Abit IP35-E Review (500MHz FSB board)...$90 @ NewEgg + $6.61 ship

[SerpentRoyal]

Originally posted by: Blacklash
Think I am going to try it. It's all of 75usd with rebate @ Newegg. If I can get about 463 x 8 out of it with my Q6600 G-0 I'll be happy.

I'm tired of 250 dollar mobos with a bunch extras I don't use and that usually do average overclocking.

The hottest component on the IP35-E is the NB heat sink. A heat pipe cooler must also rely on cold air circulating around the fins to extract the heat. That's why I use the Big Typhoon with a down-firing 120 x 38 mm medium speed Panaflo to cool the NB and CPU. Maximum temperature is 44C (TC placed at the base of the IP35-E's NB heatsink with Orthos Large mode/78F ambient). Actual chip temperature is probably 50C.

MOSFET heat sink is only luke-warm. Abit software shows peak PWM temperature of 52C.

 

[bretto]

I just received my IP35-E and...it's dead. I tried everything to get it to post, different ram, different cpu, different vid card, different power supply, nothing. It powers up, but just won't post. I guess I'll have to RMA it. I've never had to RMA anything so I hope it goes smoothly. Any advice?

 

[Blacklash]

Originally posted by: SerpentRoyal

Originally posted by: Blacklash
Think I am going to try it. It's all of 75usd with rebate @ Newegg. If I can get about 463 x 8 out of it with my Q6600 G-0 I'll be happy.

I'm tired of 250 dollar mobos with a bunch extras I don't use and that usually do average overclocking.

The hottest component on the IP35-E is the NB heat sink. A heat pipe cooler must also rely on cold air circulating around the fins to extract the heat. That's why I use the Big Typhoon with a down-firing 120 x 38 mm medium speed Panaflo to cool the NB and CPU. Maximum temperature is 44C (TC placed at the base of the IP35-E's NB heatsink with Orthos Large mode/78F ambient). Actual chip temperature is probably 50C.

MOSFET heat sink is only luke-warm. Abit software shows peak PWM temperature of 52C.

Sounds good. I have Thermalright U-120 Extreme I've lapped along with my Q6600 G-0. I've got a couple of S-Flex F fans on it in a push pull configuration. All my system fans are controlled by a Sunbeam rheobus. I can crank them up to high speed if I wish and usually run them @ medium or even low. I do keep my CPU fans isolated on their own channel. Temps aren't an issue now and if I have to elevate to 1.5v or greater they easily could become problematic. I could rig a fan up and direct it at the NB if need be.

I am on 3.51GHz now @ 1.45v and would like to see 3.7.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Originally posted by: bretto
I just received my IP35-E and...it's dead. I tried everything to get it to post, different ram, different cpu, different vid card, different power supply, nothing. It powers up, but just won't post. I guess I'll have to RMA it. I've never had to RMA anything so I hope it goes smoothly. Any advice?

Reseat CPU. Remove the battery for one hour and set CMOS jumper to CLEAR position. Replace battery and hit power button. You should test the MB on the cardboard shipping box. You may have shorted the boad inside the case.

Which CPU/RAM/PSU combo? You must zero format the HDD before use if it contains old data. Many OCZ 2.0-2.2V sticks will be problematic. I personally avoid OCZ stuffs.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Originally posted by: Blacklash

Originally posted by: SerpentRoyal

Originally posted by: Blacklash
Think I am going to try it. It's all of 75usd with rebate @ Newegg. If I can get about 463 x 8 out of it with my Q6600 G-0 I'll be happy.

I'm tired of 250 dollar mobos with a bunch extras I don't use and that usually do average overclocking.

The hottest component on the IP35-E is the NB heat sink. A heat pipe cooler must also rely on cold air circulating around the fins to extract the heat. That's why I use the Big Typhoon with a down-firing 120 x 38 mm medium speed Panaflo to cool the NB and CPU. Maximum temperature is 44C (TC placed at the base of the IP35-E's NB heatsink with Orthos Large mode/78F ambient). Actual chip temperature is probably 50C.

MOSFET heat sink is only luke-warm. Abit software shows peak PWM temperature of 52C.

Sounds good. I have Thermalright U-120 Extreme I've lapped along with my Q6600 G-0. I've got a couple of S-Flex F fans on it in a push pull configuration. All my system fans are controlled by a Sunbeam rheobus. I can crank them up to high speed if I wish and usually run them @ medium or even low. I do keep my CPU fans isolated on their own channel. Temps aren't an issue now and if I have to elevate to 1.5v or greater they easily could become problematic. I could rig a fan up and direct it at the NB if need be.

I am on 3.51GHz now @ 1.45v and would like to see 3.7.

Quads will raise MOSFET temp to about 60C. I think you chip may hit 3.6GHz with 1.5Vcore on air. 3.7GHz is achievable with a water-cooled rig.

 

[Blacklash]

We will see.

I have one incoming from Mwave. I am using basic shipping so I expect it mid next week. I am wondering if it will arrive with the 11 BIOS and if not if I should try overclocking on whatever BIOS it arrives with anyway.

BIOS 11 @ the official site indicates they "Fixed the CPU multiplier adjusting function" with it so I guess I best make sure I am updated.

3.6 wouldn't be too bad. That's what I had with my E6600.

I'll post my results here when I'm up and running.

 

[T2k]

Originally posted by: SerpentRoyal
Hmmm...so much better? My IP35-E and IP35 Pro both topped out at 488MHz FSB with E6320.

Which proves NOTHING except your CPU has a limit of 488FSB.

Where is your data to support better overclocking? Heat pipe does not necessarily provide better cooling.

Not necessarily better than non-cooled regulators or passive heatsink on the chipset?

Yeah, sure, pal.

Search the net to find out how many people had to mod the stock Abit heat pipe for better cooling.

Better than what? I'm afraid you're not making sense...

So the extra $39 gets you RAID?

And BETTER cooling, better southbridge etc, yes.

BTW, another forum member managed to hit 500MHz FSB with an E6550/IP35-E.

http://www.navig8r.net/pics/e6550.jpg

Great. I didn't say IP35-E isn't a good borad - however I still can't understand why would anyone go with a board with almost zero cooling and no RAID, outdated southbridge etc when it's only $20-30 cheaper.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Heat pipe don't do squat unless there is adequate air flow in the case. The stock IP35-E NB runs cool (44C) with the Big Typhoon. Even with a quad, peak temp should not exceed 55C.

The SB on the IP35-E is the non-Raid SB version of the IP35. Why is that outdated? For those who don't RAID, spending an extra $40 is silly. The IP35-E is only $70 AR. Put up a link showing IP35 @ $90! BS walks.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Review pitting the Abit IP35-E against the high and mid-range P35 boards. IP35-E had no problem keeping up with the ASUS P5K Deluxe or the Gigabyte P35-DQ6. Again, no big surprise with all boards falling within a tight deviation of +/- 2%. This is the 3rd best overclocking board, 7MHz (2%) below P5K Deluxe and 3MHz (1%) below IP35 Pro.

Quote from article:
Testing and comparing these nine motherboards over the last month has been interesting, as they all performed much the same regardless of whether they were geared for performance or not. Things that are often hyped about, such as 8 or even 12-phase power designs, really failed to prove their worth when compared to boards featuring the most basic 4-phase designs. The improved cooling designs of the more high-end boards are impressive and very worthwhile upgrades. When it comes to buying a P35 motherboard we have found it more important to focus on features and price above everything else, particularly for the average user.

Bottomline, it boils down to features and price. You can't go wrong with this board if you don't use RAID. Strap a low speed 80mm Panaflo next to the Big Typhoon and this board will easily excel the cooling performance of the expensive boards. Additionally, your RAMs will also benefit with the additional air flow. Those requiring in 1394 shouldn't have problem locating a good 1394a card for less than $15. At $70 AR, Abit IP35-E remains the undisputed KING in value and performance.

http://www.techspot.com/articl...5-motherboard-roundup/

 

[Tyrant222]

Thanks for the link Serpent. Right now im torn between the ip35-e and GA-P35-DS3L.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Also note that the Abit has superior on-board fan control capable of monitoring 2-pin/3-pin/4-pin fans via the CPU and SYSTEM fan headers. Board runs cooler and is populated with 100% Japanese caps. It is also a better overclocking board with a more user-friendly BIOS.

 

[CP5670]

Comes will all Japanese capacitors and low-profile solid caps at the CPU power regulation circuit. The IP35-E uses the same PWM RT8802A IC as the top-of-the-line IP35 Pro. There was no buzzing or ringing from the board's power circuit during Orthos and S&M's test sessions. Blue board with blue southbridge, northbridge, and MOSFET passive heat sinks. RAM slots are color-coded (white/black) for dual channel operation. Plenty of clearance around CPU area, although I had to trim 1/4" from the Big Typhoon's top bracket to clear the northbridge heat sink.

Can you elaborate on this? I'm thinking of getting the non-pro IP35 and want to use my existing BT. From the Newegg pictures, it looks like the NB sink on the IP35 is smaller than the blue one on the E model, but I can't tell if it's small enough to clear the BT's alignment plate.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

I had the old style retaining bracket. Newer bracket as shown below should be okay. You will be fine with the IP35 since it has a smaller NB heat sink.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...mm+CPU+Cooler+-+Retail

 

[CP5670]

That's good to know, thanks. The bracket in that picture is the kind I have.

Also, does the Ballistix 2GB 800mhz pack boot at 1.8V on this board? I see several people using it in this thread and the Newegg comments indicate it does, but just making sure. It's a nice deal with the rebate going on right now.

 

[Upgr8er]

I hope that was a link to just show the bracket. . . I bought THIS model fan for use on my IP35-e and E4300:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?Item=N82E16835106080

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Ballistix DDR2 800 should boot okay after clearing CMOS. Avoid OCZ stuffs.

The newer BT adds a faster fan and a resistor circuit to alter the fan speed. I prefer the use of a medium speed 120 x 38 mm Panaflo over the stock BT fan. Set the Abit Fan EQ circuit to dynamically control the speed of the Panaflo as a function of CPU temperature.

You can also strap another low speed 80 mm Panaflo next to the 120 mm to cool the RAMs, NB, and SB.

1. Remove the four screws used to retain the 120mm fan to the BT.
2. Cut the screws so that you can attach the 120mm fan to the BT via the lower four mounting slots.
3. Lock-wire the 80mm fan to the 120mm fan using the two mounting slots on each fan.

 

[sprtfan]

The Abit IP35 E looks like a great value. I'm not going to need to build for a few months. The system is going to be an HTPC and does not need to be overly powerful. I do not think I will benifit from the new P38 boards once they come out and would be happy with the P35. My question is should I jump on the great value the IP35E offers or should I wait and see if the prices drop once the P38 boards hit the market? If $70 ar is probably going to be as good as it gets for the next 6 months I'd rather buy now.

 

[anervoustwitch]

so i just got a new ip35e installed, and the bios is really really slow. like if you can remember back how a 300 baud modem would fill the screen in chunks? same deal. i havent seen anyone else with this issue, so does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Blacklash]

I have two IDE DVD drives I've been running on one channel, do you think it would be worth it to get a Serial ATA to IDE Converter for each one and jack them into the SATA ports to avoid the Jmicron controller?

I only have two Hard disks so it would work.

EDIT: Nevermind. SATA DVD drives are as low as 30 dollars. I may just replace them.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Originally posted by: sprtfan
The Abit IP35 E looks like a great value. I'm not going to need to build for a few months. The system is going to be an HTPC and does not need to be overly powerful. I do not think I will benifit from the new P38 boards once they come out and would be happy with the P35. My question is should I jump on the great value the IP35E offers or should I wait and see if the prices drop once the P38 boards hit the market? If $70 ar is probably going to be as good as it gets for the next 6 months I'd rather buy now.

The Paypal $20 Promo may re-surface, bringing the cost back down to $55. List price was $125 two months ago. I doubt that Abit will unload these below cost ($60). The IB9 (P965) was a vastly inferior board and it only went down to about $55 AR.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Originally posted by: anervoustwitch
so i just got a new ip35e installed, and the bios is really really slow. like if you can remember back how a 300 baud modem would fill the screen in chunks? same deal. i havent seen anyone else with this issue, so does anyone have any ideas?

Do you have any other external device connected to the MB except for the mouse and keyboard? Did you try another new HDD cable?

Are you using a used HDD? Did you zero formatted this used HDD and clean installed Windows? Remove the battery for 1/2 hour and put the CMOS jumper in the CLEAR position. Restore battery/jumper and reboot PC. If problem persists, then you may have some 2.0-2.2V RAMs. Go into the BIOS and manually set Vdimm and timing per the mfr specs.

The double post will add about 14 seconds to cold boot time. Add another 20 to 30 seconds to boot into windows.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Originally posted by: Blacklash
I have two IDE DVD drives I've been running on one channel, do you think it would be worth it to get a Serial ATA to IDE Converter for each one and jack them into the SATA ports to avoid the Jmicron controller?

I only have two Hard disks so it would work.

EDIT: Nevermind. SATA DVD drives are as low as 30 dollars. I may just replace them.

Jmicron is on the PCI-E bus. I haven't seen any speed issue with my PATA drive or optical drive.

 

[Rumple]

Originally posted by: SerpentRoyal
Ballistix DDR2 800 should boot okay after clearing CMOS. Avoid OCZ stuffs.

Yup it boots up just fine. Thats exactly what i have in mine. However the voltage and timings are off and have to be adjusted manually. I couldnt be happier with this board. Very easy to set up. I havent overclocked anything yet as i just built it and got Vista x64 running properly FINALLY (except for my X-FI of course)

 

[dividedsky319]

I'm thinking of getting this mobo, and was wondering... are there pins on the mobo to hook up front USB and audio connections?

I'm getting a P150... there's 2 USB ports, and 2 audio ports (and a firewire, I know the mobo doesn't have that)

pic of connections

Thanks.

 

[anervoustwitch]

Originally posted by: SerpentRoyal

Originally posted by: anervoustwitch
so i just got a new ip35e installed, and the bios is really really slow. like if you can remember back how a 300 baud modem would fill the screen in chunks? same deal. i havent seen anyone else with this issue, so does anyone have any ideas?

Do you have any other external device connected to the MB except for the mouse and keyboard? Did you try another new HDD cable?

Are you using a used HDD? Did you zero formatted this used HDD and clean installed Windows? Remove the battery for 1/2 hour and put the CMOS jumper in the CLEAR position. Restore battery/jumper and reboot PC. If problem persists, then you may have some 2.0-2.2V RAMs. Go into the BIOS and manually set Vdimm and timing per the mfr specs.

The double post will add about 14 seconds to cold boot time. Add another 20 to 30 seconds to boot into windows.

to be clear, im not talking about the double post issue. the post screen will literally appear in chunks, and if i turn off the quick test the memory count will change in about 20mb chunks instead of counting smoothly up to 1gb. this is all before booting from any drive. as yet i have not got windows to boot/install completely.

the board wont even post with 2.0v ram installed, even after settings timings and voltage. currently it has one OCZ platinum rev2 800 installed. with all my usb devices plugged in the bios is oddly slow. if i unplug my usbhub it will return to normal. currently the only thing connected to the hub is a printer.

im also having trouble installing windows, i keep getting bluescreens in the installer (the text isntaller, pre reboot. so far ive had bad_pool and irq_not_less_or_equal for the USB device. im not using anything funky like a slipstreamed or otherwise edited disc, this is a msft install disk.