ABIT IN9 32X-MAX - 680i SLI Intel
- Thread starter Nelly
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OK, I have a tricky question because after 7 days I'm starting to despair.
At this point I have miserably failed to stabilize my configuration.
The one and only way I can boot into windows and actually use the computer is enabling EPP and letting the BIOS decide what to do, which is setting the memory @ 400 5-4-4-12 1T.
Any other attempt to configure the memory will lead to instability or no boot at all.
Besides, even with this setup I will still experience glitches, like firefox closing itself, other applications crashing, and if I use the onboard LAN eventually the nice "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" BSOD.
Also now Orthos has decides to crash after 4-5 secs of execution, which is never a good sign.
Now the question is... is it worth to wait and see if Abit comes magically with a BIOS that's the answer to all prayers, or shall I try and send back this MB and get another one that has less flashy blue LEDs and more usability?
I'd appreciate some insight because at this point frustration is making me lose my north.
Edit: Is anyone out there experiencing similar issues or am I the only useless ******* that after all this years can't put four pieces of hardware toghether?
At this point I have miserably failed to stabilize my configuration.
The one and only way I can boot into windows and actually use the computer is enabling EPP and letting the BIOS decide what to do, which is setting the memory @ 400 5-4-4-12 1T.
Any other attempt to configure the memory will lead to instability or no boot at all.
Besides, even with this setup I will still experience glitches, like firefox closing itself, other applications crashing, and if I use the onboard LAN eventually the nice "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" BSOD.
Also now Orthos has decides to crash after 4-5 secs of execution, which is never a good sign.
Now the question is... is it worth to wait and see if Abit comes magically with a BIOS that's the answer to all prayers, or shall I try and send back this MB and get another one that has less flashy blue LEDs and more usability?
I'd appreciate some insight because at this point frustration is making me lose my north.
Edit: Is anyone out there experiencing similar issues or am I the only useless ******* that after all this years can't put four pieces of hardware toghether?
Johnny Bravo said:
It wasnt anything to do with the SLI after all, it was the stupid CPU fan detection again, but this time it was making a different beep for some reason. plugged fan back in and it booted fine. For some reason the bios had reset itself... all other settings were the same, just the fan detection/monitoring had changed... odd. It is a hassle though atm, cos everytime i clear CMOS I have to plug in a CPU fan to get the thing to boot.
However guys, I think ive answered my own question as far as needing the mobo molex connector for SLI. Weird thing is that 3dm06 runs fine, but 05 crashes in the first/2nd game test when I have SLI enabled. With SLI disabled it runs fine... so i guess thats conclusive enough. Im working on an attempt at shortening a molex right now, so I shall see where that gets me. Otherwise I'll order a 90 degree molex connector.
What psu are you using ? And what cards. If 8800gtx's and your psu meets the nvidia requirement of 60amps on the 12v rail, then each of the 4 pci-e connectors provides sufficient power. Obviously the power from the 4pin molex boosts it, but this suggests an issue with the psu and/or 12v line if you need the molex connector which I firmly believe is to provide power to pci-e cards that do not have a dedicated pci-e connection, and some of the smart people over on the jonnyguru's forums who know a hell of a lot about psu's believe this also. I can't believe abit would stick this connector in such a bad spot if it was needed for sli and people have to resort to cutting connectors, especially considering the g80 is a partner with this board and they would have to have tested g80 sli to at least verify the sound glitch issue didn't affect them.
I have been playing Oblivion and Rainbow Vegas all night and not one glitch by the way.
I have been playing Oblivion and Rainbow Vegas all night and not one glitch by the way.
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Baxtor said:
Glad to hear it....you know something...my cpu temps never seem to go up much when gaming...always high 40's. Only thing that causes them to go up is Orthos really. Happy enough with that.
Sorry to hear about your problems Mr. Toad. Not using the nic myself. What memory do you have again. For once I was lucky (probably first time ever). Put in my Gskill, picked up as 4,4,4,12,2T 533mhz linked with CPU and something like 1.84v. Changed to unlink, set speed to 1000mhz and voltage to 2.2v and never looked back. What can I say, I have no issues with this board except the crappy wifi card disappearing when I do a cold boot.
Flanno said:
Yes I agree its odd... I have an Enermax Galaxy 1kw PSU, so no shortage of power. I did wonder if it was a bug with 05, seeing as 06 seems to run ok. Take it u can run o5 ok? My cards are indeed 8800GTX's. One BFG and One MSI, but then manufacturer shouldnt make a difference these days so long as the GPU's themselves are the same. I might pull out the galaxy, and check the modular cables are in tight enough, but then the GTX's give off one hell of a screech if u dont supply them with power so im pretty sure the PCI-E plugs are in ok.
Yeah...my Etasis PSU cuts the 12v line just before the cards completely power down and I get the screeching..luckily for a fraction of a second. Very common apparently. Hope you sort it mate. 05 runs fine for me. I am kind of amazed as I have not had 1 single bsod or crash of any sort. Completely the opposite of a lot of people. Maybe it's got something to do with the psu I am using being tested and certified by nvidia. Don't know to be honest.
MrToad...that 8500C5 I think uses the same Micron IC's as in the Cellshock 8000C4 I am using. What happens when you set it 4,4,4,12, 2.2v, set the memory to unlink and type in 1000. Leave cpu at stock speeds.
Also - can someone please explain to me what advantage is their selecting sli memory...is it the % OC settings that automatically overclocks the memory and cpu ?
MrToad...that 8500C5 I think uses the same Micron IC's as in the Cellshock 8000C4 I am using. What happens when you set it 4,4,4,12, 2.2v, set the memory to unlink and type in 1000. Leave cpu at stock speeds.
Also - can someone please explain to me what advantage is their selecting sli memory...is it the % OC settings that automatically overclocks the memory and cpu ?
Well it can't hurt your performance to try it out, but where as if it's needed and you don't have it....
PS. I have been looking at some high end PC's from .....oops I nearly broke some rules, well lets' just say several high end PC boutiques from both the US and here. Granted they use a reference mobo. Every single oem and boutique I saw plugs that plug in, and most of those PC's were using PCP+C 1KW psu's, Tagans, and Galaxies. The only time I haven't seen it plugged in a reference board is in a Cyberpower pC, or in a single gpu PC. It won't hurt to have it in, and at the very least, a cause of instability can be crossed of the list. That's all that should really matter, not whether if it REALLY is needed or not. For all you Abit peeps, the reason you are having trouble fitting that molex when you have 8800gt sli put in, is because you guys have Galaxy psu which has springy molexs.
Most certified psu's don't have that, they are smooth, and so will fit with the 8800gtx sli plugged in. This is not the first time Abit has had questionable layout, they always do this with their mobo's, for eg their fatality series doesn't allow any sound cards in if you use dual slot sli. I think ABit has always had their gpu plug in that place, and most mobo companies like to stick to a basic formula.Like I said buying a slim molex extender will get it plugged in aswell.
PS. I have been looking at some high end PC's from .....oops I nearly broke some rules, well lets' just say several high end PC boutiques from both the US and here. Granted they use a reference mobo. Every single oem and boutique I saw plugs that plug in, and most of those PC's were using PCP+C 1KW psu's, Tagans, and Galaxies. The only time I haven't seen it plugged in a reference board is in a Cyberpower pC, or in a single gpu PC. It won't hurt to have it in, and at the very least, a cause of instability can be crossed of the list. That's all that should really matter, not whether if it REALLY is needed or not. For all you Abit peeps, the reason you are having trouble fitting that molex when you have 8800gt sli put in, is because you guys have Galaxy psu which has springy molexs.
Most certified psu's don't have that, they are smooth, and so will fit with the 8800gtx sli plugged in. This is not the first time Abit has had questionable layout, they always do this with their mobo's, for eg their fatality series doesn't allow any sound cards in if you use dual slot sli. I think ABit has always had their gpu plug in that place, and most mobo companies like to stick to a basic formula.Like I said buying a slim molex extender will get it plugged in aswell.
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Just read up on it now. From what I understand it's just an spd enhancement so if you overclock your cpu and have epp turned on your memory will overclock and adjust timings in accordance with the information stored in the spd rom storage space. And it is supposed to do it optimally. But I guess that is something overclockers always do anyway. Reminds me of the Corsair low latency memory for people who didn't want to have to change their timings, so they programmed it at 22251T. THis obviously goes further.
Anyway until I get a 40mm fan for the NB, I will leave my memory unlinked at 1000mhz for now so won't be using epp.
Anyway until I get a 40mm fan for the NB, I will leave my memory unlinked at 1000mhz for now so won't be using epp.
TonyM16 said:
Incorrect...I have an Etasis 850w sli certified psu and my mate has the PC Power and Cooling silencer 740w - also certified. Neither will allow us to plug the 2nd molex connector in and then fit the 2nd G80.
<edit> Also - I had an Asus P5N32-SLI (not abit as I originally thought) which had the 4pin aux connector between both sli slots but you couldn't plug in the molex because the 1st G70 blocked it.
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/7651/boardbig1mw.jpg
It was Asus tech support told me not to sweat it as it was needed for cards with no dedicated pci-e connector. I ran 2x7800gtx's on it for a year without any issues.
Also Dell does not use this 4 pin molex connector on their XPS 710's. So I am still not convinced it is required but as as you say it can do no harm and can rule out instability. But until then I won't worry as I have no instability. I also trust people who know their psu stuff to tell me I don't need it.
If I come across a low profile molex adaptor I will use it though...
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Can confirm the springy grips on the molex's are nothing to do with the problem of the 8800 fitting when a molex is plugged in. I shaved it off one of my plugs, still doesnt fit as the molex's themselves stick out too far.
Anyhow, on a more positive note, I decided to fiddle with some memory. Put it to 2T 1000mhz 5-5-5-15, and 05 ran! So... looks like it might have been memory settings all along. Still gonna have to play around with this to make sure, as having both new mem and new board I really dont know what each is capable of.
Like Flanno, I really have had no BSOD's or anything like that. The only crashes have been screen freezes in '05 as described previously. My problems centre more around annoyances such as the shutdown if a CPU fan isnt detected by default. Talking of which, dont suppose any of u guys know away around that issue. Just annoying that everytime I clear CMOS I have to plug in a fan to get it to boot.
Anyhow, on a more positive note, I decided to fiddle with some memory. Put it to 2T 1000mhz 5-5-5-15, and 05 ran! So... looks like it might have been memory settings all along. Still gonna have to play around with this to make sure, as having both new mem and new board I really dont know what each is capable of.
Like Flanno, I really have had no BSOD's or anything like that. The only crashes have been screen freezes in '05 as described previously. My problems centre more around annoyances such as the shutdown if a CPU fan isnt detected by default. Talking of which, dont suppose any of u guys know away around that issue. Just annoying that everytime I clear CMOS I have to plug in a fan to get it to boot.
I just had a freezer a minute ago...while trying to open Outlook 2007. System hard locked. Alt-ctrl-del unreponsive. Then again I had a tonne of stuff open which I had just closed down so windows probably sharted itself when asked to open that steamin pile of cack that is outlook. Cant reproduce.
I take it you are running the cpu fan from a controller so have notihing plugged into the cpu header. What about one of those extension cables that has a 3pin connector for rpm monitoring and a molex connector for power. Plug the 3pin end into cpu header, and plug the molex into a molex to 3pin adaptor and then plug the 3pin end of the adaptor into your fan controller
I take it you are running the cpu fan from a controller so have notihing plugged into the cpu header. What about one of those extension cables that has a 3pin connector for rpm monitoring and a molex connector for power. Plug the 3pin end into cpu header, and plug the molex into a molex to 3pin adaptor and then plug the 3pin end of the adaptor into your fan controller
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Soldato
think he mentioned he was watercooling and not CPU fan
Flanno said:
No. Oh well, sorry I thought it would fit from looking at the picture. I give up then. By the way Dell uses different mobos to other people they are properiety and usually based on NF5 not NF6 so it's not a good idea to compare with them. At the risk of getting in to trouble I was talking about Vodoo, Alienware, Cyber Power , V**** and ABS.
By the way I found Asus technical line very bad, last few times I called them they didn't even know what an EZ plug is, and they ended up quoting me something from a manual. he told me the same thing that i don't need to use it but I kept it in anyway, since the guy didn't install much confidence. The fisrt time I called the person refused point blank to give me any straight awnser. Goto their technical forum, and you will see how bad they really are
If it doesn't fit for you Abit guys I suppsoe there is nothing you can do as and perhaps like Asus they have found a way to get stable without it, but I am sure for my EVGA I need it.
Also the guys on Johnny Guru when they said don't use it (the gpu plug thing), where they talking about NF4 mobo's or 680i mobo's? I find it funny that psu geeks would advise against more power.
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TonyM16 said:
Actually on the XPS series they don't. The only thing proprietry is that it is a BTX design but that's Intels fault, and they use an adaptor for the front panel wiring loom. Other then that the Dell mobo is the previous chipset to 680i (590 I think). Reason I mentioned Dell is they do a hell of a lot of stability testing before releasing a product with sli which was the reason they delayed qualifying their board for G80 sli. And they use just 4 pci-e connectors. Sorry to be pedantic.
Yeah..asus are terrible. took me months to get an answer. abit are not much better. lots to be said for the tech support from evga so far.
It was mad mike...he was referring to 680i...and basing his answer on the fact that the pci-e connectors for g80's give enough amps to begin with and was very certain this connector is ONLY needed for non pci-e connector powered cards. That was the consensus on the Asus forums as well the time I had problems using this connector.
Flanno said:I take it you are running the cpu fan from a controller so have notihing plugged into the cpu header. What about one of those extension cables that has a 3pin connector for rpm monitoring and a molex connector for power. Plug the 3pin end into cpu header, and plug the molex into a molex to 3pin adaptor and then plug the 3pin end of the adaptor into your fan controller
Im watercooled mate. So no fan what so ever. I can see a lot of ppl having this problem. I hope they fix it in bios. All it needs is a warning flash on the screen, or even the beep isnt so bad, so long as it POSTS and u can get into bios to change the settings. ATM it just shuts straight down without a CPU fan.
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Flanno said:
Thanks for catching this one Flanno, I'll try and spread the word about it as a lot of people are complaining about it for at XS
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wrong bios (please do not flash)
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