**Official Epox 8K5A Series (KT333) Thread** (Files, Reviews, and Info Inside!)

[russr]

Ruroni, you're right, it is highly unlikely and improbable that all three of your CDs are bad. Especially if you've used them before or they work in other systems.

The CD topic has brought to mind some other potential issues however:
1) It could possibly be your CD-ROM drive itself. It's happened to me before. Make sure you have set in the BIOS that UDMA for CDROM is disabled (at least until u get windows installed properly).
2) Another thing you might want to try is using a 80 ata cable for the cd-rom (again made a difference for me once).
3) Lastly, if you can...try another CD-ROM drive.

If none of the above suggestions work, then I'm willing to bet it is the motherboard or CPU. I'd try RMAing the motherboard directly to the reseller if possible. Where did you buy it from?

 

[lyrebird]

This is my weird problem. Please read. Thanks

I have a raid 0 built in my hpt372 controller, one disk, in the first IDE, master channel, is Maxtor 6L040J2, while the other disk, in the second IDE master channel, is IBM 60gxp 40g. It was working great two weeks ago. However, recently every time when I turn the power down for more than 3 or 4 hours and then start it, the raid controller takes long time to find my raid0 array. And some time I have to reset computer coz I can hear some strange sound like "kada" "kada". I don¡¦t know which drive generates such sound for sure but I guess it is from the IBM one which is a refurbished one.
And after that system boots up very slow. Say if I am loading the LILO, the 4 characters L I L O will show ONE BY ONE and totally take more than 10 seconds; it takes roughly 4 min to boot into my linux or 6 min to winxp.
However, after I successfully boot into either winxp or linux, and do a restart, it boots smoothly. And I can play 3d games for hours without any problems and even Norton disk doctor does not report anything. It seems the system just needs a warm-up???

Could anybody help me figure out what is the prob? Is it due to the IBM disk? I heard that IBM deskstar series disks are not reliable.

My configuration:
Epox 8k5a2+
Xp2000+ no o/c
1 DVD-rom in IDE 1 Master
1 zip 100 in IDE 1 Slave
1 Quantum 13g in IDE2 master for backup
1 Maxtor 6L040J2, 1st IDE of hpt372
IBM 60gxp 40g, 2nd IDE of hpt372

Enermax 350W PSU

 

[Ruroni]

Originally posted by: russr
...other potential issues however: 1) It could possibly be your CD-ROM drive itself. It's happened to me before. Make sure you have set in the BIOS that UDMA for CDROM is disabled (at least until u get windows installed properly). 2) Another thing you might want to try is using a 80 ata cable for the cd-rom (again made a difference for me once). 3) Lastly, if you can...try another CD-ROM drive...

russr thanks again. I really do appreciate the suggestions, specially since I am all out of ideas. Before you mentioned it, I had actually tried suggestions 1)UDMA CDROM disabled in BIOS and 3)I had tried a Plexwriter 8/4/32a. I tried suggestion 2) Replacing the ATA cable with 80 ATA after reading your post, alas that changed nothing.

Originally posted by: russr
...If none of the above suggestions work, then I'm willing to bet it is the motherboard or CPU. I'd try RMAing the motherboard directly to the reseller if possible. Where did you buy it from?

I am affraid it may be just that... Either the processor or the Motherboard. But how to tell? Where did I get it? I got both the processor and the motherboard at CnetPC.com

I'm afraid of having to deal with returning, and getting RMA # and having to deal with all the hassle having to pay for shipping and handling as well waiting for the retailer to get around to tending to me. It's just a nightmare that I do not look forward to. I HATE buying online, :disgust: but finding good hardware is nearly impossible in the streets of New York.

 

[AMDBOY]

bupkus: Roger that on the Arctic cooling super silent pro Tc,=POS; according to review. It states not for O/Cing. I have not used them before but would heed the review. Also, yes I would agree with you. Avoid the restock fee & get something else. I have used SVC in the past and have been very pleased. Lots of fan/cooling choices at SVC.Panaflow makes a nice fan as well as many others, but they can be especially quiet, depending on which you get. Question for you & all; 1) On the 8K5A2+ mobo fan headers, still not clear on this.Volcano 7 has (2) 3pin connectors. connector "A" has 2 wires (red & black) and connector "B" has just 1 yellow wire. So.... on this mobo, connector "A" goes to FAN1(CPU fan) and connector "B" goes to FAN3(power fan). Is that correct?? Thanks for your clarification. Me = dense sometimes,lol. edit; see any fans here you like? BG Micro.

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: lyrebird
This is my weird problem. Please read. Thanks

I have a raid 0 built in my hpt372 controller, one disk, in the first IDE, master channel, is Maxtor 6L040J2, while the other disk, in the second IDE master channel, is IBM 60gxp 40g. It was working great two weeks ago. However, recently every time when I turn the power down for more than 3 or 4 hours and then start it, the raid controller takes long time to find my raid0 array. And some time I have to reset computer coz I can hear some strange sound like "kada" "kada". I don¡¦t know which drive generates such sound for sure but I guess it is from the IBM one which is a refurbished one.
And after that system boots up very slow. Say if I am loading the LILO, the 4 characters L I L O will show ONE BY ONE and totally take more than 10 seconds; it takes roughly 4 min to boot into my linux or 6 min to winxp.
However, after I successfully boot into either winxp or linux, and do a restart, it boots smoothly. And I can play 3d games for hours without any problems and even Norton disk doctor does not report anything. It seems the system just needs a warm-up???

Could anybody help me figure out what is the prob? Is it due to the IBM disk? I heard that IBM deskstar series disks are not reliable.

My configuration:
Epox 8k5a2+
Xp2000+ no o/c
1 DVD-rom in IDE 1 Master
1 zip 100 in IDE 1 Slave
1 Quantum 13g in IDE2 master for backup
1 Maxtor 6L040J2, 1st IDE of hpt372
IBM 60gxp 40g, 2nd IDE of hpt372

Enermax 350W PSU

Yes, unfortunately, that is your IBM HD with bad sectors. Download the IBM Drive Fitness Test (DFT), run it and it will make a bootable floppy. Boot from the floppy it makes, and choose the "Advanced Test" on your IBM. It will likely find bad sectors and suggest you erase the disk with a low level format. Doing this will take awhile, and it *may* fix your problem, but all your data will be lost. Make sure to back up everything before you do it. Also, if it doesn't fix it, the DFT program will give you some information to use in the RMA process.

 

[Insane3D]

Question for you & all; 1) On the 8K5A2+ mobo fan headers, still not clear on this.Volcano 7 has (2) 3pin connectors. connector "A" has 2 wires (red & black) and connector "B" has just 1 yellow wire. So.... on this mobo, connector "A" goes to FAN1(CPU fan) and connector "B" goes to FAN3(power fan). Is that correct??

That should work fine, and you could even do it in reverse. The connector with the red and black wires is the power for the fan, and the yellow is the RPM signal. I'm not sure why they don't have all three wires on one connector like most fans, but you might want the RPM one going to the CPU fan header so you will be able to monitor the fan speed as the CPU fan and not a PSU fan. Either way will work fine...

 

[AMDBOY]

Thank you Insane3D. That's clear now. Yes, I want to monitor the fan speed as the CPU fan and not the PSU fan. By the time I get home from work I'm feel spent. I don't want to cook my mobo. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[russr]

Ruroni, there is one more thing I thought of...is it possible that your cpu is overheating either due to inadequate cooling or due to improper installation of the heatsink? It sounds rather basic, but it happens to the best of us. Please check the temperatures of the CPU and system in the BIOS after leaving the PC on for 15 mins or so. Obviously we can't check full load temps since we can't load windows so this will have to do now. Let me know what the temps are.

Another thing might be that one of pins on the CPU is broken or damaged. On my previous athlon xp 1600+, one of the pins was bent and it caused problems whenever i put the system into power saving mode. Reseating the cpu and straigthening that pin fixed it. So i suggest taking out the cpu and examining it and then putting it back.

Finally, if you're still having problems then see if you can get your hands on another cpu just to test and see if you still have problems. Maybe borrow one or use an older one lying around.

CnetPC has fairly bad reseller ratings...they are okay to buy stuff from, but their track record with returns is horrendous. Maybe epox can cross ship a new motherboard out to you.

PM me if you have any other questions or problems.

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Question for you & all; 1) On the 8K5A2+ mobo fan headers, still not clear on this.Volcano 7 has (2) 3pin connectors. connector "A" has 2 wires (red & black) and connector "B" has just 1 yellow wire. So.... on this mobo, connector "A" goes to FAN1(CPU fan) and connector "B" goes to FAN3(power fan). Is that correct??

That should work fine, and you could even do it in reverse. The connector with the red and black wires is the power for the fan, and the yellow is the RPM signal. I'm not sure why they don't have all three wires on one connector like most fans, but you might want the RPM one going to the CPU fan header so you will be able to monitor the fan speed as the CPU fan and not a PSU fan. Either way will work fine...

Volcano 7 is same HS as Volcano 9 ..V7V9 should have a connector to do Molex takeoff for the fan and Ruroni..go get
Maxtor's drive checking utility

 

[Ruroni]

Thanks for the feedback russr & ScrapSilicon

Originally posted by: russr
...your cpu is overheating either due to inadequate cooling or due to improper installation of the heatsink? ...

I've never seen the CPU temp go beyond 50 C (Even after hours of usage, trying to install OS). I don't know at what point is CPU too hot, I think it's something like somewhere beyond 90C?

Originally posted by: russr
...Another thing might be that one of pins on the CPU is broken or damaged. On my previous athlon xp 1600+, one of the pins was bent and it caused problems whenever i put the system into power saving mode. Reseating the cpu and straigthening that pin fixed it. So i suggest taking out the cpu and examining it and then putting it back...

I've examined the CPU on several occassions, and to mine eyes, it looks flawless even compared to the other one it's identical except for the fact that it is considerably lighter in weight and color tone.

Originally posted by: russr
...Finally, if you're still having problems then see if you can get your hands on another cpu just to test and see if you still have problems. Maybe borrow one or use an older one lying around...

I can't try an older CPU because I discovered what booting up a machine without heatsink and fan does to a CPU (on a different motherboard, shortly after receiving this new gear), Should I consider getting an extra CPU from CompUSA to try it out, and then return it, eating the restocking fee? CompUSA Athlon XP 1700+ (plus tax) at this point I feel anything is better than online, after all my online shopping experiences, I don't think I mind paying premium prices, in exchange for being able to just return the goods at the store within X amount of days. Or maybe I should consider J and R who has a 14 day money back gurantee and has it for only $99.99 (Too bad they don't have 2200+ or good motherboards)

Originally posted by: russr
...CnetPC has fairly bad reseller ratings...they are okay to buy stuff from, but their track record with returns is horrendous. Maybe epox can cross ship a new motherboard out to you...

How do you know all this about them? where do you get info on resellers? Usually I just go to pricewatch and look for the best prices. Nextag and Mysimon don't mention many of the online retailers available, I usually can find better prices at pricewatch

Originally posted by: russr
...PM me if you have any other questions or problems.

How? I tried clicking on the little PM button before, but I don't think it worked. I typed the message, but I never received a reply, or any kind of acknoledgement that my message had been received.

Originally posted by: ScrapSilicon
Ruroni..go get
Maxtor's drive checking utility

thanks for the link, and tip.
Maxtor PowerDiag 3.04
For some reason (probably the same reason I can't install XP, 2K, or 98) the HDDs are not being noticed when hooked up to IDE 1 and 2. It is being noticed in IDE 3 and 4, but it freezes after hitting "Y" for "is this correct?".
For IDE 1 and 2 "The following devices have been detected" field is Blank When I hit "n" For "Is this correct?" and then ENTER on blank screen I get error codes "Installation Confirmation Code 004". On BOTH my MAXTORs and the Western Digital.
Basic Quick (90 Second) test
When I hit "Y" For "Is this correct?" and then F3 on blank screen and run the "Basic quick (90 Second) Test" I received "Diagnostic Software Reported Error Code R03" OR (at different times "Diagnostic Software Reported Error Code UK0E02" On BOTH my MAXTORs and the Western Digital. All 3 drives passed the ""Soft reset test" and Failed the "Drive recal test"

Installation Confirmation test
Passed the "Power Connections,Interface Cable Connection, Master/Slave Jumers" BUT failed the "BIOS Extension Support" and "Partition Information" for all 3 drives
I wonder if this means that the motherboard is at fault, or if it's the HDDs (¿ALL of them?) I didn't really think it was the HDD because I've tried 3 different HDDs. But that piece of software sure is nice. I wonder why it wasn't included in the box with my Maxtor. All I got was some formatting tool "MAX BLAST II V 1.30" and HDD installation software.

*NOTE* I have tried different IDE connectors on the Motherboard. I tried the 2 Blue ones (IDE 1 & 2) and the 2 Red ones (RAID 1 & 2/IDE 3 & 4) and used different ATA cables

 

[russr]

Ruroni, I got your Private Messages and I replied to them, but you don't have private messages enabled in your profile so you can't receive any. Click on profile and change that.

Anyway, I would say that there's an 80% chance that it is your motherboard and 20% chance that it is the cpu. In all likelihood, it's higher than 80% for the motherboard. Had a similar situation in diagnosing a problem where the computer would shut off on me or crash after few seconds of use and it turned out to be the voltage controller on the board.

This is what I suggest, RMA that motherboard as soon as you can. Either call Cnet and explain the situation or do that with Epox. BTW, you can find reviews and information on reseller's at www.resellerratings.com. Never buy from a reseller w/o first checking their rating there.

The second thing I suggest doing is instead of buying another cpu from Compusa or j&r world, try the cpu out in a friend's pc. Or mail it to a friend you trust who can test it for you.

But the main thing to do is RMA that motherboard as quickly as you can. Maybe ask Cnet pc or epox if they will cross ship and send a board out to you before you can send yours back.

 

[Technonut]

Ruroni, I suggest that you take a look at Newegg or Googlegear for your online component shopping. The RETAIL 1700+ with a HSF is $73.00 at Newegg with free FedX Express Saver (3 day) shipping.

EDIT: ResellerRatings linked.

 

[Ruroni]

Technonut thanks for the 411, I apprecaite it.

The reaosn I was bringing up CompUSA or JandR isn't because of their dazzling prices. It's because They're stores I can walk in and out of. I think I've learned my lesson. Shopping online is BEGGING for trouble. I am just sick and tired of all that bad gear that I've gotten online and then the horrendous trouble of having to get it replaced and all that happy horse poop.

If it were up to me, I'd gladly pay premium prices for getting the gear at a STAPLES or Circuit City. I really think that the ability to walk into the store and give the gear back and immediately either get my money back, or getting it replaced, no questions asked, no hassles given is INVALUABLE.

Right now with my situation, at best it's going to take AT LEAST one week before I can get my system up and running again (unless I just go buy something from the local retailer). I'm going to have to wait for Epox to FEEL like replying to my emails, and hopefully one day in this lifetime, deside to go ahead and RMA my 8K5A2+ and after they've desided to receive it THEN sending me a replacement board. :disgust:

Unfortunately the choices in the nearby (NYC) stores don't resemble some of the better gear available. So I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. I think this will be the last time I tried building my own system from scratch. I've had enough with the headaches and the down time waiting so I can get something running.

Right now I'm stuck using this incredible reliable, but awfully slow and yucky 1999 Toshiba Satellite 2700 laptop. With it's 800x600 resolution.

 

[russr]

Ruroni, you can't judge your online experience based on this one bad time. It's not a reseller's fault when a part such as a motherboard is bad. You would have spent the same amount of time troubleshooting the problem had you bought it from a local retailer.

And with returns, you just need to go with the well known/trusted resellers such as Newegg, Mwave, Googlegear, etc. Always check resellerratings.com before buying as a general rule. It just so happened that you picked cnetpc which doesn't have the best reputation with returns.

As I said before, if you feel especially impatient, just buy another motherboard from newegg or something and once u RMA ur board and get the return replacement just sell it.

 

[jagilbertvt]

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Question for you & all; 1) On the 8K5A2+ mobo fan headers, still not clear on this.Volcano 7 has (2) 3pin connectors. connector "A" has 2 wires (red & black) and connector "B" has just 1 yellow wire. So.... on this mobo, connector "A" goes to FAN1(CPU fan) and connector "B" goes to FAN3(power fan). Is that correct??

That should work fine, and you could even do it in reverse. The connector with the red and black wires is the power for the fan, and the yellow is the RPM signal. I'm not sure why they don't have all three wires on one connector like most fans, but you might want the RPM one going to the CPU fan header so you will be able to monitor the fan speed as the CPU fan and not a PSU fan. Either way will work fine...

I think the reason for this is to allow you to monitor the RPM signal while using the 3pin to 4pin converter and get power directly from PSU instead of from the mobo header. A lot of higher rpm fans recommend getting power directly from the PSU instead of the motherboard to keep from straining the motherboard.

 

[jagilbertvt]

Just curious. I just got my 8k5a3+ yesterday along w/ an XP1800+ and some corsair RAM. I've maxed out the memory timings, but I'm only getting about 2300mb/sec max (as reported by Sisoft Sandra). I've seen alot of reviews saying you can get about 3000mb+/sec. Am I missing some setting?

 

[russr]

those with higher sandra scores are running their RAM at higher fsb/frequency.

 

[Insane3D]

I think the reason for this is to allow you to monitor the RPM signal while using the 3pin to 4pin converter and get power directly from PSU instead of from the mobo header. A lot of higher rpm fans recommend getting power directly from the PSU instead of the motherboard to keep from straining the motherboard.

True..but this is much less of an issue with newer motherboards..the fan headers are rated for a much higher draw than they ever were in the past. Even super fast 60mm and 80mm fans can be powered from the mobo now..

 

[ScrapSilicon]

the Sunon on my GC68/118 ..lol..is clearly labeled ..4.3watts so a Molex rated to move 50.1 cfm..cpu temp@40c as I am running trendmicro and some other progs.puishing 60 to 85% on cpu usage..XP1800+ running as a 2000+ (140x12..using some cheese PNY pc2100..

yeah I know..get some good stuff..having to test it tho ..so..)

 

[Ruroni]

Originally posted by: russr
Ruroni, you can't judge your online experience based on this one bad time. It's not a reseller's fault when a part such as a motherboard is bad. You would have spent the same amount of time troubleshooting the problem had you bought it from a local retailer.And with returns, you just need to go with the well known/trusted resellers such as Newegg, Mwave, Googlegear, etc. Always check resellerratings.com before buying as a general rule. It just so happened that you picked cnetpc which doesn't have the best reputation with returns.

I understand it is not AS MUCH the retailer's fault when a deffective component is sold. As much as it's the manufacture's Q.A. team I realize that had I purchased it from a local big name retailer like J and R or Circuit City, I may have gone through the same trouble shooting experience I have been enduring with this 8K5A2+. And had I gone with with a better trusted reseller perhaps I may have received a reply to my email by now. (I have still not heard from CnetPC or Epox) but no matter how much better the best of these online resellers are, shipping and handling will be coming out of my pocket, and it will take more time and money than a trip down to the store for a quick refund or exchange. And this not my first and only miserable experience online. (But if I have any common sense I should try very hard to make it the last, by avoiding online purchases.) Usually I just eat the costs because it's just too much of a hassle and a pain in the butt to have to deal with the reseller for an exchange or refund while at the same time worrying about the restocking fees S&H and whatever else is in the fine print. It's too much of a bother to have to repack the gear, go to my local delivery service and pay for the shipping and handling and waiting for the gear to reach them and then finally they deside to send one back to me. That's not the purpose of my time and money put into acquiring gear. Buying online is in part for the sake of saving time and money. As a matter of fact I got screwed over with a faulty Gainward Ti4200 I purchased prior to the TI4600 I know have (A short few months ago). I emailed Gainward and they still haven't replied.

Originally posted by: russr
As I said before, if you feel especially impatient, just buy another motherboard from newegg or something and once u RMA ur board and get the return replacement just sell it.

I do actually feel especially impatient, because I needed this system to be up and running a while ago. This machine is not only for the sake of having fun, but it plays a role in the earning of my bread and butter. But if I do deside to buy another mother board, this is going to be ANOTHER cost I will be eating. I will not trouble myself dealing with the hassle of selling of my gear. Epox's site states that their warranty does not carry over to a secondary purchaser. Who's going to want to buy a MoBo of someone else Unless I sell it DIRT cheap when they can buy it from a reseller with better support than I will provide ( I know I wouldn't want to buy off someone else). Selling it dirt cheap PLUS shipping and handling will null and void any money saved from returning and exchanging. The truth this is just another raping that I will have to endure and still have to find my way around to get matters resolved. I sincerely doubt that I will hear from Epox either.

 

[Technonut]

Ruroni, It is sad to see that you had less than a rewarding experience with your system build. You seem to be more or less willing to throw in the towel without continuing the fight.

I understand that it is frustrating, but being so negative will not benefit you in the long run. There are many forum members that have had issues with DOA components, setup, configuration, etc.... That is the purpose of threads such as this one... To ask for help and suggestions in sorting these issues out, and in most cases resolving them. It is rare in this day and age for people to be willing to give freely of their time and experience to lend a hand.

There was a time when every one of us did not have the knowledge necessary to complete a build. It takes time, and a will to learn from every mistake made. In the end though, there is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction of hitting the switch on a well running system built with your own hands. Not to mention the feeling of confidence knowing that if (when ) an issue occurs you will either be able to handle it yourself, or come to a forum such as this one to get it resolved.

No one can make you change your mind if you want to give up and buy a pre-built system. Many do, and are happy dealing with the company for support issues when an issue occurs. You were offered suggestions that you can either take or leave. Just keep in mind that there are people here willing to help if you decide to push on.

If you would have dealt with a company such as Newegg, it would not have been necessary to even contact EPoX. You would have been issued an RMA # usually within a day, returned the board, (In most cases involving a DOA component Newegg will refund your return shipping) and had another shipped to you at no charge by FedX within 2 days of Newegg receiving it. Pretty hassle free.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. The ball is in your court.

 

[bupkus]

I've been very disappointed in my overclocking abilities. I'm using one of those newegg 1600+ AGOIA CPUs and I'm getting freeze problems when setting the processor to 1.75GHz. I've got Corsair 2700 ram with the heavy heat spreaders.
Hopefully, that slow boat with my Volcano 9's coming next Wednesday from the east coast of china will help.:frown: (should have paid for faster shipping). It's just that the temps don't seem all that high.

 

[NicColt]

>8K5A2+ - 2 IDE ports (KT333 chipset) and 2 ATA/RAID Ports (Highpoint 372) for 4 total.

does that mean that you can have two drives on one cable for RAID setup ?

RideFree you said;
>as I have 2ea. 512MB fast Mushkin 300 Mhz around here someplace.
>Everything finally got here. 756MB Samsung PC-2700

so are you using the Mushking or the Samsung ?

and if your using Samsung for 756 are you suing 3x256 or 1x512 and 1x256 ? any problems with that setup.
would there be any problems using 1x512 and 1x256 ? or does it matter ? can I just use 3x256 ?
I do alot of video and audio so I need just a tadd more than 512.

>Let me explain a bit about how overclocking works.

Nice post.

 

[russr]

Ruroni, I agree with Technonut. You learn through your mistakes. We have tried to help you out a lot here and given you quite a bit of advice, but it is your choice to throw in the towel, but as technonut said, a negative attitude only hurts one in the end.

You've got to give epox time to respond, it usually takes time 24-48 hours to respond, and eventually they will authorize an RMA to you and it will work out.

And to be positive, you have learned from this, you've learned not to buy from resellers with low ratings such as cnetpc, you've learned you can find out a lot about a reseller through www.resellerratings.com, and you've learned that Newegg and Mwave make RMAs less painless and it's better to buy from them to minimize your pain and maximize your joy and satisfaction.

Finally, in all fairness and with all do respect you knew what you were getting into before even building this. To take on a task of building a system yourself you have to expect and prepare for things like this and do a lot of research on the boards before hand. Realistically speaking, you have to keep in mind that things can go wrong and if you're in a hurry to build system and can't handle the extra time it takes to build, troubleshoot and rma if necessary, then building your own is not for you at this time.

 

[russr]

bukpus about your AGOIA not going that high. Remember that the stepping is only a general guide and not a gurantee. I've had AGOIA cores on XP 1600+ that wouldn't do anything past 1.72ghz w/o extreme voltage and I've had some that need a bit more volts to go to 1.75ghz and then there were some that would be hot as hell and default vcore and were stable at 1.75ghz.

So keep in mind that there's no gurantee, it's just a good bet that they'll go over 1.7ghz, but it varies from chip to chip.