GA-8IRXP F6 BIOS online

[JCDenton]

Gigabyte released a new Bios for the 8irxp!!!

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/support/intel845.htm#link8irxp

 

[JCDenton]

Version Description:

1. Fixed Promise SSID/SVID sometimes change after reset
2. Fixed system sometimes power on at FSB 66Mhz after shutdown from WINXP
3. Fixed setting VID items then power on/off, system sometimes hangs up at POST26h

 

[rockhard]

Linkified

 

[EtOH]

I noticed its not on the US server yet. Any word on if it fixes the annoying boot issue?

I saw that in the f5 bios they enabled the raid controller to be used as an IDE controller. That was my other main complaint.

Now fix the boot issue and this is a amazing motherboard.

 

[jasonja]

Yes, please someone who has this reboot issue on this board please try this bios and tell us.

My Asus P4b266 is Dead and the RMA process is 2 weeks... This sucks and I kind of want Raid 0 again and onboard lan would be pretty nice too. Not to mention it's $11 less than the P4B266.

 

[rockhard]

Ive been using the F6d beta bios which is the same as the F6 final according to Gigabyte Tech support and it has cured all the previous bugs in the previous bioses for my rig
You can download the F6d beta here if you you wish to try and see if it fixes any problems your experiencing till the F6 final is uploaded to the gigabyte ftp.

 

[rockhard]

Just tried the F6 final which has just become available on gigabytes .tw site and everythings looking good so far
At last the GA8IRXP gets the thumbs up.

On the rebooting issue - i have seen/experienced this with boards from all the major board makers and have come to the conclusion its a PSU problem.
If anyone gets the GA8IRXP and has the reboot problem with this latest bios i would recommend they try a different/better PSU as there seems to be a lot of bad quality control about with PSU's at the moment
I had a trusty Enermax 330 watt PSU that was causing me the reboot problem for nigh on 12 months before i sussed out what was going on.

 

[EtOH]

not sure about the powersupply being the issue. I am using a good heavy duty 400watt Antec, not exactly a bad powersupply.

EtOH

 

[rockhard]

Yeah i would tend to agree with you, but it be great to remove the doubt from the PSU by trying another known not to have problems PSU from another rig.
Have you tried either the F6 Final or F6d beta?
Has it fixed the problem for you?

When i have problems myself, the PSU is the first thing i look at now as the quality control on them things sux goat balls IMO

 

[JCDenton]

I have a strong Enermax 431 watt PSU!
I don't think that the PSU cause the bootprob

 

[EtOH]

QA does suck some serious @$$ usually, however I have had GREAT experiences with Antec powersupplies. I got burned once on a generic and use nothing but Antec now, I have used them for a while now. I don't know anyone else with a P4 local that I could swap powersupplies with or I would try it.

As far as new bioses I am using the f4 bios, its what shipped with my motherboard. I have a theory about the boot problem, just don't reboot. My machine has run amazingly stable under serious load (try running XP with VMWare running Linux and Win200 server at the same time) and it hasn't hiccuped once. I did just take a look and according to my network adapter it has been running for 20 days without a hitch. I only brought it down then to add in a new harddrive.

Until I see more feedback on the bioses I think I will wait it out. I have had a few bad flash experiences (damn power outage toasted a Abit flash, and an MSI board told me the flash was good and then wouldn't boot).

EtOH

 

[68GTX]

My friend had two different GA-8IRXPs and both suffered from the reboot issue. I tested them with 4 different power supplies (Antec 400 watt, Sparkle 400 Watt, Enermax 350 Watt, Enlight 340 Watt) that have been proven to work perfectly on every motherboard that I have tested. I think that pretty much eliminates the power supply as the source of the problem. Unfortunately he returned both boards before they released the new bios. I wonder if using the pin trick would solve the reboot issue. The GA-8IRXP has some nice features and it will be a shame if they don't solve the reboot issues.

 

[EtOH]

Like I said, the fix for the reboot issue is just don't reboot

Get your rig stable enough, then leave it alone

Seriously though, other than the reboot issue the 8irxp is one amazing motherboard. It is so nice to not have to deal with Via anymore, although I kinda miss my TBird rig.

EtOH

 

[rockhard]

<< I have a strong Enermax 431 watt PSU! >>



Still be worth eliminating it from the equation though, yeah?


I once had an Enermax PSU that i, like you thought could not be the cause of any problem i was having, but after 12 months of reboot probs i eventually found that it was the culprit after all.

Etoh - You know you want to flash to the new bios really Just pop it on a floppy and place half inserted into your floppy drive.
Wont take long for curiosity to get the better of you and do the dirty deed

 

[rockhard]

Come on guys, dont be shy - get that F6 bios flashed

 

[EtOH]

I will probrably flash it this weekend. I am currently working on some projects on this machine that I can't afford to lose time on if something bad happens. Will let you know how it goes though.

1 question - with the new bios (as of f5) isn't the RAID controller available as an IDE busmaster? THat was my biggest complaint before as I need those ports and currently have to use an add in card for my DVD/CD/CDRW drives. Way to many damn drives in this machine right now

EtOH

 

[jasonja]

So Rock, you never actually had reboot issues? I really like what this Mobo has to offer but I'm not sure I'll be happy if I can't see the FSB to 133 without issues like this. Someone else please try this new bios and lets find out if this mobo is fixed for real.

 

[EtOH]

Its actually not a fsb issue, its a vcore issue.

If you leave the fsb at 100 and change the vcore from auto to anything else, you will get the reboot issue. The reason it seems to be a fsb thing is that by the time everyone hits 125+ they need to hit a little extra voltage, hence the blame being laid on the fsb when in fact it is the vcore. People that don't have this problem usually have not changed their vcore voltage from auto.

EtOH

 

[jasonja]

Well I sealed up the Asus for RMA.... sigh... but I don't know whether to take ti dive with the Gigabyte or wait out the two weeks for Asus to fix my board. I haven't even gotten to play with my 1.8A yet so I don't know how well it will OC without upping the core. I hate computers today!

 

[rockhard]

EtOH - The new F6 bios allows you to set your Promise channels as ordinary ATA133 IDE ports so you could pop your HD's on them and pop your burner/CDR on the ATA100 ports perhaps?

jasonja - Ive never had any reboot issues with any of the bioses but did have the 2/3 clock problem. If the reboot issue isnt fixed for some people with the F6 bios i would be tempted just to RMA the board as its not funny to have to play around chasing your own tail

I bought the GA8IRXP as i fancied having some of the Intel stability i keep hearing about.
Its ironic that my GA7VTXH with my XP 1600+ has been far less trouble than this Intel setup. Heh, its even got the dreaded Via chipset on it yet never flinches.
Im beginning to think this myth of Intel platform being superior in stability/trouble free is a load of zealot created hot air IMO FWIW.

 

[Tummy]

THe new f6 bios hasn't helped me at all, still can't soft reboot.

 

[RalfHutter]

Posted this in the other thread but it applies here as well:


Rockhard - re: the Enermax PSU.

I have an Enermax 465 that was in my AMD Tbird/EPoX 8K7A rig. It worked flawlessly for me, I didn't have any of the issues that people were attributing to the 5v rail problem.

When I got my Northwood chip I started with the 8IRXP board (thanks Strawberrymom and Anand!) but quickly ran into the "no boot/reboot while doing anything with Vcore" issue. After BS tech support from Gigabyte I RMA'ed the board and got an Asus P4B266.

I kinda doubt that my problem was PSU-related because if I changed the voltage setting in the BIOS to "user" (or whatever it is) I would get the noboot thing, EVEN IF I left the Vcore at 1.5 and the FSB at 100. i.e. - no OC at all, but still had boot issues.

 

[HolgMan]

didn't work for me either...

 

[rockhard]

RalfHutter - From what yourself and others are saying im leaning towards thinking that Gigabyte just dropped a bollock with this one yeah?
Im thinking ive dropped one as well because the platform seems no better than the Via/AMD platform i had before.
The only thing i have achieved is a slightly cooler processor, thats all.
Do you feel your changeover from AMD to P4 was worthwhile?

Im seriously considering going back to an AMD rig in the next few weeks if i can find a board i like as i feel this Intel mullarky is overrated, no more stable than a properly setup AMD rig, and not as good value for money.

Im beginning to realise just how good a setup my GA7VTXH & XP 1600+ is.
Heh, now my dad has it and rubs my nose in it :frown:

 

[HolgMan]

@rockhard:

so you're also an "amd/via-to-intel"-changer?

I can -definately- understand you! I was also thinking getting back to AMD, but then I remembered VIA *grml* I'm probably getting an Asus P4T-E on monday for testing... Let's see what RDRAM can give me... I think GBT has seen one positive response from the usenet and then they said: "Wow, one did it! Make it final and stop working on it!"