David DeCristoforo 2001-06-21 11:57
There seem to be a lot of people having trouble with the Matrox Cards under W2K on systems using the VIA chipsets. If you are not into gaming, the Matrox cards work very well on these systems. BUT, you have to set them up correctly or you will have nothing but trouble. Matrox support is the first to admit that these cards are not the best for serious gamers, so if this is your bag, look for another card. But, I run some fairly demanding apps (PhotoShop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, etc.) and usually have three or four running at once with nothing but smooth sailing.
To begin with, Matrox recommends installing the latest VIA drivers as soon as the OS is installed and BEFORE installing any Matrox drivers. In addition, it is recommended that you check your BIOS for the following PRIOR to installing the OS:
A) USB enabled.
B) Graphics Aperture set to 256 or as high as your BIOS will allow.
C) Seek AGP first.
I have also found that the "Certified" or WHOL drivers (version 5.51) do not work worth a crap. No option but to have both monitors treated as one. Period. But the 6.31 version allows the same flexibility as W98. BUT YOU HAVE TO ENABLE THIS DURING THE INSTALL. You will be prompted to select "Allow separate resolutions". If you do not select this checkbox, you cannot go back later and do it. It you miss this, you have to uninstall and reinstall the drivers. Of course, you will be informed that the drivers you are installing are not "signed" but don't worry about it in this instance. They work fine and you will have all of the options you would have under W98.
This is the curse of advancing technology. The new stuff pushes the old aside. When I switched to W2K, I had to set up another 'puter with W98 because W2K does not support any of my printers. Nor does it support my camera card reader. I had to buy a new CDRW 'cause the "old" one was not supported. In addition I had about a dozen programs that would not run under W2K. But, the W2K system is rock solid and I can work all day with no problems. So, in general, I am happy with the setup. If there is a point to all this, it is simply that it is up to us to decide what and when to upgrade. Before you plunge into a new OS, do a little homework. Find out if your hardware and / or software will work under the new sys. If not, you have to decide whether it's worth it to buy new stuff. Personally, I've got a shed full of "outdated" equipment, most of which is less that 2 years old.
|
