8RDA FSB Problems

[ShoCKeD]

Eh... well, I got my 8RDA board along with an XP 2400+ and 2x256 XMS PC3200 about a month and a half ago. Up until about two weeks ago, it would do 200 FSB in dual channel mode without any problems. I have a GeForce3 Ti500, btw.

Then I went about a week without benching, in which time I flashed my BIOS from the BIOS that came with the board (can't remember exactly which one, dated early December I believe), upgraded to an Antec 550 PSU, and added an additional HDD (Maxtor 40 gb).

Now I can't even bench at 166 FSB without locking up, although I haven't tried anything lower than that except for the default 133 (which works fine). I've tried numerous ram timings, from the default Optimal to the very aggressive one's I used to be able to run my board with stable @ 200.

Also, I've made sure my ram is seated correctly. I've also tried using the ram in different slots, as well as running with only a single stick of Corsair.

3DMark2k1 generally locks up somewhere during Car Chase low detail. If it doesn't, it usually won't load high detail - it'll get past the loading screen, and the screen will stay blank. Very rarely it will load the high detail test, but locks up within the first few seconds.

Sometimes my screen will flicker and dramatically lower my frame rates. I can't figure out why it does this sometimes and only locks up others, but I think it may have something to do with drivers.

That said, I've tried using Det.'s 40.72, 42.01 (both of which I always used to bench with before I started having problems), 41.09, and 42.86's. I can't pin point the problem I have with the "flickering", but it seems to happen when I install different drivers (though it may be coincidential).

AGP is locked at 66 MHz.

I've also used differen't nForce2 drivers - the ones that came with the motherboard, the 2.00's, and the 2.03's.

At first I thought my proc just had enough of being overclocked 400 MHz farther than it's rated speed. So I backed the clock speed down to 2 GHz and ran with a FSB of 200, but with the same results. I tried 166, same thing.

I'm not an expert, so there are really only a couple things I can think of that obviously could be the problem.

The first is that my PSU isn't giving the northbridge enough voltage. In Sandra it says 1.58V, but I'm not sure where exactly it should be.

The second thing I thought about was the BIOS flash. I'm not sure exactly how it could have effected this, but I've since then flashed to the newer BIOS that was released not long ago (with no differen't results).

And the third... my northbridge cooling. I'm not using anything but the stock heatsink that came with the motherboard. What's confusing me is to why it might start overheating now, when it was able to run fine for a month before.

Well, so I'd appreciate any help. It's getting really annoying not knowing what exactly is causing this problem. I'm not sure if I left any information out, but if so just tell me!

[golfer49]

The first thing I would try is to flash back to the original bios that worked so well!

[ShoCKeD]

That's actually something I was wondering about...

In fact I think I'll go do that (if I can find the original BIOS!)

EDIT: Though I can't seem to find it on any of EPoX's websites... it was dated December 6th or 16th, I think.

[Holst]

I wouldnt bother going back to the old bios.

Everybody on here knows that the new bios is good for decent overclocks, you might want to reflash just to be sure.

My main suspect is the PSU, can you swap back again ?

[ShoCKeD]

The other PSU is being used by another computer ATM, but I can try swapping it later on. The old one is an Allied 450w.

Thanks for the suggestion!

EDIT: Oh, and I've flashed my BIOS twice. I've had to use WinFlash because I don't have a working floppy drive.

[timbob2469]

Wait , have you tried disconnecting the additional hard drive and then tried with the old power supply ? Just because it is a known high quality psu does not mean that it is working properly. Also , how old is your gf3-ti500 ? Maybe beg or borrow a different card for testing , it's not like your gong to burn out a borrowed card by overclocking because the AGP bus will be locked at what you set it for. Do you have AGP 8x support DISABLED ? If you look back at what you changed and also what might be messing up , you might find your answer. I don't know what is more confusing , one person will have all new stuff and the other will have mostly older stuff and an answer "what is wrong?" is needed. Keep asking and keep trying , you'll sort it out.
bob

[RandyB]

What do you have your mem voltage at? The reason I ask is if you had it set at say 2.7 or 2.8 before and then when you set everything to optimized defaults and reflashed did you raise the Vdimm back up again?

[ShoCKeD]

Well, first of all I haven't gotten a chance to swap power supplies. Like I said earlier, the other is in use and I don't have access to it right now.

My GF3Ti500 is probably a year and a half old. I don't know anyone who would lend me their card, so the only other thing I could swap it out for would be one of the old nVidia Vanta's I have in other computers.

Also, I've double, triple, and quadruple checked my settings. I've tried both diabling and enabling 8x, fast writes, etc. but with no luck

My voltages are also no differen't than they were before. I've tried changing them to account for the different PSU, but still with no luck. Ramm timings at 2.7.

And yeah, I did set everything to optimized defaults when I flashed - both times. I actually double checked to make sure everything was where it should be.

Although about the issue with the videocard - I think you may actually be on to something. Earlier I was trying to bench (EDIT: actually I was going to try, but it crashed in WindowsXP before I got the chance), and windows crashed. When it rebooted, it said it had recovered from a serious error and that my display adapter - more specifically my GF3Ti500 - was the cause of the problem. Not sure why it would do this only at higher FSB's, but I don't know enough about it anyways.

I've already actually been through a reformat with this computer since I started having these problems.

Btw, I do appreciate all the help!

[ShoCKeD]

Tried my old Allied 450w PSU... no luck.

Tried a different video card (Radeon 9500Pro), still with no luck.

Again tried a multitude of different settings, still nothing.

Does my board just not want to do 200 FSB anymore?

[MiGGinZ]

mine did the same thing, till I swapped my samsung PC2700 TCB3 for 2x twinmos, seems the ram was borking or something, it doesnt like over 150mhz now even in my 8k3a where it happily did 183mhz for 6months.

[ShoCKeD]

Well what's confusing me is that my XMS PC3200 used to be able to do 200 in dual channel but won't even do like 166 in single channel anymore.

I think there's one last thing I'm going to try.

I'm gonna take my setup out of my case and run it on my desk. I just realized that I've gotten a new case since I've been able to run it at 200, and running it on my desk is how I started out originally anyway.

I've tried all the drivers I can find, but what are considered the best nForce2 drivers? I'm using the 2.03 now.

[mpa4712]

i dont think its fair to say any of the nforce2 drivers are the best, its fair to say that 2.03 are the most acceptable I had the same problem as u. not being able to do over 166, im using geil ultra plat pc3500 at cas2 3-3-7 and could STILL not get past 166. So, i decided to sell it and get some twinmos. Hopefully it will fix my problems. I also could not bench at ALL in 3dmark2002. It would, like urs, freeze in a few seconds b4 the car race. Im using a geforce2mx400, but still, same problem. Maybe theres a setting we are just missing, its gotta be something simple. Could anyone who has attained over 210 post...yes..ALL their bios settings?

thx

Mark

[ShoCKeD]

Hehe, I think you mean 3DMark2001 There never was a 3DMark2002.

Anyway... yeah... BIOS settings might help.

I've tried just about everything I could think of.

A variety of ram timings, different voltages, even different AGP apertures.

I'm hoping it's something really simple and I've just overlooked it.

Something I just realized... could there have been a setting in my old BIOS that was changed when I flashed to the newer BIOS that I don't know about, and it's perhaps causing this problem?

[ayankdownunder]

Please see POST about "Video Problems after 209FSB"

I can run my XMS3500 at 208 SYNC at 2.9V 2-2-2-5

209 or more causes XP to crash when testing video, causes flickering/corruption, and sometimes it gives me the NV4_disp error.

The question i have is....

IS the AGP lock at 66 good after 200mhz...or are we facing a problem after the 1/6 divider?

[ShoCKeD]

Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be the problem I'm having. I'm no longer using my GF3 Ti500 anymore, but a Radeon 9500Pro, and I still get the same results.

I think the other thing is that you seem to be trying to get your FSB higher than what you've gotten it before, while I'm trying to get my FSB back to where I used to be able to get it. I've gone from being able to get it stable in dual channel @ 200, but now I can't even get it stable in single channel @ 166.

Any other ideas?

[Truckchase!]

Try a new stick of mem if you can get one... what voltage were you running your memory at before?

[ShoCKeD]

2.77

I tried them at 2.9 once or twice, but I mostly stayed away from it.

[blockhe]

hi guy I try too every thing and find out that it's the luck I had 3
8 rda+ the 1 one dies on me only did 188 fsb, the 2 was getting 205 ,210 no trouble dies too this 3 one am that I got getting 195 that's it no matter what so if you got a good one ill go whithout much playing to 205 or 210 with the one I got now it's no go 195 that's it and am no going to try a vvd mod for a few fsb, Ijust got to find some one that will test before buying so we can get a good one am telling you it's no secret the one that i has was doing 210 fsb for me just raise the vcore to 1.95 vvd 2.77 and there you go 210 no fan on northbrige it ran cool but this one now that's it 195 and only run stable at 190 just my .02 .Ray

8rda+ rev=1.1
2x256 3200c2( corsair)got samsung 1 256 3200(same result)
slk800 delta 38( the NOISE) 38C TO 42 C
RAID 0 2x 40gig
g4 mmx400( comin g4 ti 4200)
window xp pro sp1 ( hated have to register every time)

[MrCrowley]

Whole hard to read. You need an english lesson! LOL

[timbob2469]

Mr Crowley, why are you posting a reply to an 8 month old post ? I agree that you can't really understand that guy unless you squint and read it with an Italian accent, but seriously, does anyone else see the problem with the board that won't go over 133 FSB ? His chipset voltage is 1.58v. I wonder if shoCKed ever did the voltage mod and applied some active cooling to his northbridge.
Bob