"WILLIAM FRANKLIN FLUSEK" <flusekw@ucs.indiana.edu> (03/28/91)
Hi Netters, I just got my XGA board yesterday and here is my tale of woe. First of all the board has a different configuration than say the 8514/A board (which it was intended to replace). The 8514/A requires a slot with an auxilarly video extension (as do anybody elses MCA video cards) BUT the XGA card requires a slot (preferrably a 32 bit slot) with a BASE VIDEO extension. The card WILL NOT plug into the 16 bit slot with the video extension in either of my machines (80-311 or 70-A21) and is not supposed to do so. I did get the card to work, but to do so I had to run the machine with a monitor on the VGA and one on the XGA. I was very disappointed. Also, it is mentioned in the documentation that there is a compatibility problem with some 80-111's, 80-311's, 80-121's and 80-321's (20 Mhz Model 80's basically) and that does include mine. The board causes the machine to lock up whenever the XGA is accessed. There is mention of a fix from IBM, but I haven't had the chance to look into it yet. I would like to run this board as the main video source (one monitor only) for my system. Is there a PS/2 (short of the 90 or 95 which come with XGA) that has the BASE VIDEO extension on a slot? I just paid nearly $1000 for the board and memory and would like it to work for me! I will post a note on the IBM Support Center BBS this evening also and if I get a solution from them I will let you know. If you have a 386, 386sx or 486 PS/2 and are looking at the XGA board as an option, procede with care. If anyone would like more information on the board, I will let you know what I can. Bill Flusek, Indiana University Internet: flusekw@ucs.indiana.edu Bitnet: flusekw@iubacs
"WILLIAM FRANKLIN FLUSEK" <flusekw@ucs.indiana.edu> (03/29/91)
Hi again, I am a bit embarrassed at present. I did finally get the XGA board working properly in my Model 70. I think that I must have read at least a dozen times that the board is a busmaster board, but it never seemed to take control of the system. Well, after it got rebooted without a monitor on the system board VGA, it did in fact take over and ran all of the video out of its port. I works just fine. As far as the model 80 goes, I have gotten a note that suggests the solution is a system board replacement. Since the machine is well out of the warranty, I imagine that I will stick with the 8514 board in it for now. The only other comment that I can make at this point is that IBM needs to look seriously at NON-INTERLACED display systems. There are somethings that I have pulled up in Windows, OS/2 and AutoCAD that can give you a headache in less than a minute due to the flicker. But the high resolution really makes Windows look like a REAL environment and not something from a toy. (This comment has been made my me and to me several times recently). Thanks for all your help, Bill Flusek, Indiana University Internet: flusekw@ucs.indiana.edu Bitnet: flusekw@iubacs