help with Quantispeed CPU and MB

[ronclark]

I am looking for a new MB I have a 2200+ AMD Quantispeed, I have a Epox 8K9A2+ and I am tired if it:mad: , my video benchmarks are pittyful :confused: I have a ATI 8500 128mb.
my friend has a Asus Nforce chip set and the 2200+ will not work at all. so what MB will be a OCer and a stable fast board?
Thanks
Ron

[jmichna]

Ron,
That's a pretty good EPoX KT400 chipset mobo you got there.... maybe the performance disappointment lies in it's BIOS configuration or other components, like the ram, plus the 8500 is not the greatest video card.

Please lay out all you components in more detail, along with your ram timings, video BIOS settings, etc. Maybe we can spot something.

If you are serious about unloading it, please PM me... I might be interested. I run an 8K3A+ on my main box, and I put together my daughter's PC around an 8K5A2+. I've ALWAYS got room for another EPoX.
jmichna

[ronclark]

jmichna,

Well this is my setup
2200+ on my CPU I have Volcano 7 and artic sliver II
512 corsair xms 3000 v1.2 I want to get a faster verson since it I can aford it now.
External Creative 56k Modem
ATI 8500 128, I want to upgrade here soon, I am not sure what one I am going to yet
Dlink Nic DFE-530TX+
Adaptec SCSI ava-29038
ATI TV tuner
Creative Audigy sound card
Maxtor D740x-L6 Harddrive
Liteon DVD-ROM
Mitsumi CR-48XCTE CDRW
Dazzle 6 in 1 card reader, which Epox finly fixed after telling me I had a bad board or it was my reader, then just a few weeks ago thy relase a new BIOS and problem is gone.
I turned the serial ata, nic, and Raid, sinice I am not using them right now.
Win Me as my Os I tryed win 2000 not much better

My RAM setting are on Ultra and I turned up a few things I can rember what right of the top of my head after I loaded Optimized setting in the BIOS

if I am missing some thing let me know.
Ron

[ronclark]

Oh BTW I have a Epox 8K3A and I love that board it work great I regreat upgrading, I am using all the some stuff as I had in that board
Ron

[BipolarBill]

I would recommend the MSI KT3 Ultra2.

http://www.gameve.com/store/gameve_viewitem.asp?idproduct=330&showit=1

Easy setup, OCable and reliable.

I have no idea why the 2200+ doesn't work in the nForce - unless it's the older nForce 266. In that case, your friend needs a BIOS update.

If you have the money, I really recommend the Epox 8RDA+ - it should run that CPU if it's set up right. Come to think of it, yours should be running fine. Is it possible that Windows is hosed?

[ronclark]

I have reinstalled windows,
My friends Nforce is the new chip, I cant remember what model the MB is, we has to flash the BIOS to even make it work. it works great the a 2100+ but not with the 2200+,
it would lockup, inorder to get to reboot we had to clear the Cmos.
so I have his 2200+ and I have him my 2100+

Ron

[jmichna]

ronclark:
Here's the BIOS info that's probably significant, regarding how my 8k3A+ (KT333) is configured
Adv BIOS...
Athlon 4 SSED - Enabled
External Cache - Enabled
L2 Cache - Enabled

AGP & P2P Bridge Control...
AGP Aperture Size - 128M
AGP Mode - 4X
AGP Driving Control - Auto
AGP Fast Write - Enabled
AGP Master 1 WS Write - Disabled
AGP Master 1 WS Read - Disabled

DRAM Clock/Drive Control... (see attached pic)

I run 1gb of Corsair XMS DDR3200 C2 RAM (2 X 512mb sticks), at 2.80 vdimm (+0.30 over default)

[ronclark]

I checked the BIOS setting that there just fine as far as I can tell
My Ram BIOS Menu is was diffrent but the setting as pretty close as I can tell.
I had that 8k3A+ (KT333) and all my stuff work great in facted I thougth the board rocked other than I could not OC.
all my hardware worked in the 8k3A+, everything is the same other than I know have a 2200+

Ron

[jmichna]

Originally posted by ronclark
I checked the BIOS setting that there just fine as far as I can tell
My Ram BIOS Menu is was diffrent but the setting as pretty close as I can tell.
I had that 8k3A+ (KT333) and all my stuff work great in facted I thougth the board rocked other than I could not OC.
all my hardware worked in the 8k3A+, everything is the same other than I know have a 2200+

Ron I'm not familar with today's ATI drivers... do you use what are reputed to be a "fast" driver version? Those video benches depend a lot more on the video/graphics processor than the CPU. Are your benches typical for your card?

[ronclark]

I am using what is called CATALYST 3.1 that is there latest drivers.
I have been using 3dmark 2002 and 2003
and a program called Performance Test which test all the compounds. to you recommend any benchmark programs?
Ron

[jmichna]

Ron,
You may want to post your "3D2002" (I think you mean 3D2001se) scores in the Benchmarking Forum here, along with your system specs, and see if your scores are typical for someone with a Radeon 8500.
jmichna

PS: let me know if you are going to get rid of that 8K9A2+ mobo.

[ronclark]

well I tryed to reinstall win ME twice and could get the video working thy way it should it played games and it sucked.
so I installed win Xp for a drill and it know works pretty good
I got 1334 in 3DMark03
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k3=395203
and I got 11081 in 3Dmark 01
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=6115937
and I got 11961 in 3Dmark00

So I am wounering why Me not liking this board it the 8x agp? or what?

Ron

[jmichna]

I'd be questioning your sanity at concern over running "Me." :eek: (J.K.)

"Most" games run fine on W2K (we actually had W2KPro on one gaming pc). If you need a "W9x" OS for some special game/hardware compatability issue, then you'd be better served running W98se, IMO.

I set up my daughter's pc as dual boot Win98se/WinXPPro... best of both worlds. Haven't come across anything we couldn't play using one of these choices.

PS: your 3D2001 and 3D2003 scores are good.

[ronclark]

I had the Epox 8K3A+ with this same hardwere with exexption of the CPU I had a 2100+ and it ran stable as a rock with Me so there so No reasen that Me sold not be working know unless there is a bug in the Mb that Me is not liking for some resean.
I have used 98 for a few years it was my first OS and it gave me no end of greaf on my p133 my sis and bro used it alot and I had to redo the system every two months to keep it in working order same think when I got my K6 2 450 then I went to Me and not more problems. and 98 will not do somethings well like Me and 2000, try seting up a RAID Board, I tryed once and after alot of hassle asked a better tech then me and he told me that 98 is a reall pain to get to work with Raid, not imposable thought. when to Me that is systen is like a rock its in a bininess and to been runing great np problems for about 6 months know.
there is some hardware to Os conflict in Me and I want to fined out what it is and fix it, it just that simply, it I go back the the Epox 8K3A+ with all this hardware it will run, so there is a mb problem with something, and I want to know that that something is, there is not reasen on earth that Me or any other OS sould not work.
Ron

[ronclark]

I did the testing under XP, Me is not doing squat when it somes to D3 stuff other than that it runs great on this bm,
I have some program called Performance Test I normaly get 1200fps and right know in Me its 200 to 300, so there something not working the video systems, and what is it I am not sure. I had the 8K9A2 and it has some of the same problems that this one is having but it was slightly diffrent, but still a video problem.
BTW my friends MB that will not run the 2200+ is a ASUS A7NX8 (nForce2-S) the only way to get the sysem running with that chip is run the chop at half speed, we could get into windows and we reboot we had to clear the Cmos to get to reboot so we traded chips, there is not reasen for that like that, is seem there releaseing the mb way to fast and working to many of the bugs out, just to get something on the market and release Bios's to fix bugs later, I am getting tired of it, it should all work out of the box this the CPUs on the markert I think
Ron

[jmichna]

Ron,
Here's a link (http://www.aoaforums.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=27) to a good EPoX mobo forum. Maybe someone there has had a similar 8K9A2+ experience.

What BIOS rev are you at? Have you tried flashing the BIOS to the latest available rev?
Link (http://www.epox.com/html/motherboard-download.asp?id=K4W3I3a40V4nh30hC10X1b0M0io32p3EW4 g0O1y1f32Cf11D0ip1l2b3T0r44R3r2Q&product=O43u3I3S1eX43HH0c1x0B10Mi03oP23I4wv01XQ3X2 2ii3Z1i32b2i1aR1&media=4uv3k34ae14Q3h0HC1X0b10M0IO3s2D2b3F2O00a&lang=1&date=j43uP3c41B4W3H0Hc10xB10m0I3oW2L1E14Xk3O3n2T23 RN2) to BIOS dated 2/12/2003.

[ronclark]

Yep, I all ready flashed the BIOS to the new verson

Ron

[jmichna]

Originally posted by ronclark
Yep, I all ready flashed the BIOS to the new verson

Ron Sorry... out of ideas... try the forum link I mentioned above. Good luck on your quest :t

[ronclark]

well thanks, if I dont get a answer for my problem so I am going to get another MB, but I am not sure what one is going to be a great OC and stable and everything works as it should.
any recomandation on OCing?
Thanks your all your help

Ron

[BipolarBill]

Don't give up on Epox - get the 8RDA+ or the equivalent Asus/MSI.

[jmichna]

Originally posted by ronclark
well thanks, if I dont get a answer for my problem so I am going to get another MB, but I am not sure what one is going to be a great OC and stable and everything works as it should.
any recomandation on OCing?
Thanks your all your help

Ron Being a glutton for punishment... I still really favor EPoX. I still think they offer the best bang-for-the-buck out of all the better mobos, plus they definitely provide value (features+OC tweaks vs cost).

Try that forum link (above), also www.amdforums.com (http://www.amdforums.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=9), and see what folks who have your board have to say. It may be something about that particular CPU and that particular board....

I'm still in the "KT333 Age" (my preference is to not go to the next iteration until we get to "rev A").

I will likely go with an nVidia nForce2... but may opt for a KT400A once it's out. Definitely will consider an nForceA.

[lptech]

Might be an OS problem that you're having! I know that some people have been having problems running Windows 98 SE or Windows ME running on systems that were 2.0-GHz or faster, maybe it's time to run Windows 2000 or Windows XP on that system. Have you checked out Microsoft's site to see if they are running into problems with fast machines that are at/or approaches the 2.0-GHz speed?

Again, if it runs fine under Windows 2000 or Windows XP, then I'd stay with those OSes! Keep us informed of your progress. Good luck.:)