bloodem wrote on 2024-02-08, 15:35:

Remove everything that you don't need and try again. 😀

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-02-09, 02:55:

Got any USB cards in it? That's a frequent bugbear.

Ok the first issue I eliminated... Turns out the large HDD support from @DenizOezmen isn't working properly with a SATA to IDE bridge and a 120gb SSD. Switching to a 16GB SSD solved the issue where Quake would lock up when loading the map...

The second issue is Quake locking up with everything maxxed out at 1024x768 when applying the maxxed out settings upon automatic restart. I think this is an AGP power delivery issue with my boards (P2B, P2B-S, P3B). The P3B was ok with an MX440 8x, but other cards (64-bit MX420, first gen MX440) exhibited this issue.

I'll try with an FX5200 and report back.

By the way, even an MX440 is limited by CPU in Quake3. At 1024x768, you'll be stuck with an average of 90FPS with a PIII 650E, and it goes down from there, the less powerful the CPU. I would have tested the C3 on the P3B-F, but either it needs a unicorn Slotket to work, or it doesn't work at all with that board.

EDIT: Ok, good news. I finally found a combination where everything works... The GeForce FX5600SE is completely stable on the P2B-S, it must have a low power draw on the AGP... It performed comparably to the other cards with the P3 650E, (90 or so FPS). With the Ezra-T at 1Ghz, performance drops to around 60fps -- still quite acceptable. Ok, I am happy with this arrangement and can finally proceed with my build... The problems with this system have been dogging me for a couple of years already.