Radeon X300 64mb PCIx card - accelerator not working properly

[ghost]

Hello,

I have a new Dell GX280 with a Radeon X300 64mb card.

Windows 2000, 20 inch Dell Flat monitor, using DVI.

I don't think the card is working properly.

Whenever my screen saver kicks in (some OpenGl ones or Marine
Aquarium), the cpu kicks up to 100% (and the heat fan starts running).

This does not seem normal, should not the video card handle this extra
load?

Marine aquarium has a feature that shows what it is running at, on
this computer it says 5.17 fps (1280x1024x32) RGB Emulation

But on my old computer it says 60.0 fps (1280x1024x32) Direct 3DHal

This is my only clue right now that something is not working right.

Does anyone know what is wrong?

Does anyone know of a good diagnostic utility?

I called Dell, but they could not help. The hardware tech said it
must be a software conflict and then transferred me to oblivion.

Before I call them back again, I was hoping to gather some more
information.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[Noozer]

I have a new Dell GX280 with a Radeon X300 64mb card.

Are you sure that this is PCI-X and not PCI-E? PCI-X is an old PCI expansion
standard for 64bit cards at speed up to and past 500mhz. PCI-E is the new
slot standard.

Whenever my screen saver kicks in (some OpenGl ones or Marine
Aquarium), the cpu kicks up to 100% (and the heat fan starts running).

This does not seem normal, should not the video card handle this extra
load?

The app has to be written to use the OpenGL routines, etc. efficiently. I
know that Holye Puzzle Games 2004 push the CPU to 100% for no reason that I
can see.

Marine aquarium has a feature that shows what it is running at, on
this computer it says 5.17 fps (1280x1024x32) RGB Emulation

But on my old computer it says 60.0 fps (1280x1024x32) Direct 3DHal

Check the settings in the program to make sure it's set to use DirectX or
OpenGL. "RGB Emulation" makes it sound like you didn't enable the hardware
acceleration in the Marine program (if it has that setting) - otherwise, the
ATI drive is not installed properly.

This is my only clue right now that something is not working right.

Start->Run->DXDIAG ... Use this to test the DirectX features.

BTW, If the card came with the Dell machine, they should help you. BUT all
they will do is tell you to use the recovery CD, which will wipe out
anything you've already installed.

 

[HockeyTownUSA]

Are you sure that this is PCI-X and not PCI-E? PCI-X is an old PCI
expansion
standard for 64bit cards at speed up to and past 500mhz. PCI-E is the new
slot standard.

PCI-X for all intents and purposes means PCI Express. I know PCI-X is an
older standard, but with the advent of PCI-Express, most any reference to
PCI-X or PCI-E are both references to PCI Express. Not only that ATI does
not make any X series cards for the old PCI-X standard...

 

[Noozer]

PCI-X for all intents and purposes means PCI Express. I know PCI-X is an
older standard, but with the advent of PCI-Express, most any reference to
PCI-X or PCI-E are both references to PCI Express. Not only that ATI does
not make any X series cards for the old PCI-X standard...

Wrong.. PCI-X means PCI -eXtended. It's a standard not just a nickname. If
you have a PCI-X card then you have a card intended for older/server
mainboard and NOT the current PCI-Extreme standard.

PCI-X is *NOT* PCI-E

 

[ghost]

Wrong.. PCI-X means PCI -eXtended. It's a standard not just a nickname. If
you have a PCI-X card then you have a card intended for older/server
mainboard and NOT the current PCI-Extreme standard.

PCI-X is *NOT* PCI-E

Ok, fine....It's PCI Express, sorry I used the wrong abbreviation,

Now, back on topic....

I tried the DXDiag and the Direct Draw and 3D Acceleration tests
failed.

I checked all the settings on the ATI display tabs, and all of them
say that Acceleration is turned on.

Any place else I should look?

 

[Noozer]

I have a new Dell GX280 with a Radeon X300 64mb card.

Ok, fine....It's PCI Express, sorry I used the wrong abbreviation,

Now, back on topic....

I tried the DXDiag and the Direct Draw and 3D Acceleration tests
failed.

I checked all the settings on the ATI display tabs, and all of them
say that Acceleration is turned on.

Any place else I should look?

Ok, so 3D acceleration is not working. Could be a few items...
- 3D acceleration is disabled. Check the Display properties -
Settings->Advanced->Troubleshooting... Make sure the slider is all the way
up (to the right).

- or, ATI driver not installed properly. Download the latest from ATI site.
Uninstall what you currently have installed. Install the newly downloaded
version.

- or, Mainboard chipset drivers not installed. Not sure what chipset you
have in this PC, but installing the mainboard chipset drivers will help with
the AGP bus.

After that I'd start looking at stupid items like the multimedia keyboard
drivers and such. I had a very similar problem with my QTronix keyboard. To
get the fancy on screen volume indicators I had to load the drivers. Loading
the drivers blocked up the 3D acceleration.

 

[HockeyTownUSA]

Wrong.. PCI-X means PCI -eXtended. It's a standard not just a nickname. If
you have a PCI-X card then you have a card intended for older/server
mainboard and NOT the current PCI-Extreme standard.

PCI-X is *NOT* PCI-E

I know that, but common conventional speak refers to PCI Express as PCI-E
and PCI-X. ATI doesn't even make PCI-X cards so I don't think there should
be any confusion there. It's like confusing the US Robotics company that
makes modems from the US Robotics in the movie "I, Robot". I'm just being
cynical...

 

[J. Clarke]

I know that, but common conventional speak refers to PCI Express as PCI-E
and PCI-X. ATI doesn't even make PCI-X cards so I don't think there should
be any confusion there. It's like confusing the US Robotics company that
makes modems from the US Robotics in the movie "I, Robot". I'm just being
cynical...

Except that PCI Express and PCI-X hardware are both currently in production,
are commercially available, and are not interchangeable and by misusing
PCI-X you are just adding to the confusion over which is which.

 

[ghost]

Ok, so 3D acceleration is not working. Could be a few items...
- 3D acceleration is disabled. Check the Display properties -
Settings->Advanced->Troubleshooting... Make sure the slider is all the way
up (to the right).

- or, ATI driver not installed properly. Download the latest from ATI site.
Uninstall what you currently have installed. Install the newly downloaded
version.

- or, Mainboard chipset drivers not installed. Not sure what chipset you
have in this PC, but installing the mainboard chipset drivers will help with
the AGP bus.

After that I'd start looking at stupid items like the multimedia keyboard
drivers and such. I had a very similar problem with my QTronix keyboard. To
get the fancy on screen volume indicators I had to load the drivers. Loading
the drivers blocked up the 3D acceleration.

Well, I found the culprit.

My company network has a Novell Remote Management Video Driver
installed.

Once I disabled this (since we never use it) the ATI card started
acting normal.....all tests show 3D acceleration operating normally.

Thanks for everyones suggestions.