Bizzarre failure of ATI video memory

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beeblebrox · #1 Post by **beeblebrox** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 11:21 am

Dear friends,

I am having a rather bizarre problem with my T40p (FireGL 9000 with 64MB memory and 241MB Hypermemory).

The notebooks sometimes gets garbled video output. No, it is no flexing (was never carried with one hand, never overclocked, never overheated).

When I run over the 64 MB threshold the GPU starts using its hypermemory, so much for the theory. After a while I get fields of pixels across the screen. I am using iTunes and have a LOT of CD covers in coverflow, quite often I run into 1.5 GB ram consumption.

When I reboot the notebook I only have 32MB, half of original 64MB left in my video memory.
I run PC-Doctor fine, with 32MB.

After a few days I suddenly have 64 MB again. I run PC-Doctor fine, with 64MB. Even burn-in, 30 cycles a 80°C. No problems!

Using iTunes in DirectX again, I pretty soon get the pixel artifacts again. The funny things is: the pixels slightly move, correlating with the music!!! (No joke!)

I checked the BIOS settings and in BIOS 3.23 it says:
"Support for a new video memory for certain AMD video chips."
I guess this is Hypermemory!?

Does anyone have the same problem? Is it a BIOS bug with hypermemory or maybe some hardware related stuff, potentially the WLAN card?
If I download large quantities of data thru WLAN I get artefacts as well. Doing it over LAN, no problems.

I don't want to trash this supersilent Thinkpad, because it is a joy to work with...!!

#2 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 2:38 pm

I think you need to trash the iTunes program instead. It's loaded with bugs, and really only works properly on a Mac.

beeblebrox · #3 Post by **beeblebrox** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 3:02 pm

RealBlackStuff wrote:I think you need to trash the iTunes program instead. It's loaded with bugs, and really only works properly on a Mac.

Unfortunately, PC Doctor for DOS also showed only 32MB video memory. However, it passed all tests.

I guess, I have to live with half video memory from now on. I read on another Thinkpad forum that someone else had exactly the same missing VRAM problem on his Thinkpad as well. Aaaargh!

Maybe ATI should take financial precautions now as well, just as NVIDIA had to declare last weekend on their notebook video chips.

Troels · #4 Post by **Troels** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 3:15 pm

The FireGL 9000 / M.R. 9000 does not have hypermemory. Hypermemory was introduced with the PCI-Express change and firstly seen with the X300 in the T43.

Instead i'd try a new video driver.
Support for the 9k series was abandoned after catalyst 6.5, so try with omega driver 3.8.252 from here:
http://driverheavendownloads.net/omegadrive.htm
and see if this solves something.

Remember to remove your current driver first completely.

#5 Post by **gator** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:59 pm

Troels wrote: Remember to remove your current driver first completely.

Remember to backup before that!

beeblebrox · #6 Post by **beeblebrox** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:42 am

Troels wrote:The FireGL 9000 / M.R. 9000 does not have hypermemory. Hypermemory was introduced with the PCI-Express change and firstly seen with the X300 in the T43.

Instead i'd try a new video driver.
Support for the 9k series was abandoned after catalyst 6.5, so try with omega driver 3.8.252 from here:
http://driverheavendownloads.net/omegadrive.htm
and see if this solves something.

Remember to remove your current driver first completely.

PC-Doctor for DOS and SiSoft Sandra say it has 32MB (originally 64MB) dedicated memory, 246MB AGP memory and 278MB texture memory.

So I assume it is using main memory to shuffle data back/forth to its video ram. PC-Doctor for DOS also only reports 32MB, without any drivers.
I guess, the ATI processor has switched off half the ram.

As far as I remember it all happened when the notebook was closed and in a docking station, running iTunes video. I had Thinkpad fan control running as well. That probably must have fried the ATI chip?!
I saw here in other threads where T42p got fried in a docking station playing intensive games. After 30 minutes the ATI chip was dead. Maybe I have the same problem here?

Pascal_TTH · #7 Post by **Pascal_TTH** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 4:22 pm

It's not hypermemory, it's AGP Texturing. It's nearly the same but one is for PCI-Express and allow much more features while the other is based on PCI and AGP and only allow to store texture in main memory.

AMD buy ATI so that's the reason why yoi got an AMD device. There is an issue with Catalyst since about 1 year for AGP graphics. I don't remember exactly what issue but it cames during some application use DirectX or Direct Draw (not sure).

Bizzarre failure of ATI video memory

Bizzarre failure of ATI video memory

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