As posted elsewhere in Anandtech Forums::
I've been having extreme problems with OpenGL games, as in anything at all OpenGL is DOA. Direct3d stuff is also sporadically unstable and software is mostly stable with occasional problems. That's the 'progression of instability.'
This all started on some day I can't remember several months ago. At the time Win98 was running flawlessly (no, really!) almost too flawlessly for win98 on an oc-ed k6-2 that hadn't had a fresh install for about 6 months. I don't remember what I did on that day but I first realized the OpenGL problems in Q3A which nevers gets to the MainMenu instead dying before the ID screen or ocassionally making it to the intro which runs flawlessly but dies at the first attempt to get to the Mainmenu.
At the time I tried everything from the newest drivers to the oldest, flashed the mboard BioS, and reinstalled Q3a several times without an ounce of recovery. All the drivers were installed properly, I assure you, I am becoming a Matrox G400 driver installation guru.
Soon after the original encounter, I tried out HalfLife, due to Quake withdraw. I first ran it in the default OpenGl which proceeded to kamakazi my 'puter upon game engine initialization. Direct3d ran with the afformentioned sporadicity. Software went ok, most of the time. The patern was constant in any other Opengl game I cared to try. (including NFS3,4 Q2 maybe UT and descent3 and SoF? I don't recall.) I've somehow dealt w/o any quaking goodness for a while, instead taking on TiberiumSun to my hearts content.
Recently I had occasion to completely reinstall Windows98 (not SE btw) due to overall system crapiness due to the usual .dll indigestion. I thought I was out of the woods with a fresh install and fresh drivers, the only thing I left on my Harddrive was my precious precious mp3 collection and a couple of install files for WinAmp, WinZip, and my veritable museum of g400 drivers. Obviously this is not the case. No difference what.so.ever, maybe worse, if anything.
So here I am, my last desperate request before I return to the days of editing winmine.ini to give myself the top score, deleting files that looked important out of C:\windows\ to see what it would do (no kidding), or *erk* flushing the rats out of one of those 386 HPs we keep in the basement.
Here's the specs:
AMD K6-2 350@400 (350, no help. stock hs/fan)
SOYO 5EMA+ (latest BioS, also tried originals)
Matrox G400 (drivers: 5.52 and TurboGL, also tried the one off the CD, 5.50.005 BETA, and 5.41)
Some 8.4Gig harddrive, Quantum I think.
Soundblaster Live! X-Gamer
Generic floppy
one extra case fan in front
Sometimes a LANcard (not since Win reinstall)
96MB generic SDRAM (32+64)
US Robotics 56k modem*
'Afreey' 10x DVD*
Karna Razer Boomslang* (it's sweet)
RealMagic Hollywood Plus*
* = installed after problem arose, no difference.
If you help me cure this plague of my gaming-goodness, my shrine to you will not be a small one. Maybe I should consider a cash bounty? (j/k)
Edit:: I have just downloaded the 6.00 BETAs, see if this helps
I've been having extreme problems with OpenGL games, as in anything at all OpenGL is DOA. Direct3d stuff is also sporadically unstable and software is mostly stable with occasional problems. That's the 'progression of instability.'
This all started on some day I can't remember several months ago. At the time Win98 was running flawlessly (no, really!) almost too flawlessly for win98 on an oc-ed k6-2 that hadn't had a fresh install for about 6 months. I don't remember what I did on that day but I first realized the OpenGL problems in Q3A which nevers gets to the MainMenu instead dying before the ID screen or ocassionally making it to the intro which runs flawlessly but dies at the first attempt to get to the Mainmenu.
At the time I tried everything from the newest drivers to the oldest, flashed the mboard BioS, and reinstalled Q3a several times without an ounce of recovery. All the drivers were installed properly, I assure you, I am becoming a Matrox G400 driver installation guru.
Soon after the original encounter, I tried out HalfLife, due to Quake withdraw. I first ran it in the default OpenGl which proceeded to kamakazi my 'puter upon game engine initialization. Direct3d ran with the afformentioned sporadicity. Software went ok, most of the time. The patern was constant in any other Opengl game I cared to try. (including NFS3,4 Q2 maybe UT and descent3 and SoF? I don't recall.) I've somehow dealt w/o any quaking goodness for a while, instead taking on TiberiumSun to my hearts content.
Recently I had occasion to completely reinstall Windows98 (not SE btw) due to overall system crapiness due to the usual .dll indigestion. I thought I was out of the woods with a fresh install and fresh drivers, the only thing I left on my Harddrive was my precious precious mp3 collection and a couple of install files for WinAmp, WinZip, and my veritable museum of g400 drivers. Obviously this is not the case. No difference what.so.ever, maybe worse, if anything.
So here I am, my last desperate request before I return to the days of editing winmine.ini to give myself the top score, deleting files that looked important out of C:\windows\ to see what it would do (no kidding), or *erk* flushing the rats out of one of those 386 HPs we keep in the basement.
Here's the specs:
AMD K6-2 350@400 (350, no help. stock hs/fan)
SOYO 5EMA+ (latest BioS, also tried originals)
Matrox G400 (drivers: 5.52 and TurboGL, also tried the one off the CD, 5.50.005 BETA, and 5.41)
Some 8.4Gig harddrive, Quantum I think.
Soundblaster Live! X-Gamer
Generic floppy
one extra case fan in front
Sometimes a LANcard (not since Win reinstall)
96MB generic SDRAM (32+64)
US Robotics 56k modem*
'Afreey' 10x DVD*
Karna Razer Boomslang* (it's sweet)
RealMagic Hollywood Plus*
* = installed after problem arose, no difference.
If you help me cure this plague of my gaming-goodness, my shrine to you will not be a small one. Maybe I should consider a cash bounty? (j/k)
Edit:: I have just downloaded the 6.00 BETAs, see if this helps