Abit AT7 & IT7 owners, can you offer commentary?

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

codehack2

Golden Member
Oct 11, 1999
1,325
0
76
Looks like I got a bad board...
Dear Customer,

Please test teh system with a different power supply. If the problem remains, then please contact our RMA department at 510-623-0500 for warranty service.

Thank you.

Regards


ABIT FAE

I also got this reply on the HardForums...Linky...

RMA Time...
 

SolrFlare24

Member
Feb 13, 2002
95
0
0
Man...sorry to hear that CH2....but then again at the same time it makes me breathe a sigh of relief since mine arrives Wednesday. oh well...thats what RMAs are for
 

codehack2

Golden Member
Oct 11, 1999
1,325
0
76
sigh..New board might make it to me by friday... Newegg is doing a cross ship, so atleast I won't have any downtime. Good thing, as GTA3 is out tomorrow..woohoo!

Good luck guys & post your results!
 

Kartman

Member
Nov 26, 2001
92
0
0
Well, I'm glad you didn't go and get another memory module--that would have bit doggy beans. But, lets hope the replacement is good and works. I'm getting a little anxious regarding the number of people that have mounted a P4 1.6a on this board and OCed it to 2.3GHz and beyond. This reminds me of the days of the P2 300/350 cpus that could easily be taken to 550MHz. Maybe when the new system is built I can torture my current system (P2-400) and see what happens!?!

Now, I must investigate what RAM to use. I had planned on using PC3200, which is not cheap, but some have done really well with 2700, which is cheaper. Still, I know PCxxxx does not in itself mean anything, but finding a good memory manufacturer can make all the difference. Suggestions?
 

Nilonym

Member
May 12, 2002
59
0
0
Okay, some preliminary results:

First the good. No voltage problems. All three boards running at 2.5 steady. So codehack, RMA that sucker.

Popped in 1.6a, went to 133FSB. No sweat. Kept the mem ratio at 1:1, and just went for it and pumped to 150FSB. Not a hiccup. Pushed mem to 4:3, no POST. Okay, give it a little voltage. POST, but not stable in windows. Finally changed the mem timings from 2.0 CAS to 2.5, brought the voltage back to 2.5, and now I am rock steady with 150FSB and 4:3 mem, for a 2.4GHz CPU and 400MHz memory. Wow. Temperatures started in the low 40s at retail speed (which seemed a bit high), but max out around 47 oc'd.

I should qualify all this by saying "rock solid, for the three hours I have been testing it".

Now the bad.

1) One board had a DOA NIC. It showed the physical address as FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF, so I think there is nothing to be done there. Back it goes.

2) Even though the Intel south bridge supports USB 2.0, there are currently no drivers for it, so XP sees the controller as an unknown device. This is just for the Intel controller - the extra onboard VIA controller comes with drivers and works fine.

That's it for now...more info as I have it.

Nilonym
 

Kartman

Member
Nov 26, 2001
92
0
0
Nilonym,

Are you talking about the AT7 or the IT7? I was not aware that the IT7 had any Via components. Please enlighten! I would think it would be terrible for any manufacturer to 'advertise' a feature on a product that they cannot provide adequate drivers for with current (not necessarily future) operating systems.

If my motherboard IS available for pickup today, I will beat one of the locals for a P4/1.6a and give it a whirl. BTW, the memory question response is interesting. On another forum, a poll was posted and it would seem that many people found many memory suppliers to be adequate for providing memory for overclocking purposes. In fact, of the posted comments to the poll, not one person actually complained about 'staying away from ...', which is in itself strangely surprising.

Nilonym, what make/model memory did you use in your experiment?
 

Bingo13

Golden Member
Jan 30, 2000
1,269
0
0
My current IT7 results-

2.4b at 2.7, Corsair XMS3000 at DDR400, cas2.5 with enhanced DRAM performance option checked (beta bios), no issues after 12 hours of various benchmarks.

2.4b will do 2.97 but I have to run my memory at 1:1. I get a little better game benchmarks with this setup but I have not completed the benchmark testing yet.

Nilonym,

Download these files for full Intel USB 2.0 support-
Inf File Update

USB 2.0 drivers

Via USB Drivers are here or at Windows Update-
Via2.24
 

codehack2

Golden Member
Oct 11, 1999
1,325
0
76
Kartman,

Abit uses an additional VIA USB 2.0 Host Chip to provide 4 additional USB 2.0 Ports. If you look at the board, the top 4 USB ports are off of the MCH4, and the bottom 2, under the LAN port, and additional 2 provided by the breakout bracket, are covered by the VIA controller.

CH2
 

Nilonym

Member
May 12, 2002
59
0
0
SolrFlare24, thanks for the link - that cleared it right up. Now every device is recognized and running perfectly.

Both 1.6a systems still stable at 2.4@150FSB. I have them ram clock at 4:3, for DDR400 (2x200). I am using "true" Samsung DDR333 (PC2700) Ram, and it seems to handle the the 400MHz speed with aplomb, provided I set the timings to something less aggressive than the mobo default. Specifically, 2.5-6 vs. 2-5.

Nilonym
 

codehack2

Golden Member
Oct 11, 1999
1,325
0
76
DDR400 (2x200)

Bloody Hell... nice OC. What are your Sandra Memory #'s? This should put you well above the rambus 1066 mark.

BTW.. the new board will be here on Friday... thanks for the help guys.
CH2
 

Nilonym

Member
May 12, 2002
59
0
0
I should also mention that these numbers are all at default voltage with retail HSF.

In fact, I am starting to mistrust my temp readings in the bios. At 1.6MHz core temp was about 39, and at 2.4 it's about 43. Now I know this is relatively "idle", since I have to read it in the bios and therefore it won't be running anything intense, but an increase of only 4 degrees C seems suspiciously low to me. This is an 800MHz overclock, which alone is almost triple the speed of the CPU I'm replacing!

I probably need a good way to read that temp from XP. Any suggestions on how I do that?

Nilonym
 

Bingo13

Golden Member
Jan 30, 2000
1,269
0
0
Nilonym,

Your temps are reading okay. My 2.4b and 2.53 read 41c with the retail setup. The 2.4b at 2.97 reads 44c at idle on this board.
 

ForUmuse

Member
Jan 22, 2002
26
0
0
Nilonym, nice job! BTW, where did you get the ram from (reseller, part no. price, etc.). CH2, thanks, I now see what you are talking about regarding the VIA chip on this board. I just picked this board up on my way into work. Sweet [jesus], this is going to be a lot of fun!

BTW, you folks do know that while at work I am ForUmuse and when at home I am Kartman, right? I can never seem to remember my work passwords, and trying to remember passwords at work for things I'm not suppose to be doing ... heehee
 

Nilonym

Member
May 12, 2002
59
0
0
Kartman, didn't know about the dual identity. Good thing you came clean, too, 'cause I was about to start badmouthing that ForUmuse guy...

I am using the Samsung PC2700 512MB part from newegg. It is supposedly "true" Samsung, meaning that both the chip and the package are Samsung, whereas the googlegear part is a Samsung chip in an OEM package.

It can certainly take the punishment. Btw, I have been mistakenly stating 4:3 for my dram ratio, when it is actually 3:4, i.e. my dram runs faster than my fsb.

More tinkering tonight, more detailed results to follow. My god this is fun. Who would have thought that I would become such an Intel fan?

Nilonym
 

SolrFlare24

Member
Feb 13, 2002
95
0
0
Heheh...my IT7 and parts arrive tommorrow and the fun will begin for me. My system should be pretty much on par with Nilonym as I'll be running with the 1.6a, 512mb of the *true* Samsung pc 2700 from newegg...but being the overcautious guy I am(yeah I know you can't fry the p4s but I'm still paranoid from the olden days) I'm slapping an AVC Sunflower on the chip...should give it just a tiny touch better cooling than retail.

Coupled with my GF4 ti4600 I'm itching to see my 3dmark2001se scores My current system is a PIII 1ghz....nothing like more than doubling the ghz
 

Kartman

Member
Nov 26, 2001
92
0
0
Nilonym, no problem--go ahead and bad mouth me. That's what the wife does!

Anyways, thanks for letting me know. I was about to buy Corsair PC3200 (512MB), but if the PC2700 will get me to, say, 2.3-2.4 GHz area using a P4 1.6A then who am I to argue? I'll place the order tomorrow with NewEgg.com. I was a little disappointed when I learned the Gainward GeForce4 Ti4200 64MB card was sold out. Not looking for a hotrod video card, and this one was plenty enough for my applications. What video cards are you folks using on your IT7 configurations?

Also, you folks have any comments on Centex cases? I usually use Enlight, but I'm now willing to experiment some.
 

Nilonym

Member
May 12, 2002
59
0
0
I have the OEM Radeon 8500LE, w/128 MB RAM. I also do not consider myself in the market for a "hot rod" video card, but I do want something with good 3d. The Radeon 8500 series has, imo, better image quality than the NVidia cards, although it is not as fast.

If you opt for a radeon, I would do it differently than I did. The full retail card @275MHz is not worth the $100 extra over the LE @250, but definitely go with the ATI manufactured card. The OEM version is about the same price, but has 128Mb ram, but it is not as good of a deal, imo, because the oem versions use slower (5ns) ram chips than the ati cards (3.3-3.6ns). And of course what this means is that it is not nearly as, um, "tweakable"...

As for cases, I am an Antec fan. I am pushing my system with an Antec TRUE330 PSU, which comes with the Perfomance Plus 630 case I bought.

Can't wait to hear about your experiences with the IT7. It truly is a spectacular board.

Nilonym
 

Kartman

Member
Nov 26, 2001
92
0
0
Well, this is getting difficult to put anything together. First, the video card I wanted ran out of stock yesterday when I was about to place an order, and now the Samsung 2700 CL2.5 DDR memory is out with no ETA. Maybe I should just wait until next week to place an order? I noticed that NewEgg wants 24-48 hours to 'process' an order, so even with overnight shipping I'd probably not get anything until Monday anyways.

My wife says I have no patience, but she fails to realize the coincidence that I am forced to wait for everything in life.

Anyone know where else on the Internet I could order Samsung PC2700 CL2.5 memory? BTW, not haven ever overclocked anything in my life, and never done any deep/real research on the matter, should I be looking for CL 2.0 or 2.5 memory? Going by what Nilonym is using, I should be looking for CL 2.5. Are there and DDR FAQs on the net you guys are familiar with?
 

Nilonym

Member
May 12, 2002
59
0
0
Kartman,

My experience (admittedly limited compared to most who hang out here) is that memory rated for 2.0 above PC2100 (DDR266) is both rare and pricey compared to 2.5. I have also seen some SiSoft Sandra scores that clearly show that while the CAS speed may be a prime differentiator at 266 speeds, it has increasingly little impact as your raw bandwidth increases.

Specifically, a very small increase in bandwidth will more than compensate for the difference between 2.5 and 2.0, so given that you are going to overclock anyway, you are very likely to eventually run your ram at 2.0 in your desire to push it to higher fsb speeds. The CAS, like almost everything else, is a rating, rather than a protocol, and that rating applies to the native speed of the ram. So if you buy ram that is rated for 2.0 at 333MHz, and want to run your memory at 400MHz, all bets are off anyway.

For the record, my memory is rated for 2.5 at 333MHz, but runs just fine at 2.0 at 333MHz. But of course, I want to run my memory at 400MHz, and no way is it going to do 2.0 at that speed, rating or no, so it really doesn't matter at all in my setup that it can do 2.0 at 333.

Hope this helps. As always, if any of you hot shots see something in error here, pound it out of me publicly and mercilessly!

Nilonym
 

Kartman

Member
Nov 26, 2001
92
0
0
All I know is that trying to determine the class of memory that one is wise to get for the intended purpose continues to escape me. I know I need RRD SDRAM as that is clearly stated on the motherboard. But, if I intend to buy a P4 1.6a and attempt to drive it at 2.3-2.4 GHz I clearly will not want some run of the mill components in the case, which typically rules out generic memory. Adding the dynamic of CAS only serves to confuse those 'in a hurry' and new to the CAS game, like myself. Thus, those like myself clearly rely on observations other have had success with, such as yourself.

I could not care less if the memory said Pokemon on the side (really), but I do care if the Pokemon memory I stick in the case is capable of supporting my efforts to drive a 1.6a P4 to 2.4 GHz. I know all bets are off when overclocking, but the last thing I want is a non-CPU component in the case to be hindering my efforts.

Thus, I hope someone could suggest other memory makers for my memory needs, the resellers of those suggestions, and the specific specifications therein. I do appreciate your reply in attempt to help educate, but I'm still a little confused.

If someone had to look at the currently available supply of memory on NewEgg's website, what do you think someone would suggest as for a memory selection given my intended activities? Should I simply wait, or is there a good substitute? <--this question is for anyone with experience in ICing to answer at leisure.
 

Nilonym

Member
May 12, 2002
59
0
0
If you are not dead-set on a single 512, you could always get two of the Samsung 256 PC2700 sticks for the same price. It is identical to the 512 part except that it is single sided. Drawback being, of course, that it is somewhat less upgradeable, but that's only going to become an issue if you ever decide to put more than about 1.5GB in your machine.

The other option, for about $30 more, but available now, is the Corsair 512 PC2700 part, which also has a CAS of 2.0, so, in theory at least, it is slightly higher performance than the Samsung. Corsair gets pretty favorable reviews for oc'ing.

Nilonym
 

oldfart

Lifer
Dec 2, 1999
10,207
0
0
For you guys looking for good Samsung PC2700 512M. I have built two 1.6A @ 2.4 GHz DDR400 with EPOX 4BDA2+ boards. One has a Samsung original stick from Newegg. The other has an OEM stick from Dallasmemory. Both work just as well as the other. Both do DDR400 Cas 2.5, @ 2.6 V (2.6 is default on the Epox). If you cant find the Samsung original, try the Dallasmemory stuff. Worked well for me.
 

mazsuper

Junior Member
May 24, 2002
2
0
0
hi there
got my abit it7 this week and have been playing around a bit well what can i say i come from a p3 450 slot1 be6-11 and i am well pleased with it. i matched the board with a p4 1.6a northwood and corsair xms2700 memory and a coolermaster fujyama copper heatsink and fan. i tried using the settings from a uk hardware site and couldt get it to be stable enough after my sort of testing ...so i ran the bus/memory at 166/166 and fixed the pci and agp and its been running two days and nights, without a crash and am able to run at 2.6ghz i am well happy considering a 2.6ghz chip alone would have cost me what this upgrade cost me. inc of cpu,mobo,ram,kb,fan,cfan

cya




 
sale-70-410-exam    | Exam-200-125-pdf    | we-sale-70-410-exam    | hot-sale-70-410-exam    | Latest-exam-700-603-Dumps    | Dumps-98-363-exams-date    | Certs-200-125-date    | Dumps-300-075-exams-date    | hot-sale-book-C8010-726-book    | Hot-Sale-200-310-Exam    | Exam-Description-200-310-dumps?    | hot-sale-book-200-125-book    | Latest-Updated-300-209-Exam    | Dumps-210-260-exams-date    | Download-200-125-Exam-PDF    | Exam-Description-300-101-dumps    | Certs-300-101-date    | Hot-Sale-300-075-Exam    | Latest-exam-200-125-Dumps    | Exam-Description-200-125-dumps    | Latest-Updated-300-075-Exam    | hot-sale-book-210-260-book    | Dumps-200-901-exams-date    | Certs-200-901-date    | Latest-exam-1Z0-062-Dumps    | Hot-Sale-1Z0-062-Exam    | Certs-CSSLP-date    | 100%-Pass-70-383-Exams    | Latest-JN0-360-real-exam-questions    | 100%-Pass-4A0-100-Real-Exam-Questions    | Dumps-300-135-exams-date    | Passed-200-105-Tech-Exams    | Latest-Updated-200-310-Exam    | Download-300-070-Exam-PDF    | Hot-Sale-JN0-360-Exam    | 100%-Pass-JN0-360-Exams    | 100%-Pass-JN0-360-Real-Exam-Questions    | Dumps-JN0-360-exams-date    | Exam-Description-1Z0-876-dumps    | Latest-exam-1Z0-876-Dumps    | Dumps-HPE0-Y53-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-HPE0-Y53-Exam    | 100%-Pass-HPE0-Y53-Real-Exam-Questions    | Pass-4A0-100-Exam    | Latest-4A0-100-Questions    | Dumps-98-365-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-98-365-Exam    | 100%-Pass-VCS-254-Exams    | 2017-Latest-VCS-273-Exam    | Dumps-200-355-exams-date    | 2017-Latest-300-320-Exam    | Pass-300-101-Exam    | 100%-Pass-300-115-Exams    |
http://www.portvapes.co.uk/    | http://www.portvapes.co.uk/    |