Radeon 9700 Pro Issue...

[i3D]

Ok, I've turned to a forum because ATI simply refuses to help me (if there are actually any "human beings" over there). Something is making my computer lock up on me every time I load a 3D intensive game, screensaver, or visualization, or even running the DirectX video tests. I've changed everything in my computer 3 times over. I have 3 new PSU's, 3 new processors, 3 new motherboards, 4GB of memory (all the same brand, speed, size), etc. etc. I've even replaced this video card once already. It has to be the 9700 Pro because I can't think of any other possibility. I have all the latest drivers and updates and I've tried every possible setting in the BIOS and through Windows. I've reformated and reinstalled numerous times. I just don't get it. Here are my specs and how to recreate this problem...

Windows XP Pro (Latest updates)
Radeon 9700 Pro 8x 128mb (Latest drivers)
MSI 865PE Neo2-FIS2R (Latest BIOS revision)
Pentium 4 2.4Ghz Processor
1GB (2x512) PC2100 DDR (also tried running only 512MB DDR)
100GB HDD Maxtor 7200
120GB HDD Maxtor 7200
Plextor CD-RW 40x12x40x
Pioneer DVD-RW 4x2x
400w Antec PSU (also tried a 500w PowMax PSU)

These are my current settings as of today. Here is how I create the problem...

Run Winamp Cubes visualization or screensaver, DirectX Video tests, or any 3D intensive first person shooter game. I've tried lowering my aperature size to 64mb and I've even tried lowering my AGP speed to 4x and still nothing works! Besides... I have an 8x AGP motherboard with an 8x video card... why would I even think about running in 4x??? ATI keeps telling me... "make sure you have the latest drivers and software updates and try running in 4x with an aperature size of 64mb". They've sent me 7 emails saying EXACTLY that!!! 7!!!! SEVEN!!!! And each time I write them back telling them that I HAVE tried that and it DOESN'T work. I'm about ready to take a trip up to Canada and force them to fix this damn card. Or switch to nVidia. I ran an 8x nVidia on my computer with the specs exactly as they are now and everything runs fine!!! Anyway... if anyone can help... PLEASE write back!

-Brian

 

[bittersweet81]

I'm having a similar problem. When running the ATI 3d demos in 8x agp mode the computer just freezes. If I switch to AGP 4x and turn off fast write it works but has all sorts of blocky distortions flashing. Everything on ATI site just says to install the newest drivers. (Wow! right...why didn't I think of that) So yeah any help here would be awesome. Sucks having a card that you cant use to its full potential.

EDIT: I should mention that I am also using the MSI 865PE motherboard.

 

[LiLithTecH]

Do you have Hyper Threading ENABLED?
If so, try DISABLING it.

 

[i3D]

My motherboard supports HyperThreading but my processor does not. Which still won't make any difference because I've tried other 8x AGP cards and they work fine. ATI swears up and down there's nothing wrong with my video card but honestly I think they're full of s*it!!! Without a processor that supports HT I don't even get the option to enable/disable it via the BIOS. And one more thing to add to my hatred towards ATI right now... I just called them. I had this incredibly long debate with some canadian... he told me I had to call a 900 number in order to talk directly to a Technician. What a f*cking rip off!!!! I pay 400 some bucks for a supposidly great video card and I have to PAY for freakin tech support??? I've been having trouble with this since day ONE and not once did they tell me about their FREE first 30 day tech support!!! So obviously now I'm out of that 30 day club. I even asked for the email address or postal address for their HR or Consumer Relations department and this dumbass on the phone refused to give it to me!!! Which is highly illegal, even in Canada! I still want this problem to be fixed but I guarantee I will NEVER purchase another ATI product again!



-Brian


bittersweet81: I couldn't even get my card to work in 4x, 64mb. I even tried to run the Cubes screensaver in the lowest possible resolution and it still froze! And actually when I said I couldn't play games... what I meant was any time a cut-scene comes on or some sort of ingame screensaver, my computer will freeze. I can actually play the game without my computer hanging on me. I even ran an ultimate test... 1 HDD, 1 stick of memory, agp card, motherboard, and processor. I used a multimeter to test voltages from my PSU and through my PSU to the AGP slot and other key points on the motherboard, HDD, memory, etc. Everything was fine... so I formated the HDD, installed Windows XP Pro (with no updates, tweaking, anything). I left the installation as is and didn't even close those stupid popups you get when you first install an OS. Then I installed winamp with the cubes visualization and raven shield. I could play raven shield perfectly but as soon as I opened up winamp and turned on the cubes visualization, it froze. so I took cubes out of the picture and ran the dxdiag. that froze on the video test as well. so then I put in a nvidia card (8x) and you can guess what happened.... everything worked fine. everything! this was the point at which I thought the radeon was faulty so I took it back to where I purchased it from and exchanged it for a new one. came home... put it in... and got screwed... AGAIN! Oh yeah... i forgot to mention I tried this with each driver update for the 9700 pro. tested with no driver update... next update... next update... etc. etc. until I got to the final update. I would sell this damn video card if I didn't have a concience and knowledge that I would be selling my crappy card, and poor choice of a purchase, to someone else.

 

[bittersweet81]

Hey,
Yeah it sounds like you did everything you can do. I'm not so happy myself. I'm pretty sure I can get the card to work if I dumb down the settings enough but then wheres the point in spending the money if you cant use the features. I bought mine off a guy here and he sent me the circuit city receipt. I think I might try and return it. Not sure what I would get to replace it though. Do the 9800's have the same problems? Otherwise I can go back to nvidia which I have never had problems with but it seems the only way to get comparable performance is to get a 5900 ultra but I just don't have $500 to shell out for a video card. Let me know if you find anything out.

 

[shootinyou]

Hey i3D, and bittersweet81

Don't know if either of these will help, but I thought I'd offer. Good luck


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[bittersweet81]

Tried it. No luck. Can't get rid of these flashing squares at all now. 3dmark03 looks rediculous.

 

[i3D]

Well that worked for me!!! Everything seems to be fine now. Why are my Radeon drivers getting corrupted so easy?

-Brian

EDIT: Ok now something else is happening. Not as bad as my computer freezing up but still annoying. I can't use Media Player anymore. The old Media Player won't play movies at all in any format, Media Player 9 will play only the video and no audio, but WimAmp will play them just fine. I tried reinstalling Media Player 9 and that didn't work. I even tried to uninstall Media Player first. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[i3D]

 

[i3D]

Sorry... didn't mean to create a new reply but I can't figure out how to get rid of this one.