TR Forums

Hi,

Right, there's a few things so I'll list the spec of my two systems to start with

I'll call them Fred and Harry

Fred:

CPU: XP 1600
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-7VTXE
Sound: Soundblaster128 PCI (I think irrelevant for my probs though)
RAM: 128mb DDR
Hardrive: Some Maxtor 20gb thing (UDMA 66)
PSU: ATX

Harry:

CPU: PII 233mhz
Mobo: PC Chips M715 (I'll post a link to the manual when I can get it to upload)
RAM: 64mb SD
Sound: ISA SB 16
Hardrive: 1.3gb but will have the 20gb above in when another HD I ordered arrives (this is irrelevant too I think)

Right, I think that's all that should be needed (mainly the mobos).

1. ------------------------------------------

I have two graphics cards: a 3d prophet 2 MX and a voodoo 3 3500TV, both AGP. Both of these work in Fred, but I can't get either to work in Harry.

3d Prophet 2 - works in 640x480x16 but drivers don't install correctly and so that's how it stays.

Voodoo 3 - The computer boots normally but the screen goes blank when windows starts to open. This only happens after the voodoo 3 drivers have been installed.

It's not the AGP slot that's dead altogether because I have used an old ATI card in it successfully.

So, what I'm after is a solution to either of these problems then I can put that card into Harry. If there is no solution, does anyone know what other motherboard I could buy in AT format that will work with one of the cards? If I can't do that. Does anyone have a PCI card for sale? (vRock, HowardDrake?) (Also I am in England ). I am also on a very tight budget and would have to first sell my GeForce2MX - anyone?

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2.-------------------------------------------

With Fred I get a 3d mark score of 2700 ish using the voodoo 3 and around 1400 using the GeForce 2 MX. Should the voodoo 3 get a better score and shouldn't I be getting a higher score with my spec?

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3.-------------------------------------------

If the scores are normal, what is letting my system down. What should I upgrade next? I think video card but also I have a small ammount of RAM and might have got a crap mobo?

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Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou to anyone who is willing to read through such a long post and help me with some of it.

Dave.

in regards to (1)-
the older board may not support the more recent AGP specs

older motherboard that is

Ah right. Maybe a no hoper for that then? Anyone wanna swap a GeForce2MX 400 32mb for 2 voodoo 2s? Not sure if I wanna do that though If anyone does then let me know and I'll have a bigger think about it

On 2002-03-16 15:52, murray wrote:
in regards to (1)-
the older board may not support the more recent AGP specs

This is exactly your problem. I had the same thing with a Hercules 3D Prophet 4500 in an ASUS P5A. The ASUS just didn't support the video card. Your owners manual for both video cards should let you know what type of mobo they are compatible with.

Any ideas on a cheap AT mobo that will take one of them?

Have you considered a PCI video card to go in the existing motherboard? If the old ATI Rage card is working, do you really need anything better in this particular system? A PentiumII-233 is unlikely to make first person shooters perform at 300 fps anyway.

The AT form factor is old enough that you may have trouble finding even a used motherboard of that style. Computer parts are more expensive in the UK than in the US, but I bought a cheap mid-tower ATX case with 250W power supply for $31 last year, so what is keeping you locked into the AT box?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: JustAnEngineer on 2002-03-17 15:43 ]</font>

I'm lock into AT format because I can't afford to get anything else at the moment. What Im thinking of is selling my Geforce2MX or voodoo 3 and getting a couple of voodoo 2s or a voodoo 3 PCI. Which should I sell and which should I buy?

Thanks for the help.

If you'd have posted this 3 weeks ago I would have had a voodoo2 1000 for you, but I gave it to my bro-in-law. I might be able to get my hands on another one. I'll let you know in a couple of days. (if your still interested?)

I'd be interested, problem is it would probably cost a lot to deliver it to England I think? Thanks for the offer though.