*** Official Gigabyte P965-DS3 Thread ***

[JustWhitman]

For now I'm sticking with F7 BIOS. I upgraded to F10 and had nothing but problems. My 466x7 Overclock was no longer stable. On top of that I actually had to clear the CMOS in order to get a POST screen. With F7 if I OCd too far, it would still boot, worst case was it would just not take the OC and would revert to stock. Enabling USB Mouse/KB support in the BIOS with F10 results in a garbled mess of the screen and a freeze on post (with stock settings), only option to fix it was clear CMOS.

I was hoping I could hit 500+ FSB with the new memory options in F10, since I believe my memory is all that's holding me back. I guess I'll just have to wait for a more stable BIOS or buy better memory and stick with F7 .

 

[vailr]

Originally posted by: JJordan
I have decided to build a computer agan after several years off (last was P3-700 running at 933). I have I hope settled on this board as a middle of the road (pricewise) board but good overclocker - my question is what memory is MOST reliable with this board - want 2 Gig set up. I do not want memory issues. I plan to run either a 6300 or the new 4300 processor overclocked medium high - do not need to breack any speed barriers.

Wait a few weeks, until the "version 3.3" board is out.
See:
http://www.vr-zone.com/?i=4508

 

[Spring2188]

I've read through this thread a few times and am still having problems trying to install the Jmicron raid drivers. I am using the purple ports and trying to set up RAID 0. I have downloaded the latest drivers, found here... http://www.station-drivers.com/page/jmicron.htm. I am not sure if I am downloading the correct driver. I am using Windows XP. I downloaded 1.17.08.01 WHQL but that file is too large to fit a floppy. What specific file do I need to be downloading to floppy to create the boot disc. Once I unzip the file there is a floppy 32 folder and a setup.exe file. I think I need to save one of those to floppy but not sure. I'd appreciate it if someone can baby step me through this process. Thanks in advance

 

[TRD3SGTE]

Hi guys, newbie here =)

Just got my system completed last week.

Spec :

Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 Linky
Gigabyte 965P DS3 rev. 2 Linky
Patriot eXtreme Performance 2x512MB DDR2 1066 PC2 8500 PDC21G8500ELK Linky
eVGA GeForce 7900 GS KO 256MB Linky
RaidMax 630watt Rx-630A Linky
Antec Nine Hundred Linky
Tuniq Tower 120 Linky
1xRaptor 150GB 10,000 RPM 16MB Buffer Linky
2xRaptor 74GB rev.2 10,000 RPM 16MB Buffer Linky
1xSeagate Barracuda 500GB 7200.10 7200RPM 16MB Buffer Linky
LiteOn DVDRW 20x Linky

The Tuniq Tower helps a lot during my overclocking adventure. keeping the temp in check, unlike the stock HSF which reached 76 during Orthos blend testing.

So far, I've reached 3.738Ghz @534FSB, but I forgot to validate the CPU-Z =(
Linky

I got lower speed validated at 3.675Ghz @ 525FSB
Linky
Validated Linky

I need a very cold California weather tonite, so I can try again OC'ing this rig more.

Any suggestion on memory timing I should change?
Anybody on DS3 and E6300 has higher speed? I need some input on how to progress ^__^

Thanks,

TRD-3SGTE

PS: F9 Bios works fine for me. I'm reluctant to upgrade to F10. But I'll give a try this weekend and see if I can get 550MHz ^__^

 

[buzzuk67]

Spring 2188. To create a driver disc, it looks like you would need to copy only the files within either the 'floppy 32' or 'floppy 64' folders from the download, dependant on whether your using a 32 or 64 bit version of xp. Copy the files into the root of the floppy rather than within a subfolder.
It will also depend on when you intend to install the drivers. You will only need a floppy driver disc if you intend to format and reinstall your operating system from a drive attached to the purple SATA connectors. If you already have xp installed and simply wish to activate the purple SATA connectors you should be able to extract the downloaded driver then run the setup.exe file from the folder it was extracted into, or alternatively go into device manager, which is found in the windows control panel and update that way (but thats another story).

 

[mcurphy]

I have a couple questions about the S3 I'm hoping someone can answer.

This is my first attempt at using a SATA drive, and I only have one so it will hold my OS and all data files. Which SATA connector do I plug it in to? I couldn't find a definite answer to this in researching it, so I'm sorry if this sounds very dumb. I know that 4 orange ports are controlled by the ICH8 southbridge, and I think the other 2 purple are run by a Gigabyte controller. Is one better than the other to use if I only have one drive in the system?

Also, can anyone verify that this board (the S3) supports RAID? The manual says it does in fact support RAID, but newegg doesn't list it in the specs and some of the reviewers say it does not. It seems confusing. I may purchase another drive to run RAID 1 if it does support it.

Thanks!

 

[buzzuk67]

After further tinkering i set up

CPU multiplier = 7
CPU Frequency = 400

now to my simple mind this would mean the cpu is running at 7x400 = 2800mhz
however cpu-z and windows state the cpu is actually running at 3600mhz with these settings.
I'd appreciate if someone could explain the principles behind how 7 x 400 can equal 3600.
Incidentally cpu-z doesn't seem to like vista x64, it throws up an error when loading the driver and has reduced functionality.

 

[TRD3SGTE]

7x400 is indeed 2800MHz.
To get 3600Mhz, you need 9x400.

So what I'm thinking is , do you enable the BIOS setting for multiplier changes?
In your sig, you have an E6600. The E6600's multiplier is 9.
Thus, 9x400 = 3.6GHZ

If the PC is idle, it might throttle down to 7x, generating 2.8GHZ.
CPU-Z always look at the highest multiplier times FSB number.

 

[TRD3SGTE]

Also, can anyone verify that this board (the S3) supports RAID? The manual says it does in fact support RAID

Gigabyte S3 does_not support any RAID whatsoever.
Gigabyte DS3 does, and only the two purple SATA port.

 

[buzzuk67]

mcurphy, both sets of SATA connectors support SATA 1 and 2 specifications so are equal in that respect. If carrying out a fresh OS install, the orange intel connectors are going to be the easiest as you shouldn't need a separate driver disc during install to get them up and running. Never had a raid setup so cant comment on how well they perform in that area. On a general housekeeping note, as your probably aware its a good idea to create a separate partion for your OS, 20 gigs should be plenty.

 

[vailr]

Originally posted by: mcurphy
I have a couple questions about the S3 I'm hoping someone can answer.

This is my first attempt at using a SATA drive, and I only have one so it will hold my OS and all data files. Which SATA connector do I plug it in to? I couldn't find a definite answer to this in researching it, so I'm sorry if this sounds very dumb. I know that 4 orange ports are controlled by the ICH8 southbridge, and I think the other 2 purple are run by a Gigabyte controller. Is one better than the other to use if I only have one drive in the system?

Also, can anyone verify that this board (the S3) supports RAID? The manual says it does in fact support RAID, but newegg doesn't list it in the specs and some of the reviewers say it does not. It seems confusing. I may purchase another drive to run RAID 1 if it does support it.

Thanks!

Pretty sure that raid is supported on the S3, but only when 2 SATA HD's are both connected to the 2 JMicron (purple) SATA ports. The DS3 has better quality capacitors, is the chief difference between the DS3 & the S3 boards.
"Raid 0" is the faster, although riskier, raid version to use.

 

[mcurphy]

Originally posted by: buzzuk67

mcurphy, both sets of SATA connectors support SATA 1 and 2 specifications so are equal in that respect. If carrying out a fresh OS install, the orange intel connectors are going to be the easiest as you shouldn't need a separate driver disc during install to get them up and running. Never had a raid setup so cant comment on how well they perform in that area. On a general housekeeping note, as your probably aware its a good idea to create a separate partion for your OS, 20 gigs should be plenty.

Thanks for the reply. I will try out the orange ports! And I agree with you on housekeeping, I usually set 15 aside for OS, another 40 for programs, and the rest for data. :thumbsup:

Originally posted by: vailr

Pretty sure that raid is supported on the S3, but only when 2 SATA HD's are both connected to the 2 JMicron (purple) SATA ports. The DS3 has better quality capacitors, is the chief difference between the DS3 & the S3 boards.
"Raid 0" is the faster, although riskier, raid version to use.

Hmm, TRD3SGTE says it does not, and you think it might. I wish I could find out for sure before I decide to buy another hdd just for mirroring. It was my impression that the only difference was the capacitors as well, and I think the LAN controller is different. This would suggest that RAID is present on both boards.

I ran RAID 0 in my last rig, and although I enjoyed it for 3+ years, my mobo failed on me and I have yet to find a replacement to retrieve my data that is in limbo on those drives. That is why I am hoping to run RAID 1 for the data security

 

[mcurphy]

Originally posted by: buzzuk67

mcurphy, both sets of SATA connectors support SATA 1 and 2 specifications so are equal in that respect. If carrying out a fresh OS install, the orange intel connectors are going to be the easiest as you shouldn't need a separate driver disc during install to get them up and running. Never had a raid setup so cant comment on how well they perform in that area. On a general housekeeping note, as your probably aware its a good idea to create a separate partion for your OS, 20 gigs should be plenty.

Thanks for the reply. I will try out the orange ports! And I agree with you on housekeeping, I usually set 15 aside for OS, another 40 for programs, and the rest for data. :thumbsup:

Originally posted by: vailr

Pretty sure that raid is supported on the S3, but only when 2 SATA HD's are both connected to the 2 JMicron (purple) SATA ports. The DS3 has better quality capacitors, is the chief difference between the DS3 & the S3 boards.
"Raid 0" is the faster, although riskier, raid version to use.

Hmm, TRD3SGTE says it does not, and you think it might. I am hoping to find out for sure before I decide to buy another hdd just for mirroring. It was my impression that the only difference was the capacitors as well, and I think the LAN controller is different. This would suggest that RAID is present on both boards. It is listed in the manual as supporting RAID...but I can't figure out why people keep saying that it does not??

I ran RAID 0 in my last rig, and although I enjoyed it for 3+ years, my mobo failed on me and I have yet to find a replacement to retrieve my data that is in limbo on those drives. That is why I am hoping to run RAID 1 for the data security


EDIT Sorry for the double post, not sure how that happened, lol

 

[Spring2188]

Originally posted by: buzzuk67
Spring 2188. To create a driver disc, it looks like you would need to copy only the files within either the 'floppy 32' or 'floppy 64' folders from the download, dependant on whether your using a 32 or 64 bit version of xp. Copy the files into the root of the floppy rather than within a subfolder.
It will also depend on when you intend to install the drivers. You will only need a floppy driver disc if you intend to format and reinstall your operating system from a drive attached to the purple SATA connectors. If you already have xp installed and simply wish to activate the purple SATA connectors you should be able to extract the downloaded driver then run the setup.exe file from the folder it was extracted into, or alternatively go into device manager, which is found in the windows control panel and update that way (but thats another story).

Thanks buzz... I've yet to install the OS... so I need the floppy to install the drivers. I'll try again tonight and let you know how it goes

 

[buzzuk67]

apologies mcurphy, I hadn't noticed your original reference was to the 's' rather than 'ds' board. My comments refer to the 'ds' board which I have. The reference to SATA 1 and 2 compliant is not the same as raid 0,1,2 etc, SATA 1 and 2 being more to do with data transfer rates. As such I suspect my comments are still valid for the 's' board.

 

[mcurphy]

Originally posted by: buzzuk67
apologies mcurphy, I hadn't noticed your original reference was to the 's' rather than 'ds' board. My comments refer to the 'ds' board which I have. The reference to SATA 1 and 2 compliant is not the same as raid however, SATA 1 and 2 being more to do with data transfer rates.

Well it may apply to the S3 as well? Still trying to figure out if there is RAID on the board. If it is not available, then would all the SATA ports would be virtually the same? Except run by different controllers?

Otherwise the purps would be for RAID and the orange for standard SATA use.

 

[TRD3SGTE]

Okay, to straighten things up :


Gigabyte 965P-S3 :
Chipset 1. Northbridge: Intel® P965 Express Chipset
2. Southbridge: Intel® ICH8
3. Marvell 8056 Gigabit LAN Controller
4. GIGABYTE SATAII controller
5. Realtek ALC883 8 Channel Audio Codec


Notice that the Southbridge is using ICH8, no ICH8R like DS3. The R denotes that it has raid capability.

Thus, 965P-S3 does NOT have Raid capability.

Reference : Link

To quote the review : "The northbridge is passively cooled, though with a rather large anodized heatsink. The southbridge, which is the standard ICH8 southbridge (i.e. No RAID) is likewise passively cooled, though with a smaller heatsink."

No raid on S3

 

[mcurphy]

Thank you TRD3SGTE, that clears it up! I bought the board thinking that it didn't have RAID, but then in reading the manual and going through the BIOS, all the options seem to be there and I thought I might give it a shot.

Shame on Gigabyte for making this sooo confusing! :thumbsdown:

So can I just hook my one drive up to any of the SATA ports, is one better than the other? The S3 does have 4 orange and 2 purps like the DS3.

 

[buzzuk67]

Originally posted by: mcurphy
Well it may apply to the S3 as well? Still trying to figure out if there is RAID on the board. If it is not available, then would all the SATA ports would be virtually the same? Except run by different controllers?

Otherwise the purps would be for RAID and the orange for standard SATA use.

That's right. The orange ones are numbered one to four but theres no jumper settings for master/slave to worry about like with ide drives. All SATA drives are masters. Each connection can be enabled disabled in the bios and boot priority set up, so drives in a non raid setup can be added to any orange connector you like, although during the post the comp probably searches for them in numerical order so adding your OS drive to connector one and disabling the unused connectors might shave a nanosecond or two off boot times.

 

[vailr]

GA-965P-S3 (rev. 1.0)
Intel P965+ ICH8 chipset

Quote: "4. Features SATA 3Gb/s interface with RAID function (2 ports with RAID function supported by GIGABYTE SATA2)"
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Mot...&ProductID=2321&ProductName=GA-965P-S3
Note: "GIGABYTE SATA2" = JMicron controller

 

[vailr]

Originally posted by: TRD3SGTE
Okay, to straighten things up :


Gigabyte 965P-S3 :
Chipset 1. Northbridge: Intel® P965 Express Chipset
2. Southbridge: Intel® ICH8
3. Marvell 8056 Gigabit LAN Controller
4. GIGABYTE SATAII controller
5. Realtek ALC883 8 Channel Audio Codec


Notice that the Southbridge is using ICH8, no ICH8R like DS3. The R denotes that it has raid capability.

Thus, 965P-S3 does NOT have Raid capability.

Reference : Link

To quote the review : "The northbridge is passively cooled, though with a rather large anodized heatsink. The southbridge, which is the standard ICH8 southbridge (i.e. No RAID) is likewise passively cooled, though with a smaller heatsink."

No raid on S3

Bad review. What they should have stated: "no INTEL Raid".
The S3 and the DS3 both use the Intel ICH8 (non-Raid) chipset.
Both of these boards do support SATA Raid via the JMicron controller.

 

[TRD3SGTE]

Well, from what I've read, people said that the performance on Intel chipset is better than the Jmicron chipset.

If I were you, I'd plug the SATA hdd to the orange (Intel), then after you install your OS of choice, install HD Tach and HDD Tune to see the performance number. Then shutdown the PC, hook it up to the purple. boot up, and run those two progiez again and see which one is faster. That's what I did to my DS3 =)

I have some screen capture :

this one is my 2x74GB Raptor Raid 0 : link

this one is my 150GB Raptor : Link

this one is my 1x74GB Raptor on Intel Chipset :
Link

this one is my 1x74GB Raptor on Jmicron chipset: link

 

[TRD3SGTE]

I apologize to you all. The 945P-S3 does not have Raid, but the 965P-S3 does.
I got them switch, sorry guys

this thread might help link

 

[Endlessshampoo]

then its good that i got tthe 965

btw im soone gonna buy a dino to be my system disk and then buy 2 storage disks in raid 0 on the Jmicron.

what kind of drives do u think is good for performance raid(games and lots of files)?

ppl tell me that 2 wd caviars gonna do the trick, but im not sure.

 

[buzzuk67]

Originally posted by: TRD3SGTE
7x400 is indeed 2800MHz.
To get 3600Mhz, you need 9x400.

So what I'm thinking is , do you enable the BIOS setting for multiplier changes?
In your sig, you have an E6600. The E6600's multiplier is 9.
Thus, 9x400 = 3.6GHZ

If the PC is idle, it might throttle down to 7x, generating 2.8GHZ.
CPU-Z always look at the highest multiplier times FSB number.

So just to confirm (and avoid meltdown)
CPU multiplier is set to 7
CPU host frequency is set to 428
I make that 2996mhz

However both windows and cpu-z report 3.8ghz, as if the multiplier is set to 9.

Link

Which is right?