**OFFICIAL** Abit BG7 (i845G) Thread

[mike9390]

Hi Kenny, what version of Windows are you running? What Detonator driver version are you using and which chipset drivers have you tried? Have you tried a different video card? I'm running Win98SE with the 30.30 dets on a GF2 Ultra with the latest chipset drivers. The max FSB I can run is 170, with a 1:1 ratio and the highest i've tried so far with the 4:5 is 160. I have a 2.26B btw.

 

[kENNYC28]

this is my setup
geforce 4 ti4600
1.6a costa rica
wd 80 gig hard drive
soundblaster live 5.1
antec true power 430 watt psu
corsair xms 3000 512mb
16x dvd rom
16x10x40 hp cdrewriter

 

[Lizardman]

THis board is sweet now i am running the 4:5 multilplier and at 160 fsb. So my 1.6A is at 2.56 and my mem is at 200mhz. My sandra memtest is at like 3100/3100

 

[Lizardman]

I know this has been mentioned before but i feel it must be said again for all of those people who didnt read it before.



Any one with a BG7 should in my opinion clean off the northbridge heatsink and put some artic sliver on there. It originally comes with a pink TIM on it AND thermal paste. THis will actually make heat dissipation worse. I didnt lap my northbridge or the heatsink (due to foam) but now my heatsink gets up to 45 deg (ambient is 30) This temp is measure off the heatsink with a thermal probe. Imagine how hot the core would get with all that sh1t that abit put on there originally.


Just a word of warning so noone damages there new mobo.

 

[gururu]

So I actually did this just because I was futzin around with the heatsink, and trashed the stock hf pad. So is the thermal paste switch only advised for overclockers? Why would the chipset get hotter? Any idea on what the temperature of the sink was before the switch?

thanks, appreciate any info.


gururu

 

[Rythan]

If there's both a thermal pad AND thermal grease, the northbridge will get hotter because it's "harder" for the heat to escape to the heatsink (the thermal resistance is higher).

If you don't overclock, I wouldn't worry at all. If you do, I'd say definitely clean it all off and put some AS3 on. I have no way to check the temperature difference, but there's no point shooting yourself in the foot while overclocking when it just takes a couple of minutes to fix up the northbridge

 

[Khanivore]

Guys, if you have a P4 2.26B and are using it on the BG7, did you overclock it to 160MHz FSB? (2.73GHz)

I just did with just a +5% vcore increase. Trouble is, I have a major problem.

When I fire up America's Army and run it in Window mode - so that I can monitor MBM5 readings - my +12v line fluctuates a lot. It starts jumping around between 11.98v down to 11.73v. It seems to do that alot... and then suddenly, America's Army game crashes. This is making me mad because I purchased and installed an Enermax EG465P-VE 431w PSU.

My hardware is:

P4 2.26B + stock HSF w/AS3 (temps. are not an issue at the moment)
Abit BG7 w/Northbridge using AS3
Samsung DDR333 512Mb (not True Samsung but I got a True stick on order)
Leadtek GF4 Ti4600 (not overclocked for now)
Creative Audigy soundcard
Maxtor D740X 40Gb hdd
Lite-On 32x12x40 burner
Panasonic DVD drive
3.5" floppy
2x front intake 80mm fans
2x rear exhaust 80mm fans
1x ceiling exhaust 92mm fan
1x sound sensitive neon light
Enermax EG465P-VE 431w PSU

Right now the 2.26B CPU is overclocked to 2729MHz with +5% vcore. The voltage line readings are these at idle stage:

+3.3 = 3.28v ... when busy, e.g. playing America's Army, it alters between 3.28v down to 3.26v every couple of seconds
+5.00 = 5.13v ... this line always stays at 5.13v, never seems to alter
+12.00 = 11.98v ... when idle it sits stable at 11.98v but if the CPU is even 2% busy, it drops down to 11.92v. It gets really bad when America's Army is running, altering between 11.98v all the way down to 11.73v as far as I noticed. The line never stays the same, just alters like every second.
-12.00 = -8.57v ... never seems to alter
-5.00 = -2.98v ... again never seems to alter

Guys, does this look like a PSU problem at 2.73GHz even when I got Enermax EG465P-VE 431w PSU?

 

[Rythan]

I think power supplies are seriously overrated when it comes to overclocking. I have a Zalman 300W and an Enermax 465.. in the course of overclocking my 2.26B's, I switched back and forth between them and noticed no difference whatsoever in terms of how far I could overclock the processors. The 12V line is expected to fluctuate a bit under load, because it's the 12V line that feeds the voltage regulators that go to the CPU's 1.65V or whatever you're running at.

My home system is now running on the Zalman 300W, and it powers a Koolance case, two 1200JB's, a dvd200i, a PlexWriter, and a GF4-4400, all along with a 2.26B running at 160FSB, and it's completely stable... I encoded DVD's for 12 hours straight last night without a glitch. It's equally stable with the Enermax.

These little fluctuations on the power rails are irrelevant, that's what all the capacitors and voltage regulators on the motherboard are for.

 

[Khanivore]

Rythan have you managed to overclock your 2.26B to 160MHz FSB?

If so, can you see if it holds up OK when you play a game as intensive as America's Army. I think this game really stresses the system.

I have a feeling my Enermax 431w PSU is not so good because the +12v line goes crazy. It never does it this much at 150MHz FSB (2.55GHz) and so runs pretty stable.

Where's THUGSROOK? Dude I need your holy advice! LOL

 

[THUGSROOK]

lol - i know this is gonna sound funny - MBM is crashing your system :Q

 

[Khanivore]

LOL! :Q Okay... lol I'll go redo the big test again with MBM5 turned off. Be back soon.

 

[Khanivore]

Hmm it BSOD on me this time in America's Army. Maybe I need to up the vcore to +10% (1.65v). Going to up it to +10%, was hoping I won't need to.

By the way, this is at 160MHz FSB (2.73GHz).

 

[THUGSROOK]

well um yea - you havnt tried that yet?

nothing wrong with 1.65v

 

[Khanivore]

GOOD NEWS: America's Army never crashed when using +10% (1.65v) vcore!

BAD NEWS: temperature shot up to 60C after about 5 minute of gaming. Looks like I need to get my Volcano 7+ back into action, but the its clip is broken. I'm waiting for my friend to send me a replacement clip, he's managed to get one off Thermaltake for me.

 

[mpeg4v2]

Well, has it been established that the BG7 reports temps a bit higher than what they're really at? Cause I don't think there's any way in hell my cpu is at 45C at it's default 1.6A idle, with an Alpha PAL8942 and Sunon 80mm 50cfm fan. I just hope Abit releases a bios update to correct the temp reading issue.
I'm also having some other problems. I've booted this RAM in a friend's computer at 206mhz before. No clue if it was stable or not, but, it POSTed and booted into Windows before we shut down. However, in this system, I can't get it anywhere above 186-187mhz stable. I'm using Corsair XMS2700 512mb RAM stick. To my understanding, the 3000 and the 3200 versions are the same sticks, just clocked higher- so in theory I should be able to hit 185mhz at the most aggressive timings- which I'm at right now. 185mhz RAM at 2-5-2-2. However, I can't get it stable at 186+ even when I change it to 2.5-7-3-3. I'm wondering if anyone else has been having this problem, I'm working up a theory that the BIOS may not actually change the timings from 2.0 to 2.5 for CAS, as Sandra ALWAYS shows 2.0, and I just can't get this RAM stable. Any ideas?

 

[Khanivore]

You're not the only one man. I had a similar problem with my 2 sticks of Corsair XMS2700 256Mb. They both worked great on the Asus P4B266, easily doing DDR400 on their using the 3:4 mobo hack. Knowing my Corsairs did DDR400, I thought I could prolly do better on the Abit BG7 but I was so wrong. The BG7 just wouldn't let me do H/W=Low & 3:4 ratio. There was no other way to get DDR400 unless my P4 1.6A overclocked to 160MHz FSB, which it wouldn't do. I eventually got tired of trying to overclocked the sticks, I just sold them off together with the Asus P4B266 and the 1.6A as a 2.4GHz+DDR400 setup. The new owner is pleased with his new setup.

 

[Khanivore]

Is anyone else using Samsung 'DTL' stick on the BG7? If so, what is the most stable overclock you got on there and at what VDimm?

My 512mb Samsung "True" PC2700 (DTL) stick is giving me problems.

For first, when I opened the parcel and looked at the memory, it looked like it's been used, i.e. the copper contacts had marks on them, a sign it was plugged into a mobo. I asked the retailer, they said they check them before they ship them out. (Is this a normal conduct??)

Secondly, the memory only overclocks stable to DDR375 at default voltage (150MHz w/High+4:5 ratio). I left the machine on all night, doing a Sandra memory burn-in at DDR375 using default voltage. It doesn't seem to make a difference in getting it to work stable at 155MHz FSB (DDR388) even if I use 2.6v or 2.7v. 3DMark2001SE still crashed. Yep, the max. VDimm of 2.8v was tried too - no luck.

My 2.26B runs fine at 160MHz FSB w/1.65v and memory at 1:1 ratio (DDR320). It's definately my Samsung holding me back.

What shall I do, how shall I give the memory a correct burn-in?

Would really appreciate any input.

My hardware: P4 2.26B, ABIT BG7, Samsung Original PC2700 (DTL) 512Mb, Leadtek A250 Ultra (GF4 Ti4600)
Current stable setting: 2.26B@2.55 & DDR375 on default voltages

 

[Lizardman]

I am using a stick of 256mb Samsung pc2100 I can get it up to DDR 400. At this speed its totaly stable. If I put another stick of 256mb Samsung in there same model number and everything I can only get up to DDR 370 so far. THis is at 2.61V by the way.


WHEN I first tried to boot up my computer at 133 fsb and 4:5 multiplier (this is with just one stick in my mobo) It would not do it.
But if i started at 100 fsb and went up with 2mhz increments it booted and went into windows. I had to use this method to get it up to 200mhz it would not boot and run stable unless I went up a few mhz at a time. I don't know if you tried this Khanivore but it maybe some where to start. I know my cpu can take it because I got it to boot at 2.8 ghz and its stable at 2.7ghz. So maybe give this method a try and see what happens.

I mean if my sticks of samsung can go up to 200 mhz I am sure your 6nano seconds stick will too.

 

[Khanivore]

Hi Lizardman, thanks for your reply.

Yep, I can boot into Windows XP fine at DDR400 (160MHz+4:5) but if I do anything, it crashes. I tried feeding 2.8v into the memory, it still crashes. Hmmm maybe I need to leave it running at DDR375 for about 2 weeks. =/

 

[tyoung88]

Originally posted by: Khanivore
Hi Lizardman, thanks for your reply.

Yep, I can boot into Windows XP fine at DDR400 (160MHz+4:5) but if I do anything, it crashes. I tried feeding 2.8v into the memory, it still crashes. Hmmm maybe I need to leave it running at DDR375 for about 2 weeks. =/

Khanivore,

Funny that I have almost the exact same setup as you, however I'm not having the same luck as you with the CPU prob cuz I only have a 300W PS.

I also have the DTL Samsung Ram and the furthest I can push it is DDR375. I've run Prime95 at different FSB and Voltages (both CPU and Mem) on various occasions over the past month in an attempt to get the mem to OC higher. No luck. I've just reached some sort of roadblock. I'veread on this board that many people were having problems with the low 3:4 setting (or is it 4:3? whichever one that gives you 400DDR@150mhz). Maybe a bios update will help us. If not I'm pretty satifsfied with a stable oc to 2.4 and DDR375.

 

[Khanivore]

Yeah it's strange. Even with my Corsair XMS2700 sticks - sold off now - had been doing DDR400 nicely on the ASUS P4B266 using the 3:4 ratio hack, but they really had a hard time doing DDR380 on this BG7. Something is up with the BG7, it sure needs a BIOS update by now. This is one thing I hate about Abit - they're quite slow when it comes to BIOS support. Look at ASUS, they're always working on improving their BIOS!

!! WAKE UP ABIT !!

 

[Rythan]

Yee haw! Abit released a new BG7 BIOS and it solved the problems I (and probably crapito) was having with memory ratios/Intel INFs/Detonator drivers.

I'm now running my 2.26P4 at an FSB of 160, ratio of 4:5 (DDR400, 2.5:7:3:3 enhanced off for now) using Corsair XMS3200. Sisoft and 3DMark run fine. I'll run Prime95 overnight to make sure, but pre-BIOS flash I could not boot into Windows under these conditions.

Note, the flash program gave me an error saying the BIOS-Lock string didn't match my system or something. I had to add the switch "/nbl" to the line in ABITFAE.BAT that calls AWDFLASH.

I hope this helps others who had "The Problem".

 

[gururu]

Rythan,
i can't flash with the new bios. get error

part number doeasn't match system. i tried the /nbl addition, still no effect

been trying in win2k safe mode w/ command prompt.

any advice

 

[Rythan]

Hmm. Like I said, mine wouldn't work until I added the /nbl to the rest. My only other suggestions would be to clear the CMOS, boot from a DOS floppy at default CPU speed, and try again. I imagine at some point Abit will fix this flash problem. Good luck.

 

[gururu]

I got it to work. had to make a boot disk using drboot(caldera freeware).

did have to use /nbl in the line. but the flash worked.
first positive aspect: was able to use a low/by spd setting to get DDR400. (was using high/4:5 before)

low/3:4 still doesn't work at fsb 150 but low/by spd achieves the same thing.

thanks!