*** Official ABIT IS7/G/E (865PE) Thread ***

[Tom]

The bios linked above is for the IS7g and IS7, not the IS7e.

 

[Slappy00]

with the exception of some add-ons they all the same chipset....

 

[Tom]

n/m.

Anyone use the 1.6 bios yet ?

 

[computer]

Yeah I can't believe no one has tried it and said something about if it fixed the memory issue! With all the talk here about the memory and OC'ing problem I thought just about every IS7x user was checking the site daily for v16 and couldn't wait for it. The only thing holding me back from getting the IS7-G was the memory issue. So......I'm still waiting........ C'mon guys, give it a try and let us know! I have my cursor on the "Buy now" button just waiting. If I had an IS7 now, I'd try it.

Strange they don't have the new BIOS for the IC7x that fixes the same thing. From what I've heard it has the same ~250mhz 1:1 limit as the IS7x, so there should be a new BIOS now for it as well.

 

[Slappy00]

"Yeah I can't believe no one has tried it and said something about if it fixed the memory issue! With all the talk here about the memory and OC'ing problem I thought just about every IS7x user was checking the site daily for v16 and couldn't wait for it. The only thing holding me back from getting the IS7-G was the memory issue. So......I'm still waiting........ C'mon guys, give it a try and let us know! I have my cursor on the "Buy now" button just waiting. If I had an IS7 now, I'd try it."


I have it on my computer right now but I'm happy so far ithe 255 1:1 I dont know for sure if i want to flash for 11 extra mhz (or more but thats not guarenteed) ... I guess im still old-school when dealing with BIOS: "if it ain't broke don't fix it" Now if this one had duel BIOS like my old Gigabyte then I might plunge.. Then again I might just do it anyways....

if you wanna see the resulst goto the abit forums some ppl have their results there...

 

[computer]

Thanks. Abit forums link please? What are they saying about it; good or bad?

You can always flash the BIOS back to v15 if you don't like 16....can't you? If not, then I don't blame you for not trying it. Most of the time when I (hee hee) "flash" there's an option to save the old BIOS and I always do. You may be able to get a lot more than 255mhz from that board. I know they did at the Anand review (278mhz), but I can't remember what CPU:memory ratio that was.

 

[Slappy00]

for the forum link scroll aobut half-way up this page ( i put it in a previous post)...

And yes you can always flash back but I guess I have paranois from the old days when if you screwed-up a flash you screwed up your motherboard....

One guy in tha abit forums also had some checksum errors after he flashed...

Hell I guess I'll do it...

 

[Slappy00]

Ok i just installed it , running 266 at (mfg reccommended timings 3-8-4-4) 1:1 on GEiL pc4200...
the added stability is there now i wonder how high I can take it (I have Exos Water-cooling)

If any of you still dont know where to get the new IS7 BIOS you goto the abit taiwan website and get it there .. good luck...

 

[computer]

Hey cool, that's good news. I seriously wasn't trying to talk you into doing something you didn't want to do. It's your mobo and you're the boss of it. I would have felt horrible if you would have gotten those checksum errors. But we do thank you and appreciate the info.

 

[computer]

Ok I found the Abit forum link (it's on the prior page) but I can't find the thread on the IS7 v1.6 BIOS.

 

[computer]

Slappy did the new BIOS give more than 2.8Vdimm in the BIOS?

 

[Slappy00]

Well I spoke a bit too soon about the higher FSB, turns out I can boot into Windows just fine, but when running Sandra I got a reboot on the cache and memory performance test at 266 1:1. So i slapped memtest86 in and ran it. In the "Modulo 20, 1 and 0s cached" (about 75% done) i got about 80 errors...

So I backed-off to about 260... (stil using 3-8-4-4), no problems.
Went 262 and went through one pass no problem.
Went 264: 34 errors on the same place.
Went 263: about 30 errors on the same place
went 262: about 16 errors on the same place
went 261: about 4 errors on the same place
went 260: no errors
changed to 2.5-8-4-4: no errors

thats where I am today. It seems that the new BIOS (for me at least) gave me 5 extra mhz.

I wonder if its b/c I am running in duel channel mode or b/c there is no voltage above 2.8 (GEiL is rated for 2.6-2.9) I dont know.

Maybe my cpu is causing the errors, and CPU needs more juice (running at default voltage) or , I dont know...

 

[mngisdood]

Deadparrot, FWIW I've tested the IS7 and the IC7-G and they do report higher than actual temperatures (based on what the bios reports versus a 'third-party' temperature probe. It's usually around the magnitude of a 5:4 ratio of reported (bios) to actual (probe) temperature.

 

[Nyquest007]

okay, I've asked this before but can't get any asnwers. I want the IS7 board and the 2.4c, but I 'm can only upgrade one at a time. I'm currently running an abit bg7 with a 1.8a with a newly installed Volano 7 and 3200 sticks of ddr. Which step would give me the greatest boost in performance? I'm thinking the proc, maybe just underclocked, but the HT enabled on the board will help also. I'm not sure if the northbridge can take the 200 mhz FSB, but I think the newest bios has enable HT for the 3.06ht @ 533. HELP!!!

 

[computer]

Nyquest, The 2.4C is an 800mhz bus CPU. You're mobo has to support them to able to benefit from it (or possibly even use it). In order to benefit from the IS7, you'll need an 800mhz bus CPU. So, you can see you really need both. If a 2.4C will at least work on your current mobo, I'd get that now.

BTW, 2.4C retail prices have been steady (dropped $1) in about a month, currently $169 at the cheapest place. IS7-G prices have gone down (also the IS7 prices), but the G version just had a $2 increase. If you are privy to any future price increases or drops, keep that in mine and use that to get either the CPU or mobo. If for example Intel is about to put out for sale a new CPU, then the 2.4C will probably drop soon.

Slappy.......so the new BIOS is still only 2.8vdimm max? I'd try and bump the CPU voltage up a bit and see if you can get any higher. Yeah, GeIL DOES need more voltage than any other, and the reviews I've read said it does need voltage bumps to O'clock more. It could be at it's limit due to 2.8v being used, or possibly be dual channel if you did not get a "dual channel kit" (the sticks may not be IDENTICAL electrically characteristically wise). If the sticks are not PERFECTLY matched, you'll only go as high as the "weakest" one will allow.

 

[lkaufma1]

Hi Guys. Pretty new, but have built ABIT KT7 before. Never Intel board. Just ordered IS7 with 2.4C 800Mhz with 2 sticks of Crucial PC3200 512MB. Not going to overclock as I don't really know how.

Question is:

1) Any settings I should be aware of right of the bat to make the system stable?
2) Memory timings on auto or manual?
3) If manual best setting for Cruicial listed above?
4) Don't have SATA drives, but can I use SATA?

I have read this entire thread and appreciate all the help you have given people.

Thanks!

 

[computer]

Lar see the quote I posted earlier in this thread for best IS7 settings. The link to the article is here.

The board has SATA so of course you can use an SATA hard drive. If you get one, get the WD Raptor 10k RPM, or two if you want to RAID them. Overclocking is done in the BIOS. Most are getting 3-3.4ghz from that CPU. Whether or not the memory can handle it just "depends on the exact sticks you have" and the CPU:memory ratio in the BIOS (1:1, or 3:2 or 5:4).

PC3200 is DDR400 (400mhz Double Data Rate) which is 200 mhz actual bus. If you O'clock the bus to say 225mhz, that means the memory has to act as DDR466 ROUGHLY (technically DDR450). Some Crucial will easily do it, some not. In some tests testing ALL of the major brands of memory, Crucial was actually the fastest. In others, it was the slowest. So, just depends on "how your memory is made" and what chips Crucial decided to use that day. Note that the CAS3 spec of the Crucial PC3200 is underrated, it will usually do CAS2 @DDR400.

Here is an Anand memory roundup review. Select page 1 from the drop down menu.

HTH.

 

[lkaufma1]

Thanks for the reply! Now to some more detailed questions if you don't mind taking the time to help a poor sap!

1) CPU:memory Ratio? Explain please what this does?
2) Can I use my IDE hard drives that I currently own on the SATA connections? I.E is there a convertor or something I can get?
3) Should I up the DDR SDRAM voltage to 2.8V straight away?
4) DRAM timing on auto or manual and what should they be you think?

The page number on the thread that you list the best settings?

 

[computer]

I'm rather busy right now, but another can go into more detail when they come back to the thread. If you read the Anand article most of your questions will be answered. I gave you the link in my last post, you don't see it?

The CPU:memory ratio is what the 1:1 or 3:4 etc. settings mean. 1:1 is one to one, and the others are a divisor......like 3:4 is /3 the CPU bus and the 4 is /4 the memory bus so to speak. I think I'm describing it correctly. 1:1 is the best performance *usually* but not always if another setting will give you faster O'clock speeds. I asked a similar question in this thread and someone answered it. I THINK it was page 16 and later (depending on how your forum setup is) is where the post was.

No, you can't use an IDE drive on a SATA connector, but with an ADAPTER you can use an SATA drive on an IDE connector (which there is no point of you doing that in your particular case since you have SATA connectors). You'll have to put your IDE HD on the IDE connector. You should probably read your mobo manual.

Bumping up the memory voltage will usually allow one to O'clock more, but I'd try it @default first although you'll probably have to increase it to get most out of it.

I don't have that mobo yet, but I think by "DRAM timings" you mean the settings like 2-2-2-5 or whatever (they are different for each memory module speed/brand) and this is what I referred to by "CAS2" setting. The first digit is usually the CAS latency and the lower the better, but the lower can also be unstable if the mhz is too high. You may be able to run 2-x-x-x at PC3200 speeds (DDR400) but when you go faster you will probably have to set it to 2.5 or 3. That holds true with all the settings. If your BIOS is now set to "Auto" in this area, they will probably be 'grayed out' and not accessible; you won't be able to see/change them until you set it to "manual". The link I gave you for the memory review will have more info on that.

You sound like a newbie, and that's cool.......we all once were. So you should probably go to Google and do some searches on these terms to learn more about them, and also read the articles at Anandtech's homepage. There are many linked there. Look over that page and the nav menu @left.

 

[Slappy00]

"I've read said it does need voltage bumps to O'clock more. It could be at it's limit due to 2.8v being used, or possibly be dual channel if you did not get a "dual channel kit" (the sticks may not be IDENTICAL electrically characteristically wise). If the sticks are not PERFECTLY matched, you'll only go as high as the "weakest" one will allow. "

Yah it's a "matched set" but GEiL is ghetto in general so its all up in the air.... 260 at 2.5-7-4-4 1:1 is the fastest my memory will go without errors in memtest. I bet with another tenth of a volt I can get the memory stable at 266 or higher... sooooo:


is there a voltmod for the IS7? If so I would like to hear your experiences and links

 

[computer]

Yes there is a vmod for either the IS7x or IC7x, can't recall which (I would guess either). I never saw any links on it, I just read about one being around. If anyone knows, please post the info.

 

[fl62]

Here you boys go:

Abit IS7 Series vMem Mod

That same Forum also has the IC7 vMem mod as well - great pics and descriptions.

I've now modded my IS7, - and can get up to 3.2 vMem

 

[computer]

Thanks for the link.......but maybe you can tell us now how it's done! There is so many misspelled words on that thread, bad grammar & punctuation that I can't make any sense out of it. That looks like the result of the mod and not the mod itself. They don't say where the heck those wires go, and doesn't look like anyone can agree on what value resistor to use. I'm also wondering if this will somehow "destroy" the board some months down the road? How long have you been using the mod, and have you heard of anyone ruining the mobo because of it, even if it's done correctly?

I was an elec. repair tech for 20+ years so I KNOW how to do these things, yet don't know EXACTLY the steps to accomplish this specific mod. Like: remove Rxx, replace it with xxx, attach wires to xxx, etc. is what I'm looking for.
Thanks.

 

[computer]

?

 

[MJLorenzo]

Alright, first post on the AnandTech boards and I need a little help. I'm assuming here that this is not the technical limit of my P4 2.4C (though it may very well be) and asking questions based on that assumption. (And if it is the limit, let me down gently, eh?)

Current setup:

Motherboard: Abit iS7
Bios: v1.5
CPU: P4 2.4C @ 3120MHz
FSB: 260MHz
vcore: 1.55v
N/B Strap: PSB800
divider: 5:4
RAM: 2x256MB Kingston HyperX PC3500 (@ 208MHz, 2-6-2-2)
vdimm: 2.6v
agp/pci: 66/33 (fixed)
HSF: Stock Intel HSF
Idle Temp: ~46C (as reported by Hardware Doctor)
Load Temp: 61C (as reported by Hardware Doctor during Prime95's torture test, though the temperature was still rising when the test errored)
PSU: Antec TruePower 380w (Came with the case I bought at a local store as there weren't any other cases available, I have a Thermaltake 480w I can replace it with if need be)

Even this is not technically very stable, as it only runs Prime95's torture test for like 3 minutes before erroring. I may increase vcore to 1.575 later (though I really don't like to) and see if that helps my stability.
My problem, however, is that I cannot even POST anywhere above this, even with lowest memory timings (even though the RAM will be at 220MHz, not too hard to handle for PC3500) and vcore 1.575v.

This setup wouldn't POST:

FSB: 275MHz
vcore: 1.575v
Mem Freq: 220MHz, 3-8-4-4
vdimm: 2.65v
N/B Strap: PSB800

Now for the questions:

A. I've heard 1.6v vcore is as high as someone should go when overclocking a Pentium 4. Would any of you recommend 1.6v for better results perhaps? I would like to spare the processor's life as long as possible.

B. What exactly is the purpose of the N/B Strap? When it was set to Auto, I couldn't reach 3GHz on default voltage. When I set it to PSB800, I could.

C. If cooling is restricting my overclocking ability, which HSF would be recommended? I've looked at the AVC Sunflower, the Swiftech MCX4000, and (IIRC) the Zalman 7000cu.