Latest XFree86 and NVIDIA 4xxx combo == sucks

[Budro]

UPDATE
Ok, very sorry to quickly blame the software but in my case it wound up being a hardware problem. I RMA'd my card back to Asus and was exchanged for a new card, popped it in and had not had a problem as of yet... Something must have blown out on the card. Of course, Asus tech said they found nothing wrong with my card, go figure.
END UPDATE

Please, Please I hope someone from NVidia would work with the XFree guys to work on this problem. I see similar symptoms in other forums and I don't think it is entirely NVIDIA fault.

I am really having a hard time with getting the latest versions of XFree and NVIDIA 4xxx drivers working without either X locking up in addition to having "artifacts" all over my display. It could be X but I have been to lazy to roll it back.

I am running the latest Gentoo 1.4 with "~x86" to get the latest and greatest goodies. My problems actually started since the beginning of July and have been fumbling with drivers and the latest Xfree since. i am running the gaming-sources and have tried disabling ACPI and numerous combinations.
EDIT: Yes I have tried with and without AGP compiled into the kernel. EDIT
X starts up sometimes ok and other times not but what is consistent is when I try to run Wolf Enemy Territory.. X hangs comsuming 100% CPU and I have to login remotely and reboot.

Xfree Log and kernel config can be found here:
www.coleonline.org/nvidia/

THE BELOW COMBINATION WORKS
# emerge -s Xfree

* x11-base/xfree
Latest version available: 4.3.0-r3
Latest version installed: 4.3.99.8

* x11-base/xfree-drm
Latest version available: 4.3.0-r6
Latest version installed: [ NotInstalled ]

# emerge -s glib
* dev-libs/glib
Latest version available: 2.2.2
Latest version installed: 2.2.2

* sys-libs/glibc
Latest version available: 2.3.2-r1
Latest version installed: 2.3.2-r1
Description: GNU libc6 (also called glibc2) C library

# emerge -s nvidia
* media-video/nvidia-glx
Latest version available: 1.0.4496
Latest version installed: 1.0.3123

* media-video/nvidia-kernel
Latest version available: 1.0.4496
Latest version installed: 1.0.3123-r2

#emerge -s gcc
* sys-devel/gcc
Latest version available: 3.2.3-r2
Latest version installed: 3.2.3-r1


NOTE: I do not overclock so that is not an issue.
Harware:
ASUS|V9280TD GF4 Ti4200 8X 128M
AMD|2500/333 ATHLON XP BARTON R
CORSAIR DDRAM 512MBTWINX512-2700
ASUS A7N8X DELUXE
Maxtor 80GIG 8MB cache

Everything on my system otherwise works except the NVIDIA 4xxx and up drivers,
if I roll back to the 3123 drivers ALL IS GOOD!! No X lockups, no "artifacts",
gaming is good!!!!

I have been very happy in the past with NVidia and there Linux drivers but the
current state is really getting me down.

Can anyone confirm that I am not the only one having these problems?!?!?!?


Thanks!!!

[JoeBogarde]

I have had the same problems with 4***.run packages. No x server, with the nvidia driver. It's been very very dissapointing. I emerged the nvidia-kernel and nvidia-glx through portage, edited my xf86config. no dice. It would be nice if the driver team would work with gentoo to fix this problem. Nvidia has been the only port in the storm for linux users, as far as I know. Pretty soon I'll be looking for a hardware manufacturer who is more linux friendly.

[Budro]

Shoot .... I forgot to update this post ....

I RMA'd my original card with Asus.... They sent me a new card .... I have been solid for an entire month now using the latest 4xxx nvidia drivers.

I have heard from a few folks over the past month of GeForce cards having "strange and unexpected" failures.

Do you have a windows installation around? Try boot into that and loading the latest nvidia detonator driver and see if that combo works. That's how I concluded that my problem was not entirely Linux related but hardware when XP stopped booting after loading the nvidia driver