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

[renethx]

Originally posted by: stevjaty

Seagate SATAII is OK. You'd better avoid Maxtor SATAII and Hitachi SATAII (compatibility problem with nForce 430 is reported).

 

[brightman]

Originally posted by: buleyb
Anyone here running Linux on theirs? I've got Fedora 4 with MythTV .19 up and running, save a few small issues still being ironed out. I'm willing to post any info that I've uncovered to get people as far as me. Renethx, you have any interest on linux tips for this topic?

buleyb,

I've built a system using this board and an AMD 3200+ Venice core. I now want to (ideally) install FC4 and myth0.19... so what tips do you have? i.e. how do I go about this without running into the LAN/audio problems everyone is coming across as discussed here:

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=57791&highlight=k8ngm2

In an ideal world (ho ho ho) I'd like to install FC4 using the ISO images then yum update then install myth.... job done... but I suspect it is not going to be this easy!

 

[imported_derekn]

Originally posted by: stevjaty
ATX Computer Cases
<http://www.newegg.com/ProductSort/SubCategory.asp?Subcategory=7>

<http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820231036>
Model #:F1-3200PHU1-1GBNT

CD/DVD Burners (RW Drives)
<http://www.newegg.com/ProductSort/SubCategory.asp?Subcategory=5>

Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price
1 LITE-ON 16X DVD?R DVD Burner Black ATAPI/E-IDE Model SHW160P6S04
- Retail
<http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16827106013>
Model #:SHW160P6S04

Cases:

I almost bought that ASPIRE case, but I got the Chemning case instead which seems like an OEM version of the ASPIRE microatx case. Chemning

The 300W power supply the Chemning comes with is great. I ended up putting an Antec TPII 480w in this case because I add more power hungry parts than originally what was there..

DVD burners:

I would recommend checking out the Club CDfreaks Forum for Optical Drives.

I loved the Liteon CD burners which were great burners. I did try Liteon 411s, 811s, 851s
in other systems but wasn't pleased with the quality. Since mid 2003, I have been exclusively using NEC burners. I use the NEC 3550a with my MSI K8nGm2-FID machine.


Good luck...

 

[imported_derekn]

Originally posted by: renethx

Originally posted by: stevjaty

Seagate SATAII is OK. You'd better avoid Maxtor SATAII and Hitachi SATAII (compatibility problem with nForce 430 is reported).

I have 2 250GB Seagate SATA II 7200.9 #ST3250824AS HDs running fine on this board.
I avoided Maxtor SATA II and WS SATA II because I read about nforce4 chipset issues with it as well as nforce 430 chipset issues.

 

[Basilisk]

Originally posted by: stevjaty
1 MSI K8NGM2-FID Socket 939 NVIDIA GeForce 6150 Micro ATX AMD
1 ASPIRE X-QPACK-AL/420 Black/Silver Aluminum MicroATX Desktop
1 LITE-ON 16X DVD?R DVD Burner Black ATAPI/E-IDE Model SHW160P6S04
1 G.SKILL Value 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered

I have FID in Aspire case (black, w/o windows) and Lite-on DVD. 3800+ using AMD fan.
- Definitely replace the case-fan: recmd Nexus 120mm. Orig fan is noisiest item in case; Nexus is almost silent.
- Lite-On DVD is fine and rather short: short == good; 'think Benq 1650 will also fit ('will -know- in 2 hours!).
- Current Memory Deal of 2GB (Go?!) for $122 ($172+$5s/h-$55MIR+tax?) is hard to pass up.
- Were I getting new HD, I'd buy Samsung SATA 250GB: does well, and does so quietly.

I replaced PSU w/ slightly longer Seasonic s12-430: Lite-On still fits but many DVD's do not -- no clearance for the power plug.

Replacing PSU made system near-silent, but the original PSU isn't too noisy.

'Unsure if remaining whisper of noise is the CPU or PSU fan, but I may replace PSU fan w/ another Nexus 120 or CPU cooling with Zalman 7700AlCu -- this is obsessive behavior!

Edit: The Benq1650 DVD fits, but that's as long a DVD as fits with that Seasonic PSU crowding the DVD's power connector.

 

[sjschwinn]

Originally posted by: renethx

Originally posted by: stevjaty

Seagate SATAII is OK. You'd better avoid Maxtor SATAII and Hitachi SATAII (compatibility problem with nForce 430 is reported).

I can attest to Western Digital drives being OK also. I have a 74G Raptor and some 400GB RE2 in RAID5 working just fine (although they are all SATA 1.5).

 

[aeroguy]

Originally posted by: pctwo
I'm a little disappointed with HD component output of this board. I get wavy lines going up and down the scveen (1080i CRT RP), like interference on a poor feed. (I do not get this with my satellite set top boxes, where the picture is very clean; I'm also using components there).

For those using on board video components out, please tell me whether you get wavy lines going up and down the screen (please state what resolution and display you are using).

Also, if you have a separate video card with component out, how does it compare to the on board's component out? thanks

No wavy lines for me. I've run onboard video to a 42" panasonic plasma via component and DVI->HDMI and both produce a beautiful picture. My untrained eye can't tell a difference between the two. I'm running 720p, but after customizing the overscan, I get ~1264 x 704 or something like that (I'm not at home now so I can't be sure).

 

[lucky123]

Originally posted by: Basilisk

Originally posted by: stevjaty
1 MSI K8NGM2-FID Socket 939 NVIDIA GeForce 6150 Micro ATX AMD
1 ASPIRE X-QPACK-AL/420 Black/Silver Aluminum MicroATX Desktop
1 LITE-ON 16X DVD?R DVD Burner Black ATAPI/E-IDE Model SHW160P6S04
1 G.SKILL Value 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered

I have FID in Aspire case (black, w/o windows) and Lite-on DVD. 3800+ using AMD fan.
- Definitely replace the case-fan: recmd Nexus 120mm. Orig fan is noisiest item in case; Nexus is almost silent.
- Lite-On DVD is fine and rather short: short == good; 'think Benq 1650 will also fit ('will -know- in 2 hours!).
- Current Memory Deal of 2GB (Go?!) for $122 ($172+$5s/h-$55MIR+tax?) is hard to pass up.
- Were I getting new HD, I'd buy Samsung SATA 250GB: does well, and does so quietly.

I replaced PSU w/ slightly longer Seasonic s12-430: Lite-On still fits but many DVD's do not -- no clearance for the power plug.

Replacing PSU made system near-silent, but the original PSU isn't too noisy.

'Unsure if remaining whisper of noise is the CPU or PSU fan, but I may replace PSU fan w/ another Nexus 120 or CPU cooling with Zalman 7700AlCu -- this is obsessive behavior!

Can check out below on how we rig up this casing with the mb.

http://forums.hardwarezone.com/showthread.php?t=1240417

 

[cool]

@RjG:
I've got a response from MSI Tech Support regarding the memtest/USB legacy support issue. They could reproduce it and will "forward the issue to related department to analyze".

 

[Zinj]

Hey All,

This is my first post, and I?m afraid it?s a problem that?s driving me crazy! I decided to purchase a K8NGM2-FID after reading various reviews. Unfortunately, I?ve been having a serious problem getting the board to post. I?ve got an Athlon 3200 Venice, 2x512MB Corsair Value Select memory modules (2.5-3-3-8, PC3200) in DIMM 1 and 2, 2 Samsung Highpoint 250gig SATA drives in slots 1 & 3, a Zalman 7000alcu cooler, a Nexus fan, and no floppy. Everything sits in X-Qpack case with a Fortron Zen power supply, and the BIOS is version 3.2.

As things now stand, the board posts cold the first time. After being shut off, however, the board will not post unless the power is turned off and unplugged for several minutes. The board will either power up momentarily (1/2 sec) and then shut down or, if I force it by hitting the power button repeatedly, catch but not post (blank screen, power LED on). The memory modules both post fine on a different board, and I have the same problem whether used singly or individually. Location or even presence of the drives seems irrelevant. I?ve tried various BIOS options, though my knowledge here is admittedly limited. Currently some of the key settings are:

Quick Boot ? Disabled IOAPIC ? Enabled
MCT Timing Mode Manual - CAS, TRAS, TRP, TRCD specified to 2.5,8,8,3, rest auto
Other Advanced options as originally set.
USB legacy device support -- Disabled
ACPI ? Enabled ACPI Standby State ? Auto
Power Button Function ? On/Off
DDR Voltage ? 2.55

All power draws look very clean, all temperatures idling below 40C, including CPU, HDD, System Temp, and Power Suppy. I RMA?d a previous board with similar problems thinking it was defective (which I guess it is). Sitting here with a second example, I?m assuming there?s a consistent problem which I just can?t identify. Has anyone had similar problems (beyond the MemTest issue?) and more importantly, can anyone offer any suggestions? I?m simply looking for a solid, SFF board with integrated video for a quiet desktop workstation. Thanks in advance for any help!

Z

 

[RjG]

I'd reset the bios (power off, push the little button beside the battery for 10 sec, then power on) first, load defaults, DON'T change anything, and see if it boots.

Then double check your switch/led headers. Maybe even take them all off but the "power on" header.

Then check if your CPU heatsink is not on a bit crooked just for fun.

Then try another power supply (you don't have to install it, just hook it up beside your computer). Unless you have a scope, it's pretty hard to tell if you have clean power.
(Actually, I have two scopes, and sometimes it's hard to tell, LOL)

Why "Disabled IOAPIC"? This mobo has a lot of onboard stuff, do you really want to disable the programmable int. controller?

 

[Zinj]

Looks like you were right about the power supply. After going through the bios and pin refits (for the third or fourth time!), I stuck in a new power supply and voila, problems seem to be solved. I had that supply installed briefly on another board using the 20pin only. That caused no problems, and it hadn't occurred to me that the extra 4-pin feed might be fouled. I'll see about RMAing the piece to Fortron and trying again. I really like the fanless design, had no problem cooling the case with it, and have had fine luck with other Fortron units. Here's hoping this was an exception!


Thanks Again!

Z

PS: "IOAPIC" was Enabled. "Quick Boot" was disabled; the two were just on the same line.

 

[RjG]

Glad you got it sorted out. Fortron/Sparkle make very good power supplies at a nice price. I have a box with a 250 watt Fortron that has been running 24 hrs/day since the box was put together 10 years ago, haven't even had to replace the fan

 

[Basilisk]

Zinj, your posting made me look into your Fortron Zen PSU -- a very interesting beast. And it may work quite well in the X-Qpack. But... just note that
- the X-Qpack front-to-rear support bar cuts off a significant portion (?1/3?) of the down-draft flow
- the rear air path is circuitous, somewhatr blocked by (my) 5.25" drives so much of the warm air may go down and across the m/b (and CPU cooler)
- its cable-bundle exits on the "port" side (case-center) -- possibly limiting DVD drive compatibilty (my Seasonic S12-430 cables exit near the side of the case, not the center)

I'd be hesitant to use this (quite nice) PSU in the X-Qpack case, as it just -looks- to me like it's better suited for a typical PSU-over the exhaust-fan case, but you may find there are NO problems, so post your results!

 

[Zinj]

I just got off the phone with FSP-USA, and I can't say I'm happy. I had a very difficult time communicating with the service rep due to a language barrier. I have lots of patience, but the guy kept trying to tell me the problem was either a) lack of a -5v rail (which the -FID doesn't use anyway) or b) not enough power. Because the stock Q-Pack PSU which is working ostensibly puts out 430W, the Zen must not be enough. Aaargh! I patiently tried to explain that even at full throttle everything in the case couldn't pull 250W (I carefully consulted the Extremetech PSU calculator before buying), but nothing doing. Although the folks at PC Nation look to be quite helpful as far as the RMA goes, I'm not certain whether I'll try and replace the Zen or not after that. I'm also considering a 330W SeaSonic S12, which I read are quite quiet and efficient as well.

As I mentioned, the original Zen unit did post intermittently, and I got Suse 10.0 loaded on the drives using software raid. I wedged the Q-Pack CPU thermal sensor between the top of the Zen PSU and the roof of the case, figuring that would be the hot spot, and placed the other between the two HDDs. Even w/ a slow spinning Nexus case fan and the Smartfan enabled, all of my temperature readings stayed below 40C. The hottest thing was actually the drives. That's obviously very preliminary, but it does give me hope. I also had to use a Lite-on DVD to clear the power cables and tried to keep the bottom of the PSU as clear as possible.

Let you know how it goes,

Z

 

[alwang]

ZinJ, I had the EXACT same problem with my new K8NGM2-FID board, which I got from ZZF a few days ago. The board can only boot "cold". After shutting down, I had to wait for really long to be able to boot it again. Otherwise it has no post. My power supply is Enermax EG365P-VE, a 20-pin and so-called S3FC2A1 whisper quite PSU which served me flowlessly up until now.

I hope you're right about the power supply, as I am getting an Antec TP-II 430 PSU after reading above posts.

 

[cool]

Driver Package R1.36
RtkHDAud.sys Version: 5.10.0.5247
1. Codec Supporting: ALC880, ALC882, ALC883, ALC885, ALC888, ALC861, ALC260, ALC262
2. OS Supporting: Microsoft WindowsXP, Widnows2000, Winx64
3. Pack with Microsoft High Definition Audio UAAV1.0a(5013)
4. Add/Fix
1.) Customization.

For New architecture:
1.) Customization .
2.) Add ALC888 .

CPL :
1.) Customization.

Download

 

[Zinj]

Power Supply Pin Assignments on the K8NGM2-FID

Does anyone know the correct assignment for pin 12 on the power supply input on the motherboard? My manual lists it as "NC", which typically means "not connected". I thought the ATX 2.0 spec had that as +3.3v and wonder if this is a typo. Similarly, the manual lists pin 20 as "res", whatever that means. This would be pin 18 on a standard 20 pin connector and used to be the -5v line; it was apparently dropped with the new specs and should read "NC".

I'm still trying to run down what might cause the Zen to flake. I thought it might have to do with the 8amp limit on the 12V1 rail, but I was having snags even before hooking up peripherals. Does anyone have any idea which rail the onboard video draws power from?

 

[alwang]

Originally posted by: alwang
ZinJ, I had the EXACT same problem with my new K8NGM2-FID board, which I got from ZZF a few days ago. The board can only boot "cold". After shutting down, I had to wait for really long to be able to boot it again. Otherwise it has no post. My power supply is Enermax EG365P-VE, a 20-pin and so-called S3FC2A1 whisper quite PSU which served me flowlessly up until now.

I hope you're right about the power supply, as I am getting an Antec TP-II 430 PSU after reading above posts.

Well, after getting my Antec TP-II 430 PSU, I am still seeing the same problem. It turned out that the two tuner cards are the problem. I have an AverMedia M150 analog and ATI HDTV-Wonder DTV card, as soon as I pulled one of them out, the machine boots fine. I don't think the board is defective as I remember reading one other user had the same problem...

 

[renethx]

Originally posted by: Zinj
Does anyone know the correct assignment for pin 12 on the power supply input on the motherboard?

Pin 11 (+12V1), pin 12 (+3.3V), pin 23 (+5V), pin 24 (GND) were added to support 75W PCI Express requirement. In many MSI motherboards (for example K8N SLI Platinum, K8N Neo4 Platinum, K8NGM2-FID), pin 12 is NC (no connection). Perhaps these boards do not use +3.3V for PCIE by design. Anyway these four pins have nothing to do with stability unless you use a power-hungry PCIE card.

res = reserve? Pin 20 is -5V in ATX12V Ver 1 (actually pin 18) and NC (no connection) in ATX12 Ver 2. Needless to say the board complies with ATX12V Ver 2 and does not require -5V line. Many PSU tech support (even Antec) excuse instability by saying "Your motherboard require -5V line. However our PSU complies with the new standard and lacks -5V line". Most users are fooled because they have no clue what -5V line means.

 

[pctwo]

can someone confirm this problem for me:

setup:

onboard video, dual view, dvi->lcd (primary), components->tv (desktop spanning). Full screen device set to "auto-select" in full screen video. according to the help tip: "Use the Auto-select option to automatically select any display, which is not currently playing video in a window (hardware overlay), to play video in full-screen mode."

forceware: 84.21 (same problem found in 81.41 and beta 84.43)
bios 3.20 (same problem found in 3.13, 3.33)

BIOS set to load optimized default, then change suspend mode to S3/STR

set video mem to 128M: after resuming from suspend or hibernate, playing ANY video with cause system to hang immediately.

set video mem to 64M: no crash.

set video mem to 128M but disable TV (no dual view): no crash.

Problem for me is some programs, notably TheaterTek, don't work properly with just 64M video memory.

 

[RjG]

That's value you are setting is not the memory size for the video card,
it is the "AGP Aperture size".

The RAM allocated to your video card is defined by the amount
of RAM in your system. 1 Gig of ram = 128MB for video, 2 Gig = 256MB for video

Startrograms:Accessories:System Tools:System information
will give you more information on your memory and video system

(SysInfo "Display" section with 2GB of ram installed)
PNP Device ID PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0240&SUBSYS_72071462&REV_A2\3&267A616A&0&28
Adapter Type GeForce 6150, NVIDIA compatible
Adapter Description NVIDIA GeForce 6150
Adapter RAM 256.00 MB (268,435,456 bytes)
Installed Drivers nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version 6.14.10.8198 )

What codec (and version) are you using, and which applications are you using to play the video that doesn't work after S3?
Is the problem suspending WHILE playing the video, or trying to play any new video AFTER coming out of suspend? Mpeg video? WMV?
Did you install XP with S3 turned on in the BIOS? Or did you turn it on afterwards?

If it helps, I ran the following tests for you:
I am running PureVideo 1.96, Bios 3.20, Nvidia 8.22 and 81.98.
My AGP aperture is 128 meg (onboard video, DVI, no TV connected)
I can play a HiDef mpeg, suspend to S3, and resume using Windows media player10
I can play a regular mpeg, suspend to S3, and resume using Windows media player10
I can also play either type of video after resuming S3 without issue.
If I suspend WHILE playing the video, it displays a message that the video will be stopped and I will have to press play again, and it might restart from the beginning. There is no problem starting the video again coming back from S3, and they do restart from the beginning.

<edit>
Just finished testing with MCE too.
Playing a DVD, and hitting S3 suspend while playing, no message is displayed like Media Player10, and when powering back on you just click resume, and it does resume fine. It does not have to restart, it picks up where it left off.
Same with playing MPEG video, S3 suspend while playing, when powering back on you click resume, and it continues from where it was interrupted. Kinda interesting, I thought MCE would behave the same as Media Player10.

 

[pctwo]

RjG: yes you're right of course. 128 translates to 512M ram (I have 2 Gb), so 64 = 256M which is plenty.

I was confused. The differenetiator is not that, but Cool n Quiet being enabled. I've tested it several times now.

(Yes I turned on S3 before installing XP, and have it on now)

Sequence: boot up, then suspend after windows is done loading. Resume. Then play a video file. I've tried: avi file with WMP10, mov with quicktime, ts file with theatertek, same ts file with WMP10 (+purevideo decoder 1.96). They all hang the system. I don't think it's a decoder issue.

Now, if I unattach the TV display (control panel/display/settings/right click in 2nd display, uncheck Attached), then it plays fine with CnQ enabled or disabled. But the combination of CnQ enabled + 2nd display (where the video is played fullscreen) is the culprit.

This could very well be a nividia driver issue and not a board issue.

 

[cool]

This is really starting to p*ss me off. This is the 3rd morning in a row that the system wouldn't cold boot. I have already upped Vmem from 2.55 to 2.6V but that didn't help. When the system runs then it runs flawlessly. Yesterday, I prime95'ed it for 7h and memtest'ed it for another 3h. The temp and voltage readings are all fine. What else can I do?

 

[pctwo]

Originally posted by: cool
This is really starting to p*ss me off. This is the 3rd morning in a row that the system wouldn't cold boot. I have already upped Vmem from 2.55 to 2.6V but that didn't help. When the system runs then it runs flawlessly. Yesterday, I prime95'ed it for 7h and memtest'ed it for another 3h. The temp and voltage readings are all fine. What else can I do?

Are you using an Antec psu by any chance? I know many people have no problem with antec and this board, but I tried 2 NeoHE 430 and 1 smartpower 500W and none would boot. Tested fine with a no-name compusa ps. I am now using a $40 fortron ax-400 with no issue (fan a bit noisy for me so I replaced it).