Would it be possible to have a switch for the command-line version that forces it to run without rewriting the ROM font table? I tried using it on the command line with a Diamond FireGL 2 card and there was something about the process of it that it did NOT like at all -- to the point where it just flat out disabled video output until I bumbled my way through on the keyboard to get it to quit.

mbalmer wrote on 2025-06-03, 19:59:

Would it be possible to have a switch for the command-line version that forces it to run without rewriting the ROM font table? I tried using it on the command line with a Diamond FireGL 2 card and there was something about the process of it that it did NOT like at all -- to the point where it just flat out disabled video output until I bumbled my way through on the keyboard to get it to quit.

I don't think this is caused by changing the fonts. Isn't that card "too new" to test it under DOS? Wouldn't it be better to try the Windows version?

Mumak wrote on 2025-06-03, 10:57:

Try to "Reset GPU I2C Cache"

I've performed the reset now but still no luck.

Mumak wrote on 2025-06-03, 20:12:

I don't think this is caused by changing the fonts. Isn't that card "too new" to test it under DOS? Wouldn't it be better to try the Windows version?

Maybe, although I was struggling with it just in Windows 98 (although that may be because it's too new even for Win98). It kept booting into standard VGA and it would have huge issues dealing with DOS text-mode stuff.

douglar wrote on 2024-01-17, 01:26:

I ran HWiNFO v6.2.3 on a system with a VLB card that has a UMC 85C418 based VGA IDE controller with 1.5MB Ram on board pictured […]
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I ran HWiNFO v6.2.3 on a system with a VLB card that has a UMC 85C418 based VGA IDE controller with 1.5MB Ram on board pictured here: Re: UMC UM85C418F RAM - 2MB possible + desirable?

HWiNFO v6.2.3 says it is a Genoa 6400/6600 (GVGA)

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1                                 HWiNFO v6.2.3 
2  ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛVideo InformationÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ
3  º                                                                          º
4  º Video Chipset:            UMC 85C418                                     º
5  º Video Card:               Genoa 6400/6600 (GVGA)                         º
6  º Video Memory Size:        512 KBytes of DRAM, 1,024 KBytes               º
7  º Video Card Bus:           16-bit                                         º
8  º Video RAMDAC:             ICS5341 GENDAC TrueColor                       º

Any idea why it thinks it is a 16 bit Genoa 6400/6600 (GVGA) video card?

The attachment UMC 85C418.zip is no longer available

Do you still have this card? I have been messing with an 85C408 (ISA) and have figured out that the UMC deliberately passes the magic number check of its Video BIOS to pass as a Genoa 6400, even though it isn't register-compatible with it. UMC 85C408 512K vs. Genoa 6400 backstory?

This doc suggests a way to poke at the 3BF/3CF register (specifically, writing AC to 3BF unlocks extended registers) and determine whether it's the UMC: https://bearstrong.net/tekst97/data/programme … ng/vgadoc3/umc/

jakethompson1 wrote on 2025-07-08, 03:09:

Do you still have this card? I have been messing with an 85C408 (ISA) and have figured out that the UMC deliberately passes the magic number check of its Video BIOS to pass as a Genoa 6400, even though it isn't register-compatible with it. UMC 85C408 512K vs. Genoa 6400 backstory?

This doc suggests a way to poke at the 3BF/3CF register (specifically, writing AC to 3BF unlocks extended registers) and determine whether it's the UMC: https://bearstrong.net/tekst97/data/programme … ng/vgadoc3/umc/

I still have the card. I could dig up the original bios if needed.

https://theretroweb.com/expansioncards/s/gain … d-cardex-vl-1av

Mumak wrote on 2024-01-17, 12:48:

That's determined because of the Genoa card positive check: […]
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That's determined because of the Genoa card positive check:

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13C4h index  5  (R/W):  Configuration Register
2bit  1  (R) 8bit bus if set, 16bit else

Probably shouldn't apply in this case...

We got some additional info about detecting UMC VGA vs Genoa VGA here:
UMC 85C408 512K vs. Genoa 6400 backstory?

My Riva128 card gets detected with 8MB but if I lookup the EAN and FCC-ID I find 4MB. What is correct?

schlang wrote on 2025-08-23, 02:43:

My Riva128 card gets detected with 8MB but if I lookup the EAN and FCC-ID I find 4MB. What is correct?

4 MB.

Memory size detection on RIVA128 under DOS might not be accurate. Better check with HWiNFO32 under Windows if possible.

Ty guys

AFAIK no 8MB Rive 128 cards ever existed.

appiah4 wrote on 2025-08-25, 10:22:

AFAIK no 8MB Rive 128 cards ever existed.

every riva128zx

schlang wrote on 2025-08-25, 18:54:

appiah4 wrote on 2025-08-25, 10:22:

AFAIK no 8MB Rive 128 cards ever existed.

every riva128zx

Riva128zx is a different silicon, it is not a Riva128..

it's still a riva128 my friend

schlang wrote on 2025-08-26, 16:16:

it's still a riva128 my friend

No it's not, my friend. Riva 128 NV3 silicon is not even capable of supporting 8MB RAM. Riva128ZX which is a refreshed NV3 silicon and is branded differently, adds support for AGP 2x as well as up to 8MB memory.

That like saying the PS3 Slim is not a PS3...

No it's like saying the Ps5 Pro is not a PS5.

I give up, you win

Good 🤣