Hi

I previously had Gf4Ti 4200 installed. BIOS allowed me to change AGP aperture sizes between 8Mb and 128Mb. However I recently installed ATi Radeon 9700 Pro. Now maximum size of AGP aperture size is only 32Mb (alternatives 8, 16 and 32 megabytes).

Why I cannot have bigger sizes than 32Mb?

Motherboard manual states that 'AGP apterture sizes higher than 128Mb are only available when using AGP 8X capable graphics card'. Radeon is running in 8X mode naturally. So actually should be able to set the AGP aperture size even 256Mb.

System specs:

Athlon XP 2600+
ASUS A7V8X (latest BIOS revision)
512MB 333MHz DDR
Sapphire Radeon 9700Pro 128MB DDR AGP 8X
HEC 300W PSU
Windows 2000 Pro SP4 & RedHat Linux 9

Your board if it is a A7V8X-X was designed for 8X AGP support that is why ASUS made it in the first place. I also had a gForce Ti4200 installed into that board and it greyed out the 8X AGP Locked into the 8X setting the board auto detected the GeForce card and set the 8X AGP slot.

If it is a A7V8X none dash X I am not sure about the 8X support but if you got 8X AGP out of the Ti4200 then you should get it from another 8X AGP card.

We were also able to set the MB options up to 256MB with no problems. I cant understand why you would be locked out of those settings using an 8X AGP card unless it is that 4X/8X switch they have built into ATI cards. I never use ATI in my own computers so I am not sure why the BIOS is not reading the 8X AGP for that ATI Card perhaps some of the ATI guys would know why ?

If you do manage to get the 8X AGP option working for the new ATI card set the MB to half of what the card offers.. The Ti4200 128MB card we had set to 64MB because Aida32 was saying that the Graphics card was hogging the AGP BUS and depleting overall system performance. After we lowered the card to 64MB the card stopped using the computers on board memory to refresh it's self and the system performance alert in Aida32 went away and the graphics got faster in games and in benchmarks.

From the market research you have a nice ATI graphics card, any above the 9600 range are great cards get that thing working it should match or perhaps exceed the Ti4200 but only slightly.

I now have that Ti4200 in an A7N8X Deluxe Motherboard and the card wants the full 128MB setting to perform but this board is a 400MHz board where the A7V8X boards are not.

You can download Aida32 free and full version it is a software hardware detection application that will inform you of just about every aspect of your computer. Including temps real time. It does not load with Windows so you can open and close it manually that in it's self shows the guys that wrote the software had more then a few good beans in their heads.

Auto load software is the World Internet Lagger...........................

Barton 3200+ 400MHz
A7N8X Deluxe
Liquid
2x512 Crucial DDR 400 PC3200
GeForce FX5900
Two Maxtor 40Gig 8MB cach 7200rpm
SONY RW 52x/24x/52x
SONY DVD 16x/40x

Something is wrong with your BIOS, it should support at least 128MB aperture and probably more. I'd get ahold of Asus on this one as it's definately a motherboard issue.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

The board of mine is ASUS A7V8X without any 'extra' X's in the end. A7V8X-X is a stripped version of A7V8X made for value market.

As name of A7V8X suggests it really supports AGP 8X.

AGP is set as 8X in BIOS and is gryed. According to ASUS this is a VIA chipset limitation. KT-400 with 8X AGP card can only be used in 8X mode.

And various system analysis tools reveal that the Radeon is operating in 8X mode.

Well, you're the one who picked a VIA chipset.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

did you install via 4in1 chipset drivers?

-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!

Since when have operating system drivers affected BIOS options?

I do have 4in1 chipset drivers installed of course.

Nothing wrong with your chipset those are great boards its the snarky Intel peeps that don't know a good thing when it bites them in the ass. Since they don't have a clue how a pure OS operates on something so easy and slick.

Return the board tell em it doesn't work if they refuse put it on the floor in front of the guy and jump on the box until its flatter then the carpet!!!! Then mumble something about burning down the store that should get the guys attention.

While your at it throw the ATI card out because if the GeFOrce card is showing 8X AGP then the real problem is the faulty ATI card.............

Barton 3200+ 400MHz
A7N8X Deluxe
Liquid 12 Celsius
2x512 Crucial DDR 400 PC3200
GeForce FX5900
Two Maxtor 40Gig 8MB cach 7200rpm
SONY RW 52x/24x/52x
SONY DVD 16x/40x

OS can sometime change BIOS setting, that why I was asking that. But I tell you, I would return the board. I dont believe the chipset limitation you were told.

-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!

OH, a 300W psu...did you try a bigger one? I think the 9700 is power hungry.

-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!

Operating systems do not alter BIOS settings. BIOS is a layer between os and hardware level.

I dont think insuccifient PSU might limit BIOS options either.
The PSU is succifient (because my system is stable running 24/7).

Have you tired flashing you BIOS with the latest image?

[Insert witty comment here]

as I said before
<i>

ASUS A7V8X (latest BIOS revision)

</i>

Sorry i missed that.

[Insert witty comment here]

Why do you want the aperture size over 32Meg anyway? I was under the impression AGP aperture size had very little effect on performance? As long as its 32meg or over HAL is enabled.

[Insert witty comment here]