Need to make sure my graphics card is fubar

Berticus · 2009-03-22 10:39:34

All right, so my card -- nVidia 7900 GT -- is apparently under a lifetime warranty. I'm pretty sure it's messed up, so I want to get it RMA'd. I want some confirmation that it's not just the configurations.

/etc/X11/xorg.conf:

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings:  version 1.0  (buildmeister@builder62)  Tue Jan  6 09:44:34 PST 2009

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Files"
    FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/misc"
    FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load           "dbe"
    Load           "extmod"
    Load           "type1"
    Load           "freetype"
    Load           "glx"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
    Option         "Xinerama" "0"
    Option         "AutoAddDevices" "false"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Mouse0"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "Protocol" "auto"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "kbd"
    Option         "AutoRepeat" "500 30"
    Option         "XkbRules" "xorg"
    Option         "XkbModel" "microsoftelite"
    Option         "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    # HorizSync source: edid, VertRefresh source: edid
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "Samsung SyncMaster"
    HorizSync       30.0 - 81.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 75.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce 7900 GT/GTO"
    Option         "NoLogo" "true"
    Option         "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "true"
    Option         "UseEvents" "false"
    Option         "RenderAccel" "true"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "TwinView" "0"
    Option         "metamodes" "1280x1024_75 +0+0; 1280x1024 +0+0; 1024x768 +0+0; 800x600 +0+0; 640x480 +0+0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
    Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
    Option "Composite" "true"
EndSection

I'm pretty sure before with this configuration, direct rendering worked just fine, I could run glxgears, play all sorts of games which requires direct rendering such as savage2. Now when I run glxgears (or a game that requires direct rendering), I get a blank, black screen. When not using direct rendering, everything is fine except all the corrupt pixels, which apparently is a known problem with the 7900 line.

R00KIE · 2009-03-22 12:39:30

I would say that if the card still works for everything else then the card is ok, I would suspect of any update you have done lately. I would try older drivers that are known to work and see what happened.

frp · 2009-03-22 15:22:23

you probably already did, but give a look here http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NVIDIA.
One example, according to the link, that last group Section "DRI" shouldn't be on your xorg.conf.
and before doing glxgears, do:

glxinfo | grep direct

it should say something like "direct rendering: Yes" , just to make sure you have direct rendering on.

Ranguvar · 2009-03-22 16:27:45

As much as I hate to say it, I would actually try Windows on it (not virtual machine). That will help you know for sure.

Berticus · 2009-03-22 16:58:05

frp wrote:

you probably already did, but give a look here http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NVIDIA.
One example, according to the link, that last group Section "DRI" shouldn't be on your xorg.conf.
and before doing glxgears, do:
glxinfo | grep direct
it should say something like "direct rendering: Yes" , just to make sure you have direct rendering on.

Both with and without the DRI section, it said direct redendering was on.

Ranguvar wrote:

As much as I hate to say it, I would actually try Windows on it (not virtual machine). That will help you know for sure.

I did. I discovered the problem when reformatting windows. After I installed the newest driver, I got a blank screen. So I uninstalled it, and installed the driver on the CD that came with the card, but it still got a black screen. I know the files weren't completely removed when I uninstalled the drivers, so there's a slight chance that the CD was installing the newest driver. So I wanted confirmation.

---Edit---
Also, guide says:

Make sure you DON'T have a line
Load           "type1"
in the Module section since recent versions of xorg-server does not include the type1 font module (completely replaced by freetype).

I commented that line out and the fonts were messed up. Not really related to my problem, just wanted to throw it out there.

Last edited by Berticus (2009-03-22 17:02:14)

frp · 2009-03-23 01:28:26

So, the problem might be a couple things. I'm assuming you are using the same card that used to work and now it doesn't:

Berticus wrote:
I'm pretty sure before with this configuration, direct rendering worked just fine, I could run glxgears, play all sorts of games which requires direct rendering such as savage2. Now when I run glxgears...

And since you tried in linux and windows with the latest drivers:

Berticus wrote:
I discovered the problem when reformatting windows. After I installed the newest driver, I got a blank screen.

1. When it worked,was it with the same version of drivers you are trying now?
if not, then you should install the older drivers and try again.
if yes, then you should try first with some nvidia older drivers, second test it with the default drivers (nv/vesa, try both). You can try glxgears, since that's your comparison point for now.

2.You can try to really know if it's an hardware problem by running 'burnintest' application, it will test your video card for 2D and 3D and it will tell you if it finds any error hardware based. For example, I had a geforce 4200TI that failed from time to time, with no actual point of comparison, since it would fail when it wanted, and with burnintest I found the card had 'memory corruption'.
You can download it here http://www.passmark.com/products/bitlinux.htm , only lowdown point is the requirements, it needs KDE installed (it's just some libraries, not sure if it works if you copy only the libraries needed by the app, incase you get a hand of the libs free of KDE. You can also check if you have the libraries, by running $ ./burnintest.sh, it will tell you which libs you are missing).
note: if nvidia drivers keep failing, try this test with the default ones.

3. It would be great if you have (or borrow one from a friend) another nvidia card which uses same drivers and test it on your pc.

I believe those tests should tell you if your graphics card is bad or not. If your drivers keep failing on your video card, but burnintest passes, than step 3 might be what brings conclusion. If your 2nd card also fails on drivers, than the problem can be f.ex. mems, motherboard, power source, etc; bad power source can lead to not enough/dispersed/spikes energy reaching your videocard; corrupted mems or board, can lead to corrupted files, therefore drivers would not work, but burnintest pass.

I think that's it, not coming into mind more tests for now.

Well, now you have a couple choices, do the tests and verify, or since it's on lifetime warranty, you can just send it to nvidia and wait for another to come, dunno how long they take tho.

I would do the tests 1st of course

gl!

Last edited by frp (2009-03-23 01:38:06)

frp · 2009-03-29 02:29:58

Any news on this? configs, drivers or card broken?

Arch Linux

#1 2009-03-22 10:39:34

Need to make sure my graphics card is fubar

#2 2009-03-22 12:39:30

Re: Need to make sure my graphics card is fubar

#3 2009-03-22 15:22:23

Re: Need to make sure my graphics card is fubar

#4 2009-03-22 16:27:45

Re: Need to make sure my graphics card is fubar

#5 2009-03-22 16:58:05

Re: Need to make sure my graphics card is fubar

#6 2009-03-23 01:28:26

Re: Need to make sure my graphics card is fubar

#7 2009-03-29 02:29:58

Re: Need to make sure my graphics card is fubar

Board footer