I'm trying to install an IBM OEM version (according to ebay seller) Matrox G450 PCI card to an XP system. When I try to run latest or previous driver installation, this card shows up in the "devices not supported" box as Matrox G400/G450 (if it is supported, you will only see one box which is "devicese supported"). I've contacted Matrox support via forum. The advices I got are: upgrade bios, try another system. try a previous version of driver. I tried all of them and this card does not work for either system I tried. I also tried both install with another AGP G450 together and install this PCI card alone. Neither worked. The card has following information: Product code: G45FMDVP32DOE3D PN SN: 80P4527 YL102443B045 version: 7003-0301 REV_A I was wondering if anyone had similar experience or knows what problem is? Thanks for help.
Remove all the video cards but one Matrox. Try booting your system with just the Matrox card and see if your bios will print to that device. Don't wait for Windows to try to load, you just want to see if your system can display using that card. No drivers needed. If it cannot, then either you need a different bios or the card does not work in your system (which might mean you have a problem with your system, or it's incompatable with the card, or the card is fuxored). Forgot to add, try a different PCI slot as well, if the first time you don't get a display. Maybe you'll get lucky and it's a PCI slot that is toast. I've never seen it happen, but it is possible. Theoretically.
I tried different PCI slots. It is the same thing. Window does display. It goes to a default display by that I mean it doesn't say what card is and it does not let me change frequency. I'm not sure what you mean by " if your bios will print to that device". If you meant that the screen of a list of devices such as USB, network, which are displayed before "starting MS windows" screen. And yes, it does list there is a PCI device. It looks to me the problem is that Matrox driver does not recognize this is a Matrox G450 card. Thanks for help.
On boot-up of PC, look in the bios settings and be sure the selected display mode matches the card you are using (PCI or AGP). I hope you can get to work. The seller on eBay may not have test it on a PC with Windows or did try it and did not get it to work on a PC with Windows. The product number I look for in a Matrox PCI G450 is G45FMDHA32DB. I have had bad luck to no luck in buying proprietary products made by a manufacturer for another vendor (I no longer go there). Let us know if you can get this card to work.
Try the first PCI slot: the one closest to the agp slot (if equipped). also, let us know if you can see the POST info from the bios. if you can, the card is probably ok, and you need different xp drivers. NEVER use windows update for video drivers. i don't know about matrox, but it bolluxed up both my systems (one ati, one nvidia). always stick with the manufacturer's latest drivers
I had a simliar experience months ago. I had to install the driver manually using the Control Panel/Hardware/Devices ...Video cards...Driver...Driver Update...No...Install from a list o path...(expert users). ...Do not search...Choose the driver to install manually... Next... choose the G450 DVI.
Thanks for helping. Can you be a little bit more specific? The procedures you laid out is not different than what I tried. Also you mention "choose the G450 DVI", by which I guess that driver recognize it is a supported card. My problem is that Drive put my video card in the unsupported box with the name of Matrox g400/g450. Do you remember that your card's product #? Such as G45FM...?
My old G400 dual port video card worked well with my old PII MB but does not work well with a new ASUS A7V8X MB. Its grainy/fuzzy. I noticed the voltage spec requirements are different for newer MBs. Could this be causing your problem ? My new Gforce 5800 dual port video card works very well at $45, probably $25 used now after a year. Its very clear with no problems. If you are going to trade I suggest you supply yourself with good quality equipment with focus on just what you need for trading. Poor quality equipment performance will distract you from concentrating. I have lost 2 computers to poor quality power supplys that were not provisioned with any feature to limit electricity spikes into the MB. My last power supply destroyed every single connected powered device, 2 hard drives, CD ROM, etc.. when it broke down. Don't scrimp on the power supply and there actually are better quality brands like those I mention. "Works" and "Enermax"brands are worth the extra 20% or more cost.
To my knowledge power supplys do not provide surge protection from electrical spikes from outside the PC but can possibly feature protection to the MB etc when the power supply itself breaks down. "Works" power supply website addresses this issue. At least it might give your PC the advantage more so than regular off the shelf power supplys.
Thanks for everyone tried to help. The tech support from Matrox has concluded that card has a bad BIOS. ( I don't quite understand why bios upgrade does not solve the issue). My guess of another possibility is that this somehow has to do with the fact tha the card is not for North America (I accidently found out from Matrox registering page).