*** Official EPoX 8RDA/+ (nForce2) Thread ***

[Fallenjedi]

Help.

Okay. So ...:
AMD TBred 1700+
Epox 8rda+
Bios at optimal settings - not even gotten to the point of trying OC yet.
2 512 Sticks of Mushkin 3200 DDR
1 Highpoint RAID Card w/ 2 HDs in RAID 0
1 Nvidia Geforce3 ti200.

So, after a nice wiping of the HD's, creating a raid array....I install XP, install the Highpoint drivers, install SP1. Then hit Windows Update and get all the other updates. install the Nforce2 drivers from their website 2.03. All seems well, except the video isn't up to par yet, and it hasn't "really" detected my card. So I start the install for the drivers, which pulls the card out of the ? (yellow question mark zone), and everything seems great. Files install. Yeah. Then, when I click "OK". To close the properties screen ... I get a black screen, then a gray screen with a million little boxes on it, and it reboots, or I bouce back to windows and get a "windows is recoverning from a device failure". Then it needs to reboot, and the video is jacked up.

The video card worked perfectly fine on my old machine, yesterday.

Any ideas? I'm confused and helpless at themoment.

 

[MARMADUKE]

reseat the card?
card is not compatible with DX9A?

 

[Fallenjedi]

Greets -

The card worked perfectly with DX9 two days ago in my old machine.

...

Back. Whew. Was never able to get back into Xp or safe mode last night. had to do anything reinstall. Aye, at the moment I'm running the 3507 bios.

So here's where i'm at now:

XP
SP1
nforce 2.03 drivers

Problem at the moment is the strange and unsual lack of detection of my video card, but at the same time I'm back into a color mode (whee) versus the ega death last night.

At the moment, mem is at 6-3-3-2.

I'm going to try and flash back to the 3129 bios, and see if that helps with the video drivers at all.

Hopefully I'll be back in a bit, with some updates.

 

[gnuel3]

I cant seem to go beyond any multipliers after 12.5(even at 133 fsb). Whenever I try 13 or more, it posts as "AMD 1100mhz". I have a 1700+ 0301 currently at 166x12.5. How can I go beyond 12.5?

 

[Elvis2]

I'm thinking about building a second system around a 2500+ Barton. Will this work on an Epox 8RDA+? Is Crucial pc2700 ram good 'nuff?
Any issues with an ATI 9700 Pro? I was seduced by the dark side 6 mos. ago and have recently started hearing amd calling be back home

 

[coomarlin]

Originally posted by: gnuel3
I cant seem to go beyond any multipliers after 12.5(even at 133 fsb). Whenever I try 13 or more, it posts as "AMD 1100mhz". I have a 1700+ 0301 currently at 166x12.5. How can I go beyond 12.5?

My ASUS A7N8X deluxe was like that. But with the 8RDA+ I can choose anything I want to. Right now I'm running at 180x12.5, but I am going to try 200 x11 and 200x11.5. This is the best board I've ever owned for overclocking.

What CPU are you using?

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: Elvis2
I'm thinking about building a second system around a 2500+ Barton. Will this work on an Epox 8RDA+? Is Crucial pc2700 ram good 'nuff?
Any issues with an ATI 9700 Pro? I was seduced by the dark side 6 mos. ago and have recently started hearing amd calling be back home

Elvis, the 2500+ is perfectly at home on the 8RDA+, you will enjoy that combo. As to the Crucial, avoid it like it is Satan on the 8RDA+. Rather, get some Kingston HyperX, TwinMOS, or Samsung for inexpensive memory that works on the board. Of course, go for the Corsair or Mushkin Black if you need high end memory as they are the top of the pile in memory. And your 9700 Pro should be fine as well. There are lots of people are running on that combo here.

You'll have a really fast gaming computer my man.

 

[gnuel3]

Originally posted by: coomarlin

Originally posted by: gnuel3
I cant seem to go beyond any multipliers after 12.5(even at 133 fsb). Whenever I try 13 or more, it posts as "AMD 1100mhz". I have a 1700+ 0301 currently at 166x12.5. How can I go beyond 12.5?

My ASUS A7N8X deluxe was like that. But with the 8RDA+ I can choose anything I want to. Right now I'm running at 180x12.5, but I am going to try 200 x11 and 200x11.5. This is the best board I've ever owned for overclocking.

What CPU are you using?

I'm using an 1700+ TbredB, the wonder chip.


I did get this board refurbished from newegg, but when it arrived, everything looked new..

 

[chocoruacal]

Originally posted by: RefriedBeaner
I'm just trying to get to the 166-200 FSB range, will HyperX PC3000 get me there?

Yes.

 

[chocoruacal]

Originally posted by: gnuel3
I cant seem to go beyond any multipliers after 12.5(even at 133 fsb). Whenever I try 13 or more, it posts as "AMD 1100mhz". I have a 1700+ 0301 currently at 166x12.5. How can I go beyond 12.5?

You need to cut the 5th L3 bridge, I believe. The 2200's and up all have that bridge cut, while the 2100's and below do not.

 

[chocoruacal]

Originally posted by: Ltroy24
I have heard alot about corrupt bios and what not on these boards my friend has sent one or 2 back i was wondering the situation is with this problem. If i get an nforce 2 board this will probably be it but might go with a cheaper kt400 $$$ a little short.

Luke

If you do that, you can forget about performance and overclocking. I've built 3 8RDA+ systems...haven't experienced any BIOS corruption:beer:

 

[ThisIsMatt]

If anyone has any insight into my issue here it'd be much appreciated

 

[Zap]

Ok, I need to eat a little bit of crow.

Thanks for the update, Zuke. MSI boards are pretty decent - I have one with a SiS 645DX chipset that I'm running an overclocked Celeron 2.0 on, purchased as a CPU/mobo combo from Fry's for $99.

 

[gnuel3]

Originally posted by: chocoruacal

Originally posted by: gnuel3
I cant seem to go beyond any multipliers after 12.5(even at 133 fsb). Whenever I try 13 or more, it posts as "AMD 1100mhz". I have a 1700+ 0301 currently at 166x12.5. How can I go beyond 12.5?

You need to cut the 5th L3 bridge, I believe. The 2200's and up all have that bridge cut, while the 2100's and below do not.

Oh darnit... How do you cut it? If it's not too dangerous, I'll like to try it...

 

[EGGHplayer]

I'm running my 2100+ CPU at 166 quite happily on my 8RDA+ with memory in sync, but I cannot get my memory to run in dual mode. Memory is 2 X 256 OCZ PC3200, and CPUZ reports that it is running in single mode. Should'n't my memory function in dual mode? Isn't this what DDR means? I tried removing a stick and still got the single mode report from CPUZ with one stick of memory.

System is stable and fast at 166, and after lots of diddling I find that memory works best in sync. I want to try pushing the processor further but when I try to push it now either be changing the FSB or the multiplier I get error messages during boot and need to reset to 166 and a multiplier that is at or below the CPU's rated speed. Will unlocking the CPU let me push it more? I'm all set for overclocking with the Iceberg copper cooler on the NB and the modifed stock fins on the SB.

BTW I also had problems getting NERO burn to work, especially the InCD packet sharing program. Went back and forth with Yamaha tech support, who made the drive; then someone finally advised that the Mt Ranier packet sharing program needs to be disabled in Windows 2k. Since then I have had no further problems with NEROburn on any disc or packet sharing on RW discs.

 

[Megatomic]

EGGHplayer, what DIMM slots do you have your memory in? You must have them in 1&3 or 1&2 for DCDDR to become active. If you have the memory in the slots that are adjacent to each other you will be in single channel mode.

 

[EGGHplayer]

The memory is installed in the correct DIMM slots -- 1 and 2 or 1 and 3. I have tried both, and even tried it with only one stick installed. Same result. Am I missing a BIOS setting?

 

[Megatomic]

No. I have never needed a BIOS setting to get DCDDR to turn on when the memory was placed in the correct slots. I'm not sure what is wrong there.

 

[screw3d]

Originally posted by: EGGHplayer
The memory is installed in the correct DIMM slots -- 1 and 2 or 1 and 3. I have tried both, and even tried it with only one stick installed. Same result. Am I missing a BIOS setting?

You are running DC alright. I'm sure my rig is (was) running dual-channel and CPU-Z still reports SC. It's a problem with CPU-Z not with your RAM/BIOS config.

 

[Zap]

My board reports dual channel during POST. That's probably more accurate than that 3rd party software.

 

[Jii]

Hi all.

I'm planning on changing from my old EPoX EP-8KTA3Pro motherboard to the 8RDA+, but as I do that I'm forced to change my old PC133 SDRAM sticks to DDR as well.

If I take two types of 256MB PC2700 DDR sticks and put them to slots 1&3 on the Motherboard, it will activate the DC feature automatically, right? But what happens to the amount of RAM? By logic, I would assume it to be 256MB, but with the 128-bit mode (e.g. faster). Or is it 512MB but still 128-bit? This is confusing me.

My current case has a Chieftec 315W ATX PSU installed (the case itself isn't Chieftec's one).
Is this thing going to give enough power to drive the new 8RDA+ or do I have to change to 400W?

For the record, my present configuration is:

EPoX EP-8KTA3Pro
AMD Athlon XP 2000+@stock speed
1GB PC133 SDRAM
ELSA Gladiac 921 Nvidia GeForce3
Maxtor 80GB HDD
Pioneer DVD-105 DVD-ROM drive
LG GCE-8480B CDRW drive
Seagate STT8000A 4/8GB Travan tape drive
DTK PTI-213C USB2.0 & IEEE-1394 adapter card
3Com 3C905C EtherLink XL 10/100 NIC
SB Live! 5.1 Player

I'm planning on buying this board because according to my experience, excellent OC-capable motherboards make excellent, stable motherboards. So my plan is to run everything at stock speeds, while discarding all PCI cards (the motherboard has everything I need).

Thanks in advance for your comments and help.

 

[webley]

I'm out of ideas... any help appreciated.

I'm on my third type of RAM on an 8rDA+. First Crucial, then Kingston HyperX PC3000, and now something that should work, Twinmos Winbond PC3200.

Each time I used two sticks of 512MB in dual channel and single channel modes at default timings and only reached 164 FSB without getting BSOD page fault errors, even with the Twinmos RAM that is supposed to be one of the most stable on 8RDAs. Now even at 164 FSB it's crashing frequently in Windows.

My options are:

Get a new 8RDA+,

Order a new Bios chip,

Something else I haven't thought of.


What kind of FSB speed should I expect using 2x512 MB Twinmos on a NForce2 board?

 

[Megatomic]

webley, what is the max FSB you have ever gotten? Have you tried with only one stick of memory? If so, what did you get then? I'm thinking maybe it's your CPU that doesn't want to go to high FSBs. What CPU btw?

 

[webley]

Megatomic, It's a Athlon 2100XP processor and I haven't tried using only 1 stick of Twinmos yet, but I think I tried one of the others each. Do some CPUs have trouble at high front side bus speeds even if the product of FSBxMultiplier is low? I was thinking you could just lower the multiplier to compensate for raising the FSB but does this not work sometimes?


I'll try one stick of Twinmos 512MB and see if that works.

 

[thirdlegstump]

webley, is that a Tbred (a or b?) or a Palo?
I'm able to get my 1700+ to 200FSB without any problems with 1 stick of Corsair 512MB XMS LLPT.