8RDA+, which PCI slots the IDE, built-in LAN and built-in audio are sharing with?

[philip]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum and EPoX as well. I have been watching this forum by weeks since the 8RDA aroused my interest recently.

After seeing all the encouraging stories in the thread "8RDA Posting With Good Results", I just picked up my own 8RDA+ today. Unfortunately [or fortunately I should say] I didn't have time to swap it into my computer case tonight so I have a day or so to research for requiring configuration details. Okay, enough for the background and my question really is about how each of my PCI devices should be placed into different slots in order to avoid potential IRQ conflicts. I can see an interrupt table listed in the manual but the ones for IDE, built-in LAN and built-in audio aren't there. So, does anyone know about which PCI slot(s) these ones are sharing IRQ with?

The AGP/PCI cards will put together with the mobo are as follows,

- Radeon 8500
- SB Audigy
- Practical 56K internal modem
- Intel EtherExpress Pro 10/100 (this system is an Internet gateway for my home network)

Any suggestion on how these cards should be arranged?

Also, how is the sound quality of the built-in audio comparing to Audigy? (heard some said it is better than SB Live !!! a bid of surprise to me)

The thread on "8dra Posting With Good Results" is good but not too many people mentioned their hardware configuration details which could have become some good references for the others.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rgds,
Philip

[Galifrey]

IRQ 0 System timer OK
IRQ 1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard OK
IRQ 3 Communications Port (COM2) OK
IRQ 4 Communications Port (COM1) OK
IRQ 6 Standard floppy disk controller OK
IRQ 8 System CMOS/real time clock OK
IRQ 9 Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System OK
IRQ 10 MPU-401 Compatible MIDI Device OK
IRQ 12 PS/2 Compatible Mouse OK
IRQ 13 Numeric data processor OK
IRQ 17 Intel(R) PRO/1000 MT Desktop Adapter OK
IRQ 19 Silicon Image SiI 0680 Ultra-133 Medley ATA RAID Controller OK
IRQ 19 NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 4600 OK
IRQ 20 Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller OK
IRQ 20 NVIDIA nForce MCP Networking Adapter #2 OK
IRQ 21 Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller OK
IRQ 21 NVIDIA(R) nForce(TM) MCP Audio Processing Unit (Dolby(R) Digital) OK
IRQ 22 Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller OK
IRQ 22 NVIDIA(R) nForce(TM) Audio Codec Interface OK
IRQ 22 NVIDIA® nForce(TM) IDE Controller OK


Thats my sharing, my cards are:-

Silicon image in slot 6

Intel network card in slot 4

Wont be installing my SB card, as compared to the onboard its pants...

Hope that helps

[philip]

Galifrey,

Thanks for your reply but your information is not exactly what I needed. Yours are the IRQ assignment in Windows when APIC is enabled.

In Abit or Asus the IRQ assignment will be shown at the next screen after POST. Not sure if EPoX is the same.

From what I saw in the manual, the interrupt table for 8RDA+ looks as follows,

INT A: PCI #3
INT B: PCI #4
INT C: PCI #1 & 5
INT D: PCI #2 & 6 and AGP

For example I'll leave PCI slots 2 & 6 empty (if possible) to avoid interferring the video card. I wanted to know how the IDE controller, built-in LAN and audio fit into the above.

Rgds,
Philip

[EluSiOn]

Don't use PCI slot 1 and slot 2. They are evil for my setup.

I have disabled my COM Ports and also Parallel Port in bios since I have no need to use those ports at all (ALL USB for me)

onboard audio and IDE 1 share IRQ 14 on my WinXP

I let go my SBLive 5.1 Platium + Live Drive IR to use onboard sound because I had a IRQ sharing problem with it. Because it was using the same IRQ as my video card and my 3dmark result was lowered by 4000 points.

[BRiT]

Phillip,

I use the onboard MCP-T SoundStorm sound. It sounds better and seems to perform better than the SB Audigy. I moved the SB Audigy into my second pc. The only cards in my system are my ATI 8500 64M, Pinnacle PCTv, Promise 100 TX2 Raid.

I have my cards arranged as follows and it works out very well:

ATI 8500 64M AGP
FireWire Slot (mb connector)
USB (mb connector)
RAID (PCI #3)
PCTv (PCI #4)
[EMPTY - reserved for Koolance Exos system!]
GamePort (mb connector)

I have onboard Parallel and Serial ports disabled.

[philip]

I let go my SBLive 5.1 Platium + Live Drive IR to use onboard sound because I had a IRQ sharing problem with it. Because it was using the same IRQ as my video card and my 3dmark result was lowered by 4000 points.

When you were having trouble with AGP do you have the SBLive card on slot 2 or 6? that's the kind of hardware interference I'm trying to avoid !!!

[EluSiOn]

I had it on Slot 1 first, then I tried Slot 2.... both BAD for me. Then I just go ahead use the onboard sound for the time being.

¤¤¤å ?

[Galifrey]

HEHEHEHEHE it makes me laugh the amount of people who are switching to the excellent onboard sound...

I mean, who would have believed it possible, onboard sound better than an Audigy/Live/Audigy 2

[EluSiOn]

I miss my Live Drive II IR every moment.

Now I don't have a MIC in at all. The 3 audio port is all taken by the 5.1 Speaker, so when I play online game, I cannot use my mic to communicate with my clan memebers. That blows.

The sound quality... well.. I am not musician.... my ear is bad....