ATI-based mobo isn't compatible with a nVidia graphics card?

I posted here recently about a problem I was having: on my new MSI
RS480M2-IL motherboard (based on the ATI Xpress 200 chipset), my new
MSI NX6600-TD256E (GeForce 6600) video card is hanging after a few
minutes of playing a 3D game. I contacted MSI tech support about the
problem, and this was their response:

"This is normal since the on board ATI chipset does not like any Nvidia
chipset based video cards. You can use ATI video cards (PCI-E) or
change to different mb with different chipset. This is an unofficial
problem for ATI chipset on the mb and not caused by MSI."

My question is: is this tech blowing smoke, or is this a real
incompatibility? Do ATI-based motherboards really have a known problem
with nVidia-based graphics cards?

Interestingly, Googling for this particular mobo/vid card combination
doesn't yield many results.

You did disable the onboard video through BIOS, right? And turn on "assign
IRQ to VGA" or something that effect.

--
"War is the continuation of politics by other means.
It can therefore be said that politics is war without
bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed."

"Brian Kendig" wrote in message
oups.com...
I posted here recently about a problem I was having: on my new MSI
RS480M2-IL motherboard (based on the ATI Xpress 200 chipset), my new
MSI NX6600-TD256E (GeForce 6600) video card is hanging after a few
minutes of playing a 3D game. I contacted MSI tech support about the
problem, and this was their response:

"This is normal since the on board ATI chipset does not like any Nvidia
chipset based video cards. You can use ATI video cards (PCI-E) or
change to different mb with different chipset. This is an unofficial
problem for ATI chipset on the mb and not caused by MSI."

My question is: is this tech blowing smoke, or is this a real
incompatibility? Do ATI-based motherboards really have a known problem
with nVidia-based graphics cards?

I don't own such a board, but my instinctive reaction is: bull****.

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2617

This is a review of the Asus A8R-MVP board. It's not identical to the MSI
board by any means, but it uses the Xpress 200 Crossfire northbridge. One of
the graphics cards in the test was a 7800GTX. That ought to have stressed
things a bit.

A little Googling found a test of a different make of nVidia 6600 card on
your mainboard:

http://www.nvnews.net/reviews/xfx_ge...r2/index.shtml

I can't guess why the MSI tech would give you such a line. I suppose that it
would get rid of you for a while, and maybe the problem would go away when
you installed new graphics drivers.


Address scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.

"Brian Kendig" wrote in message
oups.com...
I posted here recently about a problem I was having: on my new MSI
RS480M2-IL motherboard (based on the ATI Xpress 200 chipset), my new
MSI NX6600-TD256E (GeForce 6600) video card is hanging after a few
minutes of playing a 3D game. I contacted MSI tech support about the
problem, and this was their response:

"This is normal since the on board ATI chipset does not like any Nvidia
chipset based video cards. You can use ATI video cards (PCI-E) or
change to different mb with different chipset. This is an unofficial
problem for ATI chipset on the mb and not caused by MSI."

My question is: is this tech blowing smoke, or is this a real
incompatibility? Do ATI-based motherboards really have a known problem
with nVidia-based graphics cards?

Just a followup: turns out the tech was *right!* I've been searching
for more info on this problem, and it appears that at least one of the
ATI-based motherboards from MSI isn't compatible with nVidia graphics
cards. I found many threads on their discussion board about it; one's
at 'http://forum.msi.com.tw/index.php?topic=88430.0'.

Possible workarounds are to use an old rev of the nVidia drivers, or to
RMA the board and get a later revision instead. I haven't heard yet
whether either of these are solutions, but I'm continuing to research.

Those postings hardly look authoritative to me, but I'm mostly put off by
the childish English. (If the writers aren't native English speakers, I
apologize.)

Maybe the tech was correct, but it'd be sad if such a mainstream graphics
card had trouble with your mainboard.

Good luck.

"Brian Kendig" wrote in message
ps.com...
Just a followup: turns out the tech was *right!* I've been searching
for more info on this problem, and it appears that at least one of the
ATI-based motherboards from MSI isn't compatible with nVidia graphics
cards. I found many threads on their discussion board about it; one's
at 'http://forum.msi.com.tw/index.php?topic=88430.0'.

Possible workarounds are to use an old rev of the nVidia drivers, or to
RMA the board and get a later revision instead. I haven't heard yet
whether either of these are solutions, but I'm continuing to research.