f12 : abrt msg and ati display washout

[Skunk Worx]

Linux localhost.localdomain 2.6.31.6-166.fc12.x86_64 #1 SMP Wed Dec 9 
10:46:22 EST 2009 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Using the nomodeset kernel option I can see console messages and 
runlevel 3 is fine. But switching to runlevel 5 gives me a black screen 
and "Couldn't find valid PLL dividers" in the X.0.log.

Without the nomodeset kernel option runlevel 3 is fine and runlevel 5 
leaves the screen usable but washed out (no 3d effects I think).

This machine has an ATI card with the r480/x800 unsupported chipset.

Also I keep getting these ABRT messages but I don't have ECC memory, and 
there is no newer BIOS.

Maybe I should surrender and buy something more open? Maybe Intel cores, 
chipsets and graphics?

---
John

http://www.smolts.org/client/show/pub_2eb94c68-e819-4003-aa96-47783092c4ab

> EDAC amd64: WARNING: ECC is NOT currently enabled by the BIOS. Module will NOT be loaded.
>    Either Enable ECC in the BIOS, or use the 'ecc_enable_override' parameter.
>    Might be a BIOS bug, if BIOS says ECC is enabled
>    Use of the override can cause unknown side effects.
> amd64_edac: probe of 0000:00:18.2 failed with error -22
> ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [ALKC] enabled at IRQ 22
> VIA 82xx Audio 0000:00:11.5: PCI INT C -> Link[ALKC] -> GSI 22 (level, low) -> IRQ 22
> device-mapper: multipath: version 1.1.0 loaded
> EXT4-fs (sda3): internal journal on sda3:8
> EXT4-fs (sda1): barriers enabled
> kjournald2 starting: pid 637, dev sda1:8, commit interval 5 seconds
> EXT4-fs (sda1): internal journal on sda1:8
> EXT4-fs (sda1): delayed allocation enabled
> EXT4-fs: file extents enabled
> EXT4-fs: mballoc enabled
> EXT4-fs (sda1): mounted filesystem with ordered data mode
> Adding 2047992k swap on /dev/sda2.  Priority:-1 extents:1 across:2047992k
> powernow-k8: Found 1 AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4000+ processors (2 cpu cores) (version 2.20.00)
> [Firmware Bug]: powernow-k8: No compatible ACPI _PSS objects found.
> [Firmware Bug]: powernow-k8: Try again with latest BIOS.
> NET: Registered protocol family 10
> lo: Disabled Privacy Extensions
> ip6_tables: (C) 2000-2006 Netfilter Core Team
> eth0: link up, 100Mbps, full-duplex, lpa 0x45E1
> RPC: Registered udp transport module.
> RPC: Registered tcp transport module.