ASRock 939Dual-SATA2 - Socket 939 with PCI-E and real AGP and Socket AM2 upgrade path

[touchmyichi]

Originally posted by: Fam Money
Heads up guys, there is now a volt mod for the CPU. NPlack was able to get over 1.65v on the CPU!

Check out the volt mod here:
Link

that's what i'm talking about! Now all my doubts about purchasing this board have been put to rest.

 

[Fam Money]

Oh, yeah, forgot to mention that Polygon stated he was going to try to get a VDIMM mod going for the board as well.

That will satisfy the hardcore overclockers. If they jump on board with us then I can see this board taking off. Who knows, maybe tictac, trats, or merlin will start making BIOS' for it.

I can dream can't I........

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: Fam Money
Heads up guys, there is now a volt mod for the CPU. NPlack was able to get over 1.65v on the CPU!

Check out the volt mod here:
Link

Awesome, thanks for the post.

This is definitely something I've been waiting for - I'm going to put it in the OP.

 

[Lord Banshee]

NICE!!!

now only if i ge thte balls to do this ... adn have a more stable bios

 

[ncage]

Ya i wouldn't. Do you remember when you could get a conductive pen and unlock the thunderbird cpu's? Well i ruined a cpu when i tried that. I wouldn't be so much worried abour ruining the motherboard as i would the cpu.

 

[rickyman]

is this a reliable board to upgrade if i already have MSI neo2 plat.

or maybe i will get abit UL8 rather get ASrock one.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: ncage
Ya i wouldn't. Do you remember when you could get a conductive pen and unlock the thunderbird cpu's? Well i ruined a cpu when i tried that.

There's always a risk when you do physical mods or overclock.

LOL, I can remember installing a volt mod on the Shuttle AK31A. Back then we thought the sky was the limit - er, ahem, the voltage was the limit to CPU speeds. Boy were we wrong. Never killed a CPU but we knew very well what an unstable system was.

is this a reliable board to upgrade if i already have MSI neo2 plat.

Is the MSI board not working for you? If the MSI board works for you, absolutely no reason to change motherboards since there is very little performance difference due to the integrated memory controller. If you have a stability issue, first verify CPU and RAM by running Prime and Memtest. After those pass, then perhaps try a Windows reinstall.

 

[rickyman]

everything works fine, i have a problem with oced feature on it.

 

[TechieJoe]

Is it possible to vary the core voltage, i.e if a good bios was written to allow user settings OR are there special chips on other mobo's that allow you to do this through the bios.

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: TechieJoe
Is it possible to vary the core voltage, i.e if a good bios was written to allow user settings OR are there special chips on other mobo's that allow you to do this through the bios.

Welcome to the forums.

So far, it appears you can only get minor Vcore adjustments in the BIOS (up to around 1.45V with a standard Venice A64, I believe). I'm not sure if this could be overcome by a custom BIOS or not, but the posts I've read lead me to believe that it isn't. It's something like this board queries the CPU itself for its max voltage, instead of just giving it a voltage to run at (if I've understood correctly what I've read at other forums).

In any case, for the moment it looks like the only option for nontrivial Vcore increases is that mod that I linked to in the first post.

 

[Lord Banshee]

Ohh last night something werid happen.

When i got home form wal-mart i notice that my internet connection was not connnect. So i restart my computer (did not know what was up) and when the bios booted it said something to the nature of PCI IRQ Routing Table ERROR. So i went in to the bios moved one value and moved it back then Save&Exit, and the error went away and i had internet again, (i am using a wireless PCI card).

Anybody else run into this yet, i hope not.

 

[SNiPeRX]

Got an interesting PM from someone who works at the company who makes the bios. Check this out.

Quote:
Originally Posted by goob982
aceman, I have just ordered the board yesterday. I have a few questions. After reading some reviews today I noticed something I didn't know before. I was under the impression that the board would do 1.55 vcore. Well this is only for FX chips as I am sure you know. For regular A64 it will only do a max of 1.45. I was interested if yall plan on doing any updates for the board in order to have high vcores? This would be great if yall would. Also, the vdimm voltage is only like high and normal or something like that. Is there going to be a change to a numerical version? Just interested I have downloaded the newest ULI drivers and the 1.21 bios for the board. I cant wait to get the board in. I also ordered a 3200+ venice E6. I plan on doing some serious overclocking. Got a danger den setup, only way I can do that is with higher vcores. Congrats guys, this is the best board I have seen in awhile, the upgrade paths are incredible. I will send you an email as well aceman, thanks for the hard work.

Jeff


Hi.......Nice to hear that U are using our board.......This was our first try with AMD processors and the desktop segment.............till now we designed BIOS only for server segments and of course basically for Intel processors.
I am really sorry as far as the overclocking options are conserned for higher Vcores i don't think it is in the futuer patch( as matter of fact it depends on a bit on the client..........we write BIOS only according to the clients req and the build quality of the board,such voltage causes some bad side effects),but one has to win a lottery to buy a Fx-57.........i myself saw those only on the company..never allowed me take it to my home
Regarding VDIMM, the bios needs a lot of coding to properly display the current voltage but then it is in work, have mailed some of friends regarding the up dates, will PM U as soon as I get them.These are actually part of a package called as IPMI (Intellegent Platform management interface) plus we have a package called as DxDiag........then again, it is what the client wants and not what we want and if he is not willing to spend money on these well........ . These IPMI , DxDiag are for the ecterme stuff..........strictly speaking these are actally server stuff comming to desktop segment ( expect a lot more Boards with AMI BIOS)
Regarding overclocking please wait for some more updates before trying your hands on it, we were actually surprised that client wanted all these options(Intel no body even touches the BIOS , oveclocking what on earth is that they will ask.

 

[ncage]

Ok everyong. I got my 3800+ x2 in from zzf and it was a toledo core. Some guy in the overclocking forums got his to 260 stable and he ordered his from zzf so i was hoping. Originally i just wanted 250 stable. Well i got mine in today and i didn't get as good as his oc but it was close. I got it to 257 prime95 stable. Considering this is better than a 4800+ cpu which is a 1000 cpu is fenominal. Ya it doesn't have 1MB of cache on each chip but mine is runing faster. I will work on it to get it to 260. Im hoping a cpu burn it will help or possibly a thermaltake big typhoon hsf. Things got pretty warm with the stock hsf. 53-54 at full load. Oh btw im running my memory at 1:1 which is geil value...pretty damm good for value memory.

Ok now to the board. I do like this board for the price. Its actually a steal for what you get if for but like verything there are some things i don't like:
1) the floppy connector has to be at the crapiest position ive ever seen in my life.
2) VCORE/VDIMM settings (this would be an a++ board with them. Im hoping a bios revision in the future will fix this.
3) ami bios instead of award bios...i much prefer award.
4) i have the 1.2 bios (don't want a beta bios) and i still have the cold boot issue.
5) no 1000bit lan (ya i could add one but then it would be running over the PCI bus = SLOW. I don't really care about firewire.


I can tell you how how these x2 cpus get overclocked. When i was swaping out ram i accidently knocked one of the cables into the fan and when i turned on the system it keep crashing and i finally realized the cpu fan wasn't spinning so i turned off the computer and felt the HS....and OUCHHHHHHHHHHHHH...damm thing was almost hot enough to burn me.

As a synopsis i would recommend this board to anyone especially anyone that doesn't have a PCI-E video card. Hopefully more MB manufactorers will find how sweet this ULI chipset is and start making thier own MB's for it.

Peace,
Ncage

 

[Killrose]

So far the only Motherboard released to use this chipset is the ASrock, nothing else is showing up on ULi's site as a partner with this chipset. Everyone is in an nForce4 love fest it seems, enamored by SLi I guess.

I don't think you will see a perfect overclockers bios untill they have some competition, ASrock being the budget minded ASus product, i'm sure they don't want people to buy non-SLi chipsets that can't be filled with two ASus Video cards.

 

[stormont]

I just got this board setup with a X2 3800+ and have some serious issues with the RAID that I hope someone can help me with.

I have 2 x 80GB Seagate SATA (ST380817AS) drives that were running in RAID0 on a Abit IC7-G connected to the ICH5 onboard RAID with a 32k stripe. Scores from HDTune 2.50 on this setup were as follows:

Minimum Transfer Rate: 25.5 MB/sec
Maximum Transfer Rate: 60.6 MB/sec
Average Transfer Rate: 56.1 MB/sec

Access Time: 12.9 ms
Burst Rate: 68.4 MB/sec
CPU Usage: 5.5%

I then setup my new ASRock board and did a clean install of XP on the same two drives setup as RAID0 with a 32k stripe. The new scores are:

Minimum Transfer Rate: 15.4 MB/sec
Maximum Transfer Rate: 60.1 MB/sec
Average Transfer Rate: 52.2 MB/sec

Access Time: 13.0 ms
Burst Rate: 63.0 MB/sec
CPU Usage: 22.3%

22.3% !?!?! What the heck? Out of curiosity, I then connected just one of those drives to the SATA2 connector and got these results:

Minimum Transfer Rate: 28.5 MB/sec
Maximum Transfer Rate: 57.1 MB/sec
Average Transfer Rate: 46.2 MB/sec

Access Time: 12.8 ms
Burst Rate: 89.9 MB/sec
CPU Usage: 2.2%

So the speed of just one 80GB drive connected to the SATA2 connecter is basically faster and uses less CPU cycles than the two drives in RAID0? Are the M1567 (the SATA1 RAID controller) and the JMicron JMB360 (SATA2 chip) both connected to the Southbridge, or is the JMicron attached to the Northbridge which accounts for the faster speed?

 

[Lord Banshee]

would anyone with this mobo and a 6800 series AGP card please run 3dmark 03 and 05 and post the rest of you specs..

I do not know but it seems that my 03 score is good but my 05 score seems weak
3dmark03 --- 10525
3dmark05 --- 3083


Thanks,
Chris

 

[Fam Money]

There are now two different vcore and vdimm mods.

These first two(1vcore, 1vdimm) are from RHCF:
Link

The second vdimm is from OCW and may have came directly from ASRock:
Link

The second vcore from OCW:
Link

 

[designit]

It is such a shame when a very potential chipset developed and motherboard manuf. screw it up. Why is not ULi paying attention to this life and death situation created for their chip by Asrock? First Chaintech and Abit screwed up the ULi1689, and now Asrock doing it to 1695. I am in belief that there might be a conspiracy created by that giant competition coercing w/ mobo manufacturers.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: stormont
I have 2 x 80GB Seagate SATA (ST380817AS) drives that were running in RAID0 on a Abit IC7-G connected to the ICH5 onboard RAID with a 32k stripe.
CPU Usage: 5.5%

I then setup my new ASRock board and did a clean install of XP on the same two drives setup as RAID0 with a 32k stripe. The new scores are:
CPU Usage: 22.3%

22.3% !?!?! What the heck? Out of curiosity, I then connected just one of those drives to the SATA2 connector and got these results:
CPU Usage: 2.2%

So the speed of just one 80GB drive connected to the SATA2 connecter is basically faster and uses less CPU cycles than the two drives in RAID0?

Most RAID controllers (that don't cost more than your motherboard) do the work in software, meaning a higher CPU load. Perhaps your Intel setup had Hyperthreading that helped CPU usage?

 

[BlackPear1]

Originally posted by: Lord Banshee
would anyone with this mobo and a 6800 series AGP card please run 3dmark 03 and 05 and post the rest of you specs..

I do not know but it seems that my 03 score is good but my 05 score seems weak
3dmark03 --- 10525
3dmark05 --- 3083

I'm getting 9479/3343 (w/X2 3800+ and PNY 6800) at default CPU/GPU speeds.

 

[stormont]

Originally posted by: Zap

Most RAID controllers (that don't cost more than your motherboard) do the work in software, meaning a higher CPU load. Perhaps your Intel setup had Hyperthreading that helped CPU usage?

Yes, the P4 did have Hyper-Threading. Shouldn't the dual-core on the X2 act the same though?

 

[designit]

Originally posted by: BlackPear1

Originally posted by: Lord Banshee
would anyone with this mobo and a 6800 series AGP card please run 3dmark 03 and 05 and post the rest of you specs..

I do not know but it seems that my 03 score is good but my 05 score seems weak
3dmark03 --- 10525
3dmark05 --- 3083

I'm getting 9479/3343 (w/X2 3800+ and PNY 6800) at default CPU/GPU speeds.

Is that good or bad? I ask b/c I havnt used 3dmark

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: stormont

Originally posted by: Zap

Most RAID controllers (that don't cost more than your motherboard) do the work in software, meaning a higher CPU load. Perhaps your Intel setup had Hyperthreading that helped CPU usage?

Yes, the P4 did have Hyper-Threading. Shouldn't the dual-core on the X2 act the same though?

Yes, though perhaps the Intel drivers were optimized for Hyperthreading. Then again the flip side could be true - that the ULi drivers are underoptimized.

 

[BlackPear1]

designit - I think that my scores are close to average for my setup. I think Banshee's conclusion was right that his 05 score is weak.

 

[phillyman36]

designit i have a Bfg 6800. I just got my Asrocks board yesterday 9/19 im waiting for my cpu post a link and ill run it on mines when i put it together