Save yourself some grief! ATI & Abit no-mix

[networkman]

Short version: ATI Radeon VE 64meg Dual display card DOES NOT work on the Abit KT7A motherboard AT ALL! It won't even post!

Long version: My gaming rig is an Abit KT7A with a AMD Tbird 1000@1300(10 * 130/32) with a GeForce2 MX400 32meg AGP card - works with no problems. Bought the above ATI card at a local VAR. I'm running Win2K, so I un-installed the GeForce drivers and set the video to Standard VGA. Before installing the new card, I also clocked the FSB back down to stock (100). Installed ATI card - go to boot up - system doesn't even POST. No error code, no speaker beeps, nothing! Take ATI card out, put GeForce back in - system boots fine. Check AGP port settings in BIOS, all good. Try a few other settings(enable/disable 4x mode, etc) - Still nothing with the ATI card.

Take the ATI card into the VAR, figuring bad card and do an exchange - card works in another system! :| Bring my system in, tech tries the ATI in my PC(I'm a tech myself, but what the hey, maybe I'm missing something?) Still no go; try a 2nd ATI card - no go. Put GeForce back in, go to web - download and install newest BIOS update for the motherboard - no problems with the GeForce; install ATI card - still nothing.

VAR happens to have another Abit KT7A board in stock - they try setting it up with another Tbird and both of the ATI Radeon VE cards - still nothing not even a POST!! :|

So there you have it. I've emailed the incompatibility issue to both ATI and to Abit. I can hold out that someone will come up with a solution, but I think it's time I upgraded anyway.

 

[rbV5]

Why would you put a Radeon Ve into a gaming rig anyway?

 

[networkman]

That's a good question - glad you asked.

I don't do alot of serious hardcore gaming, just weekend type stuff, so the hottest video card out there would just go to waste sitting in my system, seeing only occasional use.

 

[rbV5]

Because it won't POST at all, and it works in another rig and another card works in your rig, try not bottoming out the card in the AGP slot, perhaps it is shorting out somehow and the GF card AGP connector is slightly different enough to not have the same problem?

 

[Raincity]

Ya I have a buddy running that combo and his post's and actually works, imagine that.

Rain

 

[Rand]

Are you sure there isnt something wrong with the card?
I just setup a Radeon VE + Abit KT7A-RAID a few days ago and didnt experience anything out of the ordinary.

 

[slag]

I had the same issue with an Asus p2b motherboard and a no-name TNT2 m64 video card. Darn thing would not work at all in the asus board, black screen or it would come up in safe mode no matter what drivers I used. I even reformatted the computer and it still would not work, yet the card works great in my wife's duron machine. go figure.

Joe

 

[networkman]

Hey, if any you are nearby(Michigan area), you're welcome to stop by and try it out for yourselves! I already looked at the "bottoming out" possibility and ruled that out. And as I posted previously, we've tried TWO of the ATI cards with no joy. My motherboard is the non-Raid version, also prior to v1.30.

Thanks slag, I agree it's a bizarre thing and hard to believe unless you've seen it for yourself.