AMD Athlon 2500+ & ECS N2U400-A $70 @ Fry's

[Showtime]

Up and running nicely at stock speed. That stock fan is loud. I'm going to "break it in" and then swap a real cooler on there. I'll put the little plastic cover back on the stock one for just in cases.
I think I'll be able to wait till the new pci express mobos hit the market and come down in price before I upgrade again. Feeling very good about this purchase so far.

-show

 

[kenrippy]

Originally posted by: Showtime
Up and running nicely at stock speed. That stock fan is loud. I'm going to "break it in" and then swap a real cooler on there. I'll put the little plastic cover back on the stock one for just in cases.
I think I'll be able to wait till the new pci express mobos hit the market and come down in price before I upgrade again. Feeling very good about this purchase so far.

-show

this cooler will do nicely for you. very quiet and allows a decent overclock if you need it. i have my 2500 running at 2.31ghz with it 210fsb

 

[Dantzig]

Originally posted by: gsethi

Originally posted by: ToxicMussels

Originally posted by: Showtime

Originally posted by: ToxicMussels

The stock HSF is just fine if you don't intend to O/C this baby. If you do O/C, AND you change the AMD Approved HSF, this will void your 3 year warranty with AMD.

How will they know?

-show

When you send in a "bad" CPU for warranty, they (AMD) ask you a few questions and then ask you to send in the HS/F along with the CPU. The AMD "Approved" HS/F comes with a thermal pad. When applied to the CPU, and with the system running, the thermal pad molds (melts) to the CPU and around it's edge's too. If you haven't removed/replaced the HS/F before your request for warranty service, then AMD can compare the residue left on the die with what's left on the HS/F. Thus voiding your 3 year warranty if other HS/F used besides what was supplied by AMD.

I know this for I have RMA'd 2 CPU's with them. Also, if you get bored, read your Warranty booklet that came with the Retail CPU.

There are ways around this questioning by AMD for a request for RMA; but, I will not go into detail here. You can figure most of it out on your own (if you replace the HS/F of your own choice and need an RMA).

hehe..hes correct...AMD will ask for original Retail HSF and checks the Original HSF and the CPU to see if the thermal paste that AMD uses is melted or not..they also look for some dust on the hsf (due to normal use).

When i had to RMA my CPU (CPU not getting recognized properly), I made sure that I ran the Retail HSF for couple of hours to make sure that the thermal paste melted on both the HSF and also some residue left on the actual chip. Regarding dust, did a vaccum that day and took some dust out of my vaccum and put it on the Heatsink's fan...and it worked.

So, dont throw away from retail heatsinks or take that thermal paste out...you never know when you need one.

This is false. AMD will not void your warranty for using a different thermal interface material. In fact, they void your warranty if you remove the heatsink and replace it without applying new thermal interface material! All you have to tell them is that you upgraded your motherboard and kept the same processor, thus requiring a new application of thermal paste.

 

[gsethi]

Originally posted by: Dantzig

Originally posted by: gsethi

Originally posted by: ToxicMussels

Originally posted by: Showtime

Originally posted by: ToxicMussels

The stock HSF is just fine if you don't intend to O/C this baby. If you do O/C, AND you change the AMD Approved HSF, this will void your 3 year warranty with AMD.

How will they know?

-show

When you send in a "bad" CPU for warranty, they (AMD) ask you a few questions and then ask you to send in the HS/F along with the CPU. The AMD "Approved" HS/F comes with a thermal pad. When applied to the CPU, and with the system running, the thermal pad molds (melts) to the CPU and around it's edge's too. If you haven't removed/replaced the HS/F before your request for warranty service, then AMD can compare the residue left on the die with what's left on the HS/F. Thus voiding your 3 year warranty if other HS/F used besides what was supplied by AMD.

I know this for I have RMA'd 2 CPU's with them. Also, if you get bored, read your Warranty booklet that came with the Retail CPU.

There are ways around this questioning by AMD for a request for RMA; but, I will not go into detail here. You can figure most of it out on your own (if you replace the HS/F of your own choice and need an RMA).

hehe..hes correct...AMD will ask for original Retail HSF and checks the Original HSF and the CPU to see if the thermal paste that AMD uses is melted or not..they also look for some dust on the hsf (due to normal use).

When i had to RMA my CPU (CPU not getting recognized properly), I made sure that I ran the Retail HSF for couple of hours to make sure that the thermal paste melted on both the HSF and also some residue left on the actual chip. Regarding dust, did a vaccum that day and took some dust out of my vaccum and put it on the Heatsink's fan...and it worked.

So, dont throw away from retail heatsinks or take that thermal paste out...you never know when you need one.

This is false. AMD will not void your warranty for using a different thermal interface material. In fact, they void your warranty if you remove the heatsink and replace it without applying new thermal interface material! All you have to tell them is that you upgraded your motherboard and kept the same processor, thus requiring a new application of thermal paste.

I dont know about the thermal paste but I do know that your warranty will be voided if you use any other heatsink other than what came with your retail box. I guess they just check to see if the retail heatsink was used or not and compare the batch numbers of the processor and heatsink to see if they are related.

 

[FlapJack]

Granorense,
Thanks fort his HOT DEAL............ It's great having a realative in Pheonix for deals like this...

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: kenrippy

Originally posted by: blacklit

Originally posted by: kenrippy
I took back my 2600 OEM/n2u400a combo that i bought last week for $79 and bought this combo. it's a better deal IMO.

I have one of these boards running in a test rig with a 2500+ & corsair value select pc3200 2x256mb at 200fsb (mem & cpu) 2.2ghz totally stable with a speeze whisperrock II @ about 40c idle/47c prime95 load. I'm just now testing it at 210fsb 2.31ghz to see how she handles it.

i don't normally overclock but i just bought this. i'm considering trying after reading your post. what do you have the voltage set to? sadly i'll still be using my 2x512 PC2100.. until i can shell out more $$.

there is no voltage adjustments so you're SOL as far as that goes. the only adjustments are FSB and it's ratio between the FSB & CPU speed. (like Scaramouche said above)

your only real hope of OC'ing with this board is with some good ram & a decent hsf.

update: this rig is totally stable at 210fsb (prime95) 48c with the hardware I listed. (cpu & ram running at 210) 2.31ghz

course if u want u can pin mod the voltage i think. theres a bridge mod that turns bartons into mobile(multiplier unlock).. overclockers.com has the info in its forums

 

[DaCurryman]

Anyone know how the PC3200 from Kingston listed here will work in terms of OCing this CPU to a 3200+

Also, the Corsair ValueSelect is listed as a CAS 3 stick. Just wondering what needs to be done to get it to CAS 2.5 to OC this setup.

Also wondering how the Corsair ram compares to a stick of Crucial PC3200 w/ ECC. Thanks in advance.

 

[ToxicMussels]

Originally posted by: Dantzig

Originally posted by: ToxicMussels

The stock HSF is just fine if you don't intend to O/C this baby. If you do O/C, AND you change the AMD Approved HSF, this will void your 3 year warranty with AMD.

This is false. AMD will not void your warranty for using a different thermal interface material. In fact, they void your warranty if you remove the heatsink and replace it without applying new thermal interface material! All you have to tell them is that you upgraded your motherboard and kept the same processor, thus requiring a new application of thermal paste.

I believe you missed out on part of this thread.
Don't misquote me, or say I make false statements; for it is you that can't read between the lines!

Yet, you are correct on the second half of your statement. That is exactly what I told them both times for my RMA's. Also, I was using the supplied HS/F on one of those. The other was an SLK-800A.

 

[DaCurryman]

Originally posted by: DaCurryman
Anyone know how the PC3200 from Kingston listed here will work in terms of OCing this CPU to a 3200+

Also, the Corsair ValueSelect is listed as a CAS 3 stick. Just wondering what needs to be done to get it to CAS 2.5 to OC this setup.

Also wondering how the Corsair ram compares to a stick of Crucial PC3200 w/ ECC. Thanks in advance.

Any update on this?

 

[Showtime]

You can change the CAS timings in the BIOS (2. 2.5 or 3).

My combo was running fine at 200 FSB (3200+) @ 400 Mhz (DDR 3200) until I lowered the loose timings..... Now no matter what I do I cant get it to boot up right. I reset CMOS and can get the system running but it goes into windows and shuts down. Temps never got hot to the touch so Im assuming the cpu is ok. 14.5k on 3dmark2001 and it came up as an ATHLON 3200+. I should of left it alone... spent hours trying to trouble shoot the damn thing last night.

To oc it originally I just used the available fsb options (100, 133, 166, 200). 133 didnt boot for me so I tried 166 and benchmarked 12.8K 3dmark. Raised it to 200 and it ran without any problems. Not much more heat than earlier. Hopefully I'll be able to get this up and running agian because it was the best $70 upgrade I'd ever made on a rig.

-show

 

[DaCurryman]

So what did you lower that caused the crash? The CAS setting on the memory? So you're saying that you had it running fine at CAS 3?

 

[blacklit]

Originally posted by: mlt001
blacklit: Why don't you keep the Shuttle and sell the ECS board. The Shuttle is one of the best valued Nforce boards and has fair O/C options.

cheaper. $75 vs $100 (assuming i was able to sell the board for $35). too late now anyway.

 

[Nab]

come to atlanta :'(

 

[Showtime]

I got everything back up and running. Somehow the header cables got x'd as I was pulling it all apart and trouble shooting it. I checked the Ram and tested 3 HD's and pulled everything apart.
Apparently the SS DDR can't handle anything much lower than 8/4/4/3 @ 200mhz. I bought the sticks at SVC for $50 a piece a while back and dont really expect too much from them. I'm pretty sure I can get it a little better but I'm pretty happy with the rig running at 3200+ speeds.

I'm still curious to see how this cpu would perform with a more flexible(better) mobo, ram and cooling. But from what I read so far, it generally doesnt get a whole lot faster without extreme measures.

-show

 

[kaborka]

N2U400 & XP2500+ combo is in today's Fry's ad, too, but it doesn't say if it's an ECS mobo. Most likely it is.

LA Times ads (Click on "Technology")

 

[EagleKeeper]

Same MB (ECS) that has been on sale this past week.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: Nab
come to atlanta :'(

Frys here in LV indicates that ATL should be happy this summer.

They just need to get the Windy City up first.

 

[AkumaX]

LOL its 5 bucks more and its bare OEM!

 

[YoYoBabyYo]

does anybody know if this deal is dead in LA/OC?

 

[Showtime]

They now have a 2700+ with the mobo but it's $89.... Warm now.

System is rock stable at 3200 and a friends is also. Now if I could get a deal on 2226 DDR 3200, this thing would rock.

Hopefully everyone who wanted one got in before the switch.

-show

 

[LIVAN]

Is anyone able to get 1gb DDR to work with this mobo? I have tried Infineon, OCZ and no luck, all with very relaxed timings. IT won't even post . The smae memory boots up if I put it in Dimm 1 and Dimm2 (Non Dual Channel) , IF I put in 1 & 3 or 2 & 3, or dual channel configs, it doesn't work.

 

[ToxicMussels]

Saw your same question over in the MOBO forum. I too have read somewhere that this board does NOT like 2 sticks of 512DDR.
One more thing to try, did you connect the 4pin square power connector from your PSU to the MOBO?

GL

 

[ToxicMussels]

Here's a quote from the OCWorkbench Forum about this board:
I'm using 256MB X 2 Kingmax brand PC3200, these are pretty good. I have tried and failed to use a 512MB X 2 PC3200 Kingmax in 400FSB dual channel mode with this MB, or Biostar with Nforce chipset. I can only get it to boot in single channel mode or 333FSB (lowered the memory frequency) in dual channel mode. My search on the internet indicates that this MB does not like running on DIMMs with 16 chips soldered to it (both sides).

 

[LIVAN]

running thememory at 333fsb is what setting? Like 167 on the memory "frequency"?

 

[jineshjain]

I don't have a Fry's around me. Can I (and how) buy the combo OP mentioned? I am a first-timer at building a PC. Thanks.