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

[mrgrey1970]

Originally posted by: hokiealumnus

Originally posted by: mrgrey1970
Thanks for that Serpentroyal. I can`t run Memtest as it has to go on a floppy (?) and my system does not have one. Is there another way to test the memory? The ram is currently running at 429Mhz. Geil recommend that I use 2.1v with this ram?

Are my core and PWM temps ok and what would you reckon they are safe up to as I`d like to see how far I can push my e6550? And what is the PWM?

Sorry for so many questions

You can actually burn Memtest to a CD and run it from there, just set your optical drive as the first boot device.

PWM temps look fine. For core temps, you can use Speedfan but make sure you're using the latest beta of version 4.34. If you're using 4.33, it will under-report your core temperatures by 15c. You can either offset them in 4.33 +15 or you can get the beta, which correctly identifies the stepping of your CPU.

You can also try CoreTemp to see your core temperatures but nothing else. I use Speedfan b/c it reads all the other ones plus controls my fans. When testing for stability at high overclocks, I have them both running because I'm paranoid like that.

I didn`t realise that it could be burned to cd...thanks, will download now.

I run coretemp and speedfan, which I have recalibrated as it did report wrong temps (-15c)

Does PWM refer to the Northbridge? And which one is it on the board? Closest to the rear? I`m thinking of placing a fan over it.

 

[hokiealumnus]

PWM = a sensor mounted to the MB in the mosfet's general area. It's basically the power portion of your motherboard. There is no NB sensor on this board. The PWM sensor is under the heatsink to the left of your CPU. Since your CPU has a 7x multiplier, you will need to run higher FSBs to obtain high overclocks. In your case, active NB cooling may be a good idea. With PWM temps <50, a fan there should be unnecessary.

 

[mrgrey1970]

I`ve just run memtest test #5 for 50 cycles and it passed with flying colours

The CPU is running at 7x429Mhz at the moment under full load, giving me just over 3 Ghz.
I got the e6550 rather cheap from ebay as the seller had bought it not realising he needed a 1333 Mhz fsb board, so it was unused. It cost me a paltry £63 and at the speeds I can get out of it at the moment it was quite a bargain.

How much real-world difference would it make to overclock the memory any more?

 

[hokiealumnus]

It's a big debate about tighter timings vs. higher speed. The only real way to find out is by benchmarking (I use SiSoft Sanrda).

For instance, I can't run at exactly 400MHz (DDR2-800) with this overclock (300FSB) b/c of the ratio choices, but I did bench 375MHz (1:1.25 for DDR2-750) @ 4-4-4-15-2T vs what's in my sig of 450MHz (1:1.5 for DDR2-900) @ 5-5-4-15-2T. The higher speed was faster.

As far as real world, I don't know because I stuck with the faster benchmark. No idea if it makes a noticeable difference or not.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Originally posted by: Casey712
Nice review and in spite of the terrible tech support for an unsolved problem on my IP35-Pro, I like it. Its my first build and, as my instructor says, its been a "troubleshooting opportunity" for me. I've learned a lot.

My system seems to stutter and hesitate at times - I notice it when I'm moving the mouse across the desktop, and most frustratingly, when I'm trying to play music on my 5.1 Klipsch speakers. The audio freeze seems to be worse when I am doing something else, like starting another program.

My system:

IP35-Pro
2G DDR2 (1GBx2) Corsair PC-6400
(Had Crucial size config orginally, but tried Corsair - no difference)
Intel Core2 Duo E6600 2.4GHz
Sondigo Inferno Sound Card

I have checked for hardware conflicts, checked my case for errant hardware, tried another pci slot for my sound card, tried the onboard sound, updated all drivers, flashed the BIOS, tried two different makes of memory, tried my speaker system on another computer.

Nothing works. Could it be a bad PCI bus? Is there anything else I can try before I send my motherboard back? I'm really trying to avoid that as ABIT has abysmal (actually non-existent) tech support.

Thanks

My question to Asus goes unanswered...since June 2007.

Did you reflashed to 11 BIOS using the "WB" switch? Which audio software are you using? Which mouse (type and model number)? Which OS? Have you retested in SAFE MODE?

Best strategy is to remove the PCI sound card and test with onboard audio. It would be best if you could re-test by zero filling another HDD and clean install windows. DO NOT install any update. Load only the Intel chipset, sound, and LAN drivers. Run CPU and RAMs at stock speed. Run Memtest86 test #5 for 50 loops to check RAMs. Go back to windows and check for audio issue. If you encounter problem at this stage, then RMA the board.

 

[mlhm5]

SerpentRoyal - thanks for the best thread on the internet on P35 MBs - the Roy Hobbs of MB threads.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Hokiealumnus and others have also been fastastic with their contributions. Teamwork = Success. Welcome to the community!

 

[hokiealumnus]

Thanks Serpent. Just trying to give back as good as I got. You and all the other folks at the abit forums are a great group and I'm proud to be able to help!

 

[hokiealumnus]

Good morning folks! I was doing a little reading this morning and came across an excellent explanation of C2D & C2Q thermal designs. Previously, I have been referring temperature questions to the Tom's Hardware C2D & C2Q Temperature Guide. That's still a great guide and certainly worth the read. However, if you're looking for a slightly more technical post with a bit more detail, check out the OCForums' Intel C2D/Q/X Thermal Designs Explained post.

 

[timtodd]

Decided to build my system using the Arctic Cooler (since I ordered this before I knew it needed to be modded and that BT was recommended).

Abit IP35-e,
e2160 1.8 Ghz Dual Core,
2x1GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2 800 (2.2v),
Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP MidTower Case allows for 7 fans,
Zumax 650W (Originally Thermaltake Purepower 500W PS, now Zumax 650w, and will be looking for something else),
XFX 8800 GTX,
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro,
Westinghouse 24" 1920x1200,
WD 160GB 7200RPM SATA,
Samsung DVD Burner.

VCore = 1.465
CPU = 360FSB*9 = 3.2 Ghz
Memory (4-4-4-12-2t) = 360*1.2*2 @ 1.9v = DDR2 864

Memtest86 #5 test = Passed
Orthos in Large mode for 52 minutes = Passed

Orthos failed at 380FSB (3420). Temps seem fine. Any suggestions on what I might try to get this stable at 380FSB?

Running Bios 11.

Notes on system and assembly:

Using Vista to take advantage of DX10. May go with a dual/triple boot system.

e2160 = L2 stepping.

Bootable USB = Much time spent getting it to boot (512MB usb). HP Format utility did not work for me. Ended up using shareware program called All Image 1.2.3. Boots up fine with the IP35-e, but still have not been able to flash to BIOS 12 from it.

Tried this: AWDFLASH.EXE %1 /py /sn /wb /cd /cp /cc
Tried this: AWDFLASH.EXE m630a_12.bin /py /sn /wb /cd /cp /cc
Will try: AWDFLASH.EXE c:\m630a12\m630a_12.bin /py /sn /wb /cd /cp /cc
c:\ (location of usb when it boots).

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro = Easy modification, 2 bottom fins are easily bent into position, and fan adjusted slightly off base.

Thermaltake Purepower 500W PS = Only 1 PCI-E (8800 GTX needs 2). Didn't work for my 8800GTX.

Zumax 650W (Only available local I could find) = 2 PCI-E, but only 1 SATA power cable, with 2 connections. I had to mount the HD in a 5.25 bracket under the DVD/CD burner. Will be looking for a different PS.

2x1GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2 800 = No problems.

Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP = The ATX12v connector (by CPU) is a long distance from power supply (located at the bottom of case). The ATX12v cable runs straight from the PS over the PCI and PCI-e to the connector. Nice mounting location for fan pointing straight at the cpu/NB area. Using a 120mm Panaflo fan here.

Speedfan = beta 1.34 didn't work with vista. 1.33 worked fine.
Will Coretemp display my cores correctly under BIOS 11?

With the system OC'ed to 3.2Ghz, the CPU @ idle is 22C. After 50 min of Large Orthos it was @ 53C. Core Temps were close to 53C (is this accurate, or were the cores actually 68?).

Problem with BioShock sound after intro. (Updated Realtek drivers did not fix). I may need to switch to XP compatibility mode and DirectX 9 mode. This is a Bioshock problem with Vista and Realtek drivers.

Company of Heroes (Came free with GFX card) worked great @ 1920 x 1200 max settings (including ultra).

Lost Planet (Came free with GFX card) would not register in my optical drive (probably a bad DVD) so I could not install it.

 

[hokiealumnus]

Congrats on the build...and nice overclock! When you get done, post in the E2xxx & E4xxx overclock thread.

To get stable at a higher FSB, you may need to add some more Vcore. Do this at your own risk of course. Since you're getting close to the 400MHz mark, your NB (MCH) may need a slight bump in voltage as well.

Make sure you're using the 1:1 memory divider to keep from overclocking that for the time being; or at least as close to 400MHz (DDR2-800) as you can get. RAM can be overclocked after you find the limit you're comfortable with for your CPU.

Coretemp should show correct Tjunction temps no matter which BIOS revision. Since only Speedfan 4.33 will work with your system, you may want to check out the IP35 / IP35-E Speedfan Config sticky at the abit forums. Basically, you need to offset Core0 & Core1 by 15c. More detail in that post.

Regarding flashing your BIOS, if you're flashing to v.12, copy all the files in the ZIP to your USB drive. Per Serpent: "You should also edit the ABITFAE.BAT file to include the WB switch.

Command should look like this>>> AWDFLASH.EXE %1 /py /sn /wb /cd /cp /cc
"
After you edit the ABITFAE.BAT file, once you're booted into DOS via your USB flash drive, you should be able to simply type "runme", hit enter and watch it go. Make sure you don't restart or have any power interruptions until it has completed its work.

I think thats it. Any more questions or for clarification, just ask!

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Use 1:1 memory divider with 5-5-5-15 timing. You may need more Vcore to hit 3.4GHz. Retest at 3.3GHz. In general, +0.04Vcore will net an additional 90MHz CPU core speed.

USB boot drive can be troublesome. I use a $5 floppy or boot CD. You can also flash in windows with the supplied flash utility as long as system is at DEFAULT core speed. Non-essential applications (AV/FW, etc) must not run in the background.

11 BIOS shows an average CPU temp. Add 15C to obtain core CPU temp.

I wouln't re-visit Vista till SP1. Too un-refined at this time.

 

[Tannahill]

Originally posted by: timtodd

4) Tannahill, how was the Cooler Master RC-690 for your build? I have the same one. Any suggestions?

I absolutely love the case. It is a BIG case though. Much bigger then my old Antec Sonata. Glad I got the Thermaltake power supply. They have really long cables. I could see a problem with a power supply with shorter cables reaching the top 5.25 inch drive bay.

The only real problem I had, and it's due more to my stupidity, was when I tried to mount my old hard drive in the case next to the new one. The Cooler Master cables are pretty stiff and I broke off the SATA power connector tab on the back of the hard drive. (Luckily the drive was salvageable). The cables demand that you keep a pretty good separation between the drives which is probably a good idea anyway. (Also helps to remove both sides of case for installation).

 

[yyrkoon]

Lots of people just dont seem to get the fact that disk block sizes / TCP/IP packet sizes do not jibe well. In a real world scenario, you would be extremely lucky to get a steady 50MB/s over GbE from HDD on all file sizes. IF you're using a large RAM disk, or extravagant caching scheme, then sure, you can probably max at around 70-90MB/s over GbE. Anyhow, the point here being, RAID for this purpose, and for pure performance for the sake of networking shares is a complete waste, as you'll be extremely lucky to max a single HDD over GbE.

Now on the the motherboard . . . I have read some people have also had this up close to 600Mhz FSB, and owning one myself I would not doubt this *if* they used proper cooling in the right places. Mine is running 475Mhz with DDR2 800 @ DDR2 950, with only a slightly increase in MCH to compensate for a minor vdroop. Also since this motherboard is extremely stable, and ran perfectly out of the box, I have not even bothered to update the BIOS yet. I am very satisfied after switching from my AM2 Opteron CPU/board.

[EDIT]

Wow, did not realize this post had hit 65 pages already . . . : /

 

[yyrkoon]

Originally posted by: StopSign
Id' say the IP35 is worth the extra money over the IP35-E. The ICH9R southbridge is a huge improvement over the basic ICH9. It has native AHCI support so you don't have to use the crappy JMicron thing.

According to CPUz my IP35-E *is* equipped with the ICH9/R . . .

 

[SerpentRoyal]

The "R" version has RAID. Basic IP35-E uses ICH9.

 

[CRXican]

the Corsair PSU issue is not good news

 

[bucd]

Originally posted by: CRXican
the Corsair PSU issue is not good news

I actually had the Antec Trio 550W and now the Corsair 520 and did not have issues at all with this board using either one.

I also am running 4 x 1 GB OCZ DDR2 800 Reapers without any issue, and with 2 Raptor drives.

So just want to report back that i didn't have any issues with the components that i used.

Was running e2140 at 3.2Ghz, now currently have an e6600 at 3.6Ghz on air. Using a Thermalright Ultra 90 HSF.

I was on BIOS v12, currently running BETA v13 to fix the double post issue and it's been rock stable.

-D

 

[ArchAngel777]

Originally posted by: hokiealumnus
Good morning folks! I was doing a little reading this morning and came across an excellent explanation of C2D & C2Q thermal designs. Previously, I have been referring temperature questions to the Tom's Hardware C2D & C2Q Temperature Guide. That's still a great guide and certainly worth the read. However, if you're looking for a slightly more technical post with a bit more detail, check out the OCForums' Intel C2D/Q/X Thermal Designs Explained post.

That second link is great, but I am still not sure I agree with him on what Tcase specification is... Don't get me wrong, he COULD be right, but he could also be wrong on that account. Certainly I would tend to agree with him on it just because it seems absolutely retarded for Tjunction to idle AFTER Tcase has been exceeded. Thus, again, I tend to agree with his post. I just don't know for certain that it is accurate in regards to what is 'safe'. So, 90% of me agrees with it, but 10% is holding out because I am not exactily sure what Intels means with 'max Tcase' temps in their specification.

 

[SantaAna]

I am running a Corsair as well. No problems. Might want to read into it more.

 

[jhigh2000]

I'll raise my hand as well. Running an HX520 without any issues so far. I think that even though there appear to be a lot of people that have problems with this combo, there are even more that don't have any issues. Nevertheless, I hope Abit and Corsair figure out what is going on soon for the sake of those that are having problems.

 

[rodrigu3]

under what conditions should I consider my system "orthos stable?"
that is, how long should I run it, and what test should I run.

I just ran small fft for 15 min, peak temp was 47C according to speedfan 4.34 beta
idle temp is 30C
no errors or warnings
system is E2180 (2Ghz stock) oc'd to 3Ghz (335 x 9 @1.36V)
mem is crucial ballistix 335Mhz (5-5-5-15-2T 2.2V, 1:1.00)

http://i223.photobucket.com/al.../rodrigu3/1109cce3.jpg

 

[JackMDS]

So I got in the morning an IP35-E + E2180. The Box with the Mobo did not look and "smell New, it was Not sealed and it probably was an already RMAed item.

Any way if it works I do not care; I am tired of standing an hour in line at the Midtown Manhattan Post Office to send priority mail.

First step I always set it up a new Mobo/CPU on a table on top of a Static bag with PSU, Memory, Video, Hard Drive, and Boot CD.

All the components around the Mobo are in good working shape, I keep them for this purpose.

Put it together and Fire Up.

CPU and Video Fans starts, Red and green Leds shine but No Video.

Reset the CMOS and Video comes On. I get into the BIOS to make sure that everything OK and leave it at the Default (No OC or anything else).

Boot again, No Video, Reset CMOS No Video, Reset again Video comes Up (of course every time it comes up it does its Reset Song and Dance). In sum 7-8 out of 10 times when boot the Video does not come up.

OK, next time when the Video come up I boot into the CD.

Vista ultimate starts from the DVD and freezes at the second Screen.

I take a Bootable DOS floppy, add a Floppy Drive and try to boot into simple old DOS, it start, the Floppy start to read and it Freezes.

I guess it written on the wall a Big Dud and a waste of three hours and the money involves the RMA process.

However, the real question is what to do.

The Rebate is over today and has be send within 7 days. NewEgg do not cross ship, so by the time that I will get it back I would miss the rebate deadline.

My assumption is that the IP-35E was on rebate forever (on NewEgg, and one other vendor) because Abit can sell to the non-enthusiasts a Mobo that Resets at Boot. When these Mobos are gone they probably has V2 waiting and it would go for $90.

Assuming that this is true should I get a replacement (that would cost me $90) or can I find something better for the price of $90.
To initial goal was to try to Run the E2180 at 3 to 3.2GB.

Your thoughts?

 

[rodrigu3]

Jack, what are your other system specs?
Also, try running it with the floppy disconnected

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
So I got in the morning an IP35-E + E2180. The Box with the Mobo did not look and "smell New, it was Not sealed and it probably was an already RMAed item.

Any way if it works I do not care; I am tired of standing an hour in line at the Midtown Manhattan Post Office to send priority mail.

First step I always set it up a new Mobo/CPU on a table on top of a Static bag with PSU, Memory, Video, Hard Drive, and Boot CD.

All the components around the Mobo are in good working shape, I keep them for this purpose.

Put it together and Fire Up.

CPU and Video Fans starts, Red and green Leds shine but No Video.

Reset the CMOS and Video comes On. I get into the BIOS to make sure that everything OK and leave it at the Default (No OC or anything else).

Boot again, No Video, Reset CMOS No Video, Reset again Video comes Up (of course every time it comes up it does its Reset Song and Dance). In sum 7-8 out of 10 times when boot the Video does not come up.

OK, next time when the Video come up I boot into the CD.

Vista ultimate starts from the DVD and freezes at the second Screen.

I take a Bootable DOS floppy, add a Floppy Drive and try to boot into simple old DOS, it start, the Floppy start to read and it Freezes.

I guess it written on the wall a Big Dud and a waste of three hours and the money involves the RMA process.

However, the real question is what to do.

The Rebate is over today and has be send within 7 days. NewEgg do not cross ship, so by the time that I will get it back I would miss the rebate deadline.

My assumption is that the IP-35E was on rebate forever (on NewEgg, and one other vendor) because Abit can sell to the non-enthusiasts a Mobo that Resets at Boot. When these Mobos are gone they probably has V2 waiting and it would go for $90.

Assuming that this is true should I get a replacement (that would cost me $90) or can I find something better for the price of $90.
To initial goal was to try to Run the E2180 at 3 to 3.2GB.

Your thoughts?

Can you list all your hardware?

Did you get a chance to scan my 1st post (IP35-E review)? Number one issue is the use of non-JEDEC RAMs. Check the label on your RAMs. If it's not nominally rated at 1.8V DDR2 667 or 800, then you probably don't have full JEDEC compliance. You'll need to manually set RAM voltage and timing per the mfr's specs.

Please pull power from PSU. Connect only one stick of RAM, mouse, keyboard, and GPU. Hit power button to discharge the caps. Reset CMOS. Now boot PC and hit DELETE key to enter BIOS. Load OPTIMIZED DEFAULT. Hit F10 to save BIOS. Now enter BIOS for 2nd time. Change USB mouse and keyboard support from OS to BIOS. Change RAM voltage and RAM timing per the mfr specs. Change memory divider to 1:1. Hit F10 to save BIOS.

Shutdown PC. Connect optical drive and a blank HDD (no previous data from prior installation). Go back to BIOS for the 3rd time. Go to the 1st bost device and select the optical drive (2nd from bottom of list) as the 1st boot. Select your HDD as the 2nd boot. Hit F10 to save BIOS. Be sure you have a boot CD/DVD in the optical drive.

If you still encounter problem then run MEMTEST86, test #5 for fifty loops to check RAM.