GA-6VXC7-4X AGP problem

Hello,
> I assembled my first PC using the Gigabyte board with a P3 800EB cpu.
> A couple of questions...
>
> I first started it up using a new nVidea G-Force MX400 64mb AGP video
card.
> No display at all.
> I then tried an older ATI Rage 16mg card in the AGP slot. The system was
> unstable, shutting down during re-boot, going on stand-by, restarting on
its
> own, etc.
>
> Lastly I put in a "back-up" PCI 2mb video card, and that seems relatively
> stable, however it still shuts down on occasion, usually when I restart
> after installing a new program.
>
> I have downloaded and installed VIA's 4-in-1 driver package from the
> Gigabyte site, now neither AGP card displays anything, even the old one
that
> previously did!
> (I removed the PCI card first.)
>
> I have the latest BIOS, I think (ver 1.00, 02/08/02), do I need to update?
>
> Also, the computer doesn't post (power up/down) when I flip the power hard
> switch in back (never did), but powers up fine from the front switch. Is
> this bad?
>
> Thanks all for your responses, feel free to e-mail me.
>
>

Frank French wrote:
> Hello,
>
>>I assembled my first PC using the Gigabyte board with a P3 800EB cpu.
>>A couple of questions...
>>
>>I first started it up using a new nVidea G-Force MX400 64mb AGP video
>
> card.
>
>>No display at all.
>>I then tried an older ATI Rage 16mg card in the AGP slot. The system was
>>unstable, shutting down during re-boot, going on stand-by, restarting on
>
> its
>
>>own, etc.
>>
>>Lastly I put in a "back-up" PCI 2mb video card, and that seems relatively
>>stable, however it still shuts down on occasion, usually when I restart
>>after installing a new program.
>>
>>I have downloaded and installed VIA's 4-in-1 driver package from the
>>Gigabyte site, now neither AGP card displays anything, even the old one
>
> that
>
>>previously did!
>>(I removed the PCI card first.)
>>
>>I have the latest BIOS, I think (ver 1.00, 02/08/02), do I need to update?
>>
>>Also, the computer doesn't post (power up/down) when I flip the power hard
>>switch in back (never did), but powers up fine from the front switch. Is
>>this bad?
>>
>>Thanks all for your responses, feel free to e-mail me.
>>
>>
>
>
>

What kind of power supply are you running? The first thing that came to
my mind after reading this is "underpowered computer". If you're not
running at least 300 watts, that would likely explain your problems. A
defective power supply could do the same thing.

As far as the switch on the back, it's generally not supposed to turn on
when you flip that. That's the job of the "soft" power switch in the
front. The switch in the back is just a way to turn the system off
completely so that the "soft" power function can't turn the system on. A
system with an ATX power supply is never truly off unless the power
supply switch is off or it's unplugged.

420 watt p.s.
Computer is in the shop now. I tried to install VIA's 4-in-1 driver
package (ver 4.48) again and ended up with no video at all, AGP or
PCI.



Matt Merkey <PowerMatt@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message news:<6o_8c.345605$Po1.223987@twister.tampabay.rr.com>...
> Frank French wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> >>I assembled my first PC using the Gigabyte board with a P3 800EB cpu.
> >>A couple of questions...
> >>
> >>I first started it up using a new nVidea G-Force MX400 64mb AGP video
> >
> > card.
> >
> >>No display at all.
> >>I then tried an older ATI Rage 16mg card in the AGP slot. The system was
> >>unstable, shutting down during re-boot, going on stand-by, restarting on
> >
> > its
> >
> >>own, etc.
> >>
> >>Lastly I put in a "back-up" PCI 2mb video card, and that seems relatively
> >>stable, however it still shuts down on occasion, usually when I restart
> >>after installing a new program.
> >>
> >>I have downloaded and installed VIA's 4-in-1 driver package from the
> >>Gigabyte site, now neither AGP card displays anything, even the old one
> >
> > that
> >
> >>previously did!
> >>(I removed the PCI card first.)
> >>
> >>I have the latest BIOS, I think (ver 1.00, 02/08/02), do I need to update?
> >>
> >>Also, the computer doesn't post (power up/down) when I flip the power hard
> >>switch in back (never did), but powers up fine from the front switch. Is
> >>this bad?
> >>
> >>Thanks all for your responses, feel free to e-mail me.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
>
> What kind of power supply are you running? The first thing that came to
> my mind after reading this is "underpowered computer". If you're not
> running at least 300 watts, that would likely explain your problems. A
> defective power supply could do the same thing.
>
> As far as the switch on the back, it's generally not supposed to turn on
> when you flip that. That's the job of the "soft" power switch in the
> front. The switch in the back is just a way to turn the system off
> completely so that the "soft" power function can't turn the system on. A
> system with an ATX power supply is never truly off unless the power
> supply switch is off or it's unplugged.

Frank wrote:
> 420 watt p.s.
> Computer is in the shop now. I tried to install VIA's 4-in-1 driver
> package (ver 4.48) again and ended up with no video at all, AGP or
> PCI.
>
>
>
> Matt Merkey <PowerMatt@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message news:<6o_8c.345605$Po1.223987@twister.tampabay.rr.com>...
>
>>Frank French wrote:
>>
>>>Hello,
>>>
>>>
>>>>I assembled my first PC using the Gigabyte board with a P3 800EB cpu.
>>>>A couple of questions...
>>>>
>>>>I first started it up using a new nVidea G-Force MX400 64mb AGP video
>>>
>>>card.
>>>
>>>
>>>>No display at all.
>>>>I then tried an older ATI Rage 16mg card in the AGP slot. The system was
>>>>unstable, shutting down during re-boot, going on stand-by, restarting on
>>>
>>>its
>>>
>>>
>>>>own, etc.
>>>>
>>>>Lastly I put in a "back-up" PCI 2mb video card, and that seems relatively
>>>>stable, however it still shuts down on occasion, usually when I restart
>>>>after installing a new program.
>>>>
>>>>I have downloaded and installed VIA's 4-in-1 driver package from the
>>>>Gigabyte site, now neither AGP card displays anything, even the old one
>>>
>>>that
>>>
>>>
>>>>previously did!
>>>>(I removed the PCI card first.)
>>>>
>>>>I have the latest BIOS, I think (ver 1.00, 02/08/02), do I need to update?
>>>>
>>>>Also, the computer doesn't post (power up/down) when I flip the power hard
>>>>switch in back (never did), but powers up fine from the front switch. Is
>>>>this bad?
>>>>
>>>>Thanks all for your responses, feel free to e-mail me.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>What kind of power supply are you running? The first thing that came to
>>my mind after reading this is "underpowered computer". If you're not
>>running at least 300 watts, that would likely explain your problems. A
>>defective power supply could do the same thing.
>>
>>As far as the switch on the back, it's generally not supposed to turn on
>>when you flip that. That's the job of the "soft" power switch in the
>>front. The switch in the back is just a way to turn the system off
>>completely so that the "soft" power function can't turn the system on. A
>>system with an ATX power supply is never truly off unless the power
>>supply switch is off or it's unplugged.

Bizarre... sounds like a hardware defect somewhere, though. Quite
possibly the motherboard. It happens, I've had similar things happen to me.

-----------

Hello!

In article <xS69c.330574$B81.4770588@twister.tampabay.rr.com>,
Matt Merkey <PowerMatt@cfl.rr.com> writes:
> Frank wrote:
>> 420 watt p.s.
>> Computer is in the shop now. I tried to install VIA's 4-in-1 driver
>> package (ver 4.48) again and ended up with no video at all, AGP or
>> PCI.

>> .... snip ....

>
> Bizarre... sounds like a hardware defect somewhere, though. Quite
> possibly the motherboard. It happens, I've had similar things happen to me.

I have a 6VXDC7 (dual PIII), and with FreeBSD and XFree86 driver from nVidia and
hardware accelleration (MX400). In the driver description I read that the VIA
chipset isn't able to drive the AGP slot in 4x mode with some graphics cards.
I have some locks of the whole computer when using openGL application, which
disappered after setting in the BIOS 2x for the AGP slot.

Perhaps that helps.

Regards

Lars

Discovered the problem.
This board does not accept PPGA socket cpu's, only FC-PGA. Says so in
manuel. Ah, yet another tidbit of crutial information to learn when
upgrading...
I thought if the processor fit the on-board socket, it was O.K.
I guess I'm off to find either another board or processor.
I hope I didn't damage this board in the meantime. By the way, are
PGA and PPGA's the same? Please tell me now so I don't get stuck with
even more parts I don't need!