nVidia's not so "Unified" Driver Support

[Rankor]

Isn't there nVidia generic drivers in the OS that support the TNT/TNT2?

You can use the generic for the pci TNT2 M62 video card and the latest and greatest for 6800OC.

 

[beatle]

Originally posted by: Rollo
Geeez, dude, this isn't worth ANYBODY'S time!

Check it out:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=45&threadid=1716994&enterthread=y]http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=45&threadid=1716994&enterthread=y[/url]

Pay the guy with 127-0-0 Heat $25 for a Hercules GF3 an be done with it?

Why would I want another AGP card?

 

[beatle]

Originally posted by: Rankor
Isn't there nVidia generic drivers in the OS that support the TNT/TNT2?

You can use the generic for the pci TNT2 M62 video card and the latest and greatest for 6800OC.

Color me stupid, but when I install the latest drivers for my 6800OC, it automatically installs them for the TNT2 as well. This is where the problem stems. If there was some kind of interaction with the driver software where it allowed me to select the card(s) I want to install, I'd be good as gold, provided it's even possible to run two different Forceware/Detonator versions.

 

[imported_BikeDude]

Originally posted by: beatle
Color me stupid, but when I install the latest drivers for my 6800OC, it automatically installs them for the TNT2 as well.

I was about to suggest using the old-fashioned way, namely installing the (unpacked) drivers using device mgr, but the .sys files haven't changed names for a long time, so you end up writing over the "other" driver.

You could perhaps rename the .sys file (and modify the .inf file), but the drivers probably use the same registry keys, so... No go.

Bottom line then: You either get yourself a nice Matrox PCI card or you ditch your current rig and get yourself a PCIe based system with two new graphics cards? This could easily end up costing you a lot more than $50 as far as I can tell.

There's another issue in play as well: If you drive two monitors off one card, you can only calibrate one of them. You need one card per monitor if you're into calibration. A single video card isn't the solution for everyone.

And finally... I keep my old cards around, but I don't keep driver CDs. Being able to download the latest driver is a big plus when handing over an old card to a relative or friend. (nVidia probably keeps an archive on their ftp site though)

 

[Gstanfor]

Originally posted by: beatle

Originally posted by: Rankor
Isn't there nVidia generic drivers in the OS that support the TNT/TNT2?

You can use the generic for the pci TNT2 M62 video card and the latest and greatest for 6800OC.

Color me stupid, but when I install the latest drivers for my 6800OC, it automatically installs them for the TNT2 as well. This is where the problem stems. If there was some kind of interaction with the driver software where it allowed me to select the card(s) I want to install, I'd be good as gold, provided it's even possible to run two different Forceware/Detonator versions.

No guarantee this will work, but go into device manager, choose the M64, do an update driver and point it to the forceware drivers folder (you can descompress it). It should list supported hardware. Choose the M64 (or whatever is closest) from the list.

You can probably do this with two different forceware drivers, though they are not as tolernant of different version files as they used to be. Do the M64 first, the the 6800, otherwise things like OpenGL probably won't work correctly.

Really though, just donate the M64 to a needy local family trying to squeak by on an S3 Virge or worse and buy an up to date secondary card. I loved my TNT cards too, they transformed gaming for me back in the day, but today is no longer their day.

 

[route66]

Originally posted by: GstanforI loved my TNT cards too, they transformed gaming for me back in the day, but today is no longer their day.

So how many people, in total, either did not read this fully or don't completely understand the problem? You can add Gstanfor to the list...

 

[Gstanfor]

Originally posted by: route66

Originally posted by: GstanforI loved my TNT cards too, they transformed gaming for me back in the day, but today is no longer their day.

So how many people, in total, either did not read this fully or don't completely understand the problem? You can add Gstanfor to the list...

That's where you are wrong mate. I have read the whole thread. I realise Beatle does not necessarily want to play games on the TNT-2 M64.

However, for every conceivable use he or anyone else has for the M64, a modern budget card will do it better, faster and with less hassle.

 

[route66]

Originally posted by: Gstanfor
However, for every conceivable use he or anyone else has for the M64, a modern budget card will do it better, faster and with less hassle.

Or, perhaps, a $20 VGA PCI card? (Non ATi, Non nVidia)

PS - How do you make 2D faster?

 

[imported_thisbrian]

I guess it's time to mothball my STB Velocity 128 then......bummer. ;0)

 

[Gstanfor]

Originally posted by: route66

Originally posted by: Gstanfor
However, for every conceivable use he or anyone else has for the M64, a modern budget card will do it better, faster and with less hassle.

Or, perhaps, a $20 VGA PCI card? (Non ATi, Non nVidia)

PS - How do you make 2D faster?

You are kidding about the how to make 2D faster, right? at least I hope you are... The icreased core clock rate compared to TNT and to a lesser extent the faster memory on the card gives you the boost in 2D. The boost going from my 4200 to 5900XT was very noticeable and so was the boost from 5900XT to 6800GT (both those cards only run their cores @300mhz for 2d too).

 

[beatle]

I noticed a significant upgrade in 2d speed when I went from my Millenium II to my TNT2. That said, I noticed no difference in speed when I went from my GF2 GTS -> GF4 Ti4200 -> 6800OC. Windows are just as smooth as they have been since 2001.

GeforceTony, I tried your Xtreme G drivers (81.94 v2). They installed fine for the 6800, but when I put my TNT2 back in, it bluescreened on bootup. I tried going into safe mode and loading the drivers for the TNT2 manually, but it does not show up in the list of cards when I point it to nv4_disp.inf. I then tried installing the WHQL drivers from Nvidia, version 71.89 - the last version to officially support the TNT2. The drivers loaded properly, but when I rebooted, it still bluescreened.

I've since put my Matrox card back in, praying that my system remains stable and cursing Nvidia's planned obsolence.

 

[beatle]

So much for stability. I've already gotten it to crash.

 

[xbassman]

I have a TNT2 Ultra in a box I use to crunch data for Folding@Home and I ran into this problem.

However......I found that the driver NVidia links you to isn't the one that actually supports them.

This one works.....

http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_66.93.html

 

[Avalon]

Originally posted by: Acanthus

Originally posted by: Avalon

Originally posted by: Rollo

Originally posted by: beatle
I really have no idea why people drone on about buying a new card. I'll never use the extra features or 3d speed on a card that will be SOLELY 2d.

You can extract the contents of nvidia's drivers to a directory. I'll have to see if I can load the drivers manually this way.

edit: Tony, where are these modded drivers that still work with the TNT2?

Errr, because the amount of time you put into this thread wouldn't be worth $50 to me.

When you add in the time you've spent trying to make it work, when you could have spent $50 and been done with it, alarming.

Dude, if you've got some new hardware you want to put some time in that isn't working, you might make a case for that.

When you're talking about spending time and writing complaining threads over GF2s, we part company.

Buy a card, be done with it. GF3s don't have "3d capabilities" these days anyway, you're upping your baseline to current.

Not even $50.

Text

Try $20 and under. And there are plenty more where that came from.

AGP.

I swear I was looking at a PCI one. I don't know how that happened. They're on there, though!