[comp.sys.ibm.pc] Is anyone using a ATI VGA Wonder card with a Northgate

strike@clmqt.marquette.Mi.US (Tim Bowser) (02/19/90)

References: <1990Feb7.152103.14994@eplrx7.uucp>

ward@eplrx7.uucp (Rick Ward) writes:


>I have a Northgate Elegance 386-25 with a 150 Meg ESDI hard drive.
>My problem is that I cannot get the $%&*#@ing machine to boot with
>the ATI VGA card in it.  Has anyone out there gotten this video card 
>to work with a Northgate computer?  Northgate seems baffled and I'm 
>getting tired of waiting for them to figure it out.  BTW, the video card 
>worked fine in a Zenith 386-25.

>Rick
>-- 
>    Rick Ward                         |        E.I. Dupont Co.
>    uunet!eplrx7!ward                 |        Engineering Physics Lab
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>The UUCP Mailer

   Check the BIOS of the ATI board.  I have had the same problems with 
this VGA Wonder and machines over 12Mhz in speed.  From conversations 
with the ATI technical department, the revision board I have (1.03, Rev.2 
PC board) is fairly sensitive to emissions from the motherboard.  There 
is a modification available from the factory for this board to make it 
function with noisy high speed motherboards.

   Be forewarned; shipping the VGA Wonder back to the factory is a trial 
in itself.  With Canadian Customs paperwork and UPS international 
shipping, trying to get it there by second-day air will run over thirty 
dollars!  I think I could have driven it across the border for less than 
that.  At any rate, call ATI's tech support people (have the ATI 
worksheet filled out, it saves a LOT of time, and have the board itself 
available when you call), describe the problem, chances are it will be 
taken care of fairly quick.

   I like the ATI card.  I want that beggar back quickly, this CGA card I 
had to plug in for the duration is driving my eyes crazy...
 
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 Tim Bowser  ("Strikemaster")  |  Standard  |  mailrus!sharkey!clmqt!strike
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strike@clmqt.marquette.Mi.US (Tim Bowser) (02/26/90)

References: <1990Feb7.152103.14994@eplrx7.uucp> <511192@nstar.UUCP>

larry@nstar.UUCP (Larry Snyder) writes:

>In article <1990Feb7.152103.14994@eplrx7.uucp>, ward@eplrx7.uucp (Rick 
Ward) writes:
>> 
>> I have a Northgate Elegance 386-25 with a 150 Meg ESDI hard drive.
>> My problem is that I cannot get the $%&*#@ing machine to boot with
>> the ATI VGA card in it.  Has anyone out there gotten this video card 
>> to work with a Northgate computer?  Northgate seems baffled and I'm 
>> getting tired of waiting for them to figure it out.  BTW, the video 
card 
>> worked fine in a Zenith 386-25.

>I had the same problem which was in the PGC Ultra 14 VGA monitor supplied
>by Northgate.

   
Try this trick.

   With the ATI VGA running in another computer, set it's EEPROM for one 
of the NEC Multisync monitors.  The problem sounds like the card cannot 
determine what monitor is hooked up to it and locks up.  The reason I say 
one of the Multisyncs is that the card can determine there is a NEC 
monitor hooked onto it, *but not which model*.  This was a problem with 
the earlier ATI VGA Wonders, now corrected in the Rev. 1.03 and later ROM 
BIOS.

   BTW, select a NEC monitor type to correspond with what type you are 
running if it is multisynchronous.  If it isn't, then disregard all of 
the above.  Might try telling it to look for a generic VGA display in 
that case.  Hope something in here helps.
-- 
 Tim Bowser  ("Strikemaster")  |  Standard  |  mailrus!sharkey!clmqt!strike
Enterprise Information System  | Disclaimer |  strike@clmqt.marquette.Mi.US
      Marquette, Mi. USA       |    Here    |     Voice:(906)-346-6735
=> UNIX: The Adventure Begins... To vi, or not to vi, that is the question. <=

chan@chansw.UUCP (Jerry H. Chan) (02/27/90)

In article <1990Feb7.152103.14994@eplrx7.uucp>, ward@eplrx7.uucp (Rick 
Ward) writes:
> 
> I have a Northgate Elegance 386-25 with a 150 Meg ESDI hard drive.
> My problem is that I cannot get the $%&*#@ing machine to boot with
> the ATI VGA card in it.  Has anyone out there gotten this video card 
> to work with a Northgate computer?  Northgate seems baffled and I'm 
> getting tired of waiting for them to figure it out.  BTW, the video card 
> worked fine in a Zenith 386-25.

I also installed an ATI VGA card in one of my customer's systems, and
it wouldn't BOOT -- system would beep a couple of times signaling video
failure.  The system wasn't a Northgate, but it does have a C&T chip
set (does the Northgate?). 

The fix:  disable VIDEO BIOS SHADOWING on the motherboard.
-- 
Jerry Chan 508-853-0747, Fax 508-853-2262  |"My views necessarily reflect the
Chan Smart!Ware Computer Services & Prods  | views of the Company because
Worcester, MA 01606                        | I *am* the Company." :-)
{bu.edu,husc6}!m2c!chansw!chan             \---------------------------------

larry@nstar.UUCP (Larry Snyder) (03/05/90)

In article <1439@chansw.UUCP>, chan@chansw.UUCP (Jerry H. Chan) writes:
> I also installed an ATI VGA card in one of my customer's systems, and
> it wouldn't BOOT -- system would beep a couple of times signaling video
> failure.  The system wasn't a Northgate, but it does have a C&T chip
> set (does the Northgate?). 
> 
> The fix:  disable VIDEO BIOS SHADOWING on the motherboard.

I've been running with the ATI VGA wonder boards in my boxes for
weeks (months).  The only problem that I have run into is that
the excessive filtering on the ATI board was creating problems
with some monitors getting in sync (like the PGA Ultra 14).



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