Nvidia graphics drivers

[LoneCrusader]

Dear MDGx,

 

I am using Windows 98SE, but my new Video Card (AGP Point Of View Geforce 7300GT 512RAM) does not work with NV8269.exe drivers

 

Setup says something like this "No Nvidia Chip Found". I tried manual install via "Have disk" forwarding  to extracted drivers folder (TEMP\NVAML.inf), then installs fine - but when system restarts - it hangs. I have to go to safe mode, remove driver - then it starts up. I do not know what to do . In other threads (about NV82.69 driver) it is said that it works with GF7300GT..

 

CPU Intel P4 2400Mhz, Intel D850 motherboard. 1GB RAM.

 

EDIT: I Also tried to intall drivers, from the Member Soporific Driver Packs. No Luck, also driver installs, but windows refuses to start up. Something I noticed, that  NVAGP.inf -manual installation via "Have Disk" refuses to install (no mached drivers found) only NVAML.inf is detecting 7300GT, installs it, but during reboot - windows does not startup normally.

 

What size is the AGP Aperture setting in the BIOS? Try setting it to 256MB and then remove the card in Safe Mode and reinstall the driver.

512MB video cards under 9x are very, very temperamental.

[Juozasu]

Thank You for reply!

 

AGP aperture size in BIOS was set 64 or 128MB (As was used with integrated Video Card) And I did not change it to 512MB.

 

Edited September 3, 2015 by Juozasu

[LoneCrusader]

 

Thank You for reply!

 

AGP aperture size in BIOS was set 64 or 128MB (As was used with integrated Video Card) And I did not change it to 512MB.

 

The AGP Aperture and the size of the card are not the same thing. I wouldn't expect you to change the AGP Aperture to 512MB as most systems don't even allow this. I meant that in order to use a 512MB card, you will probably need to set a 256MB AGP Aperture in the BIOS. If it works like this, then you can experiment with smaller aperture settings.

[loblo]

You need to buy (and install with option /M if I remember correctly) rloew's RAM patch for using a 512MB graphic card, it won't work without it.

 

After that you need to set an adequate amount of AGP aperture in BIOS otherwise it won't boot either. 64 or 128MB should do. In my experience 256MB or above don't work.

 

As I understand  it (perhaps wrongly) AGP aperture  is a RAM substitute for video memory so the more memory there is on the graphic card the less aperture should be needed..

[LoneCrusader]

rloew's patch has an /A option for handling certain older graphics drivers, but it apparently has no effect on systems using the latest version of the nVidia or ATI drivers (reported this and discussed with rloew). I do recommend the RAM patch regardless though.

 

In my case any AGP Aperture setting less than 256MB will not work at all for any 512MB card that I have tried under 98SE (7200GS/7600GS/7950GT). There doesn't seem to be much logic to this, it apparently varies significantly by hardware.

 

The real mind bender is that Windows 95 will work with the 512MB cards, with a 64MB AGP Aperture set.

Edited September 4, 2015 by LoneCrusader

[dencorso]

512MB video cards under 9x are very, very temperamental.

Temperamental is certainly a good description. Now we know 512MB video cards can work under 9x.

But apparently it depends critically on the hardware, so they are far from being a sure bet.

[LoneCrusader]

 

512MB video cards under 9x are very, very temperamental.

Temperamental is certainly a good description. Now we know 512MB video cards can work under 9x.

But apparently it depends critically on the hardware, so they are far from being a sure bet.

I set out on a mission to get to the root of the issue a couple of months back, but I wonder just how deep does the rabbit hole go?

 

I'm also seriously questioning the value of the tradeoff required in order to use a 512MB card.

For example, I can use a 256MB card and have 3712MB or 3584MB of RAM available to Windows when running rloew's patch + 4GB of RAM.

When I switch to a 512MB card, the available memory in Windows drops to 3328MB or 3072MB, depending on the board.

So, in order to gain 256MB of video memory, one must sacrifice 512MB of system memory. Unless a solution to the aperture setting differences mystery (or a way to control BIOS memory allocation for the cards) is found to alleviate this, this almost makes it not worth the trouble.

I'd hate to see what a 1GB or larger card would do to the system memory...

 

 

For a long time I was unable to get any 512MB card to work at all under 98SE. Then one day they started working if I set 256MB AGP Apertures. Anything less and they will fail, contradictory to what loblo and others have observed on their own machines.

 

The slightest change to any part of the Windows configuration can cause the card to stop working, and it's a nightmare to get it going again. I've had this happen on two machines, one of which I still haven't managed to cure.

 

Then we enter the realm of PCI-Express cards. Since PCI-E boards don't have AGP Aperture settings, it gets even more convoluted. I have one machine where neither a 256MB or 512MB 7950GT PCI-E will work under 98SE, but they both work under 95.

 

The most interesting discovery at this point is that the 82.69 driver (and presumably 82.16 as well since 81.98 does) works with Windows 95, and Windows 95 will use the 512MB cards with only a 64MB AGP Aperture setting, when 98SE will not.

Edited September 4, 2015 by LoneCrusader

[ragnargd]

My AGP Bliss 7800GS+ 512MB worked on one Motherboard only (don't remember which, unfortunately, after the MB died, i just threw the MB away. Stupid me.).

I don't remember the Aperture setting.

 

Thereafter, i never managed to get the Bliss, or any other GPU, working on W98SE, unless it had exactly 256MB of Video-RAM.

 

My advice: Get a card with exactly 256MB Video-RAM, and sell the other, unless you have time and money to spare (i.e. on RLoew... ;-) for experimenting.

 

When choosing a card for the purpose of playing old games, make sure it has a VGA-port next to the DVI-D (so: NOT Dual-DVI-D), as there are some games, Thief 1 among them, that crash when playing via DVI-D on some cards. The fastest PASSIVELY cooled GPUs fit for old games with official drivers are of the GF 6600 GT version.

 

Safe bet are cards from the GeForce 6 Series, 256MB, AGP version, as they work with the latest stable driver, 77.72.

 

If you use the tweaked inofficial 82.69, you can use PCIe-cards as well, and also choose from the GeForce-7 Series.

Fair warning: The driver supposedly supports cards from the GeForce 8-Series, but that is an error!

No GF-8xxx has ever been seen working on W98SE in the wild.

Fails have been reported on msfn.org numerously. Don't bother.

For old games, cards with VGA-port are maximum of the 7800GS or 7600GT type with the inofficial driver.

7300 is possible, but doesn't make sense, as the older GF 6600 GT is faster, with less hassle.

There seems to be no passively cooled and reasonably fast GF 7xxx with a VGA-port.

 

If old games are not that important, the fastest card known to me to work is a GeForce 7950GT PCIe 256MB

(i own one, from MSI, passively cooled even. It rocks, but You'll need the tweaked 82.69 driver, though, as mentioned above)

I haven' seen reviews on a GeForce 7950GX2, though, but XP only. They have at least 1GB Ram, so this is for W9x-Pros only.

 

Cheers, Ragnar G.D.

 

If you are RLoew, or are assisted by him (for a price), advice may not apply. If used via a driver for W9x, he may even revert gravity. May be expensive, though...

Edited September 6, 2015 by ragnargd

[rloew]

Research in progress.

No price set.

Reverting Gravity will take a bit longer.

[ragnargd]

I have a NVidia GeForce 630a/7025 lying around somewhere. It's included in the NVidia Legacy Driver for W7-10, so I wonder if that can be made to work somehow with W98SE...

There you go, next weekend... :-)

[Juozasu]

Thank You All for comments!!!

 

The slightest change to any part of the Windows configuration can cause the card to stop working, and it's a nightmare to get it going again. I've had this happen on two machines, one of which I still haven't managed to cure.

I agree. I thing I should go from Win98SE to Win2k/XP...