Matrox Max 96MB Ram
6 messages in this thread
This is addressed to Digimation but if anyone else has suggestions your welcome
to jump in. <g>
Hi, David,
I've run in to an interesting situation. I have a Client that has a Matrox Max
System and we just upgraded him from 64MB to 96MB of Ram, of course because of
the DOS 64MB of Ram Limitation we wanted to make sure that 3D Studio would see
all 96MB of Ram and therefore loaded Quarterdecks QEMM 7.5 Memory Manager.
Everything works fine __Except_ the Matrox Max.
It's acting like there is a memory conflict somewhere but we have maintained
the same exclusions that work just fine for over a year in the regular DOS
Memory Managers Setup.
I can Reload the old DOS 64MB Setup and it Plays Back Animations off the MAX
Drive Just Fine But when I try to reload the QEMM Setup the Playback includes a
Grid Pattern over 80% of the Screen during most of the PlayBack.
My Guess is that there is a Memory Conflict Somewhere but I have exactly the
Same address C000-Dfff Excluded in the Config.sys file.
The only thing I can figgure is that we may have been getting away with
something that was more forgiving under the DOS Memory Manager that QEMM won't
allow us to do. Either that or there is some particualr "Switch" I should be
including under the QEMM Memeory Manager that will allow us trouble-free
operation like we have under the 64MB DOS Memory Manager Setup.
Right now our Client is reloading the old DOS Memeory manager Setup When he
wants to use the MAX and then Reloading the QEMM Version when he needs to
Access the full 96MB of Ram for Rendering. Not a good situation at all.
I've spoken with Will at Matrox and he Say's he has no Record of anyone going
over 64MB of Ram on a Matrox Max System in his files which gives me that sick
feeling in the pit of my stomach……sort of like when we were waiting for
New "Code" this Past year<g>.
Anyone have any ideas?
Murph'
James,
FWIW, I got best results from QEMM letting it do its own optimization, not
allowing it to write over the Page Frame, and not allowing it to use Stealth.
But then, I didn't have 96 megs to play with… Hope this helps anyway.
SCL
Murph:
>> QEMM w/ 96 megs… I can Reload the old DOS 64MB Setup and it
>> Plays Back Animations off the MAX Drive Just Fine…
Have you tried keeping the identical installation but just removing all the
memory above 64 megs? No software changes, etc. allowed! Don't cheat, now!
If that works OK, try just adding the memory back in and telling QEMM not to
use it. Report back here after you have finished your homework! :^)
Greg Pyros
Greg……………
>>>> >> QEMM w/ 96 megs… I can Reload the old DOS 64MB Setup and it
>> Plays Back Animations off the MAX Drive Just Fine…
Have you tried keeping the identical installation but just removing all the
memory above 64 megs? No software changes, etc. allowed! Don't cheat, now!
If that works OK, try just adding the memory back in and telling QEMM not to
use it. Report back here after you have finished your homework! :^) <<<<<<
I'm not sure what you mean by "Identical Installation" I've created Two
"Holding" Directories…one called 64MB that has the original Root Directories
Files with the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys using MS-DOS's 6.2 Memory Manager
for the 64MB Setup.
I then Saved this and Created another Directory Called 96MB that has the C:\
"Root" Files ___After____ I've Run and installed QEMM for DOS/Windows Version
7.5.
Everything works under the QEMM Setup _Except_ the Matrox Max_.
I can Switch Back and forth by copying the files from either the 64MB Directory
and using the Matrox Max but not utilizing the extra RAM that is Plugged in to
the MotherBoard. Then When I want to Utilize the full 96MB of Ram I copy all
the files out of the 96MB Directory to overwrite everything in the C:\ "Root"
and I can Access the Full 96MB of Ram for Rendering Power in 3D Studio.
Soooo…… First when you say "Have I tried keeping the identical installation
but just removing all the memory above 64megs"….I really don't understand
what you mean.
That is Which Installation should I be working with? The one with or without
QEMM?
Then if I'm removing the memory above 64megs, doesn't that defeat the purpose
of my trying to utilize memory more than 64megs since it's not there anymore?
I'm confused Greg….sorry for being so dense but I don't get it.
The Part about adding the memory back in and telling Qemm not to use it makes
me beleive that your telling me to use the Qemm Setup but remove the memory
above 64megs to see what will happen.
My understanding of QEMM is that you Can't do that.
If you Change your Setup such as load different Drivers or change addresses or
in particular if the amount of physical RAM in the system changes I beleive you
_HAVE_ to re-run the QEMM "Optimize" Routine all over again.
Of Course That may point out that it's the QEMM manager but I already know
that.
I've got to know what about the QEMM Manager that's different that's causing
the problem.
Also if I added the memory back in and told QEMM not to use it then I still
couldn't get 3D Studio to recognize it so I shouldn't have sold it to the
client in the first Place.
Kind of a Catch 22.
By this time I'm now completly confused as to what you may have meant.
Sorry.
Could you please clarify?
Murph'
Murph:
>> …when you say "Have I tried keeping the identical installation but
>> just removing all the memory above 64megs…
What I was trying to see was if QEMM was the problem, or the memory. Use the
same QEMM configuration for both tests. First, have just 64 megs of memory in
the machine, and see if it works with QEMM. Then put the full 96 megs of
memory back in, and try it again with the same Autoexec.bat and Config.sys.
This will tell you if it is the memory or QEMM causing the problem.
I'm sure we can solve the problem for you and your client, I'm just trying to
find out where the problem lies!
Greg Pyros
<< QEMM w/ 96 megs… I can Reload the old DOS 64MB Setup and it…>>
James, I don't have the Matrox card but I experienced a simular problem with
my ATI Ultra Graphics Pro during a RAM upgrade. The fix was setting my video
memory above my physical RAM. There is a nice little utility with the Mach32
drivers that allowed me to define this, it was in the INSTALL program under
BOOT SETTING or something like that. If your Matrox Installation program has a
simular feature this might work.
Another solution would be to find your video memory allocation address and
exclude that area at boot-up. This can be done using the Excluded (X).
From the QEMM Manual -" Memory addresses explicitly made unavailable for High
RAM, expanded memory mapping or ROM mapping by QEMM386.SYS's EXCLUDE parameter.
If QEMM does not automatically detect an area specifically needed by an adapter
or a program, you must explicitly exclude the area. "
Hope this helps, I'm probably way out in Hyper Space but your client's symptoms
rang one of those queasy gongs.
Randy