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

[Nikepete]

Do these boards support the new Thoroughbred CPUs ?

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: Nikepete
Do these boards support the new Thoroughbred CPUs ?

Yes, and they will support the upcoming Tbred "B" cores in the upcoming 2400+ and above CPU's as well.

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: Blain
The FedEx man should be dropping off my 8K5A3+ today. It looks like it will be a good match for my Corsair PC3000C2
My water block and system are all ready and waiting!

Good to hear! Good luck with your build...please let us know how it goes!

 

[Blain]

Did I read the 8K5A3+ BIOS flash instructions right...
It detects and updates via the internet?

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: Blain
Did I read the 8K5A3+ BIOS flash instructions right...
It detects and updates via the internet?

It does....but it's still BETA. The preferred way is still via DOS. It doesn't even show the latest official bios on my 8K5A2+ when I tried it..

 

[AnMig]

"Epox decided to change the temperature monitoring scheme for this board...it still monitors the diode, but strictly for emergency shutdown. According to the manual, it's set @ 100C. The temp readings in the bios and windows are from the Winbond chip and the in-socket thermistor."

when did they did this? I have had my board past 1 1/2 months now and hope that the temp reprted in windows is the on die one not the crappy innaccurate thermosistor.

will upgrading the bios do this? prevent speed fan or mbm to read the on die temp?

techno nut: you have your fsb at 212mhz (wowza)
I have the exact same memory as you do mushkin 3200 cas 2 and hope to max the fsb but have been too lazy to unlock my 1600 agoia , I need to decrease the multiplier to reach that high of fsb.

Did you run into problems with your peripherals? I know there is a 1/5 divider but at 212 mhz your pci is at 42 mhz.
I will probably shoot for 180 or 190mhz

 

[Diogenes2]

Originally posted by: Athlonstein
I just received an 8k5a2+ today and noticed the Nothbridge hs is rectangular (link below shows a pic), most reviewed pics show it being round.

8k5a2+

Anyone know if this before or after the round hs? Better or worse?

I just recieved my 8K5A2+ from NewEgg and it has the round sink. It seems rather robust with a lot of surface area. However, upon popping it off, I found a small square of thermal tape. I guess if it's good enough for Epox, ought to be good enough for me. But I cleaned it off and put a dab of my favorite white gunk on it anyway..


P.S. I was one of those who sent an 8K3A back to NewEgg because of a 10 degree dif in my probe and the BIOS. However, so far ( on the 8K5A, I'm getting exactly the same with my probe and the BIOS. So it looks like they have refined their calibration process a bit.

My initial impression of this board is very good. Just now running my 2000 at 145 FSB and 1.85v. Looping some 3DMark. Look forward to experimenting with some unlocking and 200+ FSB.

 

[Technonut]

A tip for cooling the round Northbridge HS on the 8K5A2+....

If you happen to have any of the old POS Blue Orbs around, remove the fan and install it on the round HS. The 3 screws will line up and fit if you place them in the right spot. It works great for me.

 

[williamkusumo]

What is the main difference between 8k5A2 and 8k5A2+?
Is it only the presence of RAID and the number of PCI bus or DDR RAM Slot?

Anyway, does it really make any good to use a RAID on a single Hard drive? As far as I know, RAID increases performance by representing several Hard drives as one entity and divide the work on each Hard drive.

Please advice,
William

 

[williamkusumo]

By the way, I was asking about the difference between 8K5A2 and 8K5a2+ because their price are about $20-$30 apart. Are those extra things on 8K5A2+ worth that much?

William

 

[Mem]

Anyway, does it really make any good to use a RAID on a single Hard drive?

If you`re not going to use RAID (which needs 2 HDs) then you might as well get the 8K5A2 model,most people don`t use RAID anyway including myself.

 

[RideFree]

What's with the new 8K5A2+b I just saw on Newegg (other that the extra $50)?

My 8K5A2+ is on the way from Mwave.

 

[MatthewF01]

Regarding installing XP over again when crossing over mobo's... is it best to do a clean install?? Cuz I dont wanna!!!! Is there a way to install on top of current install, and retain settings, files, shortcuts, etc??

i dont wanna lose my progress...
its already happened once on accident, and i hated it!

And regarding the board monitoring CPU temp via the diode on the XP+ proc., what is considered the max safe temp for overclocking if youre looking at that?? I understand 100C is the critical shutdown point, but whats the temp that you should stay away from when overclocking???


I am running the ECS K7S5A right now, and I will VERY SOON be getting a new motherboard. I was set on getting the Chaintech Apogee 7VJL, but Chaintech is having some issues with their 166Mhz jumper (for when I get my Barton ) as well as the 1/5 divider.
My friend just got this board, and I was teaching him about overclocking, and the board looks really nice, so Im torn now...

 

[Salvador]

Yes, this board is Alpha 8045 safe. You do not need any modification to fit an alpha 8045. The four HSF mounting holes around the socket are small ones and not grounded. Thus, potential Alpha 8045 users should not use shoulder washers.

I have an Alpha 8045 that I would like to use with this board. What do they mean by "shoulder washers"? Are they talking about the little plastic washers that come with the little plastic nuts? If so, I have no idea why they wouldn't want you to use them.

BTW.. Is this currently the hottest board out there at the moment?

Sal

 

[bcmind]

Originally posted by: williamkusumo
By the way, I was asking about the difference between 8K5A2 and 8K5a2+ because their price are about $20-$30 apart. Are those extra things on 8K5A2+ worth that much?

William

8k5a2+ has better onboard sound which is better. I'm a gamer myself, so sound is pretty important to me. That's why I chose the + version over non +.

And regarding the board monitoring CPU temp via the diode on the XP+ proc., what is considered the max safe temp for overclocking if youre looking at that?? I understand 100C is the critical shutdown point, but whats the temp that you should stay away from when overclocking???

IMO under 55C if you OC. My temp reads 42 load with AXP1600+ NOT OC.

What's with the new 8K5A2+b I just saw on Newegg (other that the extra $50)?

that was my question and had been answer by Insane3D. The b stand for bluetooth.

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: williamkusumo
What is the main difference between 8k5A2 and 8k5A2+?
Is it only the presence of RAID and the number of PCI bus or DDR RAM Slot?

Anyway, does it really make any good to use a RAID on a single Hard drive? As far as I know, RAID increases performance by representing several Hard drives as one entity and divide the work on each Hard drive.

Please advice,
William

There are two main differences between the 8K5A2 and the 8K5A2+. The 8K5A2+ is the exact same board as the 8K5a2, except it also has onboard LAN and the Highpoint 372 ATA/RAID controller. The 8K5A2 is ~$85 and the 8K5A2+ is ~$100. If you figure in the cost of a cheap NIC and a add on RAID controller card, the extra $15 doesn't seem like much.

Also, regarding the RAID controller. In addition to RAIDing two or more drives, it can also be used as a ATA controller. For instance, on one of my systems, I have a second HD that I use for file storage. I hooked up my main HD to the Primary IDE, my DVD drive to the Secondary IDE, and my second HD to one of the RAID IDE ports. Now each device is the master on it's own channel, and nothing is sharing. People often forget you don't need to use the RAID ports for RAID only.

 

[MaxDSP]

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
Im thinking of buying the 8k53+, XP 1400+, and 256-384 MB PC2700 RAM. what are the best places to buy this stuff from? For the RAM, crucial has a lifetime warranty on its chips, so should i pay the extra amount and go with crucial?

Ok, first of all, before you go with the 8K5A3+, let me ask you a question. Do you need 4 RAID IDE ports vs the normal two on the 8K5A2+, and do you plan on filling up more than three memory slots with Registered DDR? The only difference between the 3+ and the 2+ is one extra memory slot that would require registered memory to fill all four, and the extra two IDE ports. If you don't plan on doing a 4 HD RAID array, the 8K5A3+ seems like overkill for you.


Now, I'm assuming when you say 1400+, you mean the 1.4ghz 1600+. So I'll quote prices on the 1600+ since there is no such CPU as the 1400+. Also, all memory that I have seen, even generic, usually comes with a lifetime warranty...that's not exclusive to Crucial by any means. One other thing with the memory, do you plan on running speeds in excess of 166mhz? If not, regular Samsung DDR will do you fine. If you plan on running really high speeds, like 180mhz +, you will need to get some of the more expensive Corsair DDR.


Here's a nice little config for you...


Epox 8K5A2+ @ Mwave - $99.51

Athlon XP 1600+ @ Newegg - $56 (Free Shipping)

512mb Samsung PC2700 @ Kommax - $126

Total: $281.51

Excellent, thanks for the advice Insane. The only reason I thought about the 3+ was because I *may* want a RAID array in the future, but not too sure. I guess Im better off saving money and just getting a RAID card if I decide I want it. Now I just need to look at my last months Visa statement of $1,061 and see if I really need this

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: MaxDSP

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
Im thinking of buying the 8k53+, XP 1400+, and 256-384 MB PC2700 RAM. what are the best places to buy this stuff from? For the RAM, crucial has a lifetime warranty on its chips, so should i pay the extra amount and go with crucial?

Ok, first of all, before you go with the 8K5A3+, let me ask you a question. Do you need 4 RAID IDE ports vs the normal two on the 8K5A2+, and do you plan on filling up more than three memory slots with Registered DDR? The only difference between the 3+ and the 2+ is one extra memory slot that would require registered memory to fill all four, and the extra two IDE ports. If you don't plan on doing a 4 HD RAID array, the 8K5A3+ seems like overkill for you.


Now, I'm assuming when you say 1400+, you mean the 1.4ghz 1600+. So I'll quote prices on the 1600+ since there is no such CPU as the 1400+. Also, all memory that I have seen, even generic, usually comes with a lifetime warranty...that's not exclusive to Crucial by any means. One other thing with the memory, do you plan on running speeds in excess of 166mhz? If not, regular Samsung DDR will do you fine. If you plan on running really high speeds, like 180mhz +, you will need to get some of the more expensive Corsair DDR.


Here's a nice little config for you...


Epox 8K5A2+ @ Mwave - $99.51

Athlon XP 1600+ @ Newegg - $56 (Free Shipping)

512mb Samsung PC2700 @ Kommax - $126

Total: $281.51

Excellent, thanks for the advice Insane. The only reason I thought about the 3+ was because I *may* want a RAID array in the future, but not too sure. I guess Im better off saving money and just getting a RAID card if I decide I want it. Now I just need to look at my last months Visa statement of $1,061 and see if I really need this

The 8K5A2+ has RAID, just the normal two ports instead of four....

The only reason you would need the 3+ is if you wanted to do a RAID array of more than two HD's.

8K5A2+ - 2 IDE ports (KT333 chipset) and 2 ATA/RAID Ports (Highpoint 372) for 4 total.
8K5A3+ - 2 IDE Ports (KT333 chipset) and 4 ATA/RAID Ports (Highpoint 374) for 6 total.

 

[MaxDSP]

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Originally posted by: MaxDSP

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
Im thinking of buying the 8k53+, XP 1400+, and 256-384 MB PC2700 RAM. what are the best places to buy this stuff from? For the RAM, crucial has a lifetime warranty on its chips, so should i pay the extra amount and go with crucial?

Ok, first of all, before you go with the 8K5A3+, let me ask you a question. Do you need 4 RAID IDE ports vs the normal two on the 8K5A2+, and do you plan on filling up more than three memory slots with Registered DDR? The only difference between the 3+ and the 2+ is one extra memory slot that would require registered memory to fill all four, and the extra two IDE ports. If you don't plan on doing a 4 HD RAID array, the 8K5A3+ seems like overkill for you.


Now, I'm assuming when you say 1400+, you mean the 1.4ghz 1600+. So I'll quote prices on the 1600+ since there is no such CPU as the 1400+. Also, all memory that I have seen, even generic, usually comes with a lifetime warranty...that's not exclusive to Crucial by any means. One other thing with the memory, do you plan on running speeds in excess of 166mhz? If not, regular Samsung DDR will do you fine. If you plan on running really high speeds, like 180mhz +, you will need to get some of the more expensive Corsair DDR.


Here's a nice little config for you...


Epox 8K5A2+ @ Mwave - $99.51

Athlon XP 1600+ @ Newegg - $56 (Free Shipping)

512mb Samsung PC2700 @ Kommax - $126

Total: $281.51

Excellent, thanks for the advice Insane. The only reason I thought about the 3+ was because I *may* want a RAID array in the future, but not too sure. I guess Im better off saving money and just getting a RAID card if I decide I want it. Now I just need to look at my last months Visa statement of $1,061 and see if I really need this

The 8K5A2+ has RAID, just the normal two ports instead of four....

The only reason you would need the 3+ is if you wanted to do a RAID array of more than two HD's.

well, in that case, Ill just go with the 2+. I shouldve read the specs on them but too lazy to do anything rite now

 

[Roughee]

Can anybody tell me the disadvantages of the 8K5A2 ? All i know is that there is no Raid On-Board which i still don't need.

But is there anything else i should know? Something that decreases the overall performance?

thx 4 reply.

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: Roughee
Can anybody tell me the disadvantages of the 8K5A2 ? All i know is that there is no Raid On-Board which i still don't need.

But is there anything else i should know? Something that decreases the overall performance?

thx 4 reply.

The only other difference that I know of is there is no onboard LAN either on the 8K5A2. Other than that, the 8K5A2, 8K5A2+ and the 8K5A3+ are all technically the same board. They should all perform identical, and the bioses will be essentially the same, except for the things like RAID and LAN options of course....

 

[Insane3D]

I have an Alpha 8045 that I would like to use with this board. What do they mean by "shoulder washers"? Are they talking about the little plastic washers that come with the little plastic nuts? If so, I have no idea why they wouldn't want you to use them.

I think what he means are the small nylon pieces that are not flat, but have a ridge of sorts that are supposed to fit inside the larger holes on boards like the Gigasucks.. On the Epox, the holes are the smaller size and you only use the flat washers. If you use the shoulder washers, you will not be installing the Alpha properly, and it will likely not touch the core when tightened down.

 

[Roughee]

Please everybody forgive me, i only read the first page and posted my request.
Now that i was looking for my post i found the answer above.

I promise i will look more and more careful for the number of pages in a thread in the future.

Sorry,
Roughee

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: Roughee
Please everybody forgive me, i only read the first page and posted my request.
Now that i was looking for my post i found the answer above.

I promise i will look more and more careful for the number of pages in a thread in the future.

Sorry,
Roughee

Don't sweat it...life is too short...

 

[Talyn328]

I'm trying to make a final decision on RAM myself - right now I'm leaning towards the XtremeDDR PC2700 since it's CL2 and almost everything else so far I've come across is CL2.5 except for some Corsair. Samsung and Corsair are really the only two contenders to draw my attention from the XtremeDDR chips...anyone have any advice?