The *Official* MSI K8NGM2-FID GeForce 6150 Motherboard Thread

[chinna]

Ok,

After few weeks of tweaks and adjustments, I finally completed my setup( I think for now). During these tweaks and adjustments I encountered few problems, and few things I did not like. As it is explained in the starting of this thread everyone know it is one of the best HTPC all-in-one board for AMD Socket 939 processor. So I will try to focus on the problems I encountered. I hope experices may useful/helpful someone.

First Here is my config

Main Components: MSI K8NGM2-FID Bios Ver: 3.5, X2 3800+ stock heatsink, 1GB Corsair Dualchannel DDR400, Onboard Video
Drives: WD 160GB SATA1, Maxtor 250GB EIDE, BTC 16x Dual Layer DVD Writer
PCI cards: Leadtek TV2000 Expert with Remote, Logitech/AST remote,
Case: Antec 1650B with 350W Smart Power, with Enermax 120MM Exhaust fan at 1200-1300 RPM.
IO Panel: Sunbeam 20-in-1 Panel with Two fan Controllers, temp sensors, Card Reader, Audio/Video, USB. Firewire, SATA connections.
North Bridge Chipset cooled with 80mm Globe Rifle bearing fan at approx 6v with a cardboard duct mounted on Zalman Bracket.

Here are the External case Photos:
http://www.imageigloo.com/viewer.php?id=2767IMG_1118Crop.jpg
http://www.imageigloo.com/viewer.php?id=3031IMG_1126crop2.jpg

BTW if you guys are wondering about the black thing in top 3 1/2 drive bay, it is dark Plexiglass peice behind which I mounted two Infrared receivers( I hate hanging things all around!! )

The main Problem that I was really annoyed was Core Voltage regulation.
It is rather poor, fluctuates anywhere from 1.4v to 1.29v at default settings of 1.35v( as you know there is no adjustment).
In my memory this is only board I had seen with such variance of 0.1v. Close to this was Aopen AX4GE Max I used before, but not as bad as this.( max 0.05v).

Here are some snapshots(ofcourse this with some OC, but that does not matter).
http://www.imageigloo.com/viewer.php?id=1399Low130at135.JPG ( it even went down to 1.29, but I could not capture it)
http://www.imageigloo.com/viewer.php?id=8409High140at135.JPG

Initially I was trying to undervolt at stock speed, and it was stable at 1.1v for sometime, but suddenly one Instance of Prime95 gave errors. So tracked the error and found voltage dropped as low as 1.06v at 1.1v. Then I started observing at stock 1.35v, it is same thing. I started monitoring other voltages rails 12v, 5v, 3.33v, none of those moving at all, and I also comfirmed with Digital Multimeter. I also changed PSU with 420w Thermal Take, 400W Ultra just to make sure, but PSU has nothing to do with Core voltage fluctuation.

Problem 2 , Northbridge chipset Heatsink
I do not know what they were thinking when they designed chipset heatsink, it is really pathetic. They could easily increased the width and height of that.
Even with reasonable airflow in my case( approx 40-50 CFM I guess), it is touching as much as 75C+ when play load Video chipset( like playing WMV videos etc).
Atleast they could have rotated/changed the direction of CPU Heatsink mouting by 90 degrees so that air will blow on to the NB heatsink( That is defacto standard I guess).Unless you use some after market Heatsink, there would not be any air flow directly on to the NB Heatsink. I know 75C may not hurt it in short term, but it is quite hot and I am very uncomfortable. BTW case temp never exceeded 29C. ( I checked case temp with Digital Temp gauge as well as IO Panel probe)

So, I mounted a silent 80MM fan( Suprisingly this old globe fan was much smoother than half-a-dozen fans I had including a 80mm panaflow!!) directly blowing on to it with a Zalman Bracket I had and running at 5v, but temps were still reaching as much as 65C. So, I made a small duct with thin cardboard and taped it to 80MM fan, and ran fan 6v. Now air directly hits NB heatsink and temps remains typically below 55C.

Here are some snapshot of fan arrangement:
http://www.imageigloo.com/viewer.php?id=4251IMG_1116Crop.jpg
http://www.imageigloo.com/viewer.php?id=9803IMG_1114_crop2.jpg


There are few other minor things, but none that I can attribute precisely to MB.
Please give me you guys feed back if you think something is wrong.

 

[grits]

Chinna, I agree about the the NB heatsink. The new Foxconn board has a bigger one and it seems to be more securely mounted.

I took the sink off mine and found no thermal paste there. I also replaced the nylon/flimsy springs with some 4-40 x .5" bolts to make better contact. Then stuck a 40mm fan on top. It's cool to the touch now.

 

[chinna]

Yes, even mounting is verybad. If it touch with finger it moves. I did not feel like removing it as I am not sure if I was going to keep this board. Finally it seems I am gonna keep it.

 

[renethx]

A user reported that the 140mm CPU cooler

AeroCool The Dominator

fits K8NGM2-FID. ($49.99 from NewEgg, Xoxide.com etc.)

 

[avi85]

Originally posted by: Homerrrrr
Hello avi85,

Can you tell me more about this post. I mean, are the first 2 memory slots still available or can't we just use them anymore ? Are they blocked ?
I can't find a correct translation for "the fan can click right off the heatsink" in french, sorry...
Can you explain to me what it means ? Do you mean you just remove the fan or put it on the other side of the heatsink ?
I'm really interessed in this heatsink, essentially for the price, noise isn't important for me.
I look on Thermalright XP90 on the other hand but it's a little more expensive.

Thanks a lot.

Welcome to AnandTech Forums, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are 3,000 words 1000, another 1000, and last but not least the final 1000.

 

[chinna]

Welcome to AnandTech Forums, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are 3,000 words 1000, another 1000, and last but not least the final 1000.

Hey, thanks a lot for the photos. How much did this heatsink improve your temps over stock? I see you have a dedicated video card, So I guess NB would not be loaded that much, but still how are the temps of NB after this Heatsink!!?

I am still thinking if buying this heatsink here http://www.provantage.com/arctic-acfzp64~7ARCT002.htm

Thanks
Chinna

 

[avi85]

Originally posted by: chinna

Welcome to AnandTech Forums, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are 3,000 words 1000, another 1000, and last but not least the final 1000.

Hey, thanks a lot for the photos. How much did this heatsink improve your temps over stock? I see you have a dedicated video card, So I guess NB would not be loaded that much, but still how are the temps of NB after this Heatsink!!?

I am still thinking if buying this heatsink here http://www.provantage.com/arctic-acfzp64~7ARCT002.htm

Thanks
Chinna

I can't actually say how much it improved my temps cause I upgraded my processor at the same time as the heatsink (to a dual core) but I think it brought down the temps cause my dual core is running about the same as my single core I had before (3200+), I now idle at 32-33 (with c&c off it idles at 34) and load is about 46-47 with the 3200+ it idled at 35 and loaded at 45-46 but these numbers can't be used as a good comparison cause they are with a different proc and heatsink (zalman cnps7000b-alcu)

I have no way of measuring my NB temps but I don't think that it would have too much of an effect on it (I have a 30mm fan on mine so it was not really a consideration) here is a pic showing the heatsink and the NB, as you can see it doesn't really blow air on to the NB

 

[VoXiE]

Howdy:

First time poster...Got a MSI K8NGM2-FID motherboard that won't allow me to attach a Zalman CNPS7000-CU cooler to it. Seems the "nipples" that Zalman supplies for attaching the cooler to the mobo are too small. I called Zalman and they said this may be one of a handful of motherboards that won't accept the 7000-CU. However, I see that it's listed in this forum as being compatible with the mobo. Any ideas, before I RMA the cooler, why this is happening?? Thanks in advance for any/all help!

 

[mshan]

Do you have the B revision of the CNPS7000 Cu?

I've got the same mobo and a 7000B-Alcu and I had no problem installing it.

 

[VoXiE]

Where would the revision letter be located?

 

[renethx]

Originally posted by: vsonerud
renethx, thank you for your reassurement about using PC2700 RAM.

I think, however, I might not have explained myself good enough:

My concern was that I might end in a "chicken-and-egg" situation where I would like to change the 'Memclock value' in the BIOS settings to [AUTO] but is unable to because the default value is set to [200] causing the system to not even boot (stopping me from entering the BIOS in the first place) when using PC2700 RAM.

That's the basis for my question about the default (read: factory) setting for 'Memclock value'.

I confirmed that there was no problem with BIOS v3.20 and PC2700. Memclock Mode [AUTO] means SPD (i.e. Memclock Value [166 MHz]) if PC2700 is installed. However after I flash BIOS to v3.50 with CMOS cleared, the system never POSTed. So I changed RAM to PC3200 and set Memclock Value to [166 MHz] manually and then reinstalled PC2700. Then the system POSTed. So with BIOS v3.50, Memclock Mode [AUTO] does not necessarily mean SPD.

If you use PC2700 and don't have PC3200, never flash BIOS to v3.50!!

 

[avi85]

Originally posted by: VoXiE
Where would the revision letter be located?

On the box it would say: CNPS7000B-Cu as opposed to CNPS7000A-Cu or CNPS7000-Cu

 

[VoXiE]

On the box my cooler says CNPS7000-CU.

 

[avi85]

Originally posted by: VoXiE
On the box my cooler says CNPS7000-CU.

Tthat is the oldest version, the kind that I had, and that mshan has is the 7000B so I really can't tell you if it should fit or not, although I would think that it would be the same mounting kit.
Are you sure that you're installing it correctly?

 

[avi85]

renethx,
you listed the arctic freezer 64 pro as an incompatible cooler when my post said that it is compatible, I just mentioned that the fan blocks 2 memory slots but as I said, the fan can be removed while the heatsink is still on the board, making a memory upgrade alot easier than with the zalman 7700 which you list as compatible

 

[VoXiE]

Are you sure that you're installing it correctly?

I took off the black square bracket that surrounds the CPU and tried to attach the nipples to the backplate. Unfortunately, they were too small. Is there another way to do this??

 

[mshan]

http://www.zalmanusa.com

There are installation movies for their various coolers there.

I think the major difference was just the included brackets for different motherboard sockets. (if I remember correctly, weight was reduced slightly and cooling efficiency also improved slightly).

 

[VoXiE]

I looked over the installation videos again (viewed them previously before trying to install the cooler on the mobo). There seems to be two washers that weren't included with my heatsink that go over the holes on the mobo where the cooler attaches. I don't think having these washers (if that's what they are) would make a difference in the installation process, but I can't be sure. After looking over the videos and the manual, I'm pretty sure I'm doing it correctly. Any other ideas??

 

[mshan]

Those washers are essentially pieces of paper / cardboard. I think they are designed to protect and insulate the mobo from the metal parts of the Zalman.

There should have been a sheet of them included in the bag with the socket A stuff.

 

[VoXiE]

Would they help in the installation, especially if my main problem is that the nipples provided are too small for the holes in the backplate??

 

[mshan]

Those washers are just insulation.

The Zalman comes with it's own backplate for A64.

 

[VoXiE]

The Zalman comes with it's own backplate for A64.

It's own backplate?? I saw nothing of the sort with the cooler I received. And when I checked the components for the CNPS7000-CU on the Zalman web site, it wasn't listed either.

 

[Homerrrrr]

Thanks for your reply avi, it gives me a lot of information.

I jut wonder if you are satisfied with your freezer 64 Pro because i could see on a lot of forums that this cooler is a bit noiser at full speed and not really efficient where you switch to less than 12V.

Can you tell more about that ?

 

[mshan]

At the Zalman USA website, find the 7000B Cu and scroll down to the bottom of the page (the last picture is for Athlon 64 and shows two gold nipples and a black backplate).

I'm guessing that you should be able to use the one the MSI mobo comes with too, though.

 

[VoXiE]

I'm guessing that you should be able to use the one the MSI mobo comes with too, though.

But I can't, and that's the whole problem...