Problems with 9800XT...

  • Thread starter Thread starter NewMan
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NewMan

My daughters computer has a Saphire 9800XT video card. This card is,
by all acounts, fully DirectX9 compliant.

So imagine my surprize when she tries to load Sims2 and an error is
displayed stating that a DirectX9.0c card could not be found???

I downloaded and installed the latest Catalyst driver, 7.1 I believe,
and this did not help.

I looked at DxDiag, and while id DOES say that Direct3D is listed, the
"Display" tab clearly shows Direct3D Acceleration as "not available".

Everything looks correct, and nothting works!

I just spent 2 hours Googling my brains out and trying EVERYTHING. NO
DICE!

SO anyone know why I can;t get the 9800XT - which is supposed to be a
good video card - to play something like Sims2??

HELP!

Thanks
 
NewMan said:
My daughters computer has a Saphire 9800XT video card. This card is,
by all acounts, fully DirectX9 compliant.
Click to expand...

Not... quite. The card is compliant up to DirectX 9.0b. Microsoft added the
9.0c specification much later.
So imagine my surprize when she tries to load Sims2 and an error is
displayed stating that a DirectX9.0c card could not be found???
Click to expand...

The error message is technically correct. However, Sims 2 doesn't require a
DX9.0c-compliant card. In fact, it doesn't require a DX9 card at all. Given
the error you see in DXDiag, the problem lies elsewhere. See below.
I downloaded and installed the latest Catalyst driver, 7.1 I believe,
and this did not help.

I looked at DxDiag, and while id DOES say that Direct3D is listed, the
"Display" tab clearly shows Direct3D Acceleration as "not available".
Click to expand...

What motherboard does your daughter's computer have? You need to install the
latest AGP chipset drivers for the motherboard to enable Direct3D
acceleration.
 
The motherboard is an ASRock P4i45GV.

I recently transplanted this motherboard into her system and did a
WinXP Repair install to rebuild the HAL. I was sure that I installed
the latest drivers from the web site, but it certainly cannot hurt to
reinstall them again!

I will let you know how it turns out.
 
The motherboard is an ASRock P4i45GV.

I recently transplanted this motherboard into her system and did a
WinXP Repair install to rebuild the HAL. I was sure that I installed
the latest drivers from the web site, but it certainly cannot hurt to
reinstall them again!

I will let you know how it turns out.
Click to expand...

My limited help is that my PC has a 9800SE and runs Sims 2 fine.
--

Julian Richards

www.richardsuk.f9.co.uk
Website of "Robot Wars" middleweight "Broadsword IV"
 
Not... quite. The card is compliant up to DirectX 9.0b. Microsoft added the
9.0c specification much later.


The error message is technically correct. However, Sims 2 doesn't require a
DX9.0c-compliant card. In fact, it doesn't require a DX9 card at all. Given
the error you see in DXDiag, the problem lies elsewhere. See below.


What motherboard does your daughter's computer have? You need to install the
latest AGP chipset drivers for the motherboard to enable Direct3D
acceleration.
Click to expand...

I downloaded and installed the latest VGA and Chipset drivers from
ASRock - no joy. I also downloaded and installed the latest drivers
form Intel - no joy. I created a blank partition and did a cold-turkey
install from the ground up with install of the latest drivers - no
luck!

So NOW what??? Starting to sound like a motherboard issue. :(
 
The devil's in the details:

1. No point in installing VGA drivers from Asus (that's for the integrated
graphics)...

2. I asked you to install the latest Intel chipset drivers *for your
motherboard*, not the latest Intel chipset drivers. :-) The last drivers to
support the i845GV was v6.3.0.1007, dated 12/16/2004:
http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df-external/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=8178

Note these drivers may not be on the WinXP CD, so even a fresh WinXP install
won't automatically have them.
 
The devil's in the details:

1. No point in installing VGA drivers from Asus (that's for the integrated
graphics)...
Click to expand...

That's what I thought.
2. I asked you to install the latest Intel chipset drivers *for your
motherboard*, not the latest Intel chipset drivers. :-) The last drivers to
support the i845GV was v6.3.0.1007, dated 12/16/2004:
http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df-external/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=8178

Note these drivers may not be on the WinXP CD, so even a fresh WinXP install
won't automatically have them.
Click to expand...

Now that I go back and look, even though both the ASRock and the Intel
web sites have specific links for the 845GV chipsets, the result of
clicking on the link leads back to the LATEST chipset driver! And when
you look at the list, they DO list the 865 chipset, they do NOT list
the 845!

I had my hopes high for this. But, alas, after installing the 1007
version, the computer DOES run WAY faster, but there is still no
"Direct3D Acceleration" and no "Test Direcet3D" button!

I do thank you for the info on the chipsets as I got quite the
performance boost though!

Any other ideas?
 
Digging, digging, digging....

I looked at the VGA support list for my motherboard, and the 9800
family IS supported - but with the V3.8 Catalyst Drivers!

The "current" version is 7.1!!!

I have found the V3.8 and the V3.7 and downloaded them. But BEFORE I
install...

What was this I heard about V3.8 causing overheating problems????
 
I had the complete off-line install pack for DirectX 9.0c downloaded
AGES ago. When I tried to install it, it basically said
"installing"... and 2 seconds later said "Finished'!

So, obviously, it did NOT re-install. What a total pain in the neck.
So some idiot at MicroSoft did not think to allow a "reinstall" or a
"repair" option!

Be that as it may, the re-install of WinXP was done with a CD that I
created with a slipstream of SP2 integrated, so DirectX 9.0c was
installed as part of the "clean" install.

This is the same CD I used to do a repair install on another machine
with a different ASRock motherboard which shows DirectX 9.0c
installed, and has "Direct3D" fully available. Then again, that
computer has an nVidia FX5500 card in it!

Ya know.... In the past, whenever I have had problems with a video
card, 99% of the "problem" cards have been ATI. After all these years
I really thought things would have been better. Now this MIGHT be a
motherboard problem, but if all else fails, I'm gonna try the nVidia
in the P4i45GV - and if the nVidia works, while the ATI does not...
well, I will probably NEVER buy an ATI card again.

I'm still keeping an open mind, and I will keep trying. But this is an
amazing amount of BS for something that SHOULD work automatically and
seamlessly by default.

NewMan said:
I downloaded and installed the latest Catalyst driver [...]
I looked at DxDiag [...]

SO anyone know why I can;t get the 9800XT - which is supposed to be a
good video card - to play something like Sims2??
Click to expand...

Did you install the latest DirectX version? I'd recommend you install it
(e.g. from here
<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...20-bfbb-4799-9908-d418cdeac197&DisplayLang=de>)
and give it another try.

HTH,

Christian
Click to expand...
 
Fiction. The 9800XT doesn't have PWM fan control or on-the-fly voltage
adjustment, so cooling performance is irrespective of the driver.

The v3.8 drivers are old, though, released some time in August 2003, judging
from the version number. Not sure if Sims2 will run with it.

What's your AGP aperture setting in BIOS? Be sure it is set to higher than
32 MB. On some motherboards the AGP functions are disabled at a smaller
aperture setting.
 
Fiction. The 9800XT doesn't have PWM fan control or on-the-fly voltage
adjustment, so cooling performance is irrespective of the driver.

The v3.8 drivers are old, though, released some time in August 2003, judging
from the version number. Not sure if Sims2 will run with it.

What's your AGP aperture setting in BIOS? Be sure it is set to higher than
32 MB. On some motherboards the AGP functions are disabled at a smaller
aperture setting.
Click to expand...

The V3.8 drivers dont work. All that happens is that when I load
DxDiag, the entire computer freezes and a hard re-boot is required. :(

But I will check the AGP aperture. I think that was left at "default"
- whatever that is. Someone suggested I should set it to 128, so I
will see if that does the trick. If not, then on to a different
motherboard!

Thanks for hanging in there with me!
 
NOPE! Increasing the AGP aperture does nothing in this case.

Time to switch to a different motherboard. :(
 
.....
I looked at DxDiag, and while id DOES say that Direct3D is listed, the
"Display" tab clearly shows Direct3D Acceleration as "not available".
Click to expand...
I had this problem once due to BIOS configuration. I did not have Sideband
Addressing enabled in the AGP configuration. Also see if newer BIOS is
available for motherboard.
 
First thing I did before loading the O/S was to flash the BIOS to the
latest revision.

I do not recall seeing Sideband Addressing in the BIOS settings for
this board, but I will double check.

Since I found this "direct3D" problem, I checked a number of systems
at work. A couple of them had the exact same problem. The solution for
the systems at work was a BIOS flash (each board was 2 to 5
generations behind). As soon as the latest BIOS was in the boards at
work, Direct3D was suddenly available and working fine.

I am pretty sure that is what I am dealing with in this case. I have
contacted ASRock Technical Support. It has been 2 days, and no
acknowledgement that they even received the e-mail, let alone have any
kind of solution to the problem. :(

By early next week I intend to migrate the system to an ASUS P4P800SE.
This is one of the boards at work where the latest BIOS flash enabled
the DIrect3D using an nVidia FX5200. ANd if an nVidia FX5200 can do
it, an ATI 9800XT sure as hell should be able to!

PITA, I know, but thems the breaks!

Thanks for the info.
 
Follow-up!

I have transplanted an ASUS P4P800SE into the offending computer. I am
still using the 9800XT.

A quickie Repair Install to rebuild the hardware abstraction layer...
With the lated BIOS flash, the latest Intel INF drivers, and Catalyst
7.1 drivers....

Direct3D works!

As reported by DxDiag, the DirectDraw Acceleration, the Direct3D
Accelleration, and the AGP Texture Accelleration are now all active as
well.

So, the ASRock P4i45GV was the problem. Still not word from ASRock
technical support - and I am not holding my breath.

Maybe NOW my daughter can finally get to playing Sims2 and others!

Thanks to all for their suggestions!
 
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