AGP not enabled?
 

Hi,

So, here's yet an other challenge I've set myself: setting up a (Linux, of course) PC to play games with. Snag, it's a Duron, a snidgen under 900Mc - told ya, it's a challenge. It has an nVidia geforce 6200 on board, but several tools report AGP as disabled/inactive.
Any ideas on how to activate it?

Thanks

Thor

As long as the games are simple, it should work. You might even be able to run quake3 based games.

Which tools report it as disabled ? What drivers are you running ? Does glxgears work and if so what FPS does it give ?

Well, nvclock reports it as disabled...but it cannot load the nv-control extention either...I use the nouveau drivers. Framerate is at 409.133...

Just that Java keeps running sluggish. I'd like to do some 3D programming, so, I wanted to see beforehand what Java can crank out of this box...

Thor

See if you have CONFIG_AGP in the kernel. Also, make sure it is enabled in the BIOS. However, if the card is working, AGP is probably working too. If you don't have AGP support in the BIOS and kernel, nothing would show after booting, AFAIK.

Wel, AGP does not show as option in the BIOS, what I can select is either the onboard PCI card or the AGP card.

I'll sniff tru the kernel, but, chances are it's not enabled as the card got installed after the install of the OS...however, a re-install would be an option so that that one option can be compiled along during that (re)install...

Thanks for the tip!

Thor

Shouldnt be a challange, really. ;)

What motherboard are you using? There have been a few with AGP slots that arent actually AGP slots (unlikely on a duron, but could be possible).

Some of the 6200s ('turbocache' models) can be a bit odd as well, sharing main system RAM for video RAM.

You could try installing the nvidia closed drivers.

BTW, if you can find a different AGP card you should get better performance. The 6200s vary a bit in performance, in general they are about as fast as a GF2-MX400. A GF3 or 4200Ti or higher would be faster than the 6200 (only excpetion- if the game needs more memory than there is on the older cards)

Hmm, okay :) hmm, well...it's a SIS board (oh boy) and the on-noard PCI was (still is) cr?p, hence the AGP option. The board reports in the BIOS, so, that's a plus, and I selected it as default (in the BIOS).

It's on (yep, here we go again) Runescape where the slooo-moo happens. But, I use Runescape as "benchmark" to evaluate on what system I'd do some java 3D programming.

I know, Java "may" not be the better choice, but it's the only language I know (reasonably) well...

And, yes, it would not really be a challenge, seen there's Linux involved. But, at about E500 (some 550 AUD?) a new PC is not yet an option...I just bought a house... :D

Yea...but it's the only one I've got (can afford) :(

Thor

You can try the proprietary nvidia blob and see if you get better performance.

That doesnt really help much, I was after the exact model motherboard, not the brand of chipset.

Doesnt runescape run only as a MMORPG? It could be nothing to do with AGP or video at all. You could be getting network slowdowns, CPU slowdowns, I/O waits or lack of RAM (minimum is 1GHz CPU + 512MB RAM from the runescape wiki). Or it could be due to WINE.

Errr...I wasnt suggesting that you needed to build a new computer.

Old AGP cards are very cheap, if you know where to look. Old systems are very cheap as well. I havent looked at 2nd hand pricing in europe lately, if its anything like here you could get a Athlon/Athlon XP, 256MB-1GB, GF4MX-GFFX5700Ultra, 20-120GB, case, etc for $25-75 (20-60 euro).

Well, yep, Runescape runs in a browser. But, on a 1.5Gb system, it's just as choppy...
A blob from the "horse's mouth" (thanks H_TeXMeX_H) could be a next option...
By the way, blender crashes there too. For some (loooooong) time now, Blender dies on me with a segfault...does the same on the new box as well... :scratch: - but, that's besides the point.
By the way, there is an outlet for second handers here, with waranty.
On that box, Runescape is only a benchmarker, just to see where Java3D can get me...
Odd that it sluggzz along this way...

I dont know if you mean 1.5GB or RAM, or 1.5GHz CPU. Either way, it doesnt rule out any of the possible issues. IMO and from checking with a few heavy gamers, I think that your runescape slowdowns are due to your network/internet speed or (more likely) its the runescape server.

There isnt much point 'benchmarking' using any program or game that produces variable results. If you really want to benchmark your system, try to find a game that will run locally only, that rules out network/server issues.

If you do try the closed nVidia drivers, test the 173.XX drivers as well as the 180.XX+ drivers for current cards (newest version is 295.33 but what version you might get will depend on distro and/or install method).

BTW, that 2nd hand place looks like one of the expensive places that charge as much as they think they can get away with, not a fair price. 75 eruo for a used dell 19''? I can get 19'' LCDs brand new for 90 euro here....

Normally the best and cheapest place to get 2nd hand computer stuff is from private sales.

Well, at any rate, I installed the native NVidia drivers...but Arch would'nt update anymore :banghead: because I (most likely) took a wrong turn in the maze...

Eh, I shot the thing and reinstalled. I get to a graphical login, but there's no user showing, no means to enter any thing...still needs a tweak... :)

Getting there...one educational frustration at a time...I love Linux (not Lucy)... ;)