*** Official ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe (nForce4) Thread ***

[vlad4]

Out of curiosity, has anyone wondered why the 006 beta BIOS is only available on the German FTP site? Currently, I'm sticking with the 004 BIOS after experiencing issues with the 005 BIOS similar to what others have reported.

 

[KIM GWAN PYO]

ASUS A8N-SLI has problem???(delay,ide performence...)

 

[bwentzel]

Yes, it has problems. This is my 2nd A8N-SLI that died. AI Booster reported an obscure error last night before I shut down and this morning when I went to turn the PC on, the BIOS took a long time detecting IDE devices and then I got the dreaded "faded" WinXp start screen. I usually get this when I try to overclock or change a memory setting.

I booted off the CD and loaded the AWDFLASH utility with the 1002 BIOS. It wouldn't load it. It wouldn't load any BIOS now and won't boot into XP.

Looks like another RMA. I still haven't been credited with the last one.

 

[silverghost]

Does anyone know how to disable the CPU Fan header in the BIOS? its a pain in the butt everytime I reboot the system to hit F1. The System is water cooled so I dont need the fan.

 

[Shaga]

Only problem which occured to me is non-working sound blaster live! pci-card. I haven't got more sound from it than 2secs with this mainboard. Now can't get any sound at all. Have been using motherboards sound card because of taht, any similiar problems with your pci cards? I had locked pci/and all. Now tested even first bios and still no sound. At least it doesn't hang my computer anymore.

 

[davidos]

After reading this thread for an hour... I need help with overclocking!

using bios 1002 - (1003.05 wouldn't recognize my Diamondmax 10 250gb)
I have a 3000+ winchester.
Cool n Quiet - disabled in bios
Memory set to 2.5, 3, 3, 6 @ 2.7volts
Divider set to Auto
HT set to 4x in bios

When I use the AI Booster to up the FSB it registers my overclock but then kicks back to stock speeds 10 seconds later... What am I doing wrong?

Does the JumperFree configuration > Overclock Profile need to be set to AI Overclock to use AI Booster in Windows?

Can someone share a Jumperfree Configuration overclock settings for dummies? If overclocking in bios... use/disable XXX, If overclocking using AI Booster in Windows use/disable XXX

 

[Innamoramento]

Hi,
I have had this board for about 3 weeks now. So far I have been quite happy with it.
But some problems that I've had which hopefully are going to be fixed with new official BIOS:

- I looses my two Maxtor HD's which worked fine in RAID with my previous board. This happens with both SATA controllers. I tried to use them in RAID & JBOD-mode with Sil-controller but Windows starts giving errors when i try to copy something on them. (In event viewer: The system failed to flush data to the transaction log. Corruption may occur..... Windows - Delayed Write Failed.... The device, \Device\Harddisk2\D, is not ready for access yet..... etc....).
- Sometimes during boot up it looses even my other SATA HD. But with maxtor HD's this happens almost everytime if they are on the nVidia SATA controller. Forget about booting up from them.
- Now with bios 1003-006 it sometimes looses Marvel LAN controller during boot up. But it'll find it again when i clear the CMOS.
- I tried to use Audigy sound card but then the computer didn't even start. Tried different slots but no luck. Again clearing the CMOS helped. But in this case I think the card was the reason for problems.

But it seems overall in my case that the board works fine if I don't use Maxtor HD's..
Now i've had it on for about a week 24/7 nonstop without BSOD. I have played games and had other programs running in the backround without problems which previously ended in a nice BSOD screen...

 

[Shaga]

Originally posted by: Innamoramento
Hi,
I have had this board for about 3 weeks now. So far I have been quite happy with it.
But some problems that I've had which hopefully are going to be fixed with new official BIOS:

- I looses my two Maxtor HD's which worked fine in RAID with my previous board. This happens with both SATA controllers. I tried to use them in RAID & JBOD-mode with Sil-controller but Windows starts giving errors when i try to copy something on them. (In event viewer: The system failed to flush data to the transaction log. Corruption may occur..... Windows - Delayed Write Failed.... The device, \Device\Harddisk2\D, is not ready for access yet..... etc....).
- Sometimes during boot up it looses even my other SATA HD. But with maxtor HD's this happens almost everytime if they are on the nVidia SATA controller. Forget about booting up from them.
- Now with bios 1003-006 it sometimes looses Marvel LAN controller during boot up. But it'll find it again when i clear the CMOS.
- I tried to use Audigy sound card but then the computer didn't even start. Tried different slots but no luck. Again clearing the CMOS helped. But in this case I think the card was the reason for problems.

But it seems overall in my case that the board works fine if I don't use Maxtor HD's..
Now i've had it on for about a week 24/7 nonstop without BSOD. I have played games and had other programs running in the backround without problems which previously ended in a nice BSOD screen...

Problems with audigy uh, I haven't got my sb live! to work yet. So thing what made it to work was cmos clearance while card was attached? with what bios? thanks already

 

[Innamoramento]

Originally posted by: Shaga
[Problems with audigy uh, I haven't got my sb live! to work yet. So thing what made it to work was cmos clearance while card was attached? with what bios? thanks already

No I wasn't able to get it work... I meant that I was able to start the computer again only after clearing the CMOS.
But if it won't work with the next official bios revision i WILL introduce the card to Mr Hammer... Audigy I mean...
And start waiting till the next generation soundcards are introduced...
oh.. and bios what I am usin now is 1003-006..

 

[JMag]

Originally posted by: davidos
After reading this thread for an hour... I need help with overclocking!

using bios 1002 - (1003.05 wouldn't recognize my Diamondmax 10 250gb)
I have a 3000+ winchester.
Cool n Quiet - disabled in bios
Memory set to 2.5, 3, 3, 6 @ 2.7volts
Divider set to Auto
HT set to 4x in bios

When I use the AI Booster to up the FSB it registers my overclock but then kicks back to stock speeds 10 seconds later... What am I doing wrong?

Does the JumperFree configuration > Overclock Profile need to be set to AI Overclock to use AI Booster in Windows?

Can someone share a Jumperfree Configuration overclock settings for dummies? If overclocking in bios... use/disable XXX, If overclocking using AI Booster in Windows use/disable XXX

I have said this about 4 times now, but I will say it again. USE CLOCKGEN. AI Booster sucks in comparison

http://www.cpuid.com/clockgen.php

It makes overclocking this board real easy. Just make sure if you are using the 1002 BIOS to set the FSB to 201 before you boot and set the PCI-E bus to 101 (just to be on the safe side) as this will lock the PCI bus.

Also don't use the Auto divider... it is LAME

If your memory can run up to 240FSB then just set the mem to DDR400 (as this will enable 1:1 operation)
However I set mine to DDR333 Because my CPU has alot more headroom.

Another Thing... This board will put more voltage into the memory than you think, so if your memory is sensitive to higher voltages play around with thoose settings. (when I set BIOS to 3.0 my ram actually gets 3.14)

 

[davidos]

thanks J-Mag.... will give it a shot. Do I just uninstall AI Booster in windows?

 

[RallyKid]

TO cancel teh no cpu fan I just turned on the, NO halt on any error, in the BIOS, I am water cooling too and this is the only way I know how. Anybody have other ideas?

I am running the Sound Blaster 2 w/out a problem.

 

[kki000]

WOO HOO. Wife just called, mobo from chumbo just got here.
A couple of questions,
1) Anyone running Raid 5 with some raptors on this bad boy? DO u think 3 drives is ok or should i just get the smaller 37gigs and get 4 of them.
2) Memory. Planning on recycling the 3200 value select corsairs i have. I am looking to overclock but not looking for crazy mem timings. Should i get better ram so i can reall push the timings? Has ppl noticed that much difference with the faster ram?

Thanks all,
K

 

[imported_Fumunda]

Just an update. I rolled back to 1002 and everything came back, HD marvell NIC ect, and i can boot from the maxtor again. So basicly if your having issues you may waqnt to consider sticking or rolling back to. It seems the most "issue free" bios release.


-fu

 

[macachia]

with bios 1002, i can't see my maxtors either? goign to purchase a couple of wd raptor 74gb now, just to make sure

i hope its not a faulty mb

fumunda, what hdds u got?

 

[JMag]

Originally posted by: davidos
thanks J-Mag.... will give it a shot. Do I just uninstall AI Booster in windows?

No you don't have to uninstall it if you don't want... Actually I think it is mildly useful in the fact that it will tell you total HTT and it allows you to change RAM voltages, but it is definately a flakey program. Sometimes it gives me incorrect readings and things, so I really don't trust it.

 

[JMag]

Originally posted by: Fumunda
Just an update. I rolled back to 1002 and everything came back, HD marvell NIC ect, and i can boot from the maxtor again. So basicly if your having issues you may waqnt to consider sticking or rolling back to. It seems the most "issue free" bios release.


-fu

I agree with your opinion of 1002. With all of the beta BIOSes I tried my Maxtor DiamondMax 10 would not be detected ( I trie dboth the 250gb and the 300gb) However, the 1002 BIOS detects all my drives fine.

Interestingly my WD 120GB SATA drives (I have two) are detected in all the BIOS versions I tried.

 

[bwentzel]

My mobo lost the Maxtor SATA-2 drive today. Tried it in all the other ports. Won't boot. Tried another cable. Won't boot.

Good thing I ordered a replacement and I'm sending this one back. I had upgraded the bios to 1003-006 and downgraded it back to 1002 after it lost the SATA-2 drive.

 

[vlad4]

Ok guys, I finally have mine setup and stable, but I need to know one thing....

This just seems odd, and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue.

Every time I start up my A8N-SLI to play, I have to select some other game as the Active Profile and then re-select the original Active Profile to get UT2004 to render correctly. To elaborate; I select the Active Profile for UT2004, play and shut the 'puter down. Next day, I fire up UT2004 and the bottom of the monitor wigs out. I then quit the game, open up nVidia's control panel, (UT2004 is selected as the Active Profile), switch that to anything else, hit apply, then re-select UT2004 hit apply and close the control panel. Then everything plays fine.

I just finished this setup, and haven't play any other games. I'm using the 71.24 drivers with two XFX 6800 GTs.

 

[bwentzel]

Well, now the Maxtor Diamondmax 10 sata-2 drive is dead. I had a lot of data on it. Not happy. This mobo killed it.

DON'T USE THE BETA BIOS's with Maxtor Diamondmax drives!

 

[ajmiles]

Obviously you are the one with the drive, but given all the losing, and finding again of the diamondmax10s, I would be very surprised if it was in fact "dead".

Short of a power surge breaking something internal, it's extremely difficult to get a hard drive to disappear completely from the BIOS.

Even it's completely corrupted (which is possible if you turned NCQ on at all) it will still get detected in the BIOS. To get mine back:

I reflash to 1002.
I then set the default settings.
Save and quit.
Go back to BIOS.
Turn off power, and then at wall.
Wait 20 seconds.
Turn back on, and hit delete to go into BIOS.
Presto, there it is again.

I've lost my Maxtor 300gb 4 times now, one with the 004 BIOS, twice with the 005, and once with the 006 and it's back every time. I've ALSO enabled NCQ (DON'T!) once before we all knew about it, and it corrupted the drive heavily, so I low level formatted it, and it's still fine.

It can be quite worrying experimenting with the Beta BIOSes on a new machine, so if you are worried there is anything you might lose, don't do it. Now with the 006 your marvel network adapter disappears too, so if you need that, don't use a Beta BIOS.

Does anyone even know if ASUS will accept a board back as faulty if it has had the beta BIOS flashed and it causes terminal problems?

 

[hotrod1993]

If anyone is interested as of this post there are 5 EVGA 6800 ULTRA's and 6 XFX GeFORCE 6800 GT's at Buyxg (PCI-E of course), price is alittle steep though. Just now staring to put my rig together and got lucky with a search.

 

[cyto]

Who has OC'd two 6800GT's or ultras with this board? How high did you get them and what PSU are you using?
Btw, I'm getting really pissed at Nvidia and their PCI-e 6800 availability. They're usually on back order and if they aren't, the vendors are charging way too much for them. Price gouging at its worst!

 

[sreams]

Originally posted by: cyto
Who has OC'd two 6800GT's or ultras with this board? How high did you get them and what PSU are you using?
Btw, I'm getting really pissed at Nvidia and their PCI-e 6800 availability. They're usually on back order and if they aren't, the vendors are charging way too much for them. Price gouging at its worst!

In stock. $324.

http://www.gameve.com/gve/Stor...s.aspx?sku=VC-MSI-0066

-S

 

[cyto]

Originally posted by: sreams

Originally posted by: cyto
Who has OC'd two 6800GT's or ultras with this board? How high did you get them and what PSU are you using?
Btw, I'm getting really pissed at Nvidia and their PCI-e 6800 availability. They're usually on back order and if they aren't, the vendors are charging way too much for them. Price gouging at its worst!

In stock. $324.

http://www.gameve.com/gve/Stor...s.aspx?sku=VC-MSI-0066

-S

I don't care about the vanilla 6800's. I'm building a SLI for 6800GT or Ultra and those are the ones that are scarce. The 6800 is on par with the 6600GT-a middle of the road card.