Working ASUS A8N-SLI

[docshadow]

Well after finally getting my processor from Monarch Computers... I had to have them sub in a different fan because apparently the one I ordered was never going to come in... I've had great success!

A8N SLI Deluxe board
AMD 64 3500+ 90nm cpu
Thermaltake 8+ heatsink and fan

MGE 500 psu using a 20 pin connector

PDP 3200 2-3-2-5 timed memory - 2x512 sticks

MSI 6600 GT graphics card (no SLI for me yet)

Using onboard sound for now - although seriously considering just putting my SB Audigy 2 card in

Maxtor DiamondMax10 300g Hard Drive - NCQ not enabled right now

Everything installed and setup without a single problem and the only system hicup I had was while running nTine and got one restart. The Nvidia firewall was giving me issues and I've since turned it off, but zero bugs or glitches with the board or any equipment installed. Although I did fry a USB jump drive when I had the external connectors for my Tsunami Dream case reversed, but that was just dumb user error.

So hopefully the boards that are having serious issues are just the same issolated issues that come with any brand new technology and no problems that are affecting a wide range of the boards

 

[bap4201]

hey docshadow! Congrats!! Most people that have this board have same experience as you. Then there are those that have problems and come here to post. So you cannot judge this board based on just the postings here.

 

[joelslaw]

have you o/ced yet, or are you planning to? I was wondering how good that ram does o/ced? I have the same stuff, but haven't been able to o/c my rig (because of the mobo, not the ram) yet. But since I plan on keeping the same ram for a while, I was wondering if it will o/c with my next upgrade. Any bone you could throw me would be appriciated!

Edit: OH, (where are my manners?) I almost forgot! Big congrats on the killer system!!! and welcome to the neighborhood!

 

[Insomniak]

Flawless A8N-SLI Deluxe setup here as well. Couple complications in overclocking, but at stock, not a single hitch.

 

[FastEddie]

Originally posted by: docshadow


So hopefully the boards that are having serious issues are just the same issolated issues that come with any brand new technology and no problems that are affecting a wide range of the boards

This board brought alot of new computer builders into the fold--unusually more than normal for the first release of a board. Similar to when the first Athlon boards hit the market (Slot A Irongate chipset)---learning curve there was a little steep as the technology was brand spanking new, but it brought alot of first time computers too.

 

[docshadow]

I haven't o/c'd the board yet. I've heard PDP does fairly well. It's not in the same realm as the XMS, and high running OCZ ram but it should hold up to decent speeds. I'll probably try a wee bit of tweaking after running some more load intensive programs to see what I really need.

And yeah, bap4201, I would agree that boards are terrible places to judge products... You sit around with yourself for success, and seek the advice of large groups for failures

And as far as system building... I'm definetly one foot in experienced, and one foot out in noob zone. I've built a couple of systems a while ago, this was the first one for me in quite some time... But I also keep close track on technology and make sure to ask people who know before I just guess when it comes to electronics.

 

[LTC8K6]

A lot of the problems were with SLI though weren't they?

 

[docshadow]

Seems like quite a few have been SLI problems, but I've seen issues across the board. One of my friends just got a second board and is having the same problems he had with his first, he's running a single 6800 card and a raid 0, and one of those 2 things have to be the problem at this point (crashing when loading certain apps, freezing, blah blah blah). Luckily I haven't hit any problems yet.

 

[SkyBum]

Congrats Doc!

Man I wish I could say the same but they tell me the third times a charm so I am waiting for my third board to arrive after 2 RMA's. Gonna hang tough with ASUS though and hope I have your kinda luck this time around.

 

[Dethfrumbelo]

No problems here at all. I even replaced the chipset fan with a passive Zalman and slapped an NV5 silencer on my 6800GT. With the NV5 on it, the GT wouldn't fit the first PCI-E slot, so I moved it to the second slot.

That created better airflow and now everthing runs even cooler than before - 29C on the CPU and 49 on the GT at idle. I can now overclock the GT to 460/1150, whereas 430/1120 was max before NV5 and slot switch. Dropping from 16x PCI-E to 8x will make zero difference. Even 8x AGP is plenty for today's cards (67x8) vs 100x8 for PCI-Ex8. The added bonus is the sound of silence coming from the case.

I've really run this board through its paces, constantly messing around with it, and amazingly I haven't killed it yet.

Oh yeah, the BIOS sucks big time, but I bet all the other manufacturers are going to have their own problems. By the time they're on Beta #1, ASUS will be on Beta #4, LOL.

 

[Cardioversion]

Ok what I have learned so far do not set you mem to ddr 550. I causes the sytem to hang will not boot.
Mr cmos clearing must come save the day if you do this. I cant figure out mem timings for this board with the mem I have. I have corsair twinx 1024-4400c25 ddr 550 xms4400 1 gig of it and have no idea what to do. What is your ntune score?

 

[jose]

Dethfrumbelo,

Your only running 1 video card ? I thought your supposed to have it in the 1 pci-e slot ?? How is your video card selector set to ? single or sli ?

Also did the NV5 silencer not fit because of the Zalman heat sink or something elso stopped it from fitting ?

Regards,
Jose

 

[Cardioversion]

oh oh ... forgot to check the subscribe to this topic box sorry....

 

[Relion]

Happy user here too....

And I am using not tested memory and non-brand 20pin PSU ...ILL buy some good PSU when put in a second card...in a year or so...

 

[Dethfrumbelo]

Originally posted by: jose
Dethfrumbelo,

Your only running 1 video card ? I thought your supposed to have it in the 1 pci-e slot ?? How is your video card selector set to ? single or sli ?

Also did the NV5 silencer not fit because of the Zalman heat sink or something elso stopped it from fitting ?

Regards,
Jose

Yes. The Zalman interferes with the NV5. I suppose one could do a little modding by cutting out the bottom of the plastic fan enclosure, but I think I'll leave that for a later date.

I set the selector card to dual (which makes both slots 8x) and then set the SLI setting to normal (1 card only) in BIOS.

 

[Muhadib]

Originally posted by: Cardioversion
Ok what I have learned so far do not set you mem to ddr 550. I causes the sytem to hang will not boot.
Mr cmos clearing must come save the day if you do this. I cant figure out mem timings for this board with the mem I have. I have corsair twinx 1024-4400c25 ddr 550 xms4400 1 gig of it and have no idea what to do. What is your ntune score?

I've got that same memory running on my a8n. I have it running at 1:1 240 MHz with memory times of 2.5 4 3 10 T1. It's the best this bios or maybe board can muster at the moment.

First thing to do in the bios is to set the default value of 200 MHz bus to 201 MHz, this will lock your PCI clock to 33mhz

Second thing to do is set your memory times in the bios for a CAS of 2.5, Command Rate of T1 and voltage of 2.8. Boot windows then in Ntune set the memory times (from left to right 10 4 3) and set your HTT from the default value of x5 to x4.

Third use AIbooster or Clockgen NF to up your voltage for your CPU. In AIbooster a value of 1.6 is actually 1.5. In Clockgen NF 1.6 is 1.58.

Forth in increments of 10 MHz bump your memory clock up to 240mhz with Clockgen or AIbooster. If you try and increase by more than that your computer will lock. Run prime 95 torture test for the night to test stability.

Handy tools

ClockGen NF
http://www.cpuid.com/download/CG-NVNF4.zip

CPU-Z
http://www.cpuid.com/download/cpu-z-126.zip

 

[DrRios]

Well:

I got a Raptor SLI system from Velocity Micro 6800 SLI (2) cards. The people from Maximum PC convinced me.

The computer work great, great built, expensive. I use to built myself my top computer but I have been busy lately.

Well SLI is the worse system I have seen in many years. It was lunch not even close to be ready to support all monitor, specially very high resolution monitors.

Even when connectors are digital (DVI) the Nvidia lattest drivers (and there is only one that support SLI) are written for analog monitors.

So pure digital monitor like Apple Cinema 23 , plasma and HDTV monitor will not work at lower resolutions, only at the native resolution of the monitor 1920x 1200.

Because of this all games crash (they run at lower resolutions.

I thought the idea of SLI was to have faster games at higher resolution.

Nvidia is deleting all post from their answer site and refering to vendors of cards, Velocity Micro indicates is a known issue and recommends using a monitor that has both "analog and DVI connectors" since if the pure digital does not work the monitor will use "analog hardware" even if you connect threw DVI.

So I will have no option to turn my SLI "off" or get the monitor out of the closet until they writte drivers with all features turn "ON"

 

[meolsen]

Dr Rios - you CAN salvage your high-res monitor - the NVIDA drivers are set to default at GMT monitor timing which will crash a DVI connected 1920x1200. Change it to CMT and it works fine. I had a hell of a time doing this, working through ASUS, Velocity Micro and Evga and had to figure it out myself.

Here's what I did:

Connect the monitor in analog at 1920x1200 and go into the panel, change to CMT, then reboot with aDVI connection -- bueno!

Michael

 

[DrRios]

I will try it and let you now
but the prior attempts have failed , system will not let me go into advance timing...

 

[DrRios]

Was not able the digital driver will not let me change the timming !!!

 

[DrRios]

Sorry the Apple Cinema does not have analog like the HP 2305

It only has DVI connector

Any other ideas !!!

Thanks by the way

 

[jelliott]

No problems here at all.. Working great