GA-K8NSNXP-939

[Pohemi]

Well....I was a dumb ass for not checking the AMD compatibility list for DDR before ordering all my parts. I assumed that because it was one of the most common manufacturers of high-end RAM, it would work with just about any higher end system. My bad. Judging from some of these threads, I'm beginning to believe it may have at least something to do with the AMD on-die memory controller. I just don't understand why these chips would be so limited on the compatibility issue. And...as many of you have stated, no one is fessing up for jack. I've contacted Gigabyte, Corsair, and AMD, and I'm just going in circles. I don't want to spend money on a different Mobo if the problem is the mem controller. I'm going crazy here...I spent a ton of money and it runs only slightly better than my old system!! Anyone wanna buy some walletbuster Corsair sticks??

 

[pantner]

ok, i wouldn't check the AMD compatability list....check the K8NSNXP-939 compatability list, which can be found a few pages back (i think....it definetly in THIS thread)

and, i've begun having small problems.....Prime95 runs for 2 hours and stops, Memtest86 goes for 4 hours and is fine....and i've been getting back into Warcraft3 now, and out of 2 games, it has crashed twice....but only to the desktop, no BSOD....

Is that RAM related? as far as i knew, ifg it was RAM is would give you a BSOD...

 

[Brickster]

Any one using the nForce3 firewall on this board?

How about the NVidia ForceWare Network Access Manager... Does this thing just suck, or am I crazy?

 

[pantner]

lol, i remember when i was researching the MB, that i noticed the hardware firewall, and thought it was a good thing....

but i don't use it (i don't even use the WinXP firewall......hehehe, i've turned off the security centre!!!)

 

[Pohemi]

YAAAYYY!! I think I may have found a partial solution to the memory problem. It's not a complete fix, but helps get the system closer to what it SHOULD run at. I downloaded EasyTune5, which lets you raise the voltage up PAST 2.7 volts for the DDR. The Corsair XLL RAM is tested at 2.75 as I'm sure many of you know. I raised it to 2.8 and raised the CPU voltage to 1.65, and I've been able to raise the system bus to a STABLE 225 mHz. If any of you have Corsair TwinX1024 3200XL RAM, try this if you haven't already found a better solution. If you have, let me know!! I'm gonna keep experimenting and I'll let you know if I find anything else.

 

[Pohemi]

Oh yeah...has anyone heard of my previously stated bios problem and rebooting? Any suggestions?

 

[imported_orionbg]

My memory is A-Data VITESTA DDR500 as stated in my signature. Tried slots 1 and 2 then 3 and 4 but no change! My PSU is 450W Q-TEC. Have worked fine for quite some time! My previous setup was based on a s754 Athlon64 3200+ and no such problems! The memory chips are Hynix and are in the list of supported modules on AMD's web site! When I manualy set the memory to 166MHz the system works fine but when set to 200MHz it woun't even load Windows some times!

 

[imported_orionbg]

Little Update:

I tried the MS memory diagnostic tool and out of the 6 standart tests only one produces memory errors!! The "LRAND". If I run the extended tests out of 11 tests 2 produce errors, the "LRAND" and "ERAND"!!!

As the tool describes these tests try to fill the memory with random data and then check for acuracy!!

These errors are here at 166MHz too! The amount of errors is in direct link to the last RAM setting before the "enable 2T command rate" it BIOS. I found that "1x1552" gives the smallest amount of errors and the default settings gives 100 times more!!!

Excuse my BAD English!

 

[pantner]

Hmmm, its begining to sound like that RAM is faulty....if its giving errors when its underclocked....

try running the same tests in a different computer.....

have you tried using "memtest-86"?????

 

[imported_orionbg]

Memtest doesn't give errors or not until the 2 hours I've been waiting it! The RAM is working properly even highly overcklocked on any other System I have tried! Everything else works fine with other MB and CPU (Soltek K8AN3E-GR or Asus K8V-Deluxe & 3200+)

 

[pantner]

AHHHH.....i just realised that you said that you RAM was on teh Supported list from AMD....

have you checked to see if they are on the list for THIS motherboard????
(there is a link ealier in this thread...)

i misread your post the first time and thought u said they were on the gigabyte list

 

[imported_orionbg]

There is NO official list on Gigabyte's Site! Only the unofficial list in someone's dialog with GB's Tech support! Mine is the same as the one in the list "A-Data VITESTA DDR500" but mine is with Hynix chips and the one in the list is with A-Data chips!!!

 

[pantner]

Originally posted by: orionbg
There is NO official list on Gigabyte's Site! Only the unofficial list in someone's dialog with GB's Tech support! Mine is the same as the one in the list "A-Data VITESTA DDR500" but mine is with Hynix chips and the one in the list is with A-Data chips!!!

i realise that, but its the best thing we have.....

and i hope you realise, that its not the brand that matters...its the actual chips that make the difference...

 

[imported_orionbg]

I'll try some TwinMOS ram when I get home!

 

[imported_orionbg]

Nothing NEW! The TwinMOS is also producing errors! Not as much as tha A-Data but still...

I'll probably return the board and never get close to Gigabyte again! One of my previous boars the K7NNXP was a real pain in the a.. but this one i the crappiest $240 boar I have seen to date, and I build up to 20 PCs a day!

 

[imported_Hornswoggler]

Originally posted by: orionbg
Nothing NEW! The TwinMOS is also producing errors! Not as much as tha A-Data but still...

I'll probably return the board and never get close to Gigabyte again! One of my previous boars the K7NNXP was a real pain in the a.. but this one i the crappiest $240 boar I have seen to date, and I build up to 20 PCs a day!

Yeah, the board is pretty sad for the price paid. Mine is sitting outside my computer, never to go back in!

Try this:

with Memtest86, go into the options and run the "all" test or whatever. I don't have it in front of me, but there is an option.

Also try running everything in single-channel mode (DIMM sockets 1 and 3) and see if your reliability improves. This will help isolate if there is an error with the memory, or if you are just having dual-channel problems (which is common, sad to say).

I went with the MSI K8N Neo2 + Crucial Ballistix. Works great!!!

My Corsair 3200XL is now on ebay, as that memory wouldn't work on either motherboard!

Curses to Corsair and Gigabyte! I consider this to be a "compound" problem, meaning it wasn't just one thing causing the issue.

 

[flawlssdistortn]

You're right Hornswoggler, there is not any one element of our systems that can be faulted, or altered to solve the stability issues. I started off with the most unstable system, crashing almost every hour when i would play games. For the last 2 months i have managed to attain an almost complete stability. I found that disabling fast writes helps (6800gt wont work well with it), I moved my memory to slots 3 and 4, and manually set the HT, memory, and AGP buses to stock settings through the nvidia system utility (they seem to be slightly overclocked by default). Tech support said that it was inadvertent and within an allowed tolerance. Hmm, or are they just trying to cheat a bit and get a few more performance points?? Finally, I decided to go with a command rate of 2 in which i lost a bit of performance, but i think it's a small price to pay when i realized that i had finally rid myself of the BSOD!! I still haven't been able to do very well in prime95 - 3 hours is my record, lol.

 

[savoybc]

Originally posted by: Brickster
Any one using the nForce3 firewall on this board?

How about the NVidia ForceWare Network Access Manager... Does this thing just suck, or am I crazy?

Yeah, the ForceWare Network Access Manager. I don't like this software. It sucks. I prefer the windows firewall over it! Even my router's firewall is better than this. I uninstalled it a few hours after it was installed with the updated nForce drivers from nVidia.

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@Pohemi420

Thanks for the advice, I will try to download ET5 and see how my RAM will operate with a higher voltage than 2.7. On your BIOS problem, what BIOS version are you using? F3, or the F4 BIOS. If it's F4 BIOS try downgrading to F3 BIOS. It is more stable, at least, for me.

Edit:

Installed Gigabyte's ET4... they don't have ET5... hmm.. maybe I misread Anyway I was able to provide my ram with a Volatage of 2.8. We'll see how the Torture test goes this round. ET works for me! I remember earlier that Ballistyx said that ET4 gave him problems hmmm... anyway. Going to see how she runs in the torture test now.

 

[imported_orionbg]

NEW UPDATE!!!!

Last night I did some tests and I thought that my PSU was not powerfull enough. I diconnected the RAID and All optical drives and then ran the MS Memory DIAG again. And oh miracle!!!! NO ERRORS!!! Then I connected all my optical drives and try again. No problems again! A was seeing my self with a new 550W PSU but to be sure I connected the RAID Drives to an old AT PSU. Then again I ran the DIAG. ERRORS!!!! Then I began to realise that the problem is not the PSU!!! I changed the RAID Controller! Connected the Drives to the Sillicon Image RAID Controller and A miracle again!! NO ERRORS again!! Averything is now connected to my original PSU and NO Errors at all! Memory in Dual Channel at 200MHz!!!

I once told to myself that no nVidia product will ever be in my system again I was probably right!

NVRAID is crap!!! Maybe a RAID BIOS upgrade will fix things but we will see!
BTW Changing the RAID Destroys ALL YOUR Data!

 

[Pohemi]

Where did you go to get the Easy tune? Intead of going to the Gigabyte website, I think I may have done a search on google and found it that way. Just a thought. It may just be like the F4 bios: It's on the gigabyte website, but the @BIOS utility does NOT find it. You have to go to the website and download to a file manually. Give it a shot and tell me what you think.

 

[Pohemi]

I've come to believe that the only problems that CANNOT be fixed or worked around are with the certain types of low-latency RAM. People are running higher speed RAM, like PC4000, without any problems because the latencies aren't as low. If you have low latency RAM, even relaxing the timings doesn't make your system stable at stock speeds. I hate Gigabyte so much. Every time I have contacted them, they send a reply NOT with any answers, but with stupid questions that I've already answered, like what version BIOS are you using and what software are you running? They continue to dodge all these problems, and I've promised them that I will never buy their products again.

 

[savoybc]

I got EasyTune4 off my Gigabyte CD. After installing it downloaded a newer version of Easytune4 in the background via FTP. it works.

@orionbg:
Did you get the newest nForce driver updates from nVidia?

On another note: the Torture test failed for me in 8 hours this time with my voltage set to 2.8 via EasyTune4. =(

 

[Robor]

Can someone please help me with a HS/F combo for this board? I've got a A64 3200+ and the board should be here sometime this week. I'd like to get a HS/F before the weekend.

I've searched the 'net high and low and couldn't find a "best option" answer for this motherboard. I wanted the Thermalright XP-120 but found one guy who said it (probably) wouldn't fit. Then I thought maybe the Zalman 7000 alum/copper one.

I'm looking for good cooling that doesn't sound like a vaccuum cleaner. Thanks for any help!

 

[pantner]

Originally posted by: Robor
Can someone please help me with a HS/F combo for this board? I've got a A64 3200+ and the board should be here sometime this week. I'd like to get a HS/F before the weekend.

I've searched the 'net high and low and couldn't find a "best option" answer for this motherboard. I wanted the Thermalright XP-120 but found one guy who said it (probably) wouldn't fit. Then I thought maybe the Zalman 7000 alum/copper one.

I'm looking for good cooling that doesn't sound like a vaccuum cleaner. Thanks for any help!

I really hope you didn't get the K8NSNXP-939....cause then you're stuck with a CPU and Motherboard that don't fit.....

 

[imported_Hornswoggler]

Originally posted by: pantner

Originally posted by: Robor
Can someone please help me with a HS/F combo for this board? I've got a A64 3200+ and the board should be here sometime this week. I'd like to get a HS/F before the weekend.

I've searched the 'net high and low and couldn't find a "best option" answer for this motherboard. I wanted the Thermalright XP-120 but found one guy who said it (probably) wouldn't fit. Then I thought maybe the Zalman 7000 alum/copper one.

I'm looking for good cooling that doesn't sound like a vaccuum cleaner. Thanks for any help!

I really hope you didn't get the K8NSNXP-939....cause then you're stuck with a CPU and Motherboard that don't fit.....

SHOULD BE HERE SOON!

But you might be on to something.

Robor, better count your pins!

Motherboards can be 754, 939, or 940 pins. The gigabyte board in question is 939 pins. The A64 3200+ in 939 pin package is VERY NEW... I assume you just bought it?