The EPoX 4G4A+ seems very promising.

[Lance22]

Originally posted by: gsethi

Originally posted by: Lance22
Hey, yah, that helps out a lot... but i think that i have found the problem...Im looking at my voltages and they seem to not be as consistent as i would have hoped..

136fsb, 2.17ghz
3:4, DDR 362 2.5-3-3-6
AGP locked

Vcore - 1.625
AGP - Stock 1.50
VDimm - 2.70

+3.3 @ 2.62
+5.00 @ 5.00 exactly i saw it drop once to 4.92
+12 @ 12.10
-12 @ -11.78
-5 @ -5.19.

Core 0 @ 1.47 and Core 1 @ 1.58

Should i look into a better PS? Or is there a way i can work with what I have? Any help is appriciated.

what kind of PSU do you have? Make and power(watts) and whats your amp on the +3.3v rail ?

I have an enermax 350w model EG365P-VE, 32A Max with a Peak of 35A

 

[oldfart]

Lance, your voltages are interesting. They look more like a 4BDA than a 4G4A
136fsb, 2.17ghz
3:4, DDR 362 2.5-3-3-6
AGP locked

Vcore - 1.625
AGP - Stock 1.50
VDimm - 2.70

+3.3 @ 2.62 <----------This is actually VDimm. MBM reads it wrong
+5.00 @ 5.00 exactly i saw it drop once to 4.92 <--OK
+12 @ 12.10 <--OK
-12 @ -11.78 <---4BDA usually is like this (mine is). 4G4A is normally higher
-5 @ -5.19. <---OK

Core 0 @ 1.47 <---This is AGP voltage
and Core 1 @ 1.58 <----This is measured Vcore. 845D boards usually have a lower Vcore than set, but 845G's are closer. Feel free to boost that up higher if you need to. Maybe your PS is a little ??

 

[gsethi]

ok.....turning off AA gave me extra 275 points for a total of 7277 now but still not good.

what am i missing here ?

OS: Win XP Pro
GF3: Latest drivers (downloaded one hour ago from nvidia.com
DX8.1
Intel inf: not installed....going to install that now

what else am i missing ?

 

[Lance22]

I guess ill just keep trying to work with everything, im trying to attain a 3g memory speed, but i keep getting the feeling that my PS is struggling to power everything. Can you tell me which is better...a low cpu clock with a high memory score, or a high cpu clock with a little bit lower memory score? Is there any fact to which is better than the other?

 

[oldfart]

XP has native 845 drivers, but I'm not sure if they are OK for 845G. Get the latest ones here. I've found 23.12 to be the best GF3 drivers.

 

[gsethi]

ok....downloaded the intel inf drivers given by you and then downloaded the latest version of GF3 drivers from my video card manufacturer.

and now for some reason, machine is not booting at 163 or 160 fsb........

gonna figure out the reason.....any ideas where i messed up ? (it boots at 100 fsb though)

 

[oldfart]

Lance, if you increase your Vcore so it reads ~ 1.65 - 1.7 in MBM5, how high can you go? My 1.6A needs 1.65 Vcore (1.675 setting) to be stable @ 150 FSB. When you run Prime95, how much does your Vcore drop?

 

[oldfart]

Uninstall the GF3 drivers.

inf first, then the GF3 drivers. I never use OEM drivers. The 23.12 ref drivers are best for GF3. Reactorcritical has them.

 

[lupohki]

gsethi,

You might want to check in the BG7 thread about your problem. Some guys in there describe a problem with the inf file installed.

 

[bwass24]

gsethi...

Burried in an FAQ on Intel's web site (sorry I don't remember exactly where it is) they talk about performance problems/improvements due to the order of installation of the inf, the VGA driver and OS patches. If I'm not mistaken (and I might be) they want the VGA drivers installed BEFORE the inf and AFTER any OS patches.

Maybe that will help.

 

[linster]

Hi guys,

I just got my 4G4A+ and P4-1.6A and I'm currently stress testing at 150 FSB with Prime95. I've noticed one thing though and I need some input here. I have the CPU voltage set at 1.625 in BIOS and MBM5 reflects that as 1.62V. However, during Prime95 torture test, the Core1 voltage would drop from 1.62 to as low as 1.55 and my -12V would go from -12.44 at idle to -12.85. Is this an indication of a power supply problem? I'm using an Antec PP412X.

 

[gsethi]

ok.....there is no way i can boot now at 160 fsb after installing the inf drivers. (wth did i had to do that )

seems like will have to reinstall everything and start from the scratch....grr

 

[Lance22]

Originally posted by: oldfart
Lance, if you increase your Vcore so it reads ~ 1.65 - 1.7 in MBM5, how high can you go? My 1.6A needs 1.65 Vcore (1.675 setting) to be stable @ 150 FSB. When you run Prime95, how much does your Vcore drop?

Right now I am set at 1.675 vcore, and its showing up as 1.63 in MBM, When I was set to 1.70 vcore in bios, i was able to boot to 146fsb @4:3 which gave me DDR 365 @ 2.7v in bios. When I run prime95 with my current settings, my vcore drops to 1.57 / 1.58 / 1.60.

The highest ive been able to get with 3:4 is 144fsb @ 1.775 and 2.8v vdimm, it passed memory test, but when I tried closing sandra, my computer reboot on me.


EDIT****

Im running @140 fsb right now, with vcore to 1.7 in bios(1.65 MBM), memory is at 1:1, stable and passed memory test.

Can you tell me which temp corresponds to what in MBM? Here are my settings..

Sensor 1 (19 C set to Winbond 1)
Sensor 2 (22 C set to Winbond 2 2N3904)
Sensor 3 (31 C set to Winbond 3)

Thanks

 

[oldfart]

gsethi, didn't mean to steer you wrong. You do always need proper chipset drivers installed. I always do that right after the OS, before I install drivers for any devices in the system. Without them, your AGP, IDE, PCI devices, etc will not run properly. I'm not running 845G, but have done it this way since socket 7 days and it has always worked fine.

Lance, you do have a bit of a Vcore drop. When I am @ 1.675, I am @ 1.65 idle. It will go to ! 1.6 - 1.63 during prime95. What is this 4:3 you keep talking about. You should either be using 1:1 4:5 or 3:4 mem ratio.

Set your mem to 1:1. Set your Vcore to 1.7. Can you get to 150 FSB or close? Dont worry about the mem for now.

 

[gsethi]

Originally posted by: oldfart
gsethi, didn't mean to steer you wrong. You do always need proper chipset drivers installed. I always do that right after the OS, before I install drivers for any devices in the system. Without them, your AGP, IDE, PCI devices, etc will not run properly. I'm not running 845G, but have done it this way since socket 7 days and it has always worked fine.

Lance, you do have a bit of a Vcore drop. When I am @ 1.675, I am @ 1.65 idle. It will go to ! 1.6 - 1.63 during prime95. What is this 4:3 you keep talking about. You should either be using 1:1 4:5 or 3:4 mem ratio.

Set your mem to 1:1. Set your Vcore to 1.7. Can you get to 150 FSB or close? Dont worry about the mem for now.

thanks oldfart, right now, i am reinstalling Win xp (clean re-install) and will install the inf drivers first thing from the Epox CD. and then the remaining stuff.

Now, i am just hoping that i can go back to my marvelous 163 FSB with 3:4 memory ratio after a complete re-install. ofcourse i am installing at default 1.6 Ghz.

wish me luck again......

 

[oldfart]

What version are the Epox ones? They should be pretty close to the Intel website ones if not the same. I would skip the graphics drivers since you aren't using the onboard stuff this time.

 

[gsethi]

Originally posted by: oldfart
What version are the Epox ones? They should be pretty close to the Intel website ones if not the same. I would skip the graphics drivers since you aren't using the onboard stuff this time.

Chipset v3.1.1011 and 3.1.1008
Busmaster v6.20.003
ICH4 v1.1

 

[Lance22]

Lance, you do have a bit of a Vcore drop. When I am @ 1.675, I am @ 1.65 idle. It will go to ! 1.6 - 1.63 during prime95. What is this 4:3 you keep talking about. You should either be using 1:1 4:5 or 3:4 mem ratio.

Set your mem to 1:1. Set your Vcore to 1.7. Can you get to 150 FSB or close? Dont worry about the mem for now.

Sorry to confuse you, when i say 4:3, i really mean 4:5

146 FSB is the highest I can get with Vcore @ 1.70 bios(1.65/1.66 MBM) and mem 1:1. Prime95 drops me to inbetween 1.60 - 1.62 at this setting.

Can you tell me which temp corresponds to what in MBM? Here are my settings right now...
Sensor 1 (19 C set to Winbond 1)
Sensor 2 (35 C set to Winbond 2 2N3904)
Sensor 3 (31 C set to Winbond 3)

 

[oldfart]

Intel version is 4.00.1013. You dont need OR WANT the busmaster drivers. ICH4 v1.1 is not familiar. Is that graphics drivers? I never use anything off a CD that somes with a piece of HW. I always go get the latest or the one I want. In your case in inf on the CD or newer version should be OK.

 

[gsethi]

Originally posted by: Lance22

Lance, you do have a bit of a Vcore drop. When I am @ 1.675, I am @ 1.65 idle. It will go to ! 1.6 - 1.63 during prime95. What is this 4:3 you keep talking about. You should either be using 1:1 4:5 or 3:4 mem ratio.

Set your mem to 1:1. Set your Vcore to 1.7. Can you get to 150 FSB or close? Dont worry about the mem for now.

Sorry to confuse you, when i say 4:3, i really mean 4:5

146 FSB is the highest I can get with Vcore @ 1.70 bios(1.65/1.66 MBM) and mem 1:1. Prime95 drops me to inbetween 1.60 - 1.62 at this setting.

Can you tell me which temp corresponds to what in MBM? Here are my settings right now...
Sensor 1 (19 C set to Winbond 1)
Sensor 2 (35 C set to Winbond 2 2N3904)
Sensor 3 (31 C set to Winbond 3)

hmm.....this is really weird.....in my case, the board is actually overvolting a bit (0.3 - 0.5 v) in some cases. In your case, it is undervolting....hmm......

Is it that Epox has two manufacturing units and boards from one units are better than as compared to the other unit ? Maybe thats the cause that some people are getting excellent overclocks while others are not.

what do you have to say, oldfart ?

 

[gsethi]

Originally posted by: oldfart
Intel version is 4.00.1013. You dont need OR WANT the busmaster drivers. ICH4 v1.1 is not familiar. Is that graphics drivers? I never use anything off a CD that somes with a piece of HW. I always go get the latest or the one I want. In your case in inf on the CD or newer version should be OK.

while installing inf drivers from the CD, they were v4.00.xxxx, so probably they are the latest ones. I guess that ICH4 drivers are for the new southbridge. I just installed the inf drivers and intel application accelator from the CD and nothing else........now, i am downloading all the patches from MS update site and next i will install the 23.12 drivers for GF3 and then start back on overclocking.

hopefully, i will get back to 163 FSB with my 3:4 memory ratio.

 

[crapito]

ahh... gsethi... I knew you weren't running 160+ FSB with a 3:4 RAM divider and all drivers installed (Intel and nVidia). I could overclock both my previous Abit BG7 and current Epox 4G4A+ like mad until I installed my drivers. now... I can use the 4:5 RAM divider ok, but 3:4 is out of the question above ~140 FSB. sorry you had to find out the hard way and now have reinstalled everything. I've had a few posts about this "problem" on the BG7 thread.

 

[oldfart]

Lance, hate to say it, but you may have got just a bit of a dud. There is no guarantee when overclocking. You may get a great one, you may not. If 145 -146 FSB is all she'll do, well be happy with an overclock of over 700 MHz! Not that bad. Once you are sure the CPU is stable @ the FSB and voltage you test with, start on the memory. Lets use 145 FSB as a round number. 4:5 will get you DDR362. 3:4 is DDR386. Start with slowest mem settings cas 2.5 3,3,3,7.

 

[Sukhoi]

So what's the overall opinion on the overclocking ability of the 4G4A and 4G4A+? My friend is going to build an i845 based system and I really don't know what board to recommend to him. For now I'm recommending the 4G4A (or 4G4A+ if he can't find the 4G4A) but it seems like some people are still having problems overclocking.

I'd really like to get a 4BDA for him but they're getting quite hard to find, and the 5:4 ratio of the i845G boards would be nice.

 

[gsethi]

Originally posted by: crapito
ahh... gsethi... I knew you weren't running 160+ FSB with a 3:4 RAM divider and all drivers installed (Intel and nVidia). I could overclock both my previous Abit BG7 and current Epox 4G4A+ like mad until I installed my drivers. now... I can use the 4:5 RAM divider ok, but 3:4 is out of the question above ~140 FSB. sorry you had to find out the hard way and now have reinstalled everything. I've had a few posts about this "problem" on the BG7 thread.

the truth will be revealed after i install my GF3 drivers...downloading them right now.......

EDIT: GF3 drivers installed

REBOOTING: @ 150 FSB w/ 3:4 memory ratio........ CRAP.....NO GO
TRYING: 140 FSB now