What's dxdiag displaying ? You looked up the hardware ID in device manager? That should help you find the model.
The card also could be bad, what gpumodel does it say immediately when you boot windows (top left corner)

What motherboard/OS/drivers etc.?

Does it look normal during the POST? Does the desktop look normal prior to installing drivers?

It does appear to be a Ti4280: https://www.ebay.com/itm/374712362627?_ul=BO

Thanks all, yeah, it does look like that 4280, almost.
I think it was an oem board made for Gateway by Albatron with a user replaced fan, there are probably more markings
under the fan assembly, I'm just not inclined to remove it.
Post only says "ti4200 8xagp"
Display looks fine at all resolutions - until I play a game, then it craps out, ie, wrong colors, missing textures, no accelleration found.
Intel 815eea motherboard, PIII 1Ghz, Win98SE.
I must have tried 30+ drivers, all the same results, none could find an nvidia card and I'd have to manually update the generic card
from the device manager and force the installs.
Anyhow, seller agreed to take it back, it's just not worth the hassle.
Thanks for the feedback.

What's the PCI ID? In Windows 98 you can run "hwinfo /ui" then go to View > Problem Devices to see devices without drivers, that should be the GPU in your case.

Something is very odd / wrong since it can identify the memory amount, BIOS version and partially install the drivers, but not identify the GPU?

I think it was a generic VGA adapter, no 4200 label in sight.
Under problem devices all that showed up were my disabled ports (normal).
All moot, card is packed up and going back to the seller on Monday.
Absolutely the most frustrating time I've ever had with a no name card,
I'll never go that route again, but thanks for the input.

Probably most likely something wrong with the card. Glad you're getting a refund mind. I went through around 2 faulty gpus or ones that just didn't want to play ball until I found my beloved Voodoo 3 3000 😀

Looks like an Albatron / Club3D Ti4200 with AGP 8x.

Longshot: have you cleaned the contacts?

Yeah, getting the dust bunnies out and cleaning the fan/edge contacts is the first thing I do when getting a used card,
she's in the box now waiting to go to the post office tomorrow. I can still hear her mocking me, twas a short but painful relationship.

My ti4200 died the same way back in the day. It still had a vga signal, but the windows drivers stopped loading.

douglar wrote on 2024-01-22, 02:29:

My ti4200 died the same way back in the day. It still had a vga signal, but the windows drivers stopped loading.

I guess as we continue to use these bits of tech well beyond their expected lifespans, they will continue to find new and unusual ways to fail.