Dell PE SC420 Direct3D Issue

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joecool234

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 1, 2001
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433
I am currently using the onboard video in Windows XP on my SC420. I am currently using the video driver for Server 2003 that came bundled on CD. Do these drivers actually support Direct3D? I completely forget what Direct3D even is. I am trying to use an old screen saver and it reports that no Direct3D devices have been found. Any suggestions?
 
I don't remember for sure, but I think Direct3d was one of the first 3D API's available. Do you have DirectX installed?
 
I mean, I'm using XP with sp2...shouldn't it use some form of DirectX already? Not to mention that DirectX was not listed on the Windows Update page.
 
Im no expert, so take this with a grain of salt .....
Im prettty sure SP2 comes with DirectX 9C if you need to see what version you have go Start/run then type "dxdiag" It wil let you l run a complete test.

Then at the bottom of the first page, you can see what version you have installed.
 
Go to start->run and type dxdiag. If that doesn't come up, then you don't have DirectX installed. As far as whether it should be part of XP or not, Im not sure on that. I would try looking for the executable and install it manually if need be.
 
my guess is that you have the drivers installed incorrectly.. or have installed the wrong drivers altogether... I know the onboard video sucks (I have that server too..) but i'm sure it's direct x SOMETHING...
 
Son of a bitch...I just remembered about dxdiag. I ran a test, and it says:

DirectDraw Acceleration: N/A
Direct3D Acceleration: N/A
AGP Texture Acceleration: N/A

And I did run the test. This is total bullshit. There is no way in hell this graphics chip doesn't support said features. Is our version of the 915g stripped down? Is it because the driver isn't made specifically for XP? Anyone have success with this?

If anyone is using Server2003, please run dxdiag and tell me if it says the same thing.
 
edit: Nowhere in the Intel E7221 chipset datasheet does it say that the core supports 3D. :D It's actually nothing like the i915G. Only 1MB or 8MB buffers are available and the registers are different. Ignore the instructions I posted before. The E7221 looks like it only has the 2D portion of IEG2.
 
Couple things, first SP2 does install DirectX9.0c during the install, don't know why, but it does, no other service packs "force" DirectX on you, but SP2 does. I was half shocked to find it did this on my first "windows update" after installing it, it wasn't on the list of "reccommended updates" since it was already installed. My guess it has something to do with getting DirectPlay and the Windows Firewall to play nice with each other by default.

Second, when I get back into work at my server (haha, not a server, since I also run Windows XP Pro on it), I'll run dxdiag and see what mine says. I know I haven't tried it yet, but I do know that the windows "drag" like a darn 8meg card, because it is. Wish there was a way to increase that in the bios, but it is fixed at 8meg. I think one thing, the CopperRiver chipset it uses is pretty new, and not up to real support yet.
 
kleptophobiac said:
why do you need d3d on a server?
Click to expand...

Like I said i was trying to use a D3D screen saver. Anyways, that's besides the point. No where did I ask for critique regarding my decision to use this "Server" as a desktop. I will be more than happy to clarify via PM...please do not hog the thread with silly comments.

I wish Dell had disclosed the fact that this is NOT a 3d adapter. Simply stating that this can't be used as a desktop is simply not sufficient. Why can't a server run a D3D screen saver? Do you think lack of 3D is a driver issue, or just plain old silicon issue?

Man this really sux. I was planning on dropping the rest of my budget on a raid5 setup, but now looks like I need to buy some ghetto graphics card (and off to mod the PCIe slot!!!). Even though I only wanted to use this as a fileserver (which I was planning to do), I still would like the ability to play games or run 3D apps.
 
joecool234 said:
I wish Dell had disclosed the fact that this is NOT a 3d adapter. Simply stating that this can't be used as a desktop is simply not sufficient.
Click to expand...
Dell also didn't say it had 3D capability or a pony. It didn't come with a pony either, did it? :p

Public information on the E7221 chipset on intel.com and the drivers from both dell and intel do not mention any 3D support. The driver is only a 220KB download (or ~400KB uncompressed on the CD), impossibly small for a driver that includes DirectX support.

You guessed that it had 3D because poor technical sources like the unofficial SC420 FAQ have bad information. I also fell for the bad information, but that wasn't Dell's fault. I should have researched before purchase and I would have definitely done that if I was going to use the integrated graphics for anything more than 2D. I added a modified x300SE in the SC420 anyways because my brother needed DVI, so it doesn't matter.

I'm sure Dell will be happy to take the return if you're not happy. Take it to FedEx/Kinkos and it will cost less than $20 to return.
 
pxc said:
Dell also didn't say it had 3D capability or a pony. It didn't come with a pony either, did it? :p

Public information on the E7221 chipset on intel.com and the drivers from both dell and intel do not mention any 3D support. The driver is only a 220KB download (or ~400KB uncompressed on the CD), impossibly small for a driver that includes DirectX support.

You guessed that it had 3D because poor technical sources like the unofficial SC420 FAQ have bad information.
Click to expand...

Dude, I'm sorry...but every single video card that I have looked at over the last 5+ years has some form of 3D acceleration built-in. Why should I ask such a question now? All I am saying is that Dell/Intel should have explicity stated the chipset is 2D only. Simply saying the chipset provides "inexpensive graphics for servers" is totally not sufficient. It's like teaming a 4 cylinder with a Hummer and saying it's "economical." Just because this is "server", by no means should the graphics be worse than my P133 Packard Bell from 1996.

Seriously though, does anyone know if 3D support is disabled at the silicon level...or can this just be a driver issue?

P.S. I will sell the parts off on Ebay before even considering a return.
 
Servers come with shitty video cards because they need to put up text consoles and basic GUI's. This has been true since the beginning of time.

Plus, why all the fuss for a screen saver? Blank screen in 10 minutes, done!
 
kleptophobiac said:
Servers come with shitty video cards because they need to put up text consoles and basic GUI's. This has been true since the beginning of time.

Plus, why all the fuss for a screen saver? Blank screen in 10 minutes, done!
Click to expand...

Does anyone else want to ask me why I want to run 3D apps on a server?

How about the fact that I eventually want to run a PCB router program that requires 3D acceleration? I though I would test a simple screen saver before actually installing said application.

Jeebus man, please answer the fucking question and don't ask why.
 
Jeebus joecool, you certainly don't hold on to your own for very long. You knew ahead of time that it came with integrated video. If you needed 3D acceleration, you shouldn't have been such a dumbass.

Go drop in another video card, or use a different computer. That's the answer to your question.
 
kleptophobiac said:
Jeebus joecool, you certainly don't hold on to your own for very long. You knew ahead of time that it came with integrated video. If you needed 3D acceleration, you shouldn't have been such a dumbass.

Go drop in another video card, or use a different computer. That's the answer to your question.
Click to expand...

Uh, so this implies that all integrated video has no 3D acceleration? Maybe you shouldn't be such a dumbass in making such a blanket statement. Does anyone actually have pertinent info to post? If not, please kill this thread.
 
Ok.. 1) joecool is a jerk..
2) why are you guys even helping him if all he does is flame you back?

I checked my sc420 and it said n/a on all that stuff in dxdiag too... unless you put a diff video card in there, you're SOL...
 
I didn't say that.

I said that you knew your needs, you knew what video chipset it has, and you made a halfassed assumption. Thinking that all cards have D3D acceleration is like thinking that all cars have automatic transmissions; sure, for the most parts, that's true, but there are specialty cases where it isn't. You're not going to want an automatic transmission on your sports car, nor D3D support on your server. You wanted a CAD workstation, but you didn't buy one.

You can kill this thread by letting it die on its own.
 
Rogue4mula said:
2) why are you guys even helping him if all he does is flame you back?
Click to expand...
That he blames Dell is part of the fun. :D It's an Intel E7221 server chipset that has never been advertised as having any 3D capabilities. It's really not much worse than the 400SC that shipped with a Rage XL 8MB PCI card installed.

His solution costs $50-$60 (x300SE PCI-E) on ebay or just $20-$30 (PCI) elsewhere for a primitive 3D card like the Rage XL and he already knows that. Yeah, this thread should just die.
 
pxc said:
That he blames Dell is part of the fun. :D It's an Intel E7221 server chipset that has never been advertised as having any 3D capabilities. It's really not much worse than the 400SC that shipped with a Rage XL 8MB PCI card installed.

His solution costs $50-$60 (x300SE PCI-E) on ebay or just $20-$30 (PCI) elsewhere for a primitive 3D card like the Rage XL and he already knows that. Yeah, this thread should just die.
Click to expand...
Except the Rage XL would actually be useful, since it runs 2D on absolutely everything. :p

The Hummer analogy above is incorrect. This is like a Hummer that comes with a perfectly good engine, but only an AM Radio.
 
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