MSI K8N Neo4 nForce4 Ultra Socket 939

[Netopia]

Ok... not a huge overclock YET...

I'm clapping for you, but only using one hand.

Joe

 

[imported_maildude]

How are you guys flashing the bios? In the read me file it says Do not use a Floppy. I'm pretty new at this so would appreciate any help...thanks.

 

[RGN]

Originally posted by: maildude
How are you guys flashing the bios? In the read me file it says Do not use a Floppy. I'm pretty new at this so would appreciate any help...thanks.

I used a bootable flash drive, but a floppy should work.

 

[parkerlewis]

Originally posted by: nyker96
If you OCing with this board please report your results. Please include BIOS version you using as well. COngrads on 2.7 that's pretty good result.

I've got an Athlon 64 X2 3800+ which is stock at 2.0GHz (10 x 200MHz) and a Freezer 64 Pro.

I have it overclocked to 2.5GHz (10 x 250MHz) with the HT multiplier dropped down to 4x and the RAM running at the DDR 333 ratio so that it comes out to actually being DDR 416 or so (250 * 333 /2). No issues whatsoever with this setup, not bad for a $50 motherboard and a $75 CPU from eBay.

 

[parkerlewis]

Originally posted by: maildude
How are you guys flashing the bios? In the read me file it says Do not use a Floppy. I'm pretty new at this so would appreciate any help...thanks.

I always make a bootable CD using these instructions and then add the flash utility and BIOS file as instructed prior to burning the CD.

 

[nyker96]

tx parkerlewis, looks like this board can go up 250 on HTT alright. I have read some amazing OC stories for the platinium like 300+ HTT, but good to know it'll take 250.

 

[letsgetsilly]

I flashed with a floppy and it worked fine. I don't know why the instructions said that, maybe just to warn against a possible floppy malfunction. They aren't the most reliable.

I remember back in the day anandtech did a 939 overclocking guide, and there were tons of guides in various forums around the internet. Does anyone have any links to these good guides?

 

[vadp]

I am interested in a good 939 overclocking guide also.

 

[Netopia]

There's an Athlon64 overclocking guide (a sticky) in the CPU section of these forums.

I've been playing with computers for almost 30 years now and overclocking so long that I originally had to desolder crystals and solder on new ones to overclock... and in ALL that time, the ONLY BIOS flash I ever did that totally screwed a board was the very first time I ever tried flashing and it was a bad floppy that did me in. Since then, I've almost always made sure that I had a small area of FAT on a hard drive or else just burned a custom CD with the BIOS files on it. I've never had a problem with either of those methods. Every once in a while, when I'm in a hurry, I'll format and then verify a floppy and use it for flashing, but it always makes me nervous.

Joe

 

[davestar]

i picked up this MB and i'm definitely starting to regret it. aside from the lack of accesories (back panels for status LEDs, USB ports, firewire), it won't recognize my (PS2) keyboard. no num lock lights or anything, and i certainly can't get into the BIOS. tried a USB keyboard, but no luck with that either.

my config:
Athlon 3500+
HD w/3 partitions, one containing Windows XP
PC2700 RAM (soon to be replaced)

the HD shouldn't effect the BIOS, and i don't think there's a problem using the slow RAM (i believe it's supported)... could be wrong though. any ideas?

 

[letsgetsilly]

well you're pretty screwed if it won't recognize your keyboard. I would remount the motherboard and make sure that there is no unnecessary metal contact. Perhaps there is some contact that is creating some kind of short.

I was having a lot of trouble trying to startup with a hard drive that had a fat32 partition and an NTFS partition. The computer just couldn't stand it and was giving me strange errors. Using the cmos reset "button" worked the first time, but then failed to work afterwards. Eventually I had to boot off a floppy, flash the bios and now it works fine. I would have been in trouble if I didn't get that far, however.

 

[letsgetsilly]

Here is anandtech's 939 overclocking guide. I couldn't find it with anandtech search, had to use google.

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2548

I know there are some forums out there we in-depth information on a motherboard and processor-stepping basis. I'll keep googling, let us know if you find something.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: tcsenter
I only have three words to say about the Central Valley....Se Habla Español?

Si, senor. Un poquito.

Originally posted by: RGN

Originally posted by: Zap
Interested in LAN parties?

Once in a while, yeah.

There's a 3 day LAN party in Kenosha next weekend (10/27-10/29). PM me if you're interested. There's also a weekly Friday night LAN in Kenosha, plus various LANs towards Chicago, on more of a monthly basis. In fact I was in Morton Grove yesterday for a LAN. Check out MidwestLANparty - people in the area will post LAN party info there.

Originally posted by: maildude
How are you guys flashing the bios?

These days I keep some small hard drives handy (one 10GB and one 40GB) that boots straight to DOS. I use them for BIOS/firmware flashing (video or mobo) and for doing HDD images. Just slap it on one of those USB<>IDE adaptors to transfer the data. Works great.

Originally posted by: Netopia
I originally had to desolder crystals and solder on new ones to overclock...

I had a 386DX25 running at 27MHz with a different crystal. Well, it actually came that way. Not so different from today (remember the hubbub when Asus came out with PEG?), BITD larger system builders would have slightly overclocked stuff to "win" benchmarks in magazines.

Originally posted by: Netopia
I'll format and then verify a floppy and use it for flashing

Floppies are reasonably safe. Just keep the drive clean and dust free, and use a clean floppy. Dust can cause data errors. BITD I always did a "FORMAT /U /C /S A:" for /Unconditional formatting, (re)/Check all clusters and put /System files on the disk (make bootable). When copying files to floppy, "XCOPY ????? A: /V" to /Verify. I still had one flash error (friend's board - he insisted I try a "wrong" BIOS in case it worked). I've also recovered a couple of times, using a donor board and hot-swapping the flash chip.

 

[nyker96]

speaking of BIOS flash, I have sucessfully done a few with the following trick. I create a small FAT32 partition 5MB at one of my large 200GB drive. Then use a floppy/CD to boot into some type of DOS. And since most such boot can see FAT32 but not NTFS, I just switch into this partition that has the BIOS files and flash it from there. It's easier for me since I got a bootable CD (UBCD) that gets into DOS easily. This way I can do flash in DOS and still keep NTFS windows intact.

 

[RGN]

This board sure is fine for the money. I've got my FX-55 2.6@2.975. 43C at full load. I've still not really spent any time testing higher OC. I guess I should mention that the cpu is water cooled. The 7900GTO is too big to let me get the chipset though.

 

[vadp]

I'm about to order this board.
But wonder if it'll be able to run one of my Opterons.
Any ideas?

 

[LeonarD26]

It should be fine with an Opteron. I have a 165 on order... so I will report back in a few days.

 

[vadp]

Great!
Please do!

 

[RGN]

Originally posted by: vadp
I'm about to order this board.
But wonder if it'll be able to run one of my Opterons.
Any ideas?

If the board really is the one previously linked to on MSI's site, it looks fine.

 

[vadp]

WOW!
Nice graph!
Thanks.

 

[nyker96]

LeonarD26, if you got that 165, let us know how far you can OC it with this board. BTW, which BIOS you on?

 

[LeonarD26]

I still haven't gotten my 165 in, nor have I even ordered my video card.. still haven't decided. Won't have time to play with this till next week anyway.

Just an FYI, looks like the board is $2 cheaper now!

 

[imported_maildude]

Could someone tell me the proper slots to put the memory for dual channel. The colors are different from the downloaded manual. sorry I'm kind of new at this and thanks

 

[RGN]

Originally posted by: maildude
Could someone tell me the proper slots to put the memory for dual channel. The colors are different from the downloaded manual. sorry I'm kind of new at this and thanks

Put them in the matching colors. I did orange an purple and it came up single channel. I move them and *BOOM* Headshot!

 

[imported_maildude]

Thanks Rgn I really appreciate the help. I'm a Grandfather trying to build my Grandson a computer and I can use the help....lol. I'm enjoying it though and I guess that's what counts. Thanks again