Installing Graphics Cards for Beginners

"Leodiensian" <chrispoad DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1103207754.116344.170690@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
 >I know this is a boring question asked all the time, but for some
 > reason I can't seem to find a good answer.
 >
 > I currently have mobo integrated nVidia graphics. I've bought myself an
 > early Christmas present - an XFX 6800GT (AGP).
 >
 > Can someone give me an idea of the best installation process?
 >
 > I understand it's best to completely remove any previous drivers, so
 > would the process be:
 >
 > 1. Remove current drivers (utility recommendation?)
 >
yes

 > 2. Reboot.
no just shut down and skip to step 4

 >
 > 3. At this stage how can I see anything? Are there basic VGA drivers in
 > BIOS or something?

windows has a generic driver called "standard VGA driver" it will use so you
can see what your doing.

 >
 > 4. Turn off and install card.
 >
 > 5. Turn on and install drivers (which ones? I'll have a look at some 3D
 > guru type sites).
 >

just start with drivers from Nvidias website. You can tweak later if your
not happy.

 > 6. Reboot.
 >
 > 7. Hopefully working.
 >
 > How does the machine know not to use the onboard graphics, and use the
 > AGP card?

Depends on your motherboard. Some boards will detect there is a card in
the AGP slot and boot off it and disable the onboard video. Some boards you
will need to go into the bios and turn the onboard video off. Usually
looks something like "init first - PCI/AGP" and "Assign IRQ to VGA - ON/OFF
(set this to off) and "assign memory to VGA 0/8/32/64 (set this to zero)

Hopefully your board is smart enough to do it for you. If not then just
take the obvious to start with.

 >
 > I currently have 64Mb of system RAM allocated to the integrated
 > graphics. Will this be freed up automatically or will I have to go and
 > do this in BIOS?
 >

Depends on your board.

 > Thanks for any help.
 >
 > C
 >
 > System:
 >
 > AthlonXP 2800+
 > MSI K7N2GM-L Mobo with nVidia nForce2 IGP
 > 1Gb generic RAM
 > Tagan 480W PSU
 > Win XP Home
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Installing Graphics Cards for Beginners 

You need to go into the bios of the MoBo and disconnect the onboard GPU.

Make sure you have the 6800 installed before you reboot and change the
settings.

It might be wise to un-install any graphics drivers before you install the
new card.


Warty



"Leodiensian" <chrispoad DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1103207754.116344.170690@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
 >I know this is a boring question asked all the time, but for some
 > reason I can't seem to find a good answer.
 >
 > I currently have mobo integrated nVidia graphics. I've bought myself an
 > early Christmas present - an XFX 6800GT (AGP).
 >
 > Can someone give me an idea of the best installation process?
 >
 > I understand it's best to completely remove any previous drivers, so
 > would the process be:
 >
 > 1. Remove current drivers (utility recommendation?)
 >
 > 2. Reboot.
 >
 > 3. At this stage how can I see anything? Are there basic VGA drivers in
 > BIOS or something?
 >
 > 4. Turn off and install card.
 >
 > 5. Turn on and install drivers (which ones? I'll have a look at some 3D
 > guru type sites).
 >
 > 6. Reboot.
 >
 > 7. Hopefully working.
 >
 > How does the machine know not to use the onboard graphics, and use the
 > AGP card?
 >
 > I currently have 64Mb of system RAM allocated to the integrated
 > graphics. Will this be freed up automatically or will I have to go and
 > do this in BIOS?
 >
 > Thanks for any help.
 >
 > C
 >
 > System:
 >
 > AthlonXP 2800+
 > MSI K7N2GM-L Mobo with nVidia nForce2 IGP
 > 1Gb generic RAM
 > Tagan 480W PSU
 > Win XP Home
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Installing Graphics Cards for Beginners 

"Warty" <yeahbut DeleteThis @nobut.com> wrote in message
news:cpsuo8$fkl$1@hercules.btinternet.com...
 > You need to go into the bios of the MoBo and disconnect the onboard GPU.
 >
I can see you have no experience with Nforce IGP motherboards.

DaveL<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Installing Graphics Cards for Beginners 

cowboyz wrote:

[...]
 > Depends on your motherboard. Some boards will detect there is a
 > card in the AGP slot and boot off it and disable the onboard video. Some
 > boards you will need to go into the bios and turn the onboard
 > video off. Usually looks something like "init first - PCI/AGP" and
 > "Assign IRQ to VGA - ON/OFF (set this to off) and "assign memory to
 > VGA 0/8/32/64 (set this to zero)

No IRQ for VGA!?! This runs counter to what I've been told elsewhere. Care
to elaborate?

dvus<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Installing Graphics Cards for Beginners 

dvus wrote:
 > cowboyz wrote:
 >
 > [...]
  >> Depends on your motherboard. Some boards will detect there is a
  >> card in the AGP slot and boot off it and disable the onboard video.
  >> Some boards you will need to go into the bios and turn the onboard
  >> video off. Usually looks something like "init first - PCI/AGP" and
  >> "Assign IRQ to VGA - ON/OFF (set this to off) and "assign memory to
  >> VGA 0/8/32/64 (set this to zero)
 >
 > No IRQ for VGA!?! This runs counter to what I've been told elsewhere.
 > Care to elaborate?
 >
 > dvus

sure, which bit?

The assign IRQ for VGA simply reserves an IRQ setting for the onboard video.
With it set to off the onboard video doesn't get set. I've only played
with 1 board with onboard video (which was some POS SIS chipset) a long time
ago and it was using this IRQ settings I was using to get dual monitors
enabled. IRQ on = onboard on and PCI on. IRQ=off = onboard off (and
memory recovered) and PCI on.

Boards are smart nowadays and in the first post I missed that it was a
NForce board which will set itself up automatically anyway so the point is
pretty much moot.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Installing Graphics Cards for Beginners 

"Leodiensian" <chrispoad.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:1103207754.116344.170690@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

 > 1. Remove current drivers (utility recommendation?)

Use control panel add/remove as suggested earlier. Some people also
recommend 'DriverCleaner' after you have removed the driver to get those
'hard to reach places'. Driver cleaner cleans out the registry and
leftover files more fully.

Get it here:
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://rootshell.be/~h4ck3d/" target="_blank">http://rootshell.be/~h4ck3d/</a>

Shutdown and install the video card. Don't forget to connect the extra power
connector if there is one. (There should be for an 6800GT based AGP card.)

Your BIOS is supposed to detect the AGP card, but I recommend manually
setting the BIOS to use the AGP card. My buggy BIOS did not auto detect the
AGP card as it should have and this lead to much unnecessary confusion.
Change this setting before booting with the new card.

 > 2. Reboot.

Your PC will boot using the windows default driver. Don't let Windows do
the auto install stuff. Cancel the 'new hardware found' wizard. Run the
driver install ???.exe file that came with your card or that you
downloaded from NVidia.

 >
 > I currently have 64Mb of system RAM allocated to the integrated
 > graphics. Will this be freed up automatically or will I have to go and
 > do this in BIOS?

I'm Not sure about this. My BIOS did not let me set this.

From the NVidia web site:
(http://www.nvidia.com/object/driver_installation_hints.html)

* "Download Accelerator" utilities should be disabled when downloading
any drivers.
* Do not run virus protection software in the background
while installing the drivers. This prevents the driver from
configuring itself properly.
* Before installing new drivers make sure
you uninstall all NVIDIA display drivers from the Windows Control
Panel. Browse to the Start Menu > Windows Control Panel > Add/Remove
Programs and search for "NVIDIA Windows Display Drivers" or "NVIDIA
Display Drivers" and select remove.


I used a zip utility (7-zip) to extract the REAMDME.TXT file from the NVidia
66.94. This file had install instructions in it. You should be able to do the
same with your driver install .exe file.

Usefull sites:

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www..nvidia.com" target="_blank">www..nvidia.com</a>
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://rootshell.be/~h4ck3d/" target="_blank">http://rootshell.be/~h4ck3d/</a>
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/index.php?s=a9358a88781db560d268d412bedbf0c3&" target="_blank">http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/index.php?s=a9358a88781db560d268d412bedbf0c3&</a>

Good Luck<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Installing Graphics Cards for Beginners 

cowboyz wrote:
 > dvus wrote:
  >> cowboyz wrote:
  >>
  >> [...]
   >>> Depends on your motherboard. Some boards will detect there is a
   >>> card in the AGP slot and boot off it and disable the onboard video.
   >>> Some boards you will need to go into the bios and turn the onboard
   >>> video off. Usually looks something like "init first - PCI/AGP" and
   >>> "Assign IRQ to VGA - ON/OFF (set this to off) and "assign memory to
   >>> VGA 0/8/32/64 (set this to zero)
  >>
  >> No IRQ for VGA!?! This runs counter to what I've been told elsewhere.
  >> Care to elaborate?
 >
 > sure, which bit?
 >
 > The assign IRQ for VGA simply reserves an IRQ setting for the onboard
 > video. With it set to off the onboard video doesn't get set. I've
 > only played with 1 board with onboard video (which was some POS SIS
 > chipset) a long time ago and it was using this IRQ settings I was
 > using to get dual monitors enabled. IRQ on = onboard on and PCI on.
 > IRQ=off = onboard off (and memory recovered) and PCI on.
 >
 > Boards are smart nowadays and in the first post I missed that it was a
 > NForce board which will set itself up automatically anyway so the
 > point is pretty much moot.

Ah! My impression had been that turning that setting "on" insured a
dedicated IRQ for the video card/circuitry info exchange with the CPU
whether it was on-board or not. They don't give very detailed explanations
for such things in the little manuals that come with motherboards.

dvus<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Installing Graphics Cards for Beginners 

  >> The assign IRQ for VGA simply reserves an IRQ setting for the onboard
  >> video. With it set to off the onboard video doesn't get set. I've
  >> only played with 1 board with onboard video (which was some POS SIS
  >> chipset) a long time ago and it was using this IRQ settings I was
  >> using to get dual monitors enabled. IRQ on = onboard on and PCI on.
  >> IRQ=off = onboard off (and memory recovered) and PCI on.
  >>
  >> Boards are smart nowadays and in the first post I missed that it was a
  >> NForce board which will set itself up automatically anyway so the
  >> point is pretty much moot.
 >
 > Ah! My impression had been that turning that setting "on" insured a
 > dedicated IRQ for the video card/circuitry info exchange with the CPU
 > whether it was on-board or not.


Well your not wrong. But a "proper" video card will get assigned a IRQ
anyway, if its reserved or not. And now with flashy things like IRQ sharing
it makes life a whole lot easier.
Anyone remember the days of IRQ conflicts? My god, what a nightmare. Not
even going there.

 >They don't give very detailed explanations for such things in the little
 >manuals that come with motherboards.

Your right there. The last 2 motherboards I have brought didn't even come
with paper manuals. Only *.pdf on tthe driver disc. Alot of good that
would have done me if I did have trouble! (which I didn't as it happened but
thats not the point)


 >
 > dvus
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Installing Graphics Cards for Beginners 

cowboyz wrote:

   >>> The assign IRQ for VGA simply reserves an IRQ setting for the
   >>> onboard video. With it set to off the onboard video doesn't get
   >>> set. I've only played with 1 board with onboard video (which was
   >>> some POS SIS chipset) a long time ago and it was using this IRQ
   >>> settings I was using to get dual monitors enabled. IRQ on =
   >>> onboard on and PCI on. IRQ=off = onboard off (and memory recovered)
   >>> and PCI on. Boards are smart nowadays and in the first post I missed
   >>> that it
   >>> was a NForce board which will set itself up automatically anyway so
   >>> the point is pretty much moot.
  >>
  >> Ah! My impression had been that turning that setting "on" insured a
  >> dedicated IRQ for the video card/circuitry info exchange with the CPU
  >> whether it was on-board or not.
 >
 >
 > Well your not wrong. But a "proper" video card will get assigned a
 > IRQ anyway, if its reserved or not. And now with flashy things like
 > IRQ sharing it makes life a whole lot easier.
 > Anyone remember the days of IRQ conflicts? My god, what a nightmare.
 > Not even going there.
 >
  >> They don't give very detailed explanations for such things in the
  >> little manuals that come with motherboards.
 >
 > Your right there. The last 2 motherboards I have brought didn't even
 > come with paper manuals. Only *.pdf on tthe driver disc. Alot of
 > good that would have done me if I did have trouble! (which I didn't
 > as it happened but thats not the point)

Heh, reminds me of some PLCs we bought years ago that had "Do not open
package until you have read the instructions thoroughly". Problem was, the
instruction booklet was inside the damn package.

dvus<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Installing Graphics Cards for Beginners