? for Epox tech on bios

[WinXP]

I have the 8KHA+ mobo, it is a excellent mobo. I have been using the beta 8khal00 bios (11/30) an wanted to try the offical bios 8khi1b02 (11/02). Flashed the 11/02 bios an computer will only load to 26 on lcd. Installed my other bios chip that I flashed with the 11/30 bios computer runs fine again, so I reflashed the chip I removed with the 11/02 bios on it to beta an it works fine again. I am just curious why the mobo would not run the offical bios from Epox site? I keep extra bios chips around that I bought from bad flash.com an hot flash them on which ever mobo I use an they have been handy to have around.

[Cole]

I'm assuming when you tried to run off the 11/02 bios you cleared the cmos and also tried holding insert down just to reset everything?

[WinXP]

I always clear cmos after bios flash.

[EPoX Tech]

There is naturally a risk involved when using BETA BIOSes, as well as there always being a risk from flashing using floppies rather than gang programmers.

That is to say, there is no real explanation for this other than merely the you possibly had a bad flash, or settings were not cleared from the BETA BIOS which is page mapped differently to the original BIOS (option settings may have been confused).

[WinXP]

Tried the 8khi1a17 bios an it loaded fine, couldn't get system to restart after 155fsb without using the reset button. Wouldn't load at all at 165fsb so the 8khal00 bios has been the best for mobo. Curious when Epox will make a offical bios with the 8khal00, or will it stay just beta ? Or when the 8kha3 comes out will this be the offical bios an can be used on the 8kha+ ?

[EPoX Tech]

There is no relationship between BIOS for different planars.

[WinXP]

I see what you are saying here but most mobo companies when they just add the raid option to mobo can use the same bios such as the 8k7a an 8k7a+ can use the same bios.Or is this a complete new redesigned mobo ? When will they start marketing the 8kha2 or 8kha3 ? Is one of these just a standard mobo without raid an the other has raid ?

[EPoX Tech]

8KHA2 and 8KHA3 are both RAID boards using different controllers, but by no means is 8KHA+ similar to 8KHA2/3 like 8K7A to 8K7A+. It is like comparing the BIOS of 8KTA3+ with that of 8KTA3L+.

Period.

[WinXP]

Okay, can you give any information when these mobo may be on the market 1st quarter, 2nd quarter of the new year, so we might plan the next upgrade ?

[EPoX Tech]

Q1

[WinXP]

Thanks, I like the on board raid rather than add on pci card using now. Epox has impressed me since buying the 8K7A+ an with the 8KHA+, so these ought to be some good mobo's. Use to be a die hard Abit fan, but there is always room for change. Will either of these mobo have the overvolt like the 8K7A+ ?

[EPoX Tech]

The board design is similar to that of 8K7A series with adjustable AGP voltage, 4 phase design and jumper chosen VccCore just as with 8K7A.

[WinXP]

Thanks I will be definitely buying one with the overvolt, I like this option.

[Mushkin Rules]

Originally posted by EPoX Tech
8KHA2 and 8KHA3 are both RAID boards using different controllers, but by no means is 8KHA+ similar to 8KHA2/3 like 8K7A to 8K7A+. It is like comparing the BIOS of 8KTA3+ with that of 8KTA3L+.

Period.

Epox Tech,

8KHA2 and 8KHA3 mobo will be released in Q1 2002 ? Very nice, as I will probably wait and upgrade to this mobo. Can you tell us more specific? Do these 2 mobo implement onboard HPT372 IDE RAID or Promise IDE Raid ? Also, do they have a Vcore adjustable up to 2.0 Volt + in bios menu ? Thanks

[Superman]

Originally posted by Mushkin Rules

Epox Tech,

8KHA2 and 8KHA3 mobo will be released in Q1 2002 ? Very nice, as I will probably wait and upgrade to this mobo. Can you tell us more specific? Do these 2 mobo implement onboard HPT372 IDE RAID or Promise IDE Raid ? Also, do they have a Vcore adjustable up to 2.0 Volt + in bios menu ? Thanks

I'm waiting for this board also. Epox mentioned it in another thread. I will search for this thread presently. BRB.

Quote from Epox Tech:
"The board itself only has ATA 100 capability, with the RAID controller having the ATA133 capability.

It will not resemble at all the 8KHA+ mainboard as it is a different PCB design entirely having 4 DDR DIMM slots also.

It will be an overclocking aided mainboard as you have come to expect since the days of 3VCA and even earlier."

and dug it up!:
"A good pointer would be - 8KHA+ has everything in BIOS, but doesn't have extreme VccCore alteration without modification. It does however have extreme VDimm voltage.

8K7A+ on the other hand has increased VccCore manipulation and of course does have RAID but doesn't have so much VDimm adjustment.

8KHA2 that will be out in January will offer the best of both worlds in a quad phase power solution which will introduce AGP voltage alteration to us to assist with video card overclocking also (remember 8KTA3 series)."

and some more quotes:
"1. There won't be any 64bit/66MHz PCI slots as KT266 cannot support them.

2. There will be no 1/5 PCI divider as KT266 cannot support it

3. It will have the HPT372 RAID controller

4. There will be 4 dimm slots

5. VccCore, VAGP and VDimm range TBC, but with overclockers in mind

6. 6 PCI Slots"

Did I miss anything?

[Mushkin Rules]

Nice boards then, with overclockers design in mind

Thanks Superman

[rocky500]

Would the onboard Raid with the new Epox boards get around the PCI bus problems of the PCI bus Via slowdown?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/3/23502.html

I have the Epox 8kha+ with Promise controller & it seems to not be performing as well as expected.

[EPoX Tech]

Originally posted by rocky500
Would the onboard Raid with the new Epox boards get around the PCI bus problems of the PCI bus Via slowdown?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/3/23502.html

I have the Epox 8kha+ with Promise controller & it seems to not be performing as well as expected.

One can only hope that it can be dealt with in software (4-in-1 release) rather than by hardware (the new southbridge).

But as the article you link does state, this is a chipset issue rather than a discriminate mainboard issue. The best advice as always is to read up on products prior to purchase in an attempt to ensure compatibility and acheive expected perfromance levels.

[rocky500]

I thought I got a benchmark (Sisoft) result of 48,000 with the Epox 8k7a+ & get only 33,000 with the new setup.
I only had the 8k7a+ for a day, so I can't confirm this again.

I would have thought purchasing the Promise controller I was going to get a better result than onboard raid.

But could this mean that any Via board with an onboard Raid chipset will not have this problem mabey bypassing the PCI bus problem and going direct, so to speak? (eg 8k7a+ or newer Epox boards)
Is it only PCI addon cards?

Your correct in saying checkout all this beforehand. But the article only just appeared! Who was to know!

[EPoX Tech]

The problem is exactly as explained in The Register's article which you linked to for me to read.