🚀 go-pugleaf

I recently bought a new Diamond Stealth III S540 Xtreme graphics card (but
this applies to all other Savage 4) to go in a VIA MVP3 TMC AI5VG+
motherboard (but this applied to all other VIA MVP3).

What irritates me is that neither do exactly what is says on the box.  The
box and specs. say that both the motherboard and card support AGP 2x and
sidebanding on.  However to get the computer stable AGP 2x must definitely
be turned off and sidebanding being on does not help general stability.
Both manufactures have also recently released updates for compatibility
which force their products to run slower than their rated speed.  Diamond
released a BIOS update which cannot be undone (no original BIOS is included)
which forces sideband off WHATEVER other settings are used.  VIAs AGP gart
drivers later than version 3 disable AGP 2x automatically so it cannot be
forced back on.  It has taken me months of work and testing to come to these
conclusions.

I am not being overly picky to expect products to perform as they are
marketed, especially when they have been bought for premium prices from
three widely respected companies.  Surely there must be something that can
be done to stop this widely recognised basic dishonesty from major
companies?  I would try buying elsewhere, but these companies are supposed
to be some of the best and all companies seem to behave in the same way.

Please post/mail me your response to this and say what you think.  I'm not
being unreasonable to expect products to work as stated.

B.T.W. - if you disagree with this then please say which MVP3 or Savage4 you
use and how you found your info.