Duffman wrote on 2025-10-06, 10:31:

@sdz […]
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@sdz

Nicely done!
I'm sure there will be many ITX llama users delighted that they can use Nvidia cards on their builds now.

On a topic of Nvidia cards - I have a Vortex86DX3 build of mine (using an ETX module and IP412 carier board), whenever I've tried to run an Nvidia Geforce FX 5500 PCI (no AGP on carrier board) and, even though I assign an IRQ to the card. I always got these strange artifacts when I tried to boot 98SE on it (after the nvidia driver install, the basic 16 color VGA driver still works).

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Did you ever encounter this kind of visual artifacting during your testing?

I can't say I've encountered that kind of visual artifacting (but I also can't say I really tested Nvidia cards before patching the BIOS 😀 )

Dothan Burger wrote on 2025-10-06, 10:40:

sdz wrote on 2025-10-06, 09:24:

However, it did fix it for other cards. Here is an unmodified AGP Nvidia Geforce FX5200 plugged into the Llama: […]
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However, it did fix it for other cards. Here is an unmodified AGP Nvidia Geforce FX5200 plugged into the Llama:

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Both VGA and HDMI outputs work, as well as OpenGL and D3D:

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Of course, more testing is needed (also need to ensure it doesn't break other things).

WOW! what a huge breakthrough SDZ. I'm huge nvidiot and was a little disappointed when the Llama wouldn't work with my GeForces.

They may work now 😀 I have only tested the FX5200, as I don't have other AGP Nvidia cards (maybe a TNT2 somwhere? ), but I expect other cards to work now (maybe not all of them).

Some updates regarding the S3 cards.

I have tried VBE9x with the S3 with Llama and the vanilla BIOS. It resulted in a garbled screen/frozen system.
With the patched BIOS VBE9x now works with the S3 Savage4 Pro:

Higher resolutions supported by VGA:

Now, VBE9x isn't ideal (compared to the S3 drivers) but it still beats 640x480@4 colors.

Spent the whole day trying to get the S3 working on the Llama, doing stuff like this (among other things):

Basically exhausting all the sane options that I can think of. Until it occured to me, does the S3 Savage 4 Pro (that supports AGP 4x) actually support 66MHz operation when in PCI mode (which I assumed it did)?
The PCIe to PCI bridge on the Llama is configured for 66MHz operation. I changed the bridge config straps for 33MHz and:

Edit: Reverted the Llama to the default PCIe to PCI bridge configuration (PCI@66MHz) and strapped the S3 Savage4 Pro for AGP bus instead of PCI bus (AGP part of the bus still terminated on the card). With 1 resistor removed, it now works on the unmodified Llama (except the BIOS):

Found a RIVA TNT2 64 /VANTA-16. It works fine with the patched BIOS:

That is amazing! Well done.

sdz wrote on 2025-10-07, 13:57:

Found a RIVA TNT2 64 /VANTA-16. It works fine with the patched BIOS:

Just seeing the Nvidia control panel makes me happy. I look forward to your progress.