(Solved) Apocalypse PowerVR card doesn't work in PowerSGL mode \ VOGONS

(Solved) Apocalypse PowerVR card doesn't work in PowerSGL mode

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First post, by retro games 100

Posted on 2012-01-12, 18:08

retro games 100 Offline

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Edit: Solved. Please see my post #3, below. End edit.

I'm testing one of these PowerVR cards for the first time. I followed the installation instructions, and I've got to the point where I'm running the diagnostics tests from the demos.exe located on the driver CD-ROM. The Direct3D tests work, but not the PowerSGL tests. If I launch the PowerSGL tests, the screen immediately freezes. Also, the PowerVR version of MechWarrior2 freezes at the point where the game is just about to begin.

I'm using a ~2.1GHz Athlon system, Windows 98, 4MB PCI graphics card set to 16-bit colour depth, and no sound card. Any ideas please people? Thanks a lot for any advice.

Last edited by retro games 100 on 2012-01-12, 22:16. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 1 of 3, by retro games 100

Posted on 2012-01-12, 19:45

retro games 100 Offline

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I don't think the Direct3D diagnostics test are working, after all. I've just put the PowerVR card in to a different mobo, for some more testing. This time, it's just a socket 7 machine, with Windows 95 on it. I run the demos.exe found on the driver CD-ROM, and this allows you to run some tests on the card. If I choose to run the first test, which is for Direct3D, the instructions say to press ALT and F at the same time, and "if Direct3D HAL is on the menu, Apocalypse 3Dx is running correctly."

Well, unfortunately I cannot see "Direct3D HAL" on the menu when I press ALT F, so the card cannot be installed correctly. I reinstalled DirectX from the PowerVR driver CD-ROM, but that didn't solve this problem. Ugh, I hope the card isn't damaged..

Edit: The PCI video card that I am using is a PCI Hercules Tseng ET4000. Perhaps I should change it? Also, perhaps I should try a fresh Windows 95 installation?

Edit 2: I've been reading the troubleshooting guide, and it says to ensure that you have installed the PowerVR card in to a PCI slot that supports bus mastering. Well, I'm not sure if the slot (#3) I tried on my socket 7 mobo supported bus mastering, but tomorrow morning I will reinstall everything in to a 3rd mobo, an Intel 440BX system, and see if I can get it to work..

Reply 2 of 3, by retro games 100

Posted on 2012-01-12, 22:18

retro games 100 Offline

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Solved. I tried a 3rd mobo, an Intel based i440BX system, with a Virge PCI card in PCI slot #1, and the PowerVR card in slot #2. Running Windows 98. Everything works. I can see the D3D Hal option in the D3D tests, and the PowerSGL tests also work. I guess the PowerVR card is now seated inside a bus-mastering PCI slot, now that I have changed the mobo.

Reply 3 of 3, by retro games 100

Posted on 2012-02-01, 21:48

retro games 100 Offline

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I'm trying to download software for an Apocalypse 3Dx NEC PowerVR card, but the VideoLogic FTP site doesn't work anymore. If I use the wayback engine, and go to videologic's website, all of the download links are dead. Does anyone have any of VideoLogic's FTP files backed up please? Thanks a lot.

I have managed to download some of the files listed on the website link above from DriverGuide, but I can't find any of the Patches files.

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