Graphics card woes

[David W]

Just got a new graphics card: "MSI GeForce4 MX440 AGP 8x".

When I install the supplied drivers (same version as latest downloadable
from nvidia.com) in Win XP Pro, the screen seems to go into power saving
mode shortly after logging in every time. All I (and my google searches)
can think of is that the card is trying to drive my monitor at too high
a refresh rate or resolution. In safe mode I can reinstall the driver
and choose a different monitor such as SVGA instead of "Plug and play
monitor" but I cannot change any settings like maximum refresh rate. Out
of safe mode I can't see what I'm doing so I can't change anything.

In Linux, Mandrake 9.1's free XFree drivers work nicely for 2D but when
I try to use the ones from nvidia.com the system freezes after some
graphical use (even if I set AGP to 1x as some web site suggested for my
horrible PC Chips M810 motherboard).

I'm most interested in getting it to work in Windows (to play some
games). I've tried installing 44.03 drivers and various older ones that
came on the CD while I'm in safe mode, but I can't see what I'm doing
out of safe mode! I'm really out of ideas - any suggestions?

Cheers
David

 

[~misfit~]

Just got a new graphics card: "MSI GeForce4 MX440 AGP 8x".

When I install the supplied drivers (same version as latest downloadable
from nvidia.com) in Win XP Pro, the screen seems to go into power saving
mode shortly after logging in every time. All I (and my google searches)
can think of is that the card is trying to drive my monitor at too high
a refresh rate or resolution. In safe mode I can reinstall the driver
and choose a different monitor such as SVGA instead of "Plug and play
monitor" but I cannot change any settings like maximum refresh rate. Out
of safe mode I can't see what I'm doing so I can't change anything.

In Linux, Mandrake 9.1's free XFree drivers work nicely for 2D but when
I try to use the ones from nvidia.com the system freezes after some
graphical use (even if I set AGP to 1x as some web site suggested for my
horrible PC Chips M810 motherboard).

I'm most interested in getting it to work in Windows (to play some
games). I've tried installing 44.03 drivers and various older ones that
came on the CD while I'm in safe mode, but I can't see what I'm doing
out of safe mode! I'm really out of ideas - any suggestions?

Hey David.

I'd say mobo problems mate. PC Chips suck arse. For the same problems to
come up in both Windows and Mandrake. What AGP X is the mobo rated for? You
could try RMA'ing the graphics card, MSI are usually not too bad a card, but
you could possibly have a bad one and, as long as you can return/swap it
it'll probably be cheaper than a new mobo and *may* fix it.

Definatly a hardware failure/incompatibility problem I'd say

That said, I'd get a new mobo anyway.