Video/Graphics card problem

[Shakadi]

For some reason whenever I try to play any game or use any other software that uses a 3d engine, the software likes to crash, and most of teh time my computer will restart on it's own accord. When I reboot my computer, Windows claims it has "Recoverd from a serious error." When I send in the error report, it also claims it is a driver problem. I have downloaded the latest drivers from the Nvidia site (I have a GeForce4 Ti 4200), but the 3d programs still don't work properly.

Is this still a Driver problem, or is it ultimatley a problem with my card?

[Wicked Anime Kid]

Well i would at first say it are the drivers.
Do you use the latest of nvidia (nvidia and ati are known for the huge amount of bugs in their drivers).
I run my GeForce 2 on the latest drivers and i have no trouble.

When you install the driver does it gives a message that the driver is not digitally signed by windows. If it does then don;t install the driver and remove your driver and try to find an older driver that is digitally signed

[Shakadi]

Hey, thanks for the help. However, the problem had nothing to do with drivers. It turned out that my card was just over-heating, and that I just needed another fan. Thanks for the help anyways though.

[Wicked Anime Kid]

No problem,
BUT you might want to say to me if you have an agp8x video card or not because my agp8 drivers destroyed my radeon9800. My cause of overheating was the slot so please check it to avoid any further annoying stuff with the card
(you don;t have to take this advice but trust me on this one either if you have no trouble at all with the slot it is always usefull to check them)

[ARMYguy]

thats why i mod my own cases and add many fans on the side panel facing the video card.

[Abrax]

My GeForce 2 is onboard, and when I play Call of Duty, my ASUS utility posp up telling me that the +12v has exeeded its limit and displays a result of 13v+ being used. However, it doesn't cause me any problems.

Next month I should have my MSI FX5700U TD :P

[Abrax]

I used to have a 3DFX VooDoo 3000 PCI (16Mb) running in my old comp, a 500MHz Celeron with 192Mb SDRAM. I booted it up the other day, and installed the latest point release for Quake 3 Arena. I did this out of interest, because when I recently installed Q3A on my current PC, I saw that it had the VooDoo driver option.

Previous to the Point Release, I had managed 90fps on 640x40x16, which may look quite good, but the gameplay, even with most special effects disabled used to slow down and become virtually unplayable.

I was amazed to see that the frame rate was still 90 at 1024x768xdefault, with all special effects on, going up to 125 in corners, and down to 50 outside with tons of action/gibs. It was still playable at 1280x1024xdefault, but noticably slower in action scenes.

This just goes to show you (and me) that old hardware is still good hardware, even if it is nowadays obsolete.

[Abrax]

Well, skulltag has now been downloaded/installed, dowloaded on a 31k connection, I am about to plug the phone back in and get some SLEEP.

If you think I have strange sleeping habits, it is because I have been dowloading all of the Hi-res textures for Risen 3D (a 3D version of JDoom essentially) which are something like 88Mb zipped, but look awesome. (Plus late at night is the only time I get to pinch the phone line without being interupted by people wanting to use the phone :-( )

[Tyberious]

I still havea voodoo 3000 AGP 16MB, I can't get ti to work but im planning on making my own glide rig using the voodoo 5 5500 PCI 64MB (since it will work on most motherboards and voodoo cards don't use most of the agp features) and run a dual channel motherboard and a fast processor and just ahve fun with it. I am just curious and have always been interested in some of the old hardware.

[Abrax]

I'm quite interested in some of the older hardware as well actually, I find it quite fun putting/pulling together an old rig, and seeing it run, then running various old programs on it, maybe testing it with a few new ones :-)

The VooDoo series of cards were awesome in their time, and fans of the range still make their own third party drivers. I think 3DFX.com still works, although I haven't been thre for a few years, as they got bought out by nVidia eventually.

Try running Quake 3 Arena on it if you do make your Glide rig working, second hand old computer parts are pretty cheap online, but you've just got to try and get them from a reliable source (if there are any).

I tried getting my old 233MHz rig to boot today, to no avail. This comp contained (still does) a Maxi Gamer 3D, a 3DFX based board made by Guillimot (Hercules), which was attached to my primary VGA card, via a short VGA lead, and then the monitor plugged into the 3DFX board.

Basically, how this worked, is that the 3DFX board processed the VGA cards signal, converting it to Glide. I can remember starting GL Quake for the first time...640x480x16, have that 320x240x8 software users :P

[Tyberious]

lol, software rendering is a major workout for your processor. too bad quake 2 doesn't have any new retexturing/remodeling projects nor does it have any advanced ports (that I have found), it would be nice to play quake 2 and actually have it look realistic.

[The Undertaker]

And thus starts the Intel 3dfx (they did switch to a lower case D before they wents up) conspiracy and why Voodoo cards didn't work in the i850 chipset. Because if it weren't for the Voodoo1 we would've bought that Pentium 233 instead to be able to play Q1 in 640x480.

[Tyberious]

you all know Intel conspired against 3dfx right? If not then I will get the article and proof as well as mroe information on it, lets jsut say when 3d graphics came along it pissed intel off and screwed with their sales, if you wanted a faster maching you jsut upgraded the processor.... no question untill 3dgraphics came along and 3dfx started the 3d hardware graphics era.

[The Undertaker]

I wouldn't mind reading those articles. Did InHell (as the AMD fanboys call them) do anything else other than no Voodoo5 on a P4?

[Tyberious]

ill have to get those, I been pretty busy these days but, it will be a while because I need to backup my hard drive as my mobo is now KIA and my video card should be best consitered MIA as I need to reflash the bios because I put it on too high of a clock rate. I will get as much information as i can and these articles are true.