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

[area123]

[/quote]
Sorry for the long post, but I know other people are having problems with this too since I'm getting PMs about it. I love this board, but my experience with component out has not been very good.[/quote]


I hear ya. My entire reason for getting this board is to use the video out with my sdtv in order to have a low cost htpc. But if I end up having the same problems w/ my tv I'll be dissapointed.

 

[area123]

Finally got mine up and running great over the weekend. Spent a few hours and got my 3200+ running at 2460, very stable.

Since the opty 146's are on sale at Monarch for $155, I'm going to grab one of those and OC it to 2500. I guess that 146 is about the cheapest chip you can put in this board right now if you can get one from Monarch.

 

[dedwards]

I'm getting this motherboard for a new HTPC build. What CPU heatsinks are people using? Is there confirmation that the XP-120 will fit?

Thx,

DE

 

[aeroguy]

Hey renethx, there are at least 2 newegg reviews of this board pointing to this thread. Good job, you've helped a lot of novices like myself.

 

[area123]

Originally posted by: dedwards
I'm getting this motherboard for a new HTPC build. What CPU heatsinks are people using? Is there confirmation that the XP-120 will fit?

Thx,

DE

I put a zalman 7000 in mine. Fits just fine and is darn quiet with C&Q.

 

[dwaleke]

Originally posted by: Clive
hey nordicpc

how did you get the dec ctp Vista working on this board? Did it just install booting off the DVD?

After getting stuck on the loading screen after booting from the DVD, I tried installing Vista from XP and loading nVidia's 6150 graphics drivers for Vista build 5308, but the drivers weren't recognized. The installation stalled after rebooting.

I've given up on Vista (at least this build). It's too bad, because I was looking forward to using the improved standby mode. The standby mode in MCE 2005 is unstable after coming out of standby and hibernate just doesn't work.

Anyways, back to fine tuning MCE 2005. I have to resort to telling my parents to turn on the TV by pressing the power button on the computer.

I have successfully installed the Feb CTP of Vista (Build 5308) on this board. These are the issues I have run into:

1) Nvidia Vista drivers have no Hardware Acceleration Enabled. Horrible playback.
2) Nvidia Vista drivers do not like my Toshiba 62" 720P DLP TV (DVI->HDMI). Blue Screen and lock up my computer.
3) The Nvidia XP x64 drivers (both 81.98 & 82.12) install and operate, but Media Center will blue screen the machine when launched in 64-bit Vista. 32-bit Vista does not have this problem with the 81.98 XP 32-bit drivers. (XP drivers only used to enable hardware acceleration)
4) The DVico Fusion 5 USB Gold will bluescreen the computer when used. Both 32-bit & 64-bit drivers have this issue. DVico is aware of the issue and has an engineer working on a fix. The DVico Fusion 3 Gold-T has no issues in Vista (32-bit). Not sure about the 64-bit PCI driver.
5) The PureVideo DVD Decoder doesn't work correctly. v185 that is. I am going to try again with the latest version just released.

I'm waiting on an ATI x1600XT to show up and I'll give it a whirl. ATI has full featured drivers built into the OS and also has drivers available on their website for Vista. In this round ATI beats Nvidia hands down with their Vista drivers.

I must note both the Vista b5308 Nvidia drivers and the 87.15 drivers from the website have the issues described above.

My system:
MSI Board
AMD 64 3800+ X2
1GB OCZ memory 2-2-2-5 (3.0v)
(4) SATA II 16MB 7200RPM WD Harddrives (Raid 5)
No overclocking.

 

[renethx]

New Contents Added

The following subsections were added to the main post:

5. Specifications III. Package Contents > Building a SPDIF Bracket Yourself (The total cost will be only $6.60.)
13. Tweaking the System II. Cool'n'Quiet > Making your Case Quiet

 

[renethx]

Originally posted by: BernardP
After a more careful examination, I have determined that it is not the PS fan that is making most of the noise, but the 120 mm case fan. I will have a look at the way it is plugged in (could it be over-volted?), and also look for info on the Antec web site. If necessary, I will ask about this in the cases/Cooling section.

I was under the impression that MSI had a case fan speed control feature similar to Asus Q-Fan. Was I mistaken?

K8NGM2-FID does not have a case fan speed control feature. It controls only the CPU fan. Please read the new subsection

13. Tweaking the System II. Cool'n'Quiet > Making your Case Quiet

to make your case fan quiet.

 

[area123]

dump question, where can I get that version? They don't seem to have it on their website.

thanks.

 

[aeroguy]

Originally posted by: area123
dump question, where can I get that version? They don't seem to have it on their website.

thanks.

Are you talking about Forceware 81.86?

If so, I got my copy here. If I remember right, I only got around 17kbps though. Just google forceware 81.86 WHQL. You should get a bunch of hits. I avoided the Beta version, but don't know if there's a difference between it and the WHQL.

 

[renethx]

ForceWare 81.86 is included in the MSI Drivers & Utilities CD (D:\nVidia\VGA\C51) or can be downloaded from MSI Global site.

 

[imported_sabrewulf]

I just put an extra 2x512 in my K8NGM2 to bring my total RAM up to 2 gigs (4x512) and I thought I would be able to manually set DDR400, but even when I do, it still boots at DDR333

*however* using A64 tweaker, I am able to set DDR400 in Windows, and "tested" by playing a game for a few hours. No problems.

I'm still using the 3.00 BIOS that came with my board because up until now, I've had no problems with it, and it gives the best overclocking options. However I might consider updating to another version if anyone can tell me that another version would allow me to boot with DDR400 using 4x512.

I don't restart my machine that often, so using A64 tweaker is not a big deal, but it is annoying and kinda ghetto. I don't like having to "overclock" to run my machine at stock speed.

 

[pctwo]

sabrewulf: you should let MSI know about your problem. If enough people complain about this, maybe they'll do something. email

usersupport2
at
msicomputer dot com

 

[BernardP]

Originally posted by: renethx
K8NGM2-FID does not have a case fan speed control feature. It controls only the CPU fan. Please read the new subsection

13. Tweaking the System II. Cool'n'Quiet > Making your Case Quiet

Thanks, I read the new subsection. The numbering system is helpful as that first post of yours gets more and more exhaustive.

The article from SilentPCReview.com is really interesting...Especially since it shows me, as far as I can tell, that my case fan has already been wired for 5 volts by the shop.

I will simply have to live with the noise level. It also seems to be amplified by reverberation from a wall/corner. I will try to locate the case elsewhere. Under the desk would be great for noise, bad for ventilation, as there is no hole in the back panel. My previous case was under the desk, though, but I thought the Antec would be quiet enough to take it in the open.

EDIT: I just read a bunch of reviews of this case on NewEgg, and everyone is saying the 120 mm fan is quiet. There must be something wrong with mine, but I can't put my finger on it.

 

[notareal]

Originally posted by: renethx
PSU

Any well-known brand's ATX 24-pin PSU 300W or higher should be fine.

[*]MSI K8NGM2-FID PSU test report.

 

[HungryJ0e]

renethx -

Thanks for putting together this great thread. You've helped me immensely in selecting and installing my system components for a HTPC. Using the technique you outlined, I was able to get 2500 Mhz prime stable on a 3800+ X2 core with stock cooling and voltage. I did have trouble once with FSB getting stuck at 242 Mhz regardless of BIOS setting. Powering the computer down for 5 minutes and then restarting cleared up the problem. I also received graphical corruption once (I'm using the onboard video) soon after I bumped the BIOS HTT settings to 1000 Mhz; after dropping them back to 800 Mhz I haven't had any issues again.

I modified a ASUS SPDIF bracket I had lying around for use with this board by swapping pins around. The bracket has both optical and coaxial output and has three connectors: a ground, SPDIF signal, and +5 volt. Presumably the +5 volt is to power the optical LED, which is non-functional in this bracket (fault of bracket, not board). Just to see if I could draw a current, I hooked up the bracket +5 volt to the board's JUSB2 through a 250 mA fuse. I do get a current draw, so I ordered a new ASUS bracket to see if I could get optical digital out working on the MSI board. Coaxial digital out on the bracket works fine.

Finally, I'm having a problem with CPU usage after resuming from S3 standby. CPU usage is very high and remains so after coming out of standby... longer periods in standby seem to relate to higher CPU usage, although I haven't tested this extensively. Has anyone else seen this problem and discovered a workaround?

Thanks,

HJ

 

[area123]

Originally posted by: aeroguy

Originally posted by: area123
dump question, where can I get that version? They don't seem to have it on their website.

thanks.

Are you talking about Forceware 81.86?

If so, I got my copy here. If I remember right, I only got around 17kbps though. Just google forceware 81.86 WHQL. You should get a bunch of hits. I avoided the Beta version, but don't know if there's a difference between it and the WHQL.

Yes, and thanks.

I couldn't download anything from MSI cause their website is dog slow when it even works. And nvidia didn't have the driver on their site.

Anyway, got it.

thanks again, will install it tonight. So far none of my tv-out works, s-video doesn't have any picture at all, but I probably just need to spend some time learning how to set it up.

 

[buzzdalf]

Does anyone know why this M/B has been pulled from newegg?
It's been showing out of stock (I've been waiting for it to come back in stock), but today when I checked, the board is gone completely from the site.

Edit - The situation seems to have gotten even worse. I cannot find this board in stock anywhere now. Is there something going on??

 

[hueb]

Buzzdalf, Thanks for asking! I also noticed the same thing today. Only shows in Google cache - not a good sign.

BTW, Thanks to all for this thread! It has been amazing to follow. Now, if I can just find the boards for purchase.

 

[Ivan05]

Originally posted by: sabrewulf
I just put an extra 2x512 in my K8NGM2 to bring my total RAM up to 2 gigs (4x512) and I thought I would be able to manually set DDR400, but even when I do, it still boots at DDR333

*however* using A64 tweaker, I am able to set DDR400 in Windows, and "tested" by playing a game for a few hours. No problems.

I'm still using the 3.00 BIOS that came with my board because up until now, I've had no problems with it, and it gives the best overclocking options. However I might consider updating to another version if anyone can tell me that another version would allow me to boot with DDR400 using 4x512.

I don't restart my machine that often, so using A64 tweaker is not a big deal, but it is annoying and kinda ghetto. I don't like having to "overclock" to run my machine at stock speed.

Originally posted by: pctwo
sabrewulf: you should let MSI know about your problem. If enough people complain about this, maybe they'll do something. email

usersupport2
at
msicomputer dot com

Originally posted by: Ivan05

Originally posted by: bigfootindy2k6
Kind of a bump from my previous post - can anyone confirm that putting 4 dimms in definately decreases the speed from DDR400 to DDR333? Is this a "feature" of the chipset or just the board? Is there a way around it?

Everybody's hinted at this, but I seen haven't this directly adressed in this thread...

It is a limitation based on the onboard memory controller of the A64 architecture. 2 sticks will run at DDR400, 4 sticks must run at DDR333. There is no way around it, other than OC'ing to make up for the reduced speed.

See this thread.

And this White Paper at AMD.

Currently on page 6 of this thread. 'Nuff said?

 

[imported_derekn]

Originally posted by: buzzdalf
Does anyone know why this M/B has been pulled from newegg?
It's been showing out of stock (I've been waiting for it to come back in stock), but today when I checked, the board is gone completely from the site.

Edit - The situation seems to have gotten even worse. I cannot find this board in stock anywhere now. Is there something going on??

Zipzoomfly.com had these boards in stock late last week and I checked last night and it was still available. I was able to get one from zipzoomfly last week; I wish I bought another one. This morning on zipzoomfly, it is on back order.

There's 3 possibilities:
a)popularity is huge, sold out and more on the way
b)new revision of the board could be coming out shortly
c)completely discontinued.

I prefer option a) and option b).

I remember when I got an Asus A7n8x deluxe rev 1.04 board and it was out of stock for a while in places, but then a rev 2.0 board came out of this board.

Good luck in searching for alternatives...

P.S. I just did a search on ebay.com and a merchant is selling it for $99.95 (buy it now)
but shipping is $15 and it says 8 available. It's about $20 more than the best price 2 weeks ago, but if you really want the board this might be your only option. I am contemplating getting it myself.

 

[nForcer420D]

I suspect that the board is being replaced by the K8NGM2-NBP (looks like the same specs). You can find the announcement of this product at http://www.msicomputer.com/msiforms2/NB_BP.asp. I can't find an actual product page yet for it though. The product number is now 7207-090 but a day or two ago, the picture had the number 7207-040 (The same number as the ...-FID). Hopefully this new board has all the same riser cards as the old board because I want to upgrade my current system using this board.

 

[BernardP]

Originally posted by: nForcer420D
I suspect that the board is being replaced by the K8NGM2-NBP (looks like the same specs). You can find the announcement of this product at http://www.msicomputer.com/msiforms2/NB_BP.asp. I can't find an actual product page yet for it though. The product number is now 7207-090 but a day or two ago, the picture had the number 7207-040 (The same number as the ...-FID). Hopefully this new board has all the same riser cards as the old board because I want to upgrade my current system using this board.

Could it be That MSI has decided that this board is now (also) a "business" platform?

NBP = nVidia Business Platform?

A competitor for the Asus A8N-VM CSM (Corporate Stable Model)

What is MediaShield? Storage?

Is is simply an alternate packaging and SKU for the FID? Is it possible that these two identical products will be sold side by side?

I am so glad I just got my K8NGM2-FID now, otherwise, I could be stuck waiting again for the next thing "just around the corner".

 

[Clive]

Did you install Vista Build 5308 off the DVD or from windows?

Any special steps to install Vista on this motherboard?, because my installations keeps stalling.

 

[nForcer420D]

Could it be That MSI has decided that this board is now (also) a "business" platform?

NBP = nVidia Business Platform?

A competitor for the Asus A8N-VM CSM (Corporate Stable Model)

What is MediaShield? Storage?

Is is simply an alternate packaging and SKU for the FID? Is it possible that these two identical products will be sold side by side?

By calling this board an nVidia Business Platform, MSI is targeting the corporate world. This would make sense with AMD's new goals given here.

MediaShield? Storage is nVidia's hardware Raid controller (and accompanying drivers).

I'm not sure if the product will be the same. I'm hoping it will be, but the recent change in product numbers gives me the impression that it's either a new revision or comes with different accessories.

If there is any body willing (I would try but I don't have a board), do the nbp drivers listed here work with the -FID? If so, are they any different?