No AGP 8x for me?

Hi there, first post for me.

I have read through many posts here looking for a solution to my problem, and have found many similar possiblities, but none have panned out for me.

System Specs --
AMD 3500+ 64
1024 OCZ
ATI X800 (The Problem?) (Both ATI 5.5 Cata + Omega 5.4 Cata Attempted)
74 GB Raptor
Shuttle FN95 Mainboard (SN95G5)
Lite-On DVD R-RW+-
Onboard Sound/Ethernet controller

My problem: Through ATI's built in Smartgart, I cannot run AGP at any setting other than "Off". I realize it is built in to ensure system stability, but I know another person with less specs and older mobo than listed above running at 8x without a problem. I was sure I had a great gaming machine built here, but its a real bummer being bottlenecked as I am.

I have tried:
-Flashing BIOS to latest availible
-Changing AGP settings to 4-8x only in BIOS
-Uninstalling Video drivers of both varieties mentioned above, Uninstalling chipset/mobo drivers, and reinstalling each. I have done one before the other in any possible combination with and without restarts, in and out of safe mode.
-Updating Vid Drivers
-Updating Chipset Drivers
-Uninstalling Smartgart

After uninstalling SMARTGART and forcing AGP to run at 4x through the BIOS so that SG could not undo my change, any video I have runs so choppy that it should be comical.

To the best of my knowledge, I should be able to run AGP 8X with this system with absolutely no problem.

SN95G5 (FN95V2.0) -- My Barebone Build http://global.shuttle.com/Support/SupportFAQ_Brb.asp

Ideas please, anything can help. Please dont let me be doomed to mediocre frames forever!

 

Did you install your motherboard chipset drivers?

 

Yeah, like I said, I tried uninstalling and reinstalling all mobo/chipset drivers. However it could very well still be something down this path for all I know.

Thanks for the response, but please keep them coming.

 

I would go through your motherboards manuel and look at the advanced chipset features section ... I'm thinking you might have a setting misconfigured .. esp. "Fastwrites" I've had similar problems and enabling fastwrites in either the BIOS and the advanced settings properties worked ... I have no idea why people say to disable it, I always got better performance with it enabled ... but try taking a good look in that BIOS section and seeing what you can come up with

on the other hand this does spell out that you don't have your motherboard chipset drivers installed correctly ... what I would do is use driver cleaner pro to unistall your video drivers and uninstall your chipset drivers and direct x and run CCleaner ..then reinstalling your chipset driver THEN installing direct 9c THEN finally your video drivers (if you have SP2 ignore the directx)

and why did you uninstall smartgart? you kinda need that

 

Uninstalling Smartgart was a move of pure desperation, I assure you. And as far as all that uninstalling/reinstalling of drivers goes, does safe mode make a diff do you suppose?

 

Oh yes, and I have fastwrites enabled already.

 

I don;t think this has anything to do with your video cards driver (assuming you've installed it with Smartgart intact, you won't be getting any AGP w/o it)

which motherboard drivers did you install, nVidias or Shuttles?

 

Update --

I actually went so far as to reformat. This is now a fresh copy of XP w/ SP2, with all drivers from this link -- http://global.shuttle.com/Download/Download_File.asp?Item=SN95G5 -- My exact model. (The SN95G5 V1.x, and naturally the associated drivers and BIOS)

I am getting the exact same problem. Keep in mind this is an absolute fresh install of all drivers from chipset to video/audio ect. The BIOS are also freshly flashed from that link as well.

I installed PowerStrip as well to try and manually override, and was promptly put to a halt. It will not allow me to enable hardware or any transfer mechanisms. Here is the diagnogstic -- please forgive the spam.

Diagnostic report - generated on 5/31/2005
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PowerStrip build - 510
Windows build - v.5.1.2600.2.Service Pack 2
DirectX build - v.5.03.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
OpenGL renderer - (n/a)

System board
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type - NVidia
AGP aperture - (n/a)
Transfer mechanism - Disabled (desktop sharing?)
Non-local memory - (n/a)
AGP revision - 3.00
AGP transfer rates supported - 4x, 8x
Current AGP transfer rate - 4x
Sideband addressing - hardware support, but currently disabled
Fast write protocol - hardware support, but currently disabled
AGP texturing - hardware support, but currently disabled

Graphics card #1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Identity - ATI Display controller
Memory clock - 445.50 MHz
Engine clock - 472.50 MHz
IRQ - 16, shared
AGP revision - 3.00
AGP transfer rates supported - 4x, 8x
Current AGP transfer rate - (n/a)
Sideband addressing - Enabled
Display driver - ati2dvag.dll, v.6.14.10.6512
DirectX driver - ati2dvag.dll, v.6.14.10.6512
Attached monitor - VSC200D (Plug and Play Monitor)
Monitor caps (1) - 2248x1264, 79kHz, 95Hz

Device enumeration
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shuttle CPU-to-PCI/AGP bridge (00E110DEh)
Shuttle PCI-to-ISA bridge (00E010DEh)
Shuttle SMBus (00E410DEh) - using IRQ10
Shuttle Universal serial bus (USB) (00E710DEh) - using IRQ22
Shuttle Universal serial bus (USB) (00E710DEh) - using IRQ20
Shuttle Universal serial bus (USB) (00E810DEh) - using IRQ21
Shuttle Audio device (00EA10DEh) - using IRQ22
Shuttle IDE controller (00E510DEh)
Shuttle IDE controller (00E310DEh) - using IRQ21
NVidia PCI-to-PCI bridge (00E210DEh)
NVidia PCI-to-PCI bridge (00ED10DEh)
AMD CPU-to-PCI bridge (11001022h)
AMD CPU-to-PCI bridge (11011022h)
AMD CPU-to-PCI bridge (11021022h)
AMD CPU-to-PCI bridge (11031022h)
ATI Display controller (4A491002h) - using IRQ16
ATI Display controller (auxiliary) (4A691002h)
VIA Firewire bus (30441106h) - using IRQ19
Galileo Ethernet controller (432011ABh) - using IRQ16

I am at my wits end, but the determination lives on! Please help!

 

sounds like you're having some fun .. IMO looking at that report it looks as if the chipset drivers aren't installed .. I'm sure you installed them but it seems as if for some reason they aren't being detected or initiated by the system for some reason, therefor your video drivers won't be able to set the AGP speed

you might try the drivers at nvidias site ... also you might want to install sisoft sandra and see if that will give you any hints as to how to fix the problem

 

SiSoft did pretty much nothing for me, so I went to Nvidia's site just to try for the nforce drivers there instead.

It worked. I'll be damned.

Diagnostic report - generated on 5/31/2005
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PowerStrip build - 510
Windows build - v.5.1.2600.2.Service Pack 2
DirectX build - v.5.03.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
OpenGL renderer - (n/a)

System board
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type - NVidia
AGP aperture - (n/a)
Transfer mechanism - DMA
Non-local memory - 304.8 MB
AGP revision - 3.00
AGP transfer rates supported - 4x, 8x
Current AGP transfer rate - 8x
Sideband addressing - Enabled
Fast write protocol - Enabled
AGP texturing - Enabled

Graphics card #1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Identity - ATI Display controller
Memory clock - 445.50 MHz
Engine clock - 472.50 MHz
IRQ - 16, shared
AGP revision - 3.00
AGP transfer rates supported - 4x, 8x
Current AGP transfer rate - 8x
Sideband addressing - Enabled
Display driver - ati2dvag.dll, v.6.14.10.6512
DirectX driver - ati2dvag.dll, v.6.14.10.6512
Attached monitor - VSC200D (Plug and Play Monitor)
Monitor caps (1) - 2248x1264, 79kHz, 95Hz

Device enumeration
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shuttle CPU-to-PCI/AGP bridge (00E110DEh)
Shuttle PCI-to-ISA bridge (00E010DEh)
Shuttle SMBus (00E410DEh) - using IRQ10
Shuttle Universal serial bus (USB) (00E710DEh) - using IRQ22
Shuttle Universal serial bus (USB) (00E710DEh) - using IRQ20
Shuttle Universal serial bus (USB) (00E810DEh) - using IRQ21
Shuttle Audio device (00EA10DEh) - using IRQ5
Shuttle IDE controller (00E510DEh)
Shuttle IDE controller (00E310DEh) - using IRQ21
NVidia PCI-to-PCI bridge (00E210DEh)
NVidia PCI-to-PCI bridge (00ED10DEh)
AMD CPU-to-PCI bridge (11001022h)
AMD CPU-to-PCI bridge (11011022h)
AMD CPU-to-PCI bridge (11021022h)
AMD CPU-to-PCI bridge (11031022h)
ATI Display controller (4A491002h) - using IRQ16
ATI Display controller (auxiliary) (4A691002h)
VIA Firewire bus (30441106h) - using IRQ19
Galileo Ethernet controller (432011ABh) - using IRQ16


You sir, are a small God.

Infinite thanks.