EPoX "EP-9NPA+Ultra" NVIDIA nForce4 ULTRA Chipset Motherboard

[Mem]

curran: I normally get 1.42v on auto for my CPU x2 3800+,I set in manually into negative 0.025 now and gives me 1.40v on the nose,good thing with the Epox boards is you can fine tune the voltage to how you want it like most other decent boards.

I know some people do have USB 2.0 problems but I have really tried to create it on my board and cannot find any USB 2.0 problems,maybe it's hardware/software conflict who knows.

Think I might have used too much thermal grease in the last install

Normally too much will give you higher CPU temps,I don't think it will be enough to cause stability problems due to thermal paste alone,I actually was worried I did not put enough thermal paste on,I used just a rice grain or so like in Arctic Silver's website when I applied my Arctic Ceramique paste.

Btw how high are your cpu temps on idle and load?

 

[curran]

Mem,

hey my temps on the 9npa+sli are approx 40C (idle w/out CNQ) & 57C (load) w/ stock fan at I think 3000rpm. The 57 makes me a little nervous when running prime for hours. When I had the cpu on the ultra board w/ same voltage settings, I used less grease & saw a full load temp of 50-52C, if I remember correctly. This would probably be good enough for me since it'd rarely see sustained loadings like that anyway. However, my computer freezes (or rarely the BSOD) at any temp, load, or voltage setting. What's your opinion on it being a faulty CPU or power supply? I've seriously changed every other piece of hardware, OS, drivers, you name it. thanks

-curran

 

[Mem]

Yea 57c is on high side,I don't go above 45c under full load,reapplying the thermal paste should improve it.

Faulty CPU are hard to solve unless you got spare CPU to try it with,I don't think the cpu is faulty,for now all you can do is try lesser amount of thermal paste and see how it goes. Try it with minimal hardware installed to see if that helps,as to PSU same thing again, only way to rule that out is to try a better quality model.

 

[Mem]

Curran: You tested your ram yet with Memtest86+? Might as well start checking other components too,you can make a bootable CD or floppy from their website to test your ram.

 

[curran]

Mem, hey I tested w/ memtest on both brands of ram I used w/out problems. They were both valueRAM, but even so the frequency of crashes didn't seem to change, even when using 1 or 2 sticks and in different slots. As for the CPU temps, I've used different amounts of arctic silv ceramic & also had the freezing w/ the preapplied thermal pad. The system has even frozen many times when the CPU reads slightly above room temp shortly after powering on. Strange thing is USB 2.0 wireless adapters make the system freeze much more frequently. Other USB devices don't....And the system has never frozen w/ USB 1.1 enable in bios.

One thing to note is that larger downloads (w/ wireless adapter) cause it to freeze even more. When trying a 2 GB download, it rarely made it past 100 MB.

-curran

 

[curran]

oh, & I've pretty much tested everything else. I tried removing everything but the HDD & video card...have even tried several different ones of each...All HDDs were IDE, and 2 vid cards were PCI-E and 1 was an old PCI card from the PentiumII days. Tried the HDDs on master and cable select and I think even on both IDE channels. Also tried "auto" & "LBA" HDD access modes in the bios.

 

[DrewCU]

@curran

I currently had/have high temps compared to others with the X2 3800+ but in reality the processor can go up to 70'C according to the AMD I spoke with so you really have nothing to worry about. I have an XP-90 with a 1200rpm Yate Loon 120mm fan, and I idle around 35'C at 1.36V (10x200 currently). I know many people with probably a similar HSF can idle at 26'C so either the processor is the ugly duckling or perhaps the fact that I have my case fans (120mm) on Low is the cause. I also have passive NB cooling so that might not be helping...

Either way, I figure that it would be way too much of a hassle to RMA the X2 to AMD and wait 2 weeks before I can use my computer again, just to have them tell me (after testing) that there is nothing really wrong with it and send it back. I really didn't buy the whole 120mm fan thing, as I started out with a 92mm fan on my XP-90 but my temps def went down at least 2'C since switching. And for those who didn't know you could put a 120mm fan on the XP-90, I just did it today and it isn't perfect, but it does seem to work!!!

Haven't O/C yet nor have I tested the load, but considering I have all my fans on low, with no side case fan currently (for testing the noise of the 120mm CPU fan), and my temps are somewhat reasonable, I guess I'll keep it! I really thought that using AS5 was supposed to be magical, but I tried the stock XP-90 stuff and I detect no change...

I am guessing the people who have 26'C temps have their fans at much higher RPMS, but someone can correct me if I am wrong. Yeah, I would love to brag about lower temps, but I can brag about my quiet system that can process stuff with the rest of 'em (just maybe a bit hotter, but if the hardware doesn't care, then why should I?)!!!

Sorry for the long post...

 

[DrewCU]

Ok, I am at a loss for my issue here... (kinda off-topic sorry)

My Linksys WirelessG USB 2.0 card seems to work fine with USB 1.1, but with my new Startech USB 2.0 PCI card, the device freezes on me... Since I was not alone with the freezings with Epox's USB 2.0 ports, I assumed the problem was because of Epox and not Linksys or the like.

But now I don't know what the deal is. When the Linksys adapter is plugged in to the Startech card and it freezes, only the card freezes fortunately and not my whole computer, but still.. The lights freeze on the Linksys and I have to unplug and plug it back in.

USB 1.1 works just fine with a USB 1.1 PCI card and Epox at USB 1.1. I tried a D-Link USB 2.0 WirelessG adapter using Epox's ports and ran into the same problems so I returned that. Since it was not just Linksys with issues, I assumed that it was Epox's fault.

But everyone here who bought a PCI card seemed to resolve their issues, and I kinda wonder what brands people got. I figured going with a non-generic one I was better off, but it is entirely possible since Epox made the PCI slots and they interface with all things Epox, that Epox is still to blame in some way.

For now I guess I can live with USB 1.1, but I will probably try a WirelessG PCI card (maybe a Netgear WG311?) and see if that works better for me. I definitely see a speed difference with USB 1.1 vs. 2.0 (like a full MB/s download).

Does anyone have any thoughts??? I researched and no one else has this issue with the Linksys adapter that I could find nor with USB 2.0 in general.

Thanks!!!

 

[Thuban]

I just check the AMD website and it seem my A64 3500+ (ADA3500CGBOX) are suppose to run at 1.35V but in the Bios it's running around 1.5V. Is it ok to run it this way and is it causing any damge?

 

[Mem]

Thuban

Just go into BIOS and decrease the voltage ,normally 1.5v is only needed when people overclock their CPUs.

 

[sixth]

Does anyone have any thoughts??? I researched and no one else has this issue with the Linksys adapter that I could find nor with USB 2.0 in general.



dude..read back some posts...i have a ton of USB hard drives, i have issues with everything connected via usb 2.0.

 

[gfngfgf]

DrewCU: My USB2.0 PCI card is a Belkin.

For the record, I do have USB2.0 problems, and I have the X2 driver installed. I haven't tried disabling SMART yet, but since I crash both when copying to my external hard drive and while web browsing with my wireless LAN adapter, that particular solution (disabling SMART) hasn't been a priority for me.

 

[caivoma]

I also have some issue that i posted on this :
Mobo Issue

I sent some email to epox tech support and how long does it usually take them to respond ?
Also, if anyone have any solution or same problem as this, let me know please.

 

[RideFree]

Originally posted by: gfngfgf
DrewCU: My USB2.0 PCI card is a Belkin.

For the record, I do have USB2.0 problems, and I have the X2 driver installed. I haven't tried disabling SMART yet, but since I crash both when copying to my external hard drive and while web browsing with my wireless LAN adapter, that particular solution (disabling SMART) hasn't been a priority for me.

If it fixes it, disabling s.m.a.r.t. could be - er - well, smart.
My gosh, It takes a second to do it in the BIOS.
And I'M DESPARATE FOR CONFIRMATION! - because I did that as well as two other things and I want to know if it really is so.

 

[thesurge]

I have no USB2.0 Troubles... but the only USB2.0 devices that I use are a Flash Drive, and a Camera.

 

[Mem]

New BIOS dated 21st Dec 05,I used Magic BIOS to flash my Epox board,working great.

 

[RobbyG]

Are all the 9NPA+ Ultra boards revision 1.x? I bought my board back in June from Newegg so I'm not sure if there are other revisions or not. If there is, I'm wondering if the issue you guys are having with USB 2.0 is revision specific? Since the issue doesn't seem to be X2 or Bios specific, just trying to help find a common thread. I don't have the problem and I use a HDD in a USB 2.0 Enclosure as a backup device.

What about the rest of you guys?

 

[DrewCU]

RobbyG - I believe my board that I bought from Newegg in late October is rev 1.1 but I could be wrong (def is rev 1.x) so I don't think multiple revs are out there.

I am starting to wonder about S.M.A.R.T. enabled devices and their role with USB 2.0 since currently I have SMART enabled. Tomorrow I shall test my wireless adapter with a SMART disabled system and report back.

It is entirely possible that SMART has an influence on USB 2.0's transfer to the HD, but it makes me wonder about certain things. I get freezings with Epox's USB 2.0 ports with both a Linksys and D-Link G adapter so it's not brand specific, and I get freezings with a Startech USB 2.0 PCI card so it's not only Epox's ports. But since people with USB 2.0 PCI cards said that their problems were gone, I would then wonder why disabling SMART should have any effect since I am guessing if those people had SMART enabled before installing the PCI card, that they didn't disable it afterwards and thus it shouldn't have an active role in the problems...

I could just have a bad USB 2.0 PCI card or a bad Linksys and D-Link adapter, but that seems like a pretty big coincidence right???

 

[Mem]

It is entirely possible that SMART has an influence on USB 2.0's transfer to the HD

When SMART is enabled it uses more bandwidth.


Anybody else going to try the new BIOS?

 

[thesurge]

I was able to get 288HTT primestable @ stock volts on my opteron 144 (x9 multi).

But even when I up the volts to 1.55 (1.525 actual), I can't get primestable at 300HTT.

Any ideas?


Running at 1T (Corsair value select 2x512), divider 2:3, 2.5-3-3-7. (maybe there are better RAM timings? i dont know im not that great with ram timings anyway). I thought I would be able to get it up to around 300 easy. I think it has to do with the memory or the divider.

oh yeh, i'm also running my HTT multiplier at 3 making it 288x3 = 864 HTT. is that way too low? ive been reading in some forums and some people are pushign their HTT over the 1000 mark. is that safe?

 

[RobbyG]

Well it was worth a shot... there must be some common piece to the problem that you guys are having, hopefully you will be able to figure that out. Just to add to the confusion, I had SMART enabled in the Bios since I got the board until just recently and I haven't had the problems with either setting.

I posted about Tech Support somewhere in this thread about 13 pages ago (lol) that I've had better luck with the support from the main Taiwan site (www.epox.com.tw) then the US one. It still wasn't that great, but at least they tried to help me a bit more than the domestic support.

 

[RideFree]

Originally posted by: Mem

It is entirely possible that SMART has an influence on USB 2.0's transfer to the HD

When SMART is enabled it uses more bandwidth.

I am aware of that fact.
I'm trying to say, I battled this for several days and s.m.a.r.t. is one of the three things that I tried b4 it succumbed to my perseverance!
The others were the 33rd re-install of the 32bit XP OS and doing the raid on Sil instead of nForce.
Which of the three do you think did the job?

 

[Mem]

I'm trying to say, I battled this for several days and s.m.a.r.t. is one of the three things that I tried b4 it succumbed to my perseverance!
The others were the 33rd re-install of the 32bit XP OS and doing the raid on Sil instead of nForce.
Which of the three do you think did the job?

RideFree I'm on your side,but others are not listening,btw FYI SMART has no effect with my USB 2.0 eitherway (enabled or disabled ,but then I have no problems) however it is still worth disabling if you have USB problems.

 

[RideFree]

Mem,
Amen! (I don't even want to enable it again to test one of the three.)
And Merry Christmas over there in jolly olde England!

 

[DrewCU]

Just tried my Linksys adapter with SMART disabled, and everything was fine until a minute ago when my adapter plugged into the PCI card froze up. While it wasn't plugged into the motherboard's ports, I figured it'd be easier to test since when connected to the PCI card it only freezes my device not my WHOLE computer. I doubt it would be any different if connected to the motherboard but who knows... I gotta suspect that the USB 2.0 drivers are to blame in some way since everything is fine with USB 1.1, but again who knows...

Anyone have better luck with SMART disabled??

I guess it's time for me to try a WirelessG PCI card... ughhh