X2900XT Issues

LoadsaMoney · 15 May 2007 at 18:24

CS||nuTs said:
So you are saying ATI had no drivers at all to release with it for its original 06 release date?

No not at all.

just everyone saying ATi is 6 months behind, but if you think about, yes they are in card terms, but performance wise its about 2x weeks behind, the 8 series drivers have been virtually none existant, and the ones that have been put out have been crap, no boosts to performance etc... at all, then the beta's are released 2x weeks ago and performance is increased, 3D Marks go up a couple of thousand points, games get an increase in fps etc...

Be ineresting to see the R600 pitted against the G80's with their shipping drivers, i bet the gap would be a lot closer than it is now between the two, and that gap is only the way it is now from better drivers being released in the last 2x weeks, now if ATi get to the GTS performance in their next couple of sets of drivers or the GTX performance, then that means what has took Nvidia 6 months to do performance wise, has only taken ATi 4-8x weeks.

Darkwave · 15 May 2007 at 18:25

LoadsaMoney said:
8 series drivers have been virtually none existant, and the ones that have been put out have been crap

Thanks to a lack of competition from AMD, and I am mad at them for it.

I'm still confident we'll start seeing quality drivers now that there is a reason not to **** about.

Sparky · 15 May 2007 at 18:28

I kind of see what you are saying.Do you think nVidia played with us where drivers are concerned as they had no serious rivals.

Tom|Nbk · 15 May 2007 at 18:30

Ulfhedjinn said:
Thanks to a lack of competition from AMD, and I am mad at them for it.

I'm still confident we'll start seeing quality drivers now that there is a reason not to **** about.

Can't see how its a lack of competition at all, the fact is NV should have been supporting the card with constant updates from the go. People pay good money for these things it should have nothing to do with competing, hence NV the big overlord dosnt give a flying whistle about customers.

Darkwave · 15 May 2007 at 18:32

CS||nuTs said:
I kind of see what you are saying.Do you think nVidia played with us where drivers are concerned as they had no serious rivals.

I most definitely do. Take a look at what we've had from Nvidia since the 8800 Series cards were launched...

We've had about two or three sets of official, WHQL certified drivers in all that time and none have fixed any of the major bugs (performance issues, 1:1 pixel mapping, artifacts etc.) Not only that but we've seen zero price drops, the BFG 8800GTS 640MB is still the same price as when I bought mine way back in early February.

This is what happens when there's no competition, companies get lazy and keep prices as high as they possibly can. They've probably already been working on drivers that improve all of this but saw no reason to release them until the HD2900 Series was launched, and while I'd be glad to get working drivers for a change, I'd feel really annoyed that we've been played all this time just so that Nvidia can sour AMD's milk.

Tom|Nbk said:
Can't see how its a lack of competition at all, the fact is NV should have been supporting the card with constant updates from the go. People pay good money for these things it should have nothing to do with competing, hence NV the big overlord dosnt give a flying whistle about customers.

When your flagship card is the X1950XT-X for 6-8 months after the 8800 Series is launched, there's a lack of competition. I mean, seriously, I am not sure how anyone can't see that.

Nvidia have had no reason whatsoever to lift a finger, all because AMD can't get a product out.

Of course Nvidia don't give "a flying whistle" about the customer, and neither do AMD. All they want is as much money as possible while doing as little work as possible, and unfortunately AMD has let Nvidia get away with it for half a year now.

LoadsaMoney · 15 May 2007 at 18:35

Also if you think about it as well, if Nvidia did proper regular support for their 8 series, then the performance increase we have had in the last 2x weeks, well we would have had that months ago, and so the drivers out today (if they had been doing any) would have been a lot better and given even more performance, so the gap would have been a helluva lot bigger than it is now.

Tom|Nbk · 15 May 2007 at 18:35

Ulfhedjinn said:
I most definitely do. Take a look at what we've had from Nvidia since the 8800 Series cards were launched...

We've had about two or three sets of official, WHQL certified drivers in all that time and none have fixed any of the major bugs (performance issues, 1:1 pixel mapping, artifacts etc.) Not only that but we've seen zero price drops, the BFG 8800GTS 640MB is still the same price as when I bought mine way back in early February.

This is what happens when there's no competition, companies get lazy and keep prices as high as they possibly can. They've probably already been working on drivers that improve all of this but saw no reason to release them until the HD2900 Series was launched, and while I'd be glad to get working drivers for a change, I'd feel really annoyed that we've been played all this time just so that Nvidia can sour AMD's milk.

When your flagship card is the X1950XT-X for 6-8 months after the 8800 Series is launched, there's a lack of competition. I mean, seriously, I am not sure how anyone can't see that.

Nvidia have had no reason whatsoever to lift a finger, all because AMD can't get a product out.

I know there wasnt any competition you missed the point i was trying to make, NV should be supporting the product full stop, not just when theres a bit of competition looming, its ridiculous.

Darkwave · 15 May 2007 at 18:36

Tom|Nbk said:
I know there wasnt any competition you missed the point i was trying to make, NV should be supporting the product full stop, not just when theres a bit of competition looming, its ridiculous.

Erm, how am I missing the point? That's what I have been saying all along. Nvidia should have had good drivers on a regular basis since the 8800 Series launched, but they didn't.

Why? Because AMD let them get away with it by not being able to get a product out.

Sparky · 15 May 2007 at 18:37

Tom|Nbk said:
I know there wasnt any competition you missed the point i was trying to make, NV should be supporting the product full stop, not just when theres a bit of competition looming, its ridiculous.

Yes but just think how ATI would feel when they pitch there card at nVidias performance only for nVidia to step it up a gear with just a driver tweak or 2.Not good for us but a real slap in the face for ATI!

LoadsaMoney · 15 May 2007 at 18:43

Thats where Nvidia have missed out on a huge opportunity to make the 8 series a lot better than it is now, by not doing drivers, the 8 series could have been so much more, but seen as they have had no competiton for 6 months they never took the chance to make the 8's really shine, result, ATi is only 2s weeks behind in performance terms, Nivida should have had a massive, massive lead over ATi now, and so if ATi get to around the GTX performance in about 2x sets of drivers, then that means its only Taken ATi 8x weeks (as they release a set of drivers every month) to do what its taken Nvidia 6 months to do, the gap should have been a lot, lot bigger than it is now, so what they have had no competiton, does not mean they should have just sat on their laurels and not progressed as that just means ATi can match their 6 month performance in a matter of weeks, not very good at all, nvidia now have to start the proper regular driver support otherwise they will get left behind, its as simple as that.

Darkwave · 15 May 2007 at 18:47

I agree Loadsa, it's a damn shame. If only AMD had gotten the 2900XT out on time, we wouldn't have had to put up with shoddy drivers for all these months.

LoadsaMoney · 15 May 2007 at 18:52

Its all well and good everyone saying they (Nvidia) will start doing the regualr support now, but will they, they've had 6 months to do it and done naff all, now
R600 is out everyone thinks they will miraculously start, i just dont share in that confidence, i hope they do, but we'll just have to see, but imo they should have started 6 months ago.

Darkwave · 15 May 2007 at 19:00

LoadsaMoney said:
Its all well and good everyone saying they (Nvidia) will start doing the regualr support now, but will they, they've had 6 months to do it and done naff all, now

R600 is out everyone thinks they will miraculously start, i just dont share in that confidence, i hope they do, but we'll just have to see, but imo they should have started 6 months ago.

You could say the same about AMD, but the fact is both companies have to improve driver support from now on.

LoadsaMoney · 15 May 2007 at 19:07

Yeah very true.

Its as much ATi's fault as it is Nvidia's, as if they didn't have this massive delay and got the card out 6 months ago, Nvidia would have given us regular driver support instead of saying **** you all were doing nowt as we have no competition, as it didn't matter to them, not like anyone could have bought another card.

Oops were way OT now, i apologise, so any news Hawklord ?

Biglunn · 16 May 2007 at 00:37

Aaaargh!

Having problems already!

Got my HD2900xt today, plugged it in and computer wouldnt boot! After pulling all my hair out, I decided to reduce the overclock on the CPU (was running at 3.2 (400x8), but slowed it down to 350x8, and hey presto, all was well!

Next problem... no sound! Well... id pulled all my hair out already, so after banging my head against the wall, I discovered that the ATI drivers made the HD Audio system the default device. Changed it back to the X-Fi, and hey presto... after cracking my head open, Ive got the sound working too!

Played about on Fear, which was running nicely. Then I thought Id give my lovely new graphics card a workout in 3DMark06, and guess what... IT DOESNT WORK! The 3dMark06 initial screen shows and just hangs. The computer doesnt lock up/crash, but simply the 3dMark just refuses to start up. I dont know what to do now (either to get 3dMark working or a new way to torture myself). Please help me!!!

Vogon · 16 May 2007 at 00:46

To get 3DM working you have to add a comand as the card isnt recognised when it scans hardware ... hold on Gibbo posted in his thread BRB ...

Tom|Nbk · 16 May 2007 at 00:48

I tried to load 3D Mark earlier it just ended up not responding on the hardware scan screen :S, nevermind im doing a reinstall tommorow and should be able to get it going then, been gaming fine most of the night though.

titaniumx3 · 16 May 2007 at 00:48

You could try reinstalling windows or ensuring previous drivers have been removed completely (driver cleaner in safe mode), as some of the problems sound a lot like driver problems when switching cards. That said, if you had to reduce your CPU overclock just to get it to boot, then it may also be a power issue, but with a good 700w PSU I honestly can't see how. I think the best way to check the card itself is fine, is to game non-stop for several hours and see if anything odd happens.

Eitherway, I wouldn't want to be in your position, lol!

Samurai303 · 16 May 2007 at 00:50

Biglunn said:
Played about on Fear, which was running nicely. Then I thought Id give my lovely new graphics card a workout in 3DMark06, and guess what... IT DOESNT WORK! The 3dMark06 initial screen shows and just hangs. The computer doesnt lock up/crash, but simply the 3dMark just refuses to start up. I dont know what to do now (either to get 3dMark working or a new way to torture myself). Please help me!!!

Known problem. See here for details.

I wish mine was that stable. I don't know if it is heat or power that is the issue. Earlier on I couldn't run 3dMark06 without it crashing. Powered for around an hour, started up and it's OK again. I can't seem to game for any amount of time though without either a crash to desktop, hang or Blue screen of death. Not looking good so far

Chris

Tom|Nbk · 16 May 2007 at 00:50

titaniumx3 said:
You could try reinstalling windows or ensuring previous drivers have been removed completely (driver cleaner in safe mode), as some of the problems sound a lot like driver problems when switching cards. That said, if you had to reduce your CPU overclock just to get it to boot, then it may also be a power issue, but with a good 700w PSU I honestly can see how.

Eitherway, I wouldn't want to be in your position, lol!

The 3d mark issue is the drivers or a windows error since ive tried a multitude of games the card seems fine, ive had a few cards before my 2900 so most of my game configs are messed up, im doing a total reinstall tommorow