Intel 82815 graphics disabled by GeForce PCI, *but* want to use both!

[matt986]

Hi!

I can't seem to find a solution anywhere on the internet, or when doing a search of this forum, and wonder if anyone would be able to help me?

I've just got hold of a Gateway E-3400, which has an Intel 82815 based motherboard (NLX form factor) PIII-933. It has the built-in 82815 integrated graphics too, which is very good for 2D work.

I'm wanting to make a dual monitor system, using my Geforce 2 MX PCI card as the main grapics card, but using the integrated graphics to power the secondary monitor for playing music videos / movies etc while I do useful work on the first monitor.

I have Windows XP, and it works fine on the 82815 graphics system. Once I have set it up, if I switch off, install the Geforce2MX PCI card, and switch on, it auto-installs the Geforce card, but now the 82815 card is no longer present in the device manager.

According to the Intel website, it is possible to use the 82815 graphics card together with a PCI card for multi-monitor support. If use use an AGP card, then the chipset will automatically disable the 82815 graphics card (you can't use AGP + onboard graphics simultaneously).

I have so far :

Got the latest drivers for the 82815
Noticed that it also 'vanishes' with the PCI card installed, under Win 98.
Noticed that there are no options regarding the video cards
etc whatsoever in the bios.
... I've also manually installed the 82815 drivers under XP, while the Geforce PCI card is in place, with the result that it just says 'this device cannot start', but also states the location of the 82815 as 'unknown' meaning that as far as XP is concerned, the 82815 graphics controller isn't even present on my computer.

Does anyone have any advice? e.g. on forcing the 82815 graphics to be activated?. It seems that the BIOS is somehow disabling it, although in theory it should be usable along with PCI cards?

Thanks for your help

Matt

 

[garebo]

Dont mean to doubt your word, but i am thinking there must be something somewhere in your bios that would have to do with onboard and other video and perhaps a subsequent tinkering might take care of the problem.
Either that or how about onboard jumper to enable secondary video or enable primary video?



Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[matt986]

The BIOS is very basic, and definitely doesn't have any option relating to the video at all. My *other* PC does (a very old one), which has a SiS 6326, and has the option 'Allocate IRQ to PCI VGA' on the BIOS.

It is a gateway computer, the motherboard is a 'Corfu II' motherboard, as made by ?Intel, for Gateway.

The BIOS is : BIOS 01.00.P06, 'Version 0AAVEP06', American Megatrends (2000) BIOS Version 07.00.XX, date 03.15.01 (it really does have .XX on the start up menu!.

with these menu options...
Main - gives a summary of memory etc
Advanced - give 'Boot COnfig' 'Peripheral config' 'IDE config' 'Diskette Config' 'Event log config'
-> Boot config = 'Plug&play os' (I've tried both yes and no)
and also had 'reset config data', 'numlock on/off'.
-> Peripheral config has : Serial port a,b, parallel, then has a blank space where video options might have been but *never* are, then has audio device, lan device, legacy USB support.
-> IDE config is just IDE configuration stuff.
-> Diskette config + Event log config do what they say.
Next main menu option is security - password only.
Next is power management which is turned off
Next is boot : Silent/Quick boot, Wake on lan etc, boot device order.

And that is it!.

Any ideas anyone?

 

[garebo]

Only things i can think of is to give this one a shot: 'reset config data'
No motherboard jumper for video?
Any manual with bios or other info that came with the unit?

As an aside, its easy to see why so many people build their own computers. I do understand that you were given this rig and that is a different story of course. You probably know better than to actually buy a Dell or Gateway machine. I fell for it once too but i have never bought a machine since.




Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[matt986]

The 'reset config data' resets PnP information after each reset... I have tried that in both 'Yes' and 'No' mode, but made no difference.

The only motherboard jumper is the BIOS one

I just have to assume that they made the BIOS disable the onboard video when a PCI card is inserted for no good reason, and since there is no way to 'fix' the BIOS I will have to live with it. I will see if I can get an old VGA card from the same place I got the PC - that may help

I agree, I wouldn't buy a 'brand-name' PC either, it's just that I got it for free, and it has an NLX motherboard which I can fit into a spare case I had (a very nice PC case too!).

Thanks for your help!

Matt

 

[garebo]

Long as you understand i wasnt knocking you or the puter!
There are lots of uses for some old machines, i have an old small footprint desktop compaq,P2-400, fits nicely in kitchen!

Back to your issue, sorry that i cant help you any, but perhaps someone else will be able to come up with something.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[cdogg]

OK, it seems that this is the document you found on Intel's website:

http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/intel815/sb/CS-003890.htm

As you can see, it says that "most" 815 chipsets have this capability, not all. The reason is due to all the different BIOS versions that are out there. Many were maintained or modified by system vendors like Gateway, and some features are typically disabled or removed to avoid potential hardware issues and to reduce the amount of calls that roll in.

The article says to hunt your BIOS for the Init display first setting. Here, you should be able to toggle back and forth between the primary and secondary display adapter. You would want to choose onboard for this setting.

It's quite possible that an auto-detect mechanism was set by Gateway, and that the option to set primary and secondary display adapters was taken away.

__________________________________________________________


The good news is that you should be able to find a cheap AGP or PCI card replacement online that has dual-monitor support built into one card. Shouldn't be too hard to find the right one, considering you don't care about 3D.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[ToBeConfirmed]

I have a very similar prpoblem to the guy above... I just mamaged to get a P3 1Ghz motherboard working last night (Gateway, of course). The onboard graphics do their job fine but when I plugged in an AGP card, the card wouldn't work. Firstly I tried a Vodoo3 3500 and I knew it was a dodgy card so I wasn't suprised when it didn't work.

When I got a much older Matrox MGA100 card and plugged it in it wouldn't work either. This is a solid card that never gave me problems before so I began to suspect the motherboard.

I tried all sorts of configs and I even added an old PCI card in. The PCI card works as it should, but I'm not sure if the PCI card and the intergrated graphics work simultaneously. What I'm annoyed about is why the AGP cards are not recognised anywhere. They don't show up in device manager and Sandra 2005 shows 2 PCI buses, one for cards. one for intergrated stuff. Funnily enough, when the "Gateway 2000 82815 graphics" is selected, 66Mhz bus support is enabled, but not for anything else.

Does anyone understand what's going on?

 

[cdogg]

You may have to activate AGP in the BIOS and disable the integrated chip.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884