Windows 10: Matrox M9138-M9148 Massive flashing in SETTINGS menus

I have a test computer that recently updated to Win 10 Pro 2004 and immediately after my multi monitor displays started flashing in the SETTINGS menus to the point that they are unusable. I checked the Matrox site and I have the latest drivers they have posted. I have paused other computers with this same card to avoid any problems with them until this is resolved by Microsoft or Matrox.


Computer is a Dell Optiples 3010 with updated firmware and BIOS.

:)

 

Matrox Graphics Unveils Triple and Quad Monitor DisplayPort M-Series Graphics Cards

Matrox Graphics Inc., the leading manufacturer of specialized graphics solutions, today announced the availability of the Matrox M9138 and Matrox M9148 DisplayPort graphics cards. Expanding the M-Series product line, these new triple- and quad-monitor cards offer a remarkable 1 GB of memory, and with support for independent or stretched mode at resolutions up to 2560x1600 per output, users can drive business, industrial, and government applications on an exceptional multi-monitor platform.

"The first generation of Matrox DisplayPort graphics cards bring a tremendous amount of flexibility to today's DisplayPort users," says Samuel Recine, Director of Business Development, Matrox Graphics. "Not only can users choose any combination of pivoted, independent, or stretched displays, but also have the opportunity to combine two M9148 cards in a single system to drive up to eight DisplayPort or DVI monitors."







The Matrox M9138 and Matrox M9148 are low-profile graphics cards that make it easy to integrate into a wide variety of systems cards, and both offer optimal support for Windows Vista Aero (WDDM mode).

Matrox M9138 and M9148 Key Features

• Native PCIe x16 performance
• 1 GB of memory
• Drive three (M9138) or four (M9148) DisplayPort monitors at 2560x1600 per display
• Insert two M-Series cards into the same system to drive even more monitors
• Configure and manage program windows on multiple monitors with Matrox PowerDesk software
• Fanless design eliminates noise and increases product reliability

Availability and Pricing

The Matrox M9138 and M9148 graphics cards will be available in Q2/2009.

• M9138 PCIe x16 $395.00 USD
• M9148 PCIe x16 $629.00 USD

For more information on the Matrox M-Series, please visit this page.

 

Matrox M9148 Quad-Display, or ATI/AMD Eyefinity? (2D speed and quality needed!)

I need something that Just Works™ for a use case of staring for extended hours at text and 2D graphics on up to four displays. Highly legible words, crisp line drawings, system stability, and UI responsiveness are absolute requirements. Games will not be played on this system; however, it does need to handle all the Windows Aero eye candy for substantial multitasking (i.e. compositing of background windows).

I’m seriously considering the Matrox M9148 (part no. M9148-E1024LAF), or perhaps even its smaller sibling, the M9140. Alternatively, I’d consider something from the realm of AMD/ATI or nVidia. Unfortunately, I can’t find objective review/benchmarking information on the Matrox part for anything; and the reviews for the likes of ATI tend not to address 2D text-and-graphics image quality and stability in Eyefinity. I do note on paper, the specs on Southern Islands (or even Northern Islands) trounce the Matrox specs hands down.

First, as to the M9148. It’s purportedly popular in medical imaging, financial analysis, and graphics development. At circa $600 for the part, one might think that the M9148 had better live up to its promises; but I’m not willing to gamble $600 on that assumption. Extensive application of $SEARCH_ENGINE revealed only the following for objective-seeming information:

• 2 x Matrox M9188 Video Cards & 16 40" Monitors
  October 2010 forum discussion in which the OP had severe slowness problems driving 16 displays with two of the M9148’s big brother, the 8-display M9188 (a $2,000 part). Despite some very interesting posts, the thread eventually just drops off with neither definitive info nor a resolution. (N.b., the helpfulness of folks posting to this thread is why I decided to ask here.)
  
• http://www.amazon.de/review/RRPFMRL...IN=B002GWF4EW&nodeID=340843031&tag=&linkCode=
  February 2010 (updated March 2010) Amazon.de review of the M9148 itself (in German). Quite negative, with the reviewer updating a month later to report scrapping the cards sitewide in favor of Eyefinity.
  
• Multi monitor Freezing - eSignal Trading Forum - Discussion on eSignal Trading Platform, Trading Strategies and Tools
  March 2011 forum thread in which the OP attributed problems to the lower-end M9140, but eventually figured out the problem was CPU bottlenecking on a single-threaded app.

Spam sites abound; and Matrox itself refers to a “review” I shan’t link here, which simply drives traffic to a multi-monitor shopping site. Objectivity, please!

Regarding Eyefinity, most of the info I find focuses on gaming (as surely does AMD’s development cycle!). I haven’t found answers to the questions at the core of my use case:

• Does ATI put out crisp, clear text and line art you can stare at all day without your eyes bleeding? (I’m a typography nut, so legibility means something in my book.)
• Is the notorious mouse pointer issue (seen in many forum posts here at TPU) affirmatively resolved in the latest-generation cards and drivers?
• Is the Eyefinity software as flexible as Matrox’s software is reputed to be for, e.g., making application windows remember their monitor without add-on multi-mon software?
• Will an AMD card push a snappy UI on lots of screens with rock solid stability day in, year out? And which product is required to support this with a little bit of headroom? I doubt my use case requires an HD7990 (har!). On the other hand, it would be nice to play four separate 1080p movies at once, just for kicks…

And one more question which misses both the above categories:

• Would an entry-level “pro” card suit me better than anything I’ve considered? I have no experience with “pro” cards, and won’t exactly be running seventeen Photoshop windows plus a baker’s dozen AutoCADs.

Further info: Each display will probably run 1920x1080, because that’s what’s most broadly available and cost-effective (unfortunately). Whilst something saner like 2560x1600 or 1920x1200 would be nice, it’s cost-prohibitive in my scenario.

Objective advices grounded in real-world experience are duly appreciated.

 

Matrox G550 AGP driver setup/install fails in WIN10

I have amended the last driver version for my Matrox G550 (Vista version referred to above) after comparing against another Matrox one that was meant to be Win10 compatible (although as it included NTx86.6.2 within it, I assume it was more accurately Win8).

After a few edits I get the whole driver to 'load' (having suspended digital signature requirement via Troubleshooting restart), with the same files listed via Device Manager/driver details button as I see when installing the original driver Vista version
in Win7 (as listed above in my April 2nd post). However, when loading it times out eventually as the driver can't initialise and Device Manager lists a code 37, Failure to initialise. The Display entry has Matrox G550 listed rather than Basic Display Adaptor,
although it is actually still running the latter driver.

So, is there something missing in any of the files that the INF file loads or something in the INF file itself? Is it possible to find out?