Flashes while playing Direct 3d games on a GTS?

[Jugernot]

I just installed my GTS yesterday and am getting flashes every few seconds (about every 5-10), its almost the effect that happens when ICQ pops up during a d3d or opengl game. Window is sort of fighting to see which window will be in front. The flashes are full screen and not just a texture.

Any ideas what it could be?

I've installed the following:
VIA 4in1 1.25a
Detonator 6.31

My system config is below.

Thanks!

 

[Jugernot]

Well I just installed the Detonator 6.49 drivers and the problem is still there. The effect is most noticeable in Madonion's XL-R8R during the liquid creature scene.

Anyone run into this before?

 

[Negatus]

I had the same problem when I first installed my GTS. While it may not apply to you, I fixed my problem by taking out every reference to my old video card..including registry entries..inf files.

 

[Jugernot]

Well I removed all the files and registry entries I could find and its still flashing. I'm thinking on doing a complete reinstall, but that would be a last resort.

If anyone has any ideas, PLEASE post em!

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

Well, the flashing is a known problem with the geforces in direct 3d. I fixed it by updating my bios. Here is what you do, get a bios that has sidebanding DISABLED by default. Make sure the bios is the latest edition. Once i flashed everything was great. Also another fix is to set fsaa to the very first level and the flashing goes away. I know that's not really much of a fix, but hey it works.

 

[Jugernot]

Well now I've run into a new problem, everytime I enable FSAA, my computer crashes and I get a memory dump. It says there is an error with the nv4_disp.dll file. Kinda weird because just last night It was working fine.

So, Sudheer Anne, are you saying a reformat with clean install wouldn't even help me?

btw: I just flashed my KT7 Raid with the latest BIOS and sidebanding in enabled default.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

Well the flashing problem is caused by many things. A fresh reinstall and formatting the harddrive will make sure that the problem is not caused by anything else that was previously in the system. Plus, it's my rule of thumb to always reinstall the os and format the harddrive when loading in a new videocard, everything just works out easier that way. After you've reformatted, you might wanna try a dualboot, one for win2k and one for win98se. Play all your games in SE because windows 98se is faster than win2k, although very minorly, and causes less problems. Then flash bios to the latest one. If you are overclocking take everything back to defaults and see if the problem exists. Lowering agp 4x to 2x might help as well. Go to zoiah's website and search for flashing and you'll find a lot of good info on this.

 

[Jugernot]

Well I just got done with a complete format/reinstall and I'm having the same problem. The good news is that I can now enable 1x2 FSAA which fixes the flashing (Thanks Sudheer Anne).

I'd still like to get this fixed without loosing performance by enabling FSAA. Is this a weird problem or is this something a lot of people run into?

 

[Schwartz]

I dunno but it is happening to me too. I had a Herc GF2 64MB and now I have a CLAP2U and they both do it on this system but not my other. I have tried many different drivers with no luck. I just may format.

 

[Jugernot]

Schwartz, I just did a reformat and it didn't help, so you might just be wasting you effort.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

Did you update your BIOS to the latest Nvidia Reference Bios. This has helped a lot of people out and I highly suggest you do it, IT FIXED MY FLASHING PROBLEM. If that doesn't work, then I think you should run at AGP 1X or 2X and turn off sidebanding. Don't worry the perf. hit is only like 2 or 3 fps.

 

[Liquidity]

Are you saying you can update the Geforce bios? If so, where is the latest bios? I checked nvidia's site but all I saw was software drivers.

EDIT: I found the bios for my ELSA card on the ELSA site. Imagine that...

 

[Jugernot]

Yah, where can we get em? I tried Zoiah's, but it seems to be down at the moment.

Thanks

 

[RobsTV]

Disable fast write support in bios.
If going from a 3dfx product to nVidia, only formatting and re-installing will correct many issues.

 

[Jugernot]

OK, I've got everything disabled except I can't lower my mobo down to 1x agp. I disabled the 4x, but it diverts to 2x instead.

 

[RobsTV]

Your problems are not 4x AGP, so forget about it. Leave it at 4X. The Abit and GTS card easily handle 4x AGP. Make sure you install the 4in1 patch AND the VIA 4x AGP (v4.03)patch.

The only things you need to disable with the Abit and GTS card is Fast Write Support and disable Enhance Chip Performance. Also, set AGP driving control to EA.

Last of all, your specs show you running the card at 200 core, 390 memory.
For a card that ships at 200 and 333, you are pushing the memory.
Still, mine works fine at 220 core and 390 memory.
I have had no problems with nVidia drivers v6.47

 

[Jugernot]

The memory isn't the problem because it flashed right out of the box at 200/333MHz.

Edit: I just up my system with the settings that you specified and its still flashing. This blows!

 

[Jugernot]

Sudheer Anne, Zoiah's site is backup, so I now have access to the GeForce BIOSes. What version would you recommend (My current version is something like 0.0.0.3?

btw: Are the reference BIOSes compatible with the Gladiac? I remember that it is based on the reference design, so I'm guessing yes?

 

[Jugernot]

I just installed Detonator driver 6.66 and the flashing has gone away (at least so far). I even ended up setting up a dual boot configuration with Win98SE and Win2k, both had the flashing problems. Before 6.66 I tried, 6.31, 6.47, 6.49, and 7.17. I just hope this stops permanently.