MSI 865PE-NEO2LS experience..

[funks]

Info

Mobo: 865PE-NEO2LS
Processor: Intel P4 2.53 GHZ Northwood
Memory: 2 Sticks of PC2700 Crucial (running in Dual Channel Mode).

What's Inside the Box?

The board came with some rounded cables, 2 SATA cables, 1 USB Bracket, ATX back plate. The northbridge is quite silent although MSI seemed to have some sort of boogie fever going on as they've added some blinking lights to it.. It has 6 channel onboard audio , and a 10/100 Intel LAN chip.. There's also a chip marked CORE CELL.. Has two onboard 3-PIN fan headers (one for the CPU, and the other for a front fan)..


Some notes:

Just recently set-up my new 865PE-NEO2LS mainboard with a 2.53 GHZ P4 along with two 512MB PC2700 Crucial RAM..

The problem is that the mainboard is quite unstable when the RAM is set to SPD (which is 333), I have to set it to 266 to get stability out of it.. At 333, I can't even install Windows for it Blue Screens when it tries to start up..

I know the RAM works for they both work perfectly on an i845PE chipset at 333 MHZ default..

Anybody else out there having problems? (I know the canterwood has problems with certain 400 MHZ DDR)..

BTW, the board definitely doesn't work with a Willamete 1.7 (won't boot - must be the voltage) - fought with it for a couple of hours and just broke down and bought a 533 MHZ FSB processor and got it working then RAN into the RAM issue..

The only good thing is that I was able to get the board for 99$ at the Local Computer Fair (in pomona) and gotten rid of the onboard audio by buying an Audigy 2 for 65$ OEM..

 

[oldfart]

DDR333 = 4:5 ratio. You dont need it. Use the DDR266 (1:1) ratio. Please post how well this board overclocks compared to your 845PE board if you have overclocked both.

 

[Budman]

very dissapointing,I had high hopes for this board.

btw that board doesnt suport 400fsb chips that's probably why you could get willy to work.

 

[funks]

actually the Intel 865PE boards do support 400 QPB FSB, but the proc must be Northwood I think.. The issue on the Willy must have been voltage (I remember reading it somewhere that the i865PE boards most likely won't support the voltage required)..

As for overclocking, can't really tell because the 845PE board I had was the Intel D845PEBT2 (Damned stable board, no overclocking features though).

So far, it's been stable after setting the mem to 266 along with the RADEON 9800.. AGP 8X is on and FW is on (played a couple of War3 and Unreal 2) without a glitch. Not one bluescreen problem..

I'm hoping the DDR 333 issue can be fixed with a bios upgrade - it's not like the Crucial RAM is bad quality and it's not like I'm overclocking the RAM either (rated at PC2700).

 

[jaeger66]

Originally posted by: funks
actually the Intel 865PE boards do support 400 QPB FSB, but the proc must be Northwood I think.. The issue on the Willy must have been voltage (I remember reading it somewhere that the i865PE boards most likely won't support the voltage required)..

Yeah, it's looking that way for the 875P so I assume it would hold for the 865PE.

 

[Budman]

I was going to get this board myself because it's so cheap,but now I am not so sure....

I should probably wait till all the springdale boards are out & make a descision then.

But it's hard to resist when the upgrade bug bites you . :evil:

 

[oldfart]

Originally posted by: funks
actually the Intel 865PE boards do support 400 QPB FSB, but the proc must be Northwood I think.. The issue on the Willy must have been voltage (I remember reading it somewhere that the i865PE boards most likely won't support the voltage required)..

As for overclocking, can't really tell because the 845PE board I had was the Intel D845PEBT2 (Damned stable board, no overclocking features though).

So far, it's been stable after setting the mem to 266 along with the RADEON 9800.. AGP 8X is on and FW is on (played a couple of War3 and Unreal 2) without a glitch. Not one bluescreen problem..

I'm hoping the DDR 333 issue can be fixed with a bios upgrade - it's not like the Crucial RAM is bad quality and it's not like I'm overclocking the RAM either (rated at PC2700).

Been stable @ what???? how high can you get the FSB?

 

[chilled]

Originally posted by: funks
Info

MSI seemed to have some sort of boogie fever going on as they've added some blinking lights to it..

Thats the diagnostic LEDs. Use it when you can't boot up - it'll tell u what's gone wrong

Look in the manual....

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: chilled

Originally posted by: funks
Info

MSI seemed to have some sort of boogie fever going on as they've added some blinking lights to it..

Thats the diagnostic LEDs. Use it when you can't boot up - it'll tell u what's gone wrong

Look in the manual....

NO. He's talking about the blinking HSF fan. REREAD his post and LOOK at this picture:

http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/articles.hwz?cid=6&aid=705&page=4

 

[Tom]

This is just speculation on my part, but concerning DDR333 ram and SPD settings..

Before dual ddr boards became available the SPD settings that are programmed into memory sticks were based on settings that would work reliably in single ddr situations. With the increased demands the dual ddr chipsets place on the memory these SPD settings are too aggressive to work reliably. Maybe newer manuactured ram will have somewhat less aggressive SPD settings imbedded in them.

Just a theory..

 

[funks]

Originally posted by: oldfart

Originally posted by: funks
actually the Intel 865PE boards do support 400 QPB FSB, but the proc must be Northwood I think.. The issue on the Willy must have been voltage (I remember reading it somewhere that the i865PE boards most likely won't support the voltage required)..

Been stable @ what???? how high can you get the FSB?

Stable (133 MHZ QPB for the 533 proc, and RAM at 266) - no overclock..

 

[jamoore9]

The 865PE defintely DOES NOT support the 400Mhz FSB. That's 100 QPB x 4, Willy core. The 865PE supports 533 or 800; the 865P (those are different) supports 533 and 400, but not the new 800Mhz FSB. The 865P is really just an 845PE with ICH5.

 

[oldfart]

Originally posted by: jamoore9
The 865PE defintely DOES NOT support the 400Mhz FSB. That's 100 QPB x 4, Willy core. The 865PE supports 533 or 800; the 865P (those are different) supports 533 and 400, but not the new 800Mhz FSB. The 865P is really just an 845PE with ICH5.

Northwoods also come in 400 Mhz QPB.

 

[jb0072003]

Actually I have had it running now for 3 days. I have a 2.4GHz running at 3.3GHz (183 FSB) . It is very stable. My RAM is 2X256MB Geil PC3200 CAS 2 running at 364MHz. Sandra memory bench is 4390MB/s, CPU = 6490 MIPS. Only problem I have is heat, need to get a better HSF

 

[Budman]

Originally posted by: jamoore9
The 865PE defintely DOES NOT support the 400Mhz FSB. That's 100 QPB x 4, Willy core. The 865PE supports 533 or 800; the 865P (those are different) supports 533 and 400, but not the new 800Mhz FSB. The 865P is really just an 845PE with ICH5.

Northwood 400fsb chips are supported,I also didnt think they were supported but they are.

link to MSI cpu support for the 875 cpu support

 

[Budman]

Originally posted by: jb0072003
Actually I have had it running now for 3 days. I have a 2.4GHz running at 3.3GHz (183 FSB) . It is very stable. My RAM is 2X256MB Geil PC3200 CAS 2 running at 364MHz. Sandra memory bench is 4390MB/s, CPU = 6490 MIPS. Only problem I have is heat, need to get a better HSF

Wow you're the first one that I have seen that has been able to run a 533 fsb cpu above 166mhz,gives me new hope for this msi board.

Any special settings you had to use to get it up that high?

 

[oldfart]

Originally posted by: jb0072003
Actually I have had it running now for 3 days. I have a 2.4GHz running at 3.3GHz (183 FSB) . It is very stable. My RAM is 2X256MB Geil PC3200 CAS 2 running at 364MHz. Sandra memory bench is 4390MB/s, CPU = 6490 MIPS. Only problem I have is heat, need to get a better HSF

!!!! Ok, that is more like it!! More details please!

 

[funks]

I ordered some matched GEIL PC3500 RAM.. I'll post an update once I get them (sometime tuesday)..

 

[jb0072003]

no special settings, left all BIOS settings except the FSB and Vcore at default. Vcore = 1.55V, The core center utility that comes with the mobo is great. It allows easy ocing inside windows. Using WinXp SP1

 

[PClark99]

Have the same board.

Strangely enough I could not run my 2.66@3300 in this board.


But, my 2.4b will do 3060 (170 FSB) without a hitch.

Both CPUs have run at the speeds noted in other boards.

 

[Budman]

That's good news,so it seems that board doesnt suffer from the same bug as the asus does when going to 166-199mhz.

Think I will order me one of those as a :gift: to myself.

 

[PClark99]

At 170 FSB I get sandra memory scores of 3948/3995 and a 3dmark2001SE score of 15,610 with a 9700 Pro not overclocked.

This is at least as fast as my 8INXP granite bay at 3300 with 165 FSB.

 

[funks]

regarding the MEM issue, there are some other people at the MSI e-support forum having the same problem with their 333 MHZ (PC2700) chips.. I'm beginning to think this board is finicky with RAM..

 

[oldfart]

Originally posted by: Budman
That's good news,so it seems that board doesnt suffer from the same bug as the asus does when going to 166-199mhz.

Think I will order me one of those as a :gift: to myself.

EDIT Ok, mine is on order. $105 from Newegg. Cant resist that price.

Current setup is
Albatron PX845PEV Pro
2.4B C1 @ 3.06 GHz 1.55 Vcore
170 FSB
1 Gig (2 x 512) Corsair XMS 3200C2 @ DDR425

As long as I can get the same 170 FSB, I'll be happy with it.

 

[Jeriko]

Has anyone tried this board with a 800MHz FSB P4 yet? This is the board I intend to buy, and I'd like to make sure the damn thing works right first.

-J