Old PCI video card safe on a newer PC? *EVGA StepUp Backup Plan*

[imported_Crusader]

I have an old S3 Trio64V+ laying around and need something to use while I send my GF7 out for step-up.. is this going to work at all?

This is a card I found laying around that will keep me up and running while I wait on my 7900GT. :thumbsup:

I realize I'll probably be stuck at 640x480 tops :Q
edit- Nope I was wrong on the resolution.

------------------------------------------
Mode Colors Hertz VRAM required
------------------------------------------
1280x1024 256 75 2MB
1280x1024 256 72 2MB
1280x1024 256 60 2MB
1280x1024 256 43 2MB
1024x768 64K 75 2MB
1024x768 64K 70 2MB
1024x768 64K 60 2MB
1024x768 64K 43 2MB
1024x768 256 75
1024x768 256 70
1024x768 256 60
1024x768 256 43
800x600 64K 75
800x600 64K 72
800x600 64K 60
800x600 256 75
800x600 256 72
800x600 256 60
640x480 64K 75
640x480 64K 72
640x480 64K 60
640x480 256 75
640x480 256 72
640x480 256 60

 

[dwcal]

Should be no problem. I've used a PCI Matrox Millenium and TNT2 M64 in my NF4 system before I bought a PCI-E card.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: dwcal
Should be no problem. I've used a PCI Matrox Millenium and TNT2 M64 in my NF4 system before I bought a PCI-E card.

Yep, I have a PCI TNT2 M64 I use for troubleshooting.

 

[imported_Crusader]

You must be one of the few old skool timers around here like me
I didnt think there were any voltage changes in any PCI standards revisions.. AGP 2X to 4X had volt differences (3.3v on AGP 1/2X vs 1.5 on AGP4X, 8X slots would take both and operated at .8V IIRC).

I dont think there are such issues on the PCI bus.

 

[Peter]

33 MHz PCI slots on standard boards have always been using 5V signalling. PCI standard 2.3 deprecates 5V signalling, and PCI 3.0 forbids it, but all desktop mainboards so far stick with it.

Like with AGP, PCI slots and cards are keyed for their signalling voltage(s), so if it fits, it'll be OK.

There have been reports of PCIE board BIOSes not even looking for a PCI VGA card, though. So while it will certainly be OK on the hardware side, your system software might not do what you'd expect.

 

[Peter]

AGP 4x and 8x are both 1.5V signalling, btw (with reduced swing at 8x, which is where the wrong "0.8V" thing comes from). 1x/2x used 3.3V.

 

[Painman]

OP, I have a couple of those old STBs lying around, I've used them for testing on the NF4 platform a few times. They're fine.

<- Another "old timer", and incorrigible packrat.

 

[imported_Crusader]

Originally posted by: Painman
OP, I have a couple of those old STBs lying around, I've used them for testing on the NF4 platform a few times. They're fine.

<- Another "old timer", and incorrigible packrat.

Great news! TY!

 

[Painman]

Ack. My apologies, Crusader. I just had one of those "Hold on a sec..." moments - I *do* have a couple Powergraph 64s, but the card I'd been using for NF4 testing was a Velocity 128. I dug up one of the Powergraphs to see if you're still good, but after I threw it in and powered up, the computer wouldn't see it. It could be that this one is just broken, it's 10 years old - I can't get my hands on the other one right now, alas. But the possibility remains that it's not compatible. Sorry about that.

 

[imported_Crusader]

Thats ok, I'm goign to throw mine in a bit and I'll report back to YOU this time whether your powergraph is broken or not!

 

[sheltem]

Hopefully EVGA will cross-ship but I have a spare Matrox Mystique 2mb PCI lying around. Now that's an old school 3d card

 

[imported_Crusader]

I dont think they'll cross ship at all.

But I think my powergraph is older than your mystique.. your matrox card is one of the first 3d cards. My stb has no 3d functions.
Though I think they are close in age? Mine says 1996 on it. I think it came in my Quantex Pentium 133 IIRC

 

[imported_Crusader]

Originally posted by: Painman
Ack. My apologies, Crusader. I just had one of those "Hold on a sec..." moments - I *do* have a couple Powergraph 64s, but the card I'd been using for NF4 testing was a Velocity 128. I dug up one of the Powergraphs to see if you're still good, but after I threw it in and powered up, the computer wouldn't see it. It could be that this one is just broken, it's 10 years old - I can't get my hands on the other one right now, alas. But the possibility remains that it's not compatible. Sorry about that.

I tested mine and it does indeed work. Although it wont work at the same time as the GF7. It does show a screen all the way up to XP though, in the device panel it says there are not enough resources free to enable the device.

I'm guessing when I pull out my GF7 and ship it off, those resources will be available for the STB card.
Sounds like your card must be dead.

I was pleasantly surprised to find mine is the 2MB version so I can use 64K color at least @1024x768. Good enough for me while I wait for my 7900GT.

 

[Peter]

The "not enough free resources" thing is because that old S3 chip isn't multi-VGA capable, and can only run as primary. Try setting the VGA preference to PCI-first if your board's BIOS lets you do that.

 

[imported_Crusader]

It does, although I tried both options.. I didnt take "PCI first" into Windows.

Neither setting would put the bios screens on the GF7. Both settings shot it to the STB.
Without seeing my bios on my GF7 output I decided to pull the S3 card back out till I need it.

 

[evolucion8]

Nothing like my old PCI S3 Trio 64V with a whooping 2MB of VRAM to do the job wooo, sofware rendering, here I come!

Bump!

 

[imported_Crusader]

ROFL

well I was going to get this card but the price difference from that to this is small enough that I'd rather wait till the better one is back in stock. Shouldnt be much comparison between a GeforceFX and GF6. I could at least play some CSS or Civ4 with it during the downtime. Not really possible on a GF4 PCI and the price difference doesnt warrant getting the 5200 over the 6200.

 

[Subwayeatbig]

I'm wondering if they would let me get a 7900gt oc from a 7800gs oc superclocked which i got for 322.68 which would suck if they dont.

Opps wrong thread

 

[aka1nas]

Hehe, I had to stick an old 2MB Virge DX into an A8N-SLI at work recently when we were troubleshooting an issue with it. I can second that PCI video works on that board at least.

 

[imported_Crusader]

S3 Virge.. good chipset actually. Bad drivers.. but I remember using 3d accelerated Descent with it (special release of the game).
I liked s3 virge.
I never really got into Nvida products until 3dfx died. But the Edge3D and Riva128 were good products back in that time frame as well.