AMD w/ Via Chipset and Nvidia Question

[Chris Wolfe]

Anybody successfully set up a system with an AMD processor on a Via chipset motherboard with an Nvidia Geforce GTS/Pro video card? Let me explain. My main machine is currently a P3. I have a Visiontek Geforce GTS/Pro video card. In the past I have tried 2 Via Apollo Pro chipset motherboards, one Asus and one Tyan, but got constant crashes from the video card. I tried every 4 in 1 driver that I could find, but with no help. I finally got an Intel 815 chipset board (Abit) and have had no further problems with the video card. So, I'm thinking I'd like to change the main system to an AMD, and it seems that the Via chipset boards are the boards of choice. Are the Via chipsets on AMD boards and Intel boards basically the same, leading me to the same video problems I had before, or are there significant differences between the two chipsets?

[Medic193]

Well the best I could do is... Amd with via chipset and a Nvidia Geforce 2 MX. It worked fine with that setup. That probably doesn't help you, so I'm going to go stand in the corner.:D

[MikeTimbers]

<troll>

One of the many factors keeping me firmly in Intel's camp is the continuing aggravations I read about regarding Via chipsets in general, and with AMD processors in particular.

</troll>

[Virus]

The problem lies in your bios setup. It has to do with an agp setting in the bios, but I can't remember what it is. I'll have to take a look tomorrow. I had numerous problems (lockups and black screens) as did several friends until I turned this feature off.

[Dustin]

Interesting, I have an ASUS A7V133 Tbird 1Gig @ 1.5Gig 150 Bus (300 DDR), SBlive Platinum, Hercules GF2 Pro. All the chipset and RAM timings are maxed out.

Everything here spells trouble. I haven't had a problem from day one though.

In part I atribute this to ASUS. Known for their superior stability, but you said you tried ASUS.

Do you have the AGP drive strength in your BIOS? Try playing with that, disable sidband, Run AGP 2X, or disable fast writes...

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

[Medic193]

Originally posted by Virus
The problem lies in your bios setup. It has to do with an agp setting in the bios, but I can't remember what it is. I'll have to take a look tomorrow. I had numerous problems (lockups and black screens) as did several friends until I turned this feature off.

Virus - Are you talking about the "memory hole?" I'm pretty sure you are. I have read about that but wasn't sure if this was the problem it fixed.

[Dustin]

Originally posted by Medic193


Virus - Are you talking about the "memory hole?" I'm pretty sure you are. I have read about that but wasn't sure if this was the problem it fixed.

I think what you're talking about only applies to OS/2.
OS/2 onboard memory >64M (yes/no)

I also forgot about video cache mode,
uncacheable speculative write combining. (yes/no)

[MechCD]

Originally posted by Chris Wolfe

Anybody successfully set up a system with an AMD processor on a Via chipset motherboard with an Nvidia Geforce GTS/Pro video card? Let me explain. My main machine is currently a P3. I have a Visiontek Geforce GTS/Pro video card. In the past I have tried 2 Via Apollo Pro chipset motherboards, one Asus and one Tyan, but got constant crashes from the video card. I tried every 4 in 1 driver that I could find, but with no help. I finally got an Intel 815 chipset board (Abit) and have had no further problems with the video card. So, I'm thinking I'd like to change the main system to an AMD, and it seems that the Via chipset boards are the boards of choice. Are the Via chipsets on AMD boards and Intel boards basically the same, leading me to the same video problems I had before, or are there significant differences between the two chipsets?



Install the AGP driver as "Standard" and NOT TURBO! I had the exact same problem you had on a MSI K7T Lite (6330)



You just gave up to easy :p

[stall6g]

The newer Via Chipset mobos for AMD don't have a problem with Nvidia graphics cards for the most part. Most of the problems that you are talking about were with the original Kx133 and KT133 chipsets. If you go with a KT133A or even a KT266 or 760 chipset you shouldn't have a problem. Via chipsets do tend to have more than their share of bugs to them but there are a few out there that are incredible in the performance department. As for recommendations for a mobo it all depends on whether or not you want SDRAM or DDR SDRAM. For SDRAM I would go with a choice of these three boards: Iwill KK266, Abit KT7A, or the Asus A7V133. For DDR I would recommend the EpoX (based on the AMD 760 chipset).

[Pecado]

Originally posted by Chris Wolfe
Anybody successfully set up a system with an AMD processor on a Via chipset motherboard with an Nvidia Geforce GTS/Pro video card? Let me explain. My main machine is currently a P3. I have a Visiontek Geforce GTS/Pro video card. In the past I have tried 2 Via Apollo Pro chipset motherboards, one Asus and one Tyan, but got constant crashes from the video card. I tried every 4 in 1 driver that I could find, but with no help. I finally got an Intel 815 chipset board (Abit) and have had no further problems with the video card. So, I'm thinking I'd like to change the main system to an AMD, and it seems that the Via chipset boards are the boards of choice. Are the Via chipsets on AMD boards and Intel boards basically the same, leading me to the same video problems I had before, or are there significant differences between the two chipsets?


I have a abit KT 7A Raid MB......And it runs with the VIA KT133A chipset. I am using a "PixelView X-Player GeForce2 GTS 64mb" and it runs great, but I have tried to use a "Asus Geforce2 GTS" that did not go well, I had the exact same problem as you described with your VIA MB's.........One of my friends have the same problem too.....It even said on the Asus GeForce card box I tried that it was campatible with "Intel and Compatible Chipsets", guess VIA is NOT compatible with Intel chipsets.....By the way Win2000 SP1 has problems running with GeForce and VIA chipsets, if you use Win2000 you will have to download the SP2. It has a fix for campatibility with VIA and GeForce (stops the computer from "Locking" up when using 3D apps), but a warning! It did not fix my problem with Win2000 and my GeForce, so I guess that either me or Microsoft has some problem solving to do.....;)

And I think that VIA chipsets on AMD and Intel boards are the "same", but I am not sure though.....

Hope that it helped a little :)

P.S. The Pixelview GeForce2 card is made by http://www.prolink.com.tw

[Chris Wolfe]

Originally posted by MechCD




Install the AGP driver as "Standard" and NOT TURBO! I had the exact same problem you had on a MSI K7T Lite (6330)



You just gave up to easy :p

I guess I should have said everything that I had tried when I was using those motherboards, but I didn't want to use up all the bandwidth. Anyway I tried standard, turbo, driver installs. I tried in the bios; 1x, 2x, 4x, FSAA on, FSAA off, fast writes on, fast writes off, and adjusting the AGP driving force and in every combination I could think of and still had the same problems. Really, I didn't give up without a fight. But thanks for the input.:D

[Chris Wolfe]

Originally posted by stall6g
The newer Via Chipset mobos for AMD don't have a problem with Nvidia graphics cards for the most part. Most of the problems that you are talking about were with the original Kx133 and KT133 chipsets. If you go with a KT133A or even a KT266 or 760 chipset you shouldn't have a problem. Via chipsets do tend to have more than their share of bugs to them but there are a few out there that are incredible in the performance department. As for recommendations for a mobo it all depends on whether or not you want SDRAM or DDR SDRAM. For SDRAM I would go with a choice of these three boards: Iwill KK266, Abit KT7A, or the Asus A7V133. For DDR I would recommend the EpoX (based on the AMD 760 chipset).

THANK YOU! This was the info I was looking for when I made the post. I've been looking at just the boards you recommended. Got to have RAID now though as my current board has it and I don't think I could go back to life without it.:) Thanks again!

[Virus]

It was the agp fast rights that helped me when they were turned off.