775Dual-VSTA... little help please

[StephenMSmith]

Hi there. I just pulled the plug on a 775Dual-VSTA & E6600 as a quick & easy upgrade to hold me over until I configure an all new box.

1) Can someone save me a lot of time and let me know if there are any known issues or problems w/the following devices?

2x1gb OCZ DDR 500 (OCZDDR5002048ELGE-K)
ATI X850XT PE
Sound Blaster Audigy ZS
Adaptec 29160 + 3 SCSI drives

I didn't do much research before ordering, but I've seen a few mentions of issues w/OCZ RAM and AudigyZS cards, and I've never seen any mention of SCSI components. Are there any potential issues w/these components in current 775Dual-VSTA's (ie. latest BIOS)?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[GODDEH]

Mine is running:

e6300
2x512mb PC2700 (noob value ram)
Radeon 9800non-pro 128mb AGP
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS <--- Working fine (Just disable the onboard sound from the BIOS)
--------------------------------------------
Asrock site lists

ATI Radeon X850XT Gecube Radeon X850XT 256MB

Nobody has confirmed how the Asrock video card list works - http://www.asrock.com/mb/vga.asp?Model=775Dual-VSTA&s=775
Will only GeCube versions work? or all X850XT's? - I've emailed Asrock but they dont answer

 

[jshupp872]

Mine is running:

e6600 2.4 @ 2.7 (with 300 FSB)
2x1 Gb Patriot DDRII @ 1:1 ratio
ATI x850xt 256MB AGP <- runs just fine on this board, never had any issues
Soundblaster x-fi <- disabled onboard sound
Pinnacle Firewire add-in card

No idea about the SCSI, but I am guessing you should be fine.

 

[StephenMSmith]

I'm definintely confused about how RAM factors into the overclocking equation for this particular mb and it's BIOS options due to DDR1 vs DDR2.

right now, I am running a 2.4C P4 at 3.3ghz using a 275mhz FSB with a 5/4 mem divider (= DDR1 @ 220mhz). I can't figure out based on what I've read so far how that translates (if it does at all) for the Dual775-VSTA?

 

[Conky]

Originally posted by: StephenMSmith
I'm definintely confused about how RAM factors into the overclocking equation for this particular mb and it's BIOS options due to DDR1 vs DDR2.

right now, I am running a 2.4C P4 at 3.3ghz using a 275mhz FSB with a 5/4 mem divider (= DDR1 @ 220mhz). I can't figure out based on what I've read so far how that translates (if it does at all) for the Dual775-VSTA?

The biggest issue as far as RAM and that motherboard is whether or not the RAM will even work... the voltage options for the RAM are very limited and are 1.9v for DDR2 at standard and high is 2.0 if I recall correctly(refer to the large Dual775-VSTA thread for exact numbers). If you have RAM that requires 2.3v you may have problems.

And forget about overclocking with the Dual775-VSTA. You will be lucky to get a 10% overclock on that board. I was briefly able to get my, now proven at 3.2Ghz on a DS3, E6400 up to 300FSB and a resulting 2.4Ghz for a short while with DDR. Moving to DDR2 seemed to reduce my overclock range to 290FSB or so and I simply gave up because it was not worth the time for such a miniscule overclock and sitting through a million reboots trying to get a few more FSB. YMMV but I seriously doubt it.

 

[StephenMSmith]

Yeah, I'm not expecting all that much in the overclocking area (no cpu voltage in bios). I'll save that for my permanent C2D board and DDR2 RAM, whenever I get them. But like any red-blooded American, I'm always looking for something for free!

I'll be using DDR1 RAM w/this board though, not DDR2. That's where I get confused. What are the voltage and divider options for DDR1 RAM in the Dual775-VSTA BIOS? If I understand correctly what I've read, there are just low/normal/high for DDR1 voltage, and then no specific divider option but instead a choice of DDR333, DDR400, etc? eg. how were you able to get up to 300mhz FSB on this board w/your DDR1 RAM? Surely, that wasn't w/a 1:1 ratio?

 

[jshupp872]

I am running at 300 Mhz, with my ration at 1:1. This was done automatically. I leave all the memory options set to auto, and bump the FSB (processor) to 300. But, that is with 667 DDRII memory. When I had DDR 333 memory, it was a different ratio. something like 5:4 or something. You can run CPUz and it will let you know what ratio and speed your memory is running at.

 

[StephenMSmith]

Originally posted by: jshupp872
I am running at 300 Mhz, with my ration at 1:1. This was done automatically. I leave all the memory options set to auto, and bump the FSB (processor) to 300. But, that is with 667 DDRII memory. When I had DDR 333 memory, it was a different ratio. something like 5:4 or something. You can run CPUz and it will let you know what ratio and speed your memory is running at.

Well that's my question -- if you have DDR1 memory on this board, can you pick the specific ratio (5/4, 3/2, etc). Or do you pick from some various DDR memory types and then the 775Dual-VSTA gives you a ratio, and then you go figure out exactly what ratio is is using CPUz. I'll actually have the board myself in a couple days, so I'm basically asking all the questions I should've asked before buying it while I'm waiting. lol.

One question I never asked and really hope I am correct in assuming -- will a 2.4ghz E6600 C2D running completely at stock (no overclocking at all) still be noticeably faster than my trusty old 2.4C running happily at 3.3ghz???

 

[jshupp872]

To my knowledge you cannot pick a ratio, only the memory settings as far as if you want it to run ddr266, ddr 333, or ddr 400 (or ddr2 533 or ddr2 667). Then, based on your FSB, the ratio needed will be set by the bios, which you can then check with CPUz.

As for the comparison to your Barton, I think you will notice a decent boost in speed, even with stock speeds. But that is my opinion, I went from a P4 @ 2.66 to an e6600 at 2.7, so it was quite noticable for me.

 

[StephenMSmith]

So then you don't any control over memory overclocking b/c the BIOS selects whatever divider it can to keep your DDR speed running at whatever your selected (DDR333, DDR400, etc)?

ie. if I were to use the same 275 FSB speed I do right now, then the BIOS would select the 3/2 divider and run my memory at 366mhz rather than the 250mhz it's capable of when I manually select the 5/4 divider in my current mb?