AGP 4x with Win XP/VIA chipsets...Neat Tip!

W

wildman69

New member
Hi folks...I just thought I'd pass along this neat little tip I found at TweakXP.com for ensuring that Windows XP runs your cards at 4x AGP, instead of 2x, as it defaults to with it's own built-in VIA drivers.
Download the latest VIA 4-in-1 drivers from www.viaarena.com, unzip them, and find the Setup.exe file. Right click it, and select 'properties'. Select the 'Compatibility' tab, and check the 'use compatibility mode' box, and select 'Windows 2000' in the selection window.
As Win XP is basically Win 2000 at heart, it will accept this with no problem! Double click on the Setup.exe to install, and you'll now see the option to install at 4x AGP speed. Something you don't get if you try to install under Win XP compatibility - it won't even install the newer AGP driver!
It works just fine!!
Have fun!
 
Really? You're lucky!!
It's NEVER given me that option...and I believe it even states at VIA's site that under XP all it will install is the IDE controller drivers.....
And I've seen numerous posts to that effect in the past, both here, and at a nVidia (blush!!) forum.....
 
Rads won't run on AGP4X on old via mobos no matter what :p Had the same prob with my old AP133A mobo, AGP4X works fine on my new KT333 board though.
 
I've never had that problem either, AGP4X works on both my VIA based computers (an Apollo Pro and a KT266A)
 
Ratchet said:
I've never had that problem either, AGP4X works on both my VIA based computers (an Apollo Pro and a KT266A)
Click to expand...
Hmm, can you check your AP rig with either 3dmark or powerstrip? I used to have AGP4X in the bios but still the card was running on agp2X according to those two. 3dm might not be the most accurate program but I completely trust powerstrip.
 
I've never had a problem with any VIA chipset I've owned even going back to the VIA chipset I had on the mobo with my really old AMDK6-III 450 CPU.

My old system with the VIA KX133 chipset and Slot A Athlon 800 also ran fine in AGP 4X. I know that the KT133 chipsets were the most frequent to have this AGP4X stability issue as I know people that have had it. But the KT266a chipset is pretty rock solid and no one I know has the problem and I don't either.

But I do know some people do. I'm not sure how much of it is down to VIA chipsets and how much is down to a power supply that doesn't provide a consistent enough voltage and current and power to the AGP on the mobo.

As for the latest VIA drivers they work fine with no tweaking on every system running XP with a radeon that I've installed them on. In fact the only option the installer gives me is to install in 4X mode.

So I guess I'm one of the lucky ones too.;)
 
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