6800nu

[Kalessian]

Thanks in advance.

I bought a used 6800nu that I'm having some trouble with.

I replaced the GF4Ti that was in my AGP slot with this 6800nu and right away I got crazy artifacts during post/startup. Most of it clears away when I get to Windows, but the second I try to install the nV drivers for it I get an "Infinite loop" BSOD.

The artifacts are weird characters in all of the character slots (those huge BIOS pixels). Most of them are different depths of "shading", some are plain black, some plain white, some are actual letters. Like I see random big M's and little m's all over, and an uppercase G with a ^ over it. It looks like someone went to the character map and had fun copying+pasting.

I replaced the GF4ti and went into the bios and changed the settings to "Disable AGP Fast-Writes" and "Enable AGP 8x". Still the same thing with the 6800nu.

The machine is running an 8xAGP DFI Ultra-AL board with a 2500+ -> 3200+ CPU. I thought the PSU might be critically important, here, as it's a 360watt Enlight with a 17amp 12v. It's a good PSU from a good company, it's just not very powerful. I tried different lines on the 6800nu, and one wouldn't even post with it. I have it on its own line now, and I had a lot of fun removing all the PCI cards and unplugging the IDE devices and fans.

So now it's basically a CPU, mobo, RAM + the new GPU. Not even a harddrive, and I still get the same exact bios image. The system requirements for a 6800nu is 300watt minimum.

Do I need something like a BIOS update? I really have to get this card to work, it's a christmas present. I don't know what to do if it's busted.

Thanks a lot,
-Kale

 

[HFC]

First thing is to make sure you connected the 4-pin molex connector. Second is try to see the video card boot up message to see if the BIOS was the correct one for the card, i.e. manufacturer and model. Did you get the card from someone that is reputable? Some people tried to mod 6800NU into faster models by flashing non-OEM BIOS. They might have dumped the card since it didn't take the mod. Third is try a higher rated power supply or disconnect everythng but the stripped CPU/motherboard and video card. Power supplies come with different output even when they are supposedly rated the same. Tom's hardware did some comparsion before. A check on newegg shows some 300W power supplies put out 20A on +3.3V and 30A on +5V rails.

 

[Kalessian]

Thanks.

The moxel connector is plugged in on it's own line.

I don't understand the next part. How do I see the card bootup message? If it's anything on the post/startup screen, I won't be able to see it. I can't even recognize it besides the "Energy Star" logo (which is perfectly displayed). Even my GRUB bootloader is hard to see besides the "Fedora Core" logo (again, perfect). I know the menu enough to pick windows. The F8-induced bootup-menu for WinXP is also unintelligible. If I try linux, it's interesting, because I can actually see the bootscript text. "Loading... udev... etc" is all readable. But fedora freezes up trying to load X-server (just a plain fedora-blue unmarked background).

Can I use a tool in windows to check the card bios? The guy I bought the card from said he unlocked the card 16/6 and it ran perfectly, but he may or may not have altered the bios. He's reputable if you consider 100+ positive-only Heat reputable. I have trouble believing that he spent a long time getting his great Heat only to scam me out of $150, especially since he's respected on FS/FT. I want to make sure it's not something stupid I'm doing, though, before I bring the problem to him, hence this thread.

Next, I already stripped out all of the unnecessaries. The problem I have is that the PSU I'm using is the best one around. I live in the middle of nowhere, and everyone here has office machines with lousy 250watters or something stupid. I can't even use my main rig's Seasonic-S12 since that machine is back at college.

 

[Kalessian]

Bumpage. Maybe I would have more luck in Tech Support?

 

[Keysplayr]

Hey Kale,
Have you tried reseating the 6800 in the AGP slot? Sounds a bit simple I know, but it's worth a try. Make sure the slot is clean. No dust bunnies.
Just another step in a butt-load of troubleshooting to come.

 

[Kalessian]

Haha, thanks.

Yeah, I've already had to re-insert the GF4Ti into the same slot a few times to check the BIOS, etc.

It's so bad, because the second the GF4 is in there the computer doesn't even know the definition of "problem". What should have been a 5 minute change graphics card change has ruined my entire day.

What's the best way to clean the card's connectors? And how do I clean out the AGP slot itself? I'll certianly try those things.

The machine is sitting in windows right now. I wish I could test it in 3d mode to see what would happen, but without the nV drivers installed no games will play.

Could I possibly have broken it? I started it up the very first time and I forgot to install the molex connector. I've never done something that stupid before. It gave a high-pitched squeal that I thought was the nV5 silencer on it since it sounded mechanical, but it turned out to be something else. I don't know if it was the card or the PSU, since I have trouble pinpointing noises in that pitch. My friend says it shouldn't have been a problem, especially since it didn't even POST, but I'm not so sure anymore. He says when he did that same thing with his 6800nu, it wouldn't POST either and that once he plugged it in everything was fine.

 

[Keysplayr]

Yeah, forgetting to plug the molex in does not damage the card, and usually there is a warning on screen that there is insufficient power to the graphics card. Thats about the extent of what happens.

The one sure fire way to check the card is to install it in another PC. A friend? Family member? Local computer ma and pa shop that would be nice enough to check the card for you? Because if it does the same thing in other computers, well, you will just have to be contacting the dude you bought it from in FS/FT.

If your Ti4200 is working fine, I don't think that the slot is the problem at all.

 

[Kalessian]

Ti4400 @ 4600

No one around here has AGP slots. My uncle does, but if I told him I bought something used online and that it doesn't work he'll never let me hear the end of it. I'll just have to bite the bullet. Guess I'll have to head out there tomorrow sometime.

Thanks.

 

[CKXP]

Could I possibly have broken it? I started it up the very first time and I forgot to install the molex connector. I've never done something that stupid before. It gave a high-pitched squeal that I thought was the nV5 silencer on it since it sounded mechanical, but it turned out to be something else. I don't know if it was the card or the PSU, since I have trouble pinpointing noises in that pitch. My friend says it shouldn't have been a problem, especially since it didn't even POST, but I'm not so sure anymore. He says when he did that same thing with his 6800nu, it wouldn't POST either and that once he plugged it in everything was fine.

it should be fine, i forget to plug in the molex connector once before too. i also have a 6800nu(unlocked), my guess is the previous onwer tried unlock card via Rivatuner. can you start windows in safe mode? also try dowloading Rivatuner to conform if the card is locked or unlocked(12x1,5vp/16x1,6vp) some who try unlocking the card's extra pipes get artifacts and video corruption.

 

[Kalessian]

Will Rivatuner work without the nV drivers installed? Because I can't install them

Edit: Rivatuner will not work wihtout nV drivers installed. I get "No supported drivers detected for this display adapter".

 

[CKXP]

Originally posted by: Kalessian
Will Rivatuner work without the nV drivers installed? Because I can't install them.

i just tried it myself, and it doesn't work without the forceware drivers installed

 

[Kalessian]

Yeah, too bad

I'm gonna try to install another nV driver version.

 

[Kalessian]

Well I got pretty far with 77.76 drivers. I managed to check rivatuner, and yes, only 3 quads were active. And the 4th out of the six vertex shaders was disabled.

A shame, too. I thought that my first FS/FT experience would be a little better.


Edit: Here's a pic of the artifacts in windows. Keep in mind that windows is a relief after what I see during POST.

Pic

 

[SPARTAN VI]

That seriously sucks. I was on the same page as CKXP, previous owner tried to unlock the the extra pp and vs and failed.

Hopefully you left that guy negative heatware. I wouldn't want to trade with someone who sells crap cards.

 

[CKXP]

Originally posted by: Kalessian
Well I got pretty far with 77.76 drivers. I managed to check rivatuner, and yes, only 3 quads were active. And the 4th out of the six vertex shaders was disabled.

A shame, too. I thought that my first FS/FT experience would be a little better.


Edit: Here's a pic of the artifacts in windows. Keep in mind that windows is a relief after what I see during POST.

Pic

so the card is running with extra pipes locked, and are you're still getting those aritfacts?

 

[Kalessian]

Yep. Pretty much sure it's a borked card by now.

 

[Kalessian]

Originally posted by: SPARTAN VI
That seriously sucks. I was on the same page as CKXP, previous owner tried to unlock the the extra pp and vs and failed.

Hopefully you left that guy negative heatware. I wouldn't want to trade with someone who sells crap cards.

I was assuming that FS/FT would actually be BETTER than buying retail as far as quality parts go. You're always taking a chance with retail, but I figured no one would intentionally sell a borked card with so much reputation on the line.

I'm sure he sold it without knowing it was busted, or maybe somehow it got damaged on its way accross the country.

One more idea: Is it possible that I may get different results using the DVI vs the VGA port?

 

[CKXP]

what about your temps? did you check the NV5 to make sure it's seated correctly.

 

[Kalessian]

Well, it seemed sturdy enough. I've installed nVsilencers enough to tell that, if anything, it was tightened too much.

I never actually took anything apart, though. Gaining the temp tab on the driver panel is impossible - I can't get that far without "Infinite Loop" BSOD.

I just checked it by physically touching it. The NV5 is cold, which is a normally bad, but since WinXP can't use the GPU at all (all win-hardware acceleration is being done by the CPU - it's sloooow) that's understandable. The card is basically a framebuffer device only right now.

Sound suggestion, though.