Memory discrepancy with 256MB GeForce FX 5600

I've actually posted this before within another post about something else but does anyone know why my 256MB MSI GeForce FX 5600 (BIOS vers. 4.31.20.39) shows as having 256MB RAM with the GeForce tab in Display properties, RivaTuner and the MSI utilties but not with DXDiag, SiSoftware Sandra 2003, 3DMark 2001 or 3DM ...

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I've actually posted this before within another post about something else but does anyone know why my 256MB MSI GeForce FX 5600 (BIOS vers. 4.31.20.39) shows as having 256MB RAM with the GeForce tab in Display properties, RivaTuner and the MSI utilties but not with DXDiag, SiSoftware Sandra 2003, 3DMark 2001 or 3DMark03?

I've tried flashing the BIOS to the latest version 4.31.20.40 and I nearly lost my graphic card due the flashing not working properly. I was fortunate enough to have made a backup with RVBEdit so I was able to recover it! Obviously, I don't want to risk it again so I'm wondering if it's a software rather than hardware issue.

Thanks in advance.

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.... again in another thread

NEVER EVER UPDATE UR GPU !!!!!

unless the manufacturer come to u and tell HEY UPDATE !

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Well, you live and learn! And I've DEFINTELY learnt... the hard way!

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hehe me, too at least you were able to save ur card right ?
my GF2PRO was lost at that time ...

AGAIN FOR EVERYONE NEVER UPDATE YOUR GRafics Card BIOS its too risky ... you can't imagine what can go wrong ... this has nothing to do with noob or not

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I personally think it is a bug for certain software, why you can see 256 in the driver because it is made by nVidia, nvidia know what's the card spec. Riva tinner (i think) is reporting the amount using the nVidia driver thus it is 256mb. There is one issue in last few years that the 32mb geforce 256 (creative) is shown 16mb in every where (they fix it by flashing bios). But yours is in only certain software so my opinion is don't bother to flash your vidio card bios cause it would not help in performance gaining. In your case it is just software bugs. There soon will be patches for this (i think) so don't worried about it.

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Probably cuz the programs probably think you only have a 128MB version of the card. Because there are many different FX 5600's remember. Could be your drivers.

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hey guys,

Perhaps you can help me I just bought myself a Gainward FX 5600 256mb (I know if any of you replied to my post last week I was looking for a 5900 Ultra but I got this one for £60 ).

Well I ran 3D Mark 2001 and 2003 before I took my Geforce 3 Out and found that the scores that I get in 2001 arn't that much different (but then again I'm not really that worried about that as the benchmark tests older aspects of the card)

When I had the results from 2003 I managed to get 2400 points but when I checked the futuremark database everyone else seems to get about 3000....... My rig ain't exactly slow and it's comparable if not better than some of the results at futuremark but i still come up short in points.

Also I've checked those results and none of them are OC'd.

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Yes, Mertsch, I was fortunate enough to have managed to recover my graphic card's BIOS back as I was lucky (?) enough to have backed up my original BIOS with a nifty little utility called RVBEdit. Without it I would have been in seriously deep sh*t!!! LOL

I am never, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER flashing a BIOS again! Never!

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hey guys,

Problem over I took the 5600 back and ordered a gainward FX pack 5800 ultra, I know its NV30 and slower than a 9800 but I managed to get it for £170 and I've already sold the sound card and Firewire card I had with it for £60.

So really it only cost me £110

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Squall was correct about the 128MB/256MB memory discrepancy on my 256MB GeForce FX 5600 being software related as I've just briefly tried the new Detonator FX v51.75 beta drivers and they show the correct amount: 256MB as does DXDiag. The new drivers have obviously fixed the bug.

Another point regarding those new beta Detonator drivers is that whenever I try to access the GeForce FX 5600 tab under Advanced Display properties, it causes a 'Catastrophic failure' in Nvcpl.dll for some reason although the drivers appear to otherwise work fine.

Also whereas before I could run all the ATI tech demos including the amazing Chimp one (with 2X anistrophic filturing on) with the 45.23 drivers, the Chimp and Car Paint demos just quit out after loading with the 51.75 drivers.

Because of these 'glitches', I've reverted back to 45.23 and have since read that nVIDIA have decided to withdraw the 51.75 drivers because they are unfinished.

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hi

i had a similar problem with my ti4200 128mb card. I somehow managed to lose 64mb altho bios and nvidia drivers stated i had 128, dxdiag, sandra and 3dmark reported 64.
I tried a number of drivers and it was the same.. so with me thinking it was fecked ( some games did refuse to work due to this mainly combat flight sim 3) i decided to use an old registry i had saved from when id first installed winxp..

that solved the problem somethig had set my gfx to only show 64mb in applications.. dunno what or where the reg key was that did it tho.

So maybes a reinstall or backup reinstall of a registry might have solved ur problems

Peav

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Whatever benchmark apps say I'm almost certain your card will react with its 256mb, whether 3dmark says its got 256mb or not.