Keeping IRQ'S from sharing

[Migra]

I just bought a new motherboard and i want to know how do i go about setting up my system so that my graphics card is on its own IRQ.

I have the following extra hardware
sound blaster live 5.1
56 k modem
winfast tv tuner
network card.

The problem i end up having is that the sound card shares it's irq with the graphics card. How do i prohibit this?

The motherboard is an Epox 8K9A
And i want to install windows Xp proffesional

[Brk]

Some steps you can take:

- Look in your mobo manual and see which PCI slots share IRQ.

- Move the sound card to different PCI slots and see if it changes.

- Go into your BIOS and disable unneeded serial, parallel, game/MIDI and USB ports. Disable onboard sound, graphics, ethernet, extra IDE, whatever you're not using. Also disable unneeded hardware (like hub controllers) in Device Manager in Windows.

- Enable APIC in your BIOS if available before installing XP.

HOWEVER...you have a lot of cards in there as it is. You may not be able to get everything on its own IRQ.

[Migra]

Does it really matter if my graphics card and soundcard are sharing Irq's?

Isnt APIC form intel? What exactly does it do?

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally posted by Migra
Does it really matter if my graphics card and soundcard are sharing Irq's?

Isnt APIC form intel? What exactly does it do?

https://www.speedguide.net/forums/ ... light=apic

[Jstyr]

I tried enabling APIC on my system but couldn't get Windows XP to load setup. Weird situation.

The new P4 rig auto enables APIC and it works fine.

[Brk]

Originally posted by Jstyr
I tried enabling APIC on my system but couldn't get Windows XP to load setup. Weird situation.

The new P4 rig auto enables APIC and it works fine.

It likely has something to do with chipset drivers. When you load the latest Intel drivers, it automatically configures your system...not sure if the EPoX board drivers do that...

[RAAF453_Shep]

Ello, finally a thread I can reply to !

ok, I have sound ,ethernet cd , video, and 2! chipset drivers all sharing the same IRQ PLUS SOME !!!...???

my rig doesnt run bad, but always wondered about that fact. Just didnt know to question it, UNTIL ...NOW ! muah aha hahaha !! ok...

11 - VIA Tech 3038 PCI to USB UHC
11 - VIA Tech 3038 PCI to USB UHC
11 - Realtek RTL8139/810X Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC
11 - Creative SB Live! series
11 - NVidia GeForce4 Ti4200
11 - ACPI IRQ Holder for PCI IRQ Steering
11 - ACPI IRQ Holder for PCI IRQ Steering
11 - ACPI IRQ Holder for PCI IRQ Steering


seems like an aweful lotta stuff goin on the same IRQ.

want a complete list ?
there are a few that only have a few on them, but didnt want to mees with it running, as it is....

but geezy whiskerz !

any help in this will be greatly appreciated...
and yes I Love StarTrek too !

[YeOldeStonecat]

Welcome to Speedguide RAAF...

To help you better, what motherboard make/model do you have?

And what OS? I'm going to guess Win2K because it loves ACPI IRQ 11.

Some rules of thumb...never put any devices in your top PCI slot...that "usually" will share an IRQ with your AGP video.

Network cards should go in PCI slot #2

Some motherboards will allow you to specify what IRQ a specific PCI slot will use...so you can put something like say a sound card in PCI slot #4, and have #4 assigned IRQ 9 for example if 9 is free.

Do you use that old parallel LPT port? If not...disable it in the BIOS....frees up IRQ 7. Those two old 9 pin serial COM ports 1 and 2? If not, disable them also...frees up IRQs 4 and 3 respectively.

I've noticed those tips don't work so well on Via chipsets though.

I prefer using APIC also.

[RAAF453_Shep]

well thank you , for the reply...

ok .. It's a FIC AN17 with the VIA Chipsets.

W98se , yes I want XP , but 98 will have to do till I am rich ! hahaha !!!

and yes , I can slip a slot or 2 on all my cards... NIC, Snd. the AGP Vcard will stay , since my hammer wont make it fit any other slots !

I have an old printer , so there goes one.... and a UPS to eat up one 9 pin .... and I run a USB joystick, so theres no gameport needed ?

thanks , want me to show all the IRQ 's ??

0 - System Timer
1 - Standard 101 keyboard
2 - Programmable interrupt controller
3 - Comm (COM2)
4 - Comm (COM1)
5 - Creative SB emulation
6 - Standard Floppy Disc Controller
7 - ECP Printer ( LPT1)
8 - System CMOS/real time clock
9 - SCI IRQ used by ACPI bus
10 - MPU-401 Compatible
11 - VIA Tech 3038 PCI to USB UHC
11 - VIA Tech 3038 PCI to USB UHC
11 - Realtek RTL8139/810X Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC
11 - Creative SB Live! series
11 - NVidia GeForce4 Ti4200
11 - ACPI IRQ Holder for PCI IRQ Steering
11 - ACPI IRQ Holder for PCI IRQ Steering
11 - ACPI IRQ Holder for PCI IRQ Steering
12 - Optical Mouse ****( the one I really use )****
13 - Numeric data processor
14 - Primary IDE controller ( dual fifo )
14 - VIA buss master PCI IDE controller
15 - Secondary IDE controller ( dual fifo )
15 - VIA Bus Master PCI IDE controller


now ... that is a list I dont completely understand.. but if you can help.. I'll try the card shuffle , and see if it helps. ( but I think the first slot is open .. to allow enough air around the V card fan.


thanks again ...

[YeOldeStonecat]

Ahh...98, 9X doesn't support APIC.

[RAAF453_Shep]

but it clearly shows the ACPI ... or what is the difference ? uses all the same letters ? ;o)....hehehe ... woof.

ok, so looks congested , eh wot ? got any ideas ?

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally posted by RAAF453_Shep
but it clearly shows the ACPI ... or what is the difference ? uses all the same letters ? ;o)....hehehe ... woof.

ok, so looks congested , eh wot ? got any ideas ?

ACPI it will show, it somewhat supports that. But APIC is only supported by NT OS's. (NT 4, 2K, XP)

ACPI does not equal APIC.

APIC is "Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller"...which supports from 24 ...up to 64 IRQ's. It came out in server motherboards years ago, in the early Pentium days. And remained with them, or high end workstation boards, because NT 4 was a server OS, and NT 4 workstation was pretty much only for corporate use. It wasn't for the home market because everyone had Win95, and eventually Win98, which doesn't support APIC. It's now fairly common in all motherboards for the home user, since 2K and XP are now the mainstream OS at home, and on new hardware.

ACPI is "Advanced Configuration and Power Interface". Basically all it was, was a new method of power management, you could have sleep mode, wake up, computer shuts down all the way by itself, etc. Nothing related to IRQ's really.