rec.autos.simulators

I've tried just about everything but I'm out of options.  Maybe someone
there can help.

I've owned F1 for about a week.  When I start the game (from Explorer)
it loads just fine, recognizes my NASCAR Pro steering wheel, and seems
to show great graphics.  But about 10 or 15 seconds into the game, the
graphics freeze and must be restarted using CTRL-ALT-DEL keys.  If I
don't turn off the computer, the next time I start the game, the game
freezes after clearing a black rectangle in the upper left corner of the

screen.  If I turn off the computer, the game starts just fine but the
graphics freeze about 10 or 15 seconds into the game.  I've heard such
great things about this game, that I'd like to have it work, but I'm out

of ideas.

I'm running the following equipment:

Pentium Pro (Micron Millenia Pro2) with 200 MHz chip
64 Megs RAM
C:\ drive installation of UbiSoft folder has 409 MB free after
installation
f1voo installed (2322 KB) with F1RS109V (1153 KB) patch installed
    212 files, 30 folders for 187 total MB in installation

Adaptec SCSI hard drive controller (AHA 2940U PCI controller)

IRQ 09 = IRQ holder for PCI Steering
IRQ 09 = Matrox Millenium II PowerDesk

IRQ 15 = IRQ holder for PCI Steering
IRQ 15 = Adaptec SCSI PCI Controller

Matrox Millenium II Video Card with 4 MB installed.  I've tried running
the card with the following either all on or all off:

    Use PCI Bus Mastering
    Use Automatic PCI Bus Retries
    Use Device Bitmap Caching
    Use Rectangle acceleration
    Use Polygon acceleration
    Use Circle & Ellipse acceleration

as well as Graphics Hardware acceleration either on or off.

I also have a Diamond Monster 3D one card installed with the following
drivers:

    glidedll    2.1.1
    glide2x.dll    2.4.3
    glide2x.ovl    2.4.3
    SS1init

as well as other drivers
The refresh rates for the Monster 3D card are:

I've called Matrox, Diamond, UbiSoft, and Micron (the computer
manufacturer) several times (everyone has been very nice), I've removed
and reinstalled all of the PCI and ISA cards and reinstalled them one at

a time to reset the IRQ settings.  Micron told me that the IRQ settings
are OK (although I can give you the Memory Locations for each of the
devices if you need them).

I've tried running the game from 800 x 600 (16 bit) on the desk top,
1024 x 768 (32 bit), with all backround programs on, with all backround
programs off (except Explorer and Systray), I even plugged in my old two

button mouse then tried with my Logitech mouse with the wheel.

I keep getting the same results.  I even replaced the Diamond Stealth
2000 video card with the Matrox Millenium II card but I keep getting the

same results.

Any further suggestions?  No matter what I've tried, the game freezes at

about 10 or 15 seconds and requires restarting the computer to avoid the

black rectangle in the upper left corner.

work from home so I'm always here.

I hope you can help me out.  I'm out of ideas and none of the vendors of

the hardware seem to have any further ideas either.

Just a little further information: the Matrox driver version of
MGAPDX64.DRV is 4.10.01.3810 and is the installed version.  As I noted
above, there doesn't appear to be an IRQ conflict, and the MGA
Diagnostic notes "No Conflict."

Any further ideas?

Mike Allen

Hi Michael:

   When I started purchasing 3DFX titles, last December, I was
unhappy to see that they would all freeze my PC dead as soon
as the 3DFX screen came up.  Once during that month, for a
fraction of a second, I saw a landscape out the windshield of
Longbow, then the system went to black and froze again.  

   My machine is one of the first debugged PPros, over 2 years
old.  After a month of frustration, I attempted to re-burn the
BIOS.  Supermicro didn't have any new flashes of me.  I
had to replace the motherboard.  

   The new motherboard, a Supermicro P6DNF, runs F1RS fine.  

   I have no idea what a Micron Millenia Pro2 is.  But if
it's not brand new, you might want to see if a new BIOS will
fix your problems.  You should be able to find a BIOS image
and instructions at Micron's site.  

   If no BIOS upgrade is available, and you decide to
replace your motherboard, I suggest not getting a
Supermicro.  If you do flight sims, Supermicro has some weird
keyboard interface design that causes problems for
Thrustmaster equipment.  

   I'm still trying to get my TM gear to work with my
Supermicro.  If I had it to do over again. I would get some
other manufacture's motherboard.  

                                                     Larry

I also had all kinds of grief with my PP200+3dfx , very early release
pp200. Moving to a Pentium II 333 machine fixed all my problems.

Vamp

Yeah, I'm starting to wonder if that isn't the problem.  I checked, the
BIOS version is a Phoenix 4.05 on a Lightning motherboard (whatever that
is) and the date of the BIOS is October 1996.  That easily could be the
problem.

As you may have read, US West is now offering ADSL here (Minneapolis) and
I'm supposed to have a technician install the equipment in mid-July.  BUT,
I'm using all the PCI and ISA slots on the motherboard.  (Millenium II,
Monster 3D (version 1), SCSI adapter, Iomega controller, and modem card.
Should I invest in a different motherboard and if so, which one?  Can I
get something with a better choice in CPU and more slots?

Mike

     <Snip>

   The newsgroup you need to check out is:

       misc.forsale.computers.pc-specific.motherboards

   You sound like you are as attached to your PPro as I am to
mine.  But P2/300 systems are becoming main stream.  Investing
in PPro technology needs to be done carefully.  I think you
will find the PPro/200 + 3DFX does a fantastic job for F1RS,
full detail, glassy smooth frame rates, and I do see pauses
for a small fraction of a second, once or twice in some races,
none in others.  

   So I think it was worth $300.00 for a new motherboard which
would allow me to use all of my 3DFX sims.  The fact that this
Supermicro motherboard has so far proven incompatible with my
Thrustmaster equipment, required for flight sims, has turned
this into a very bad deal.  

   Bill Gate's new "Standard" PC platform is an all PCI, USB
and AGP bus.  No ISA slots.  If compatible sound cards and
joystick cards are available for PCI, and if anyone is doing a
PCI only motherboard with enough slots, I'd go with one of
these.  

                                                        Larry