the VGA Compatabilty Mode. I can only view in 1024x768 resolution. Anything higher and patterns appear on the screen. DVD's and video clips play a bit choppy.

    My system is a AGP 1.0 system.

    Is there a driver conflict on the video card that can be flushed out. A virus on the video card, or on my memory chips that can be flushed out? I say this because I can take the card out and install it to another PC and it works fine.

    Any info would be most appreciated!!!!


    Chris.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
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    982

    Cool

    Okay, I'll bite...

    - What version of Linux are you running (uname -r in a terminal window will tell you)?
    - Which exact GeForce4 card do you have?
    - What mobo do you have?
    - Which nvidia module have you installed (the GF4 isn't supported by the latest - you need to fall back to the 97xx module)?

    Aside from driver (module) versions, two things pop into mind, both of which I've experienced first-hand:

    1) Some earlier mobos (like my Gigabyte 440BX) used an undercurrent voltage regulator for the 3.3V AGP supply. This meant unless the regulators were on-board (i.e., a power supply connector on the card), then you'd have problems with the higher-end cards which really tax the voltage rails.

    2) Although I'm sure the card can handle it, you may have an AGP timing issue with the mobo. Normally, the AGP timing is a quotient of the memory/bus clock. Say you have a 100MHz bus, then the AGP controller would divide that by 2/3, to get the 66MHz for AGP 1X. However, if the divider can only do 2/3, then when you bump the bus to 133MHz, the AGP shoots up to ~88MHz, which may or may not work on your mobo. In my case, it was the video card that wouldn't operate at that speed, and switching it to a GeForce solved my problem.

    Since you mentioned that using the card on another computer works well, then I'd look at those items first.

    banzai "it's the mobo" kai
    "Mind you, I got to do the licking this time, so it wasn't too bad."
    - Jane Horrocks, The Guardian, 1995

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    875
    So I tried and bought a new hard drive and reinstalled Windows XP Pro again. Everything was ok until the point where the drivers needed to be installed for the NVidia card. Patterns and freeze ups came back.
    First off his is a Linux forum, I doubt if you needed to buy a new harddrive, as the problem your having hasn't anything to do with the HD. (Althogh a new harddrive is nice) Was this a new card to the system or had it been installed and working for some time?


    I uninstalled the drivers and reinstalled them without any luck. Tried to upgrade the drivers from NVidia site and that too did not work.
    Are you sure your not trying to use drivers for a newer card Gforce fx-6-8?

    My system is a AGP 1.0 system.
    What volts is your V-card at? I have a soyo MB that will only take the 1.5V v-cards, is your v-card a 3.3V?

    Also if your v-card has a fan on it, make sure it is working right, and not pluged with dust/lint. It could be a overheating problem.

    Is there a driver conflict on the video card that can be flushed out. A virus on the video card, or on my memory chips that can be flushed out? I say this because I can take the card out and install it to another PC and it works fine.
    I doubt a virus, you said you reinstalled windows, unless you just did a system restore, then maybe something could have been leftbehind. When you installed it in the other pc, is the other pc the same as yours? The card may just be having a conflict with your MB or one of the other devices on your system.
    Last edited by mrrangerman43; 08-06-2007 at 12:53 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    39
    Though you said works in another PC, still sounds like video card memory to me. Maybe it only flakes out above a certain temp and one case has better cooling than the other.
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