ASUS MB + S3 Vision 968 PCI Graphics?

[Tommy S]

Hi,

My new system was delivered with a defective AGP graphic card :-(
While waiting for a new AGP card, I looked up my old Number Nine PCI
card (S3 Vision 968) from 1995 or so. However, after installing it
into the PCI slot#1 all I get is a POST during boot: "System failed
VGA Test"...
I have no other PCI or AGP cards installed.

Is this old graphic card compatible with newish ASUS motherboards??
(Mine happens to be a P4C800-E Deluxe)

Is there a jumper setting to set or what can I do to get a video
signal?

Thanks in advance!
/Tommy

 

[Ben Pope]

Hi,

My new system was delivered with a defective AGP graphic card :-(
While waiting for a new AGP card, I looked up my old Number Nine PCI
card (S3 Vision 968) from 1995 or so. However, after installing it
into the PCI slot#1 all I get is a POST during boot: "System failed
VGA Test"...
I have no other PCI or AGP cards installed.

Is this old graphic card compatible with newish ASUS motherboards??
(Mine happens to be a P4C800-E Deluxe)

Should be.. the various PCI revisions are backwards compatible.

Is there a jumper setting to set or what can I do to get a video
signal?

Nah... the only setting is in the BIOS and it's whether to check for a VGA
BIOS in the PCI or AGP slots first (in case you have two VGA cards
installed)... either way it should initialise the card.

Perhaps the card has suffered some damage over time, how was it kept?

Ben

 

[Philip Callan]

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Tommy S wrote:
| Hi,
|
| My new system was delivered with a defective AGP graphic card :-(
| While waiting for a new AGP card, I looked up my old Number Nine PCI
| card (S3 Vision 968) from 1995 or so.

#9 made two models off the 968, the FX Motion 531 and FX Motion 771, do
you happen to know which yours is? like Ben says in another response, it
shouldnt matter, but I'm wondering why they made 2 models (unless it was
amount of RAM)

| However, after installing it
| into the PCI slot#1 all I get is a POST during boot: "System failed
| VGA Test"...
| I have no other PCI or AGP cards installed.

standard rule, all else fails, try moving it to another PCI slot, all
the standard IRQ's and whats shared/etc is on page 2-15 of the manual.

If it doesnt detect an AGP card, it should check pci 1 first, and then
continue. (double check how clean the contacts are on your card, and
make sure it is seated firmly and making proper contact.

| Is this old graphic card compatible with newish ASUS motherboards??
| (Mine happens to be a P4C800-E Deluxe)

It *should* be, except for this one thing I found out.

In March of 2002, the pcisig, basically the people who define the PCI
standard released version 2.3, which differs from version 2.2 in 1998 by
only one thing:

"With vast numbers of users adopting battery powered systems, and with
system manufacturers turning to low power designs, this latest version
of the PCI specification supports both 3.3v and 5v signalling, *but no
longer supports the 5 volt-keyed add-in card.* In addition, this latest
version defines a new low profile add-in card form factor for user in
small form factor (SFF) systems designs"

My guess is ASUS on a top end board, implemented the latest version of
the PCI standard, and perhaps excluded the miniscule slice of devices
your legacy card fell into

Philip
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[Tommy S]

#9 made two models off the 968, the FX Motion 531 and FX Motion 771,
do you happen to know which yours is? like Ben says in another response,
it shouldnt matter, but I'm wondering why they made 2 models (unless it
was amount of RAM)

Don't know. I'll check when I'm back home...

standard rule, all else fails, try moving it to another PCI slot, all
the standard IRQ's and whats shared/etc is on page 2-15 of the
manual.

I've tried the other slots - with no success :-(

| Is this old graphic card compatible with newish ASUS motherboards??
| (Mine happens to be a P4C800-E Deluxe)

It *should* be, except for this one thing I found out.

In March of 2002, the pcisig, basically the people who define the PCI
standard released version 2.3, which differs from version 2.2 in 1998 by
only one thing:

"With vast numbers of users adopting battery powered systems, and with
system manufacturers turning to low power designs, this latest version
of the PCI specification supports both 3.3v and 5v signalling, *but no
longer supports the 5 volt-keyed add-in card.* In addition, this latest
version defines a new low profile add-in card form factor for user in
small form factor (SFF) systems designs"

My guess is ASUS on a top end board, implemented the latest version of
the PCI standard, and perhaps excluded the miniscule slice of devices
your legacy card fell into

Very interesting!
I do not blame ASUS if they do not support my old card. However, it would
be fair to get it "black on white" that my card is not supported...
Is there any technical information available for ASUS motherboards (i.e.
other
than the pretty non-technical User Manual) ?

Thanks,
/Tommy

 

[Tommy S]

Should be.. the various PCI revisions are backwards compatible.

According to Philip in another post it is not obvious that the card is
supported!
I'd really like to here from ASUS whether they support such PCI cards!

Perhaps the card has suffered some damage over time, how was it kept?

It was kept installed in my 1995-PC. But it has always been working fine.
I had it running a couple of months ago...

Thanks,
/Tommy

 

[Philip Callan]

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Tommy S wrote:

|>My guess is ASUS on a top end board, implemented the latest version of
|>the PCI standard, and perhaps excluded the miniscule slice of devices
|>your legacy card fell into
|
|
| Very interesting!
| I do not blame ASUS if they do not support my old card. However, it would
| be fair to get it "black on white" that my card is not supported...
| Is there any technical information available for ASUS motherboards (i.e.
| other
| than the pretty non-technical User Manual) ?
|
| Thanks,
| /Tommy
|
|

You could mail them, and ask if the P4C800-E PCI slots are PCI rev 2.3
or rev 2.2, they should be able to tell you.

Philip
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[Philip Callan]

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Philip Callan wrote:

|
| You could mail them, and ask if the P4C800-E PCI slots are PCI rev 2.3
| or rev 2.2, they should be able to tell you.
|
| Philip

Or I could search intel, and find the chipset reference, which is here:
http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/linecard.htm

If you look under (875P) at the bottom, you will see that Intel has
implemented PCI 2.3 for all of 865/875 chipsets, so I think trying to
find out if your model is a '5v keyed add-on' is the next step, but I
think with the problems you describe, its a dead card, or else it falls
into that category (got another box to test it on? if it POSTS, its
prolly 5v)
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[Tommy S]

You could mail them, and ask if the P4C800-E PCI slots are PCI rev 2.3
or rev 2.2, they should be able to tell you.

I've mailed them. I've even mailed them twice. No answer..........
/Tommy

 

[Tommy S]

Or I could search intel, and find the chipset reference, which is here:
http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/linecard.htm

If you look under (875P) at the bottom, you will see that Intel has
implemented PCI 2.3 for all of 865/875 chipsets, so I think trying to
find out if your model is a '5v keyed add-on' is the next step, but I
think with the problems you describe, its a dead card, or else it falls
into that category (got another box to test it on? if it POSTS, its
prolly 5v)

Ok, interesting info!
I just asked a guy if I could borrow his not-so-old-pci-card. I hope
that will solve my current problem.
Thanks Philip,
/Tommy

 

[Stephan Grossklass]

#9 made two models off the 968, the FX Motion 531 and FX Motion 771,

The 531 was based on the S3 *868*, a chip supporting DRAM (instead of
VRAM for the 968 used on the 771). These chips are really old in the hat
by now, they don't even support busmastering yet and are certainly
5V-only. (BTW I have an old 968 based card with a full 8 megs of VRAM -
and full length! - gathering dust, an ELSA WINNER 2000PRO/X-8. When
these beast were brand new in early '95, they did cost a fortune.)

Stephan