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Old 04-27-05, 12:12 AM   #51
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 4

@Augustus: Any time that I load a 32 bit Linux install onto my system, linux runs fine. However, if I load any 64 bit Linux Install, it will install just fine, even for installs with GUI's. It will install fine and when I load up the install, I get corrupted video output; things like streaks and "snow". The computer then apparently freezes. It gives me a static graphic display and no keyboard or mouse activity will change it. Here is what I tried:

32 Bit:
Knoppix 3.7
Simply Mepis 3.3
MandrakeLinux 10.1 i586
Xandros OCE 3.01

64 Bit:
Ubuntu 4.10 x86_64
Ubuntu 5.04 x86_64
Fedora Core 3 x86_64
Fedora Core 4 Test 1 x86_64
Centos 4.0 x86_64

I'm especially concerned that Centos 4.0 won't run. Anybody that knows about the CentOS project knows that it's basically RHEL_x without any red hate logos etc. For a distro built for cutting edge stability, it's not good to not boot up on a consumer grade system...

I just noticed that all of my 64 Bit Installs use the Gnome UI, but so does MandrakeLinux on 64 bit and it runs just fine...

Either way, the 32 bit installs worked fine and the 64 bit installs all crashed on boot-up.

Keep in mind that I'm broke so don't make fun of my weak machine in comparison to your guys' godly machines of goodness. It took me a few months to scrape up enough cash for this damn thing lol.

Mobo = Foxconn Winfast NF4UK8AA : Nforce 4 Ultra Chipset
Ram = 2 x 512mb PC3200 Corsair Memory Inc. Value Memory Series. Cas 2.5
CPU = Socket 939 Athlon 64 3000+ 512kb L2 Cache (At least it's 90nm )
HSF = Stock
GPU = BFG Geforce 6600 GT OC. Factory Overclocked to 525Mhz Core/ 550Mhz Memory (vs. 500/500)
Sound Card = Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Gamer Limited Edition
HDD = 2 x 160gb UATA/100 WD 160gb 8mb Cache / 7200RPM
ODD = 16 x DVD-Rom; 52 x CD-RW
PSU = Thermaltake Purepower 480 (550w Max output but weak rails )
Cheap Gaming Case with a LOT of fans... They're cheap old fans but c'mon I got a total of 9 80mm Fans plus the CPU, GPU and PSU fans...

Anyways, it plays HL2 @ 1280 x 1024 with 4 x AA / 8 x AF with no apparent slowdown so it works for me being that I pinched pennies like crazy... For Example I got the Hard Drives for $30 each at Best Buy's Black Friday Early Bird Sales... IT WAS COLD THAT MORNING!

Of note is that the GPU uses a custom BIOS to always load the OC'd clock rates as default clocks. Also of note is that I run RC2 of Windows XP 64 bit with absolutely no problems so it's not a lack of 64 bit support...

I visited Nvidia's site about a month ago and their latest geforce Linux driver's release notes included how they fixed a problem with 64 bit linux kernels, but I cannot find that now...

Anyways, I appreciate any help you can give me Augustus, but I feel in no way that you are obligated to do me a favor or help me (Of course). I'm not insulting your intelligence or anything, just saying that I didnt want to inconvenience you and if you don't know the answer immediately, I MORE than understand if ya dont wanna help me fix it and that's fine bro, I'll go through other channels. Either way, THANKS A LOT for your help!

@Augustus and Venturi: You guys got some crazy systems, but it doesn't put a patch on the arse of this one:

4 + 4 Baby!

It's an 8-Way System in a desktop chassis! How? This is how:


It goes on top of the "bottom" mobo, covering up the original mobo's first four Proc/Ram Slots. Pretty amazing stuff to begin with, but to make matters worse, according to the page I got this info from, it uses the Nforce 4 Professional Chipset Technology. You can theoretically assign one Nforce 2200 to the main CPU and a Nforce 2050 to the other CPU's for a total of 128 lanes of PCI-e goodness... lol

It's hard to tell and I cannot find other info on this mobo, but it looks like this mobo will support 5 expansion cards in addition to the procs/RAM, so this is looking to be ONE SERIOUS WORKSTATION SYSTEM! Nvidia is gonna be adding multi-GPU (More than 2) SLI Configurations in the near future (With the release of their next series of GPU's) so could you imagine this system with 1 Nforce 4 Pro 2200 and 3 Nforce 3 Pro 2050's with 4 x16 PCI-e Lanes running 4 of Nvidia's latest pixel-pushing monsters in a 4 x SLI Implementation? And 8 875's to go with it? Oh man... Not to mention that with 4gb Ram Dimms, you can get 128gb of Physical RAM. With that much, what would be the point of Hard Drives?

Wow, seriously though. That's ridiculous. I don't know much about NUMA but if it could be enabled for every separate proc, you could have a theoretical bandwidth of 51.2 gb/sec... Stock. That's almost twice as fast as the fastest 256 bit wide (AKA Quad Channel) GDDR3 Speeds!!! If you OC'd the RAM to 250Mhz, you could get 64gb/sec. One big word: WOW!!

I just read that ATI's latest GPU's, codenamed RV520 (I think) will have 32 Pixel Pipelines and will be clocked up to 700 Mhz Core and 1.8Ghz GDDR3 (effective... AKA 900Mhz) That's insane. Not only that, but they'll probably support MVP, ATI's SLI-Like technology that is shaping up to be even more efficient than Nvidia's technology (And you can use any mix of any two ATI GPU's that support MVP!)

By the time all this comes out, they'll prolly have 2.4Ghz Opteron DC's out and maybe even 2.6Ghz (Though we'll be lucky if they ever reach that high within this year or early next year). So WOW, Just think of the possibilites man.

BTW, I don't just blow smoke. The ATI article can be found here: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04..._roadmap_leak/

The Tyan 8 Way Desktop Mobo Link can be found here: http://www.tomshardware.com/business...t_2005-16.html

Have fun, and thanks for your help. Oh, btw Augustus and Venturi, I'll still envy you even when all the new stuff I just mentioned comes out...

@Venturi. Who do I kill for those Procs? You gimme those and I'll kill your guys and have to kill somebody else to steal their k8we... lol... Just kidding, I'm an angel
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