Asrock 4CoreDual-SATA2

[Tokse]

Hello,
any ideas what's the best RAM (2x1GB) I could buy for this motherboard? I think someone said PC6400 DDR800 would work and run on 667 mhz and be a bit better for overclocking than PC5400 ddr667, so maybe that's my best choice?

 

[cpmee]

Originally posted by: Tokse
Hello,
any ideas what's the best RAM (2x1GB) I could buy for this motherboard? I think someone said PC6400 DDR800 would work and run on 667 mhz and be a bit better for overclocking than PC5400 ddr667, so maybe that's my best choice?

Yes, low voltage ddr2-800 works great. Dont get the high voltage stuff that needs more than 1.9volts. Ram using the Brainpower PCB, like Adata, Gskill, Transcend work really well with this board and are dirt cheap. Youll want to run the ram at ddr2-533 for a 1:1 ratio. At that speed ddr2-800 ram timings can be lowered to run faster.

 

[cpmee]

Originally posted by: Marcus333

Originally posted by: cpmee

Originally posted by: Marcus333
Hello everyone,
I update bios to version 1.9a, and then i try a new pair DDR2 memory modules 2x2GB =4GB (Adata extreme edition 800+) but my Asrock 4coredual sata2 with 4GB Ram dont work. What do you think - is it possible use 4 gb ram with a bios v 1.9a?

What do you mean by dont work ? Does it only work if one stick is in ? Or do you only see 3gb ? Look thru previous postings. IIRC, the most anyone has been able to use on this board is about 3gb.

When i insert one stick (2GB) is it OK (bios read 2gb), when i insert 2x2GB bios dont start- i see only black screen.

Is the same dimm slot ? In other words, one slot works and the other doesnt. If so, it could be a case grounding issue, so you try the mobo outside of the case.

 

[fritzfield]

Originally posted by: Marcus333
Hello everyone,
I update bios to version 1.9a, and then i try a new pair DDR2 memory modules 2x2GB =4GB (Adata extreme edition 800+) but my Asrock 4coredual sata2 with 4GB Ram dont work. What do you think - is it possible use 4 gb ram with a bios v 1.9a?

I can run 2 x 2GB of cheap A-DATA DDR2-800 with no probs at stock. The 'puter (BIOS and Vista 64 BIT, BTW) only see 3GB. This is with 1.90a BIOS. Has nothing to do with the Operating System (Windows Vista 64bit vs. 32 bit). For me, I've moved on to 8GB RAM and PCIe on an Intel P35 chipset mobo. But guys, keep on truckin' as this thread goes on and on, just like the Duracell Energizer Bunny.

 

[Marcus333]

Originally posted by: cpmee

Originally posted by: Marcus333

Originally posted by: cpmee

Originally posted by: Marcus333
Hello everyone,
I update bios to version 1.9a, and then i try a new pair DDR2 memory modules 2x2GB =4GB (Adata extreme edition 800+) but my Asrock 4coredual sata2 with 4GB Ram dont work. What do you think - is it possible use 4 gb ram with a bios v 1.9a?

What do you mean by dont work ? Does it only work if one stick is in ? Or do you only see 3gb ? Look thru previous postings. IIRC, the most anyone has been able to use on this board is about 3gb.

When i insert one stick (2GB) is it OK (bios read 2gb), when i insert 2x2GB bios dont start- i see only black screen.

Is the same dimm slot ? In other words, one slot works and the other doesnt. If so, it could be a case grounding issue, so you try the mobo outside of the case.

2GB ram in first slot-ok, 2 gb ram in the second slot is ok, 2+2 gb ram = black screen (no bios loaded), i try speed auto, 533, 667, voltage auto, low .... with 4GB Ram ADATA Extreme edition 800+ only black screen (no bios loaded) ( my old kingston 1+1 gb ram /667 no problem).

 

[brokencase]

One problem I have recently discovered with this board.

The USB ports have limited current handling capacity.

FLASH USB pens work fine, as do my other USB peripherals

But if I try to connect a 2.5" laptop drive in an external USB enclosure it will have difficulty spinning up or will not work at all.

This same 2.5 inch drive works fine with every other PC and laptop I have access to.

The usb drive has a dual cable where you can sap extra current through another port. Even utilizing this it still does not work.

Of all the ports on the board the ones on the rear connector are most successful. But the extra ones that come out of the header on the board are a definite no go.

Is this just my board or have others seen the same issue?

I ran into this issue on another VIA chipset board. My solution then was to run my own power from the PC power supply directly to the USB connectors.

 

[cpmee]

Originally posted by: Marcus333

Originally posted by: cpmee

Originally posted by: Marcus333

Originally posted by: cpmee

Originally posted by: Marcus333
Hello everyone,
I update bios to version 1.9a, and then i try a new pair DDR2 memory modules 2x2GB =4GB (Adata extreme edition 800+) but my Asrock 4coredual sata2 with 4GB Ram dont work. What do you think - is it possible use 4 gb ram with a bios v 1.9a?

What do you mean by dont work ? Does it only work if one stick is in ? Or do you only see 3gb ? Look thru previous postings. IIRC, the most anyone has been able to use on this board is about 3gb.

When i insert one stick (2GB) is it OK (bios read 2gb), when i insert 2x2GB bios dont start- i see only black screen.

Is the same dimm slot ? In other words, one slot works and the other doesnt. If so, it could be a case grounding issue, so you try the mobo outside of the case.

2GB ram in first slot-ok, 2 gb ram in the second slot is ok, 2+2 gb ram = black screen (no bios loaded), i try speed auto, 533, 667, voltage auto, low .... with 4GB Ram ADATA Extreme edition 800+ only black screen (no bios loaded) ( my old kingston 1+1 gb ram /667 no problem).

Fritzfield had the value Adata ram, while you have the Extreme edition, which I believe requires more voltage than this mobo can supply.

In my experience with ram, the pricier stuff isnt always the best.

 

[Tokse]

Originally posted by: cpmee

Originally posted by: Tokse
Hello,
any ideas what's the best RAM (2x1GB) I could buy for this motherboard? I think someone said PC6400 DDR800 would work and run on 667 mhz and be a bit better for overclocking than PC5400 ddr667, so maybe that's my best choice?

Yes, low voltage ddr2-800 works great. Dont get the high voltage stuff that needs more than 1.9volts. Ram using the Brainpower PCB, like Adata, Gskill, Transcend work really well with this board and are dirt cheap. Youll want to run the ram at ddr2-533 for a 1:1 ratio. At that speed ddr2-800 ram timings can be lowered to run faster.

Ok, thanks. I'm trying to find some with Brainpower PCB and max 1.9volts now, but unfortunately the brands Adata, Gskill and Transcend aren't big in Norway where I live... It's not easy to find out what sticks have Brainpower PCB it seems. I wonder if some of these sticks has it:
http://prisguide.hardware.no/v...ce&ppp=25&submit=S%F8k
http://prisguide.hardware.no/v...d=27&manufacturer_id[0

It seems Corsair uses Brainpower PCB too, according to this:
http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?t=365550

So maybe Corsair is my best choice, but a pity their low-voltage sticks has CL5. Their CL4 sticks are above 2 volts, but maybe that's not very imortant?

If CL4 is more important though, these Kingston sticks might be the best deal for me now:
http://prisguide.hardware.no/p...ct.php?productId=77536

(sorry about the norwegian language in those pages, but I think the essential technical terms on memory are easy to read out of it )

 

[Marcus333]

Originally posted by: cpmee

Originally posted by: Marcus333

Originally posted by: cpmee

Originally posted by: Marcus333

Originally posted by: cpmee

Originally posted by: Marcus333
Hello everyone,
I update bios to version 1.9a, and then i try a new pair DDR2 memory modules 2x2GB =4GB (Adata extreme edition 800+) but my Asrock 4coredual sata2 with 4GB Ram dont work. What do you think - is it possible use 4 gb ram with a bios v 1.9a?

What do you mean by dont work ? Does it only work if one stick is in ? Or do you only see 3gb ? Look thru previous postings. IIRC, the most anyone has been able to use on this board is about 3gb.

When i insert one stick (2GB) is it OK (bios read 2gb), when i insert 2x2GB bios dont start- i see only black screen.

Is the same dimm slot ? In other words, one slot works and the other doesnt. If so, it could be a case grounding issue, so you try the mobo outside of the case.

2GB ram in first slot-ok, 2 gb ram in the second slot is ok, 2+2 gb ram = black screen (no bios loaded), i try speed auto, 533, 667, voltage auto, low .... with 4GB Ram ADATA Extreme edition 800+ only black screen (no bios loaded) ( my old kingston 1+1 gb ram /667 no problem).

Fritzfield had the value Adata ram, while you have the Extreme edition, which I believe requires more voltage than this mobo can supply.

In my experience with ram, the pricier stuff isnt always the best.

Hi, i ask in my pc-shop about this problem and they change my 2x2 gb ADATA 800+ extreme edition ram ---(working 1.9-2.1 Volts) for KINGSTON 4GB/667MHz DDR2 CL5 DIMM (Kit 2x2GB) Standard 256M X 64 Non-ECC 667MHz 240-pin Unbuffered DIMM (SDRAM-DDR2, 1.8V, CL5) I hope it will be working

 

[Budarow]

Since this mobo (and varients) do not seem to have any easy go of it OCing quad core CPUs due to relatively low FSB speeds, I'm thinking of upgrading my Pentium D (at 3.4 GHz) to a 2 core proc like the E2220 (which I believe has a 12x multiplier).

I would have liked to test out my mobo's maximum FSB speed, but it appears my D925 has a locked multiplier of 15x and the proc is stable at 3.4 GHz (15x multiplier times 226 MHz FSB ~ 3.4 GHz).

Rather than take a chance and order a Q6600, only to have to possibly run the chip at stock (or lower) speeds, I think I'll get a Core2 proc with a high multiplier.

Do you peeps have any other reasonably priced proc in mind (which are supported by this mobo of course) and have a high multiplier?

Thanks,

Bud

 

[cpmee]

So maybe Corsair is my best choice, but a pity their low-voltage sticks has CL5. Their CL4 sticks are above 2 volts, but maybe that's not very imortant?



Almost all low power sticks are going to be CL5, which is fine on this board since youll be underclocking the ram to 533 for a 1:1 ratio, which means you can set to CL4 or even CL3.

Obviously the way they get CL4 on ddr2 800 is to push more voltage on it. The cheap Adata will also run at CL4 ddr2 800 if enough volts are applied.

 

[cpmee]

Originally posted by: Budarow
Since this mobo (and varients) do not seem to have any easy go of it OCing quad core CPUs due to relatively low FSB speeds, I'm thinking of upgrading my Pentium D (at 3.4 GHz) to a 2 core proc like the E2220 (which I believe has a 12x multiplier).

I would have liked to test out my mobo's maximum FSB speed, but it appears my D925 has a locked multiplier of 15x and the proc is stable at 3.4 GHz (15x multiplier times 226 MHz FSB ~ 3.4 GHz).

Rather than take a chance and order a Q6600, only to have to possibly run the chip at stock (or lower) speeds, I think I'll get a Core2 proc with a high multiplier.

Do you peeps have any other reasonably priced proc in mind (which are supported by this mobo of course) and have a high multiplier?

Thanks,

Bud

The e4600 also has a 12x multiplier and more cache for a little bit more money. Then there is the e4500 with an 11x multiplier.

 

[Tokse]

Originally posted by: Budarow
Since this mobo (and varients) do not seem to have any easy go of it OCing quad core CPUs due to relatively low FSB speeds, I'm thinking of upgrading my Pentium D (at 3.4 GHz) to a 2 core proc like the E2220 (which I believe has a 12x multiplier).

I would have liked to test out my mobo's maximum FSB speed, but it appears my D925 has a locked multiplier of 15x and the proc is stable at 3.4 GHz (15x multiplier times 226 MHz FSB ~ 3.4 GHz).

Rather than take a chance and order a Q6600, only to have to possibly run the chip at stock (or lower) speeds, I think I'll get a Core2 proc with a high multiplier.

Do you peeps have any other reasonably priced proc in mind (which are supported by this mobo of course) and have a high multiplier?

Thanks,

Bud

I think I'd go for an E2220 (12X multiplier) because of the better price compared to E4600. The extra cache that makes E4600 faster will also require moore volt, so I would guess it's easier to raise FSB with E2220 than E4600 with this mobo. I would guess you'd manage to raise E2220 a bit higher, but that they would perform about the same because of E4600s extra cache. But I'm not sure because I haven't seen anyone who's raised E4600 to very high levels.

 

[Budarow]

Thanks for the proc suggestions. I'll keep my eye open for a deal on the E2220 or a E4600. Right now, NE has the E2220 for $89 shipped and the E4600 for $126 shipped.

 

[repsol23]

Originally posted by: Budarow
Thanks for the proc suggestions. I'll keep my eye open for a deal on the E2220 or a E4600. Right now, NE has the E2220 for $89 shipped and the E4600 for $126 shipped.

One last thing to consider is which processor overclocks better with stock voltage since you won't be able to adjust this without a mod!! If we could only increase the voltage it would be great to have a x12 multiplier and FSB of 295 (mine is stable up to 310 with lots of cooling). With that in mind I purchased an e6700 with a x10 multipier and can run 2.9 Ghz all day with no problems!!

 

[fritzfield]

Originally posted by: Budarow
Thanks for the proc suggestions. I'll keep my eye open for a deal on the E2220 or a E4600. Right now, NE has the E2220 for $89 shipped and the E4600 for $126 shipped.

On ebay, there's a seller of e6600 named yewcho19. I got an OEM e6600 for US$125. w/ $10 shipping. Very good deal, considering the current Newegg price.

 

[Budarow]

Originally posted by: fritzfield

Originally posted by: Budarow
Thanks for the proc suggestions. I'll keep my eye open for a deal on the E2220 or a E4600. Right now, NE has the E2220 for $89 shipped and the E4600 for $126 shipped.

On ebay, there's a seller of e6600 named yewcho19. I got an OEM e6600 for US$125. w/ $10 shipping. Very good deal, considering the current Newegg price.

Hey Fritzfield...was the Q6600 used and did you try OCing it?

 

[Tokse]

Budarow, you should check out this review:
http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=651&p=3
It's shows how much of the performance-difference between E2xxx, E4xxx and E6xxx is due to cache-size.

Question is if FSB could be raised as high on E4xxx and E6xxx as on E2xxx. Does anyone here have any thoughts or experience on that?

 

[fritzfield]

[/quote]

"Hey Fritzfield...was the Q6600 used and did you try OCing it?"

[/quote]

It was an "e6600" not a "q6600". I don't know where he gets these cpus, but they are sold as new, OEM. He seems to feed a new one into the auctions every day with the winning prices varying from $123.00 to like $155.00 over the course of the past month that I was looking at this chip. I figured that a cheap CPU that had good stock specs was better for my new build than waiting for the e8400 to come down in price.

My Asrock 4CoreDualSATA2 lets me get to FSB of 305 and remain stable using stock and auto everything, DDR or DDRII. From what I've read, this is not a really impressive OC, but one of the better ones I've seen posted for this board. As I said in a previous post, I'm moving to an Intel board. If anyone wants to buy my Asrock, it's six months old w/ the 1.9a BIOS.

 

[Budarow]

Originally posted by: fritzfield

"Hey Fritzfield...was the Q6600 used and did you try OCing it?"

[/quote]

It was an "e6600" not a "q6600". I don't know where he gets these cpus, but they are sold as new, OEM. He seems to feed a new one into the auctions every day with the winning prices varying from $123.00 to like $155.00 over the course of the past month that I was looking at this chip. I figured that a cheap CPU that had good stock specs was better for my new build than waiting for the e8400 to come down in price.

My Asrock 4CoreDualSATA2 lets me get to FSB of 305 and remain stable using stock and auto everything, DDR or DDRII. From what I've read, this is not a really impressive OC, but one of the better ones I've seen posted for this board. As I said in a previous post, I'm moving to an Intel board. If anyone wants to buy my Asrock, it's six months old w/ the 1.9a BIOS.[/quote]

Oops! Big difference I'll check ebay out. The cache makes a lot BIGGER difference than I expected.

 

[Requena]

Hi all,

I have an ASROk CoreDuo SATA II,
I want to know if there are any incompatibility with Sapphire radeon 3850 AGP
with this motherboard, My BIOS version is 1.30.
My power supply is 650 What.

This Video card arrive for me tomorrow morning.

Any one know about issues with this configuration?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[fritzfield]

You need the 1.8 BIOS, according to Asrock download page.

 

[Requena]

Sorry, but the update BIOS is necessary only for PCI Express I think,
and the video card that I want mount is AGP slot.

Tell me please if I'm wrong !

Thanks in advance.

 

[fritzfield]

Das weiss ich nichts. No Clue about AGP. Why would you buy AGP in a long term planned upgrade path? PCIe is the natural progression. To buy a 3xxx series AGP leaves you behind for the future, which is what this mobo is about, id est an upgrade path so you can use LEGACY (Not necessarily New) AGP, DDR instead of DDR2, PATA instead of SATA, yadda yadda. {If you're gonna spring for a NEW video card, then go with a new series (P35, X38/48) mobo and move on.} To keep your old "stuff" and add core2duo, then this mobo is the natural transitional upgrade. BUT, if you're going to spend money on a new video card, then you should also look at the LOW price of DDR2 RAM and make the upgrade because I think you are throwing good money away on NEW AGP stuff. Just my opinion.

BTW. Never give financial advice to friends. They will hate you later on. On this forum, I don't mind. But really, new AGP? What's the point. UPGRADE!!!

 

[Requena]

Yes, yadda yadda ...
But you don't tell me nothing about if is necessary update or not the BIOS with tes AGP slot version for the 3850 AGP
I know all about you are explaning, but an HD3850 AGP is very cheap ... only 96 euros
and I don't whant for the moment upgrade the entire PC.
I have now mounted in this mother board DDR 2 667 and a Intel E6420 2.13 Ghz

Then for the AGP version is or not necessary upgrade the BIOS?
This is what I whant to know ... nothing more ... and don't explainme about
what is better or not, I don't need this type of info.