I ordered my graphics card this morning. After much consideration, I decided on the MSI GeForce4 MX460. With the long weekend upon us, I'm hoping they get it shipped-out today.
I have all of my other components sitting here. I'll put them back in the case this weekend. So when the graphics card gets here, all I have to do is plug it in, and I'll be ready to rock.
I also need to get my axe out of the shed in case it doesn't work. :eek:
Comments
Nah, I won't need the axe. The new graphics card is a real good
Nah, I won't need the axe. The new graphics card is a real good one ... it comes with a buncha games so it MUST be good! LOL
I just wanna get the new one in so I can get the overclocking over-with, and then only open the case for a good Pahrump dusting once a month (it's VERY dusty here).
Hehehe ... I'd forgotten how much fun it is downloading all of the applications and updates for Windows ... big fun ... NOT!
I am using one stick (256Mb) of Samsung true PC2700, but my syst
I am using one stick (256Mb) of Samsung true PC2700, but my system is showing it at 200Mhz (should be 333, right?). I haven't messed with changing any "stock" settings on the system at all. Is there a setting(s) that I need to check or change? I'm thinking that my system would be much better with the memory working as it was intended.
You need to raise your FSB, and change your cpu/memory ratio set
You need to raise your FSB, and change your cpu/memory ratio settings. Right now you are at 1/1 or, syncronous(this is default settings). You need to do two things. Raise your FSB and change the cpu/ram ratio. Ready for a little overclocking?
Allrrrighty-then ... Ummm ... Huh?
Okay, I need to know, specifically, what to do, and how much to do it. My Athlon950 has a 200FSB. My memory is 333 DDR. I think the FSB is set at 100 (By jumper. Other jumper setting is 133.). There are all sorts of overclocking facilities in the BIOS.
So, specifically, what should the cpu/ram ratio be set-at, and how do I do that? AND, what should the FSB be set-at, and how do you do THAT? I'm guessing that they effect each other?
Also, the video card that I'm using right now (which is borrowed from a friend) is a PCI card, so overclocking will effect it, so I need to be careful not to blow it up. The one that I ordered is AGP, and has its' own overclocking utility. :D Should I leave the overclocking alone until I have the AGP graphics card installed, or will it be OK to do it now?
oh no.... SOS and OCing? Is the world ready for this? I'm not
oh no....
SOS and OCing? Is the world ready for this? I'm not!! lmao!
YAY!!!!!!!!!!! SOS FINALLY HAS A WORKING PC!!!!
And there was much rejoicing....yay!!
Congrats dude!!!
Opus
(Tommy P. breaks out the Queens, NY accent)
Yo OPUS, can ya take da good news? Its an upswing here on RO I tell ya... :D
(Tommy P. puts the NY accent back in the box and becomes nerdgeekguitarman again)
SOS, I'm going to the Athlon overclocking database to see what the average overclock for a T'bird 950 is. I'm sure you can get to 1263.5 Mhz by running your FSB at 133(PCI bus will stay in specs, your SK6 heatsink should be up to the task. I'll be back... :D
Jeeeez! Sounds pretty extreme to me... Well, my CPU temp is onl
Jeeeez! Sounds pretty extreme to me...
Well, my CPU temp is only 98 degrees, and it's been "on" since I got it up. The Thermalright has a 60mm Delta on it, there is a fan on the chipset, and there are 2 MASSIVE case fans in the back (blowing air out). There's also a fan on the graphics card I ordered. I'm going to get a copper cooling thingy for my memory, but not an active cooler, as I've read that they don't do much better than the copper passives. I guess you could say there's plenty of cooling going on here!
Could you explain to me how the FSB effects the speeds of stuff? Since my FSB is set to 100, is that why my memory is only registering as 200Mhz? Would I have to set the FSB to 161.5 to get my memory up to 333Mhz? Or am I understanding this completely wrong? If I set the FSB that high, is it likely to blow either this graphics card, or the new one when I get it? I just want to understand the principles behind what I'm doing when I go messing with this stuff.
I'll check back here in a while to see if you've replied again.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!
OK, I checked the database, it must be old(the database), but th
OK, I checked the database, it must be old(the database), but the 950 averages 1130Mhz at about 1.8volts with a good heatsink http://www.overclockers.com/ .
Well, my CPU temp is only 98 degrees, and it's been "on" since I got it up.
Great!, keep the computer running, as a matter of fact, "burning in" for a week before attempting to overclock helps to give better results. You should download a copy of [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.sisoftwa…"]Sandra[/]="http://www.sisoftwa…"]Sandra[/] , and loop some cpu and memory stress tests.
Yep, you got the idea on the overclockin stuff. One extra thing is, you should be able to run the cpu/ram asyncronously. That is, instead of 1/1 cpu/mem ratio there should be settings for 1/1, 4/3 ect, allowing the memory to clock higher than the cpu (negotiated by the memory controller hub- MCH). I need to download the XP333 manual to see whats available. Also, you can set ram timings more agressivly for substantial gains in performance!
See if you have control over the cpu multiplier in the bios. Your 950 is set to 9.5 by the factory(9.5 x 100fsb=950Mhz). If you can set it manually, lowering the multiplier to 7.5 and running the fsb at 133 will give you a quick jump to 997.5 @ 266 1/1. Then try a different divider like 4/3 and your ram will be at 354 with cpu at 1000! (4/3 times 266fsb= 354.6666).
If the multiplier is locked at 9.5, there is a way to unlock it with a pencil(I've done it many times, even cut laser bridges on my T bird with a Dremel tool, Oh yeah, I've used 600grit sandpaper to "lap" down the processor for greater heat dissapation).
:D
OPUS, did I leave anything out? ;)
Okidoki ... The FSB: Can be jumpered at 100 or 133. In the BIO
Okidoki ...
The FSB:
Can be jumpered at 100 or 133. In the BIOS, you can adjust the CPU FSB by 1Mhz intervals.
CPU Vcore:
Adjustable in the BIOS, in .025 increments, from 1.125V up to 1.850V
PCI Clock Divider:
In the BIOS...
Auto (Default Value), CPU/3, CPU/4
**************************************************
Please clarify this for me...
Overclocking doesn't affect cards on the PCI bus?
Anyway ... those are the variables that I have available. There is no multiplier setting. So, let me see if my understanding is correct, and if this is what I should do...
Leave the Vcore setting at "Auto".
Raise the FSB to 115 (950+142.5=1.0925Gb)
Change the Clock Divider to CPU/3:
1092.5 divided by 3 = 364Mhz ram
Am I understanding the mathematical equations correctly? Is that going about it the wrong way? Where is the core voltage set at the factory? Would raising the core voltage allow for raising the other variables less? If not the way I outlined, what would be the best and safest way to do the O/C?
NO PROB! I was able to reset the CMOS with the simple old "chang
NO PROB! I was able to reset the CMOS with the simple old "change the jumper for 10 seconds" method. I reset the BIOS to optimums, then did my best FSB-only O/C.
I boosted the FSB to 118, and my machine is now an 1121, with the RAM showing as 236. It seems to be the maximum possible STABLE O/C possible without changing anything else. Will the PCI bus be okay with this?
My Vcore voltage is 1.77V, the +3.3voltage is 3.29V, the +5voltage is 4.97V, and the +12voltage is 12.28V. If I boost the Vcore voltage to 1.8, will I be able to get a few more Mhz on the FSB? Is it safe to boost the Vcore that little bit?
My CPU temp is now 104, system temp is 91.
Tommy was nice enough to email me last night with his phone numb
Tommy was nice enough to email me last night with his phone number! I called him up, and we spent about an hour tweaking my O/C.
Here's what we ended-up with:
The voltage to the RAM is @ 2.7V.
The RAM is set @ CAS2.
The core voltage is @ 1.85V.
The FSB is @ 120 / PCI @ 40 / AGP @ 80.
The DDR is @ 240.
My 950 Athlon is now an 1140.
The O/C made a big difference in the performance. It's much faster, and the video is noticeably better. Intense games run as smooth as silk
When we were done, I put the side back on the case and left it running. My temp is @ 105f.
I think that's pretty damn good! As long as my new AGP graphics card can handle the 80Mhz, I'll be alright. The borrowed PCI graphics card is doing just fine with the 40Mhz, and it doesn't even have active cooling (besides being a legacy model).
My graphics card is scheduled for delivery tomorrow, so I'll let you know how it goes once I get it installed. I'm going out today to buy a new Logitech Internet Navigator Keyboard to replace the cheapo generic one.
Thank you again, Tommy, for the late-night help. I couldn't have done it without you. I hope all is well for you out on "The Island" today. :cool:
I did everything that I could think-of, for over 8 hours, but ca
I did everything that I could think-of, for over 8 hours, but can't get the graphics card to work right. The whole screen is like wavey. It kinda looks like there's water running over the whole screen.
I reset the puter to the original, non-overclocked settings before I put it in, so in case you're wondering, that's not the prob.
I'm going to call MSI tech support first thing Monday morning. If they can't get it to work, I'll then call Iwill tech support. If it still won't work after those two calls, I'm going to demand my money back for the mobo. These headaches have gone-on for too damn long.
I've already looked for a replacement mobo, and have my eye on the [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.abit.com…"]Abit NV7-133R[/]="http://www.abit.com…"]Abit NV7-133R[/]. I figure VIA, SIS, and Ali are all out, so nVidia gets the next shot by default. I can get it at Newegg for about the same price that I paid for the damn XP333. Opinions?
"SOS casts a menacing gaze at his troublesome Personal Computer,
"SOS casts a menacing gaze at his troublesome Personal Computer, coffee in one hand, telephone in the other, awaiting the opening of the MSI technical support phone lines. He recalls all of the numerous occasions where he stood beside his silicon-based Frankenstein monster, a defeated mad scientist. He reflects on the numerous times where his friends at RO so kindly rallied to his aid, yet even with their vast experience in the field of creating electrically-spawned offspring, they too were left in dismay.
This is indeed a dark day for the unsuspecting technicians who shall be contacted by this recipient of ill-conceived circuit design. Had they any pre-conception of the terror that awaits them this day at their chosen vocation, they'd have surely chosen to remain in slumber.
As he ponders his ill-chosen selections of purveyors of printed-circuit design, he arrives at the revelation that, instead of surmounting the the task of building this whole monster, he should have just built the ANUS."
ROTFLMFAO....
SOS....man oh man oh man....haven't you learned anything from an
SOS....man oh man oh man....haven't you learned anything from any of us yet? lol :p
INTEL ALL THE WAY!!! PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!!! Do not go Abit..go directly to jail and do not collect your 200 from Pass...lmao!
ASUS....ASUS....ASUS....
I've told you about the Nuendo possibilities...track counts and plug ins are able to happen waaaaayyyyyy better than the Sound Scape...
Sorry Bert...but to be honest that SoundScape system is not intuitive at all...the manual lacks any form of human intelligence...Mackie tech support says one thing but the program does another...just trying to get the system to lock to external 96Khz is a task in itself...
Sos...I would highly reccomend scrapping Iwill or any likes there of that isn't either Intel or the AMD 761 chipset....I believe there is a board with all AMD chipsets...
BUT...again, having seen soooo many problems with AMD based systems I wouldn't reccomend it even if Craig Anderton said so....
I have a feeling that the video card may be garbage in that system..is it AGP? Is it the split core 1.5v AGP card? Does that board require that?
I don't know what to tell other than read the BBS for Iwill like you have and listen to the users who are yelling that these boards suck...there's a reason for it...
Opus :roll:
With having this latest problem, I reached my boiling point. I c
With having this latest problem, I reached my boiling point. I called Iwill and told them I want to return the board for refund. They said I'd have to RMA through the retailer. When I called the retailer, they explained that their warrantee is only for 30 days, like most online retailers, after that it's in Iwill's hands. I called Iwill back and told them that it is not the responsibility of the retailer, and that with all of the problems with their product, they shouldn't have a problem with honoring their warrantee.
The technical support supervisor, "CHI", LAUGHED AT ME, and refused to RMA my mobo for refund.
I gathered email addresses for every Iwill office that I could get my hands-on, WORLDWIDE, and I'm going to expose their fellow-employee, "CHI", for the way he treats Iwill customers. I'm going to send an email to every technical review site, retailer, and BB that I can find to enlighten them to the way that Iwill treats their customers. Channel 7 in the San Francisco area is apparently gethering info to do an expose' on Iwill, so I'm contacting them, too. I WILL NOT REST UNTIL JUSTICE IS SERVED! I'm contacting the Better Business Bureau, and I'm going to see if I can find out if there are any agencies that govern internet commerce, so that I can report to them. They picked the wrong person to jack-around.
Anyone who has any other suggestions, please let me know. I will take any and all actions that I can to expose them for what they are.
...and what's wrong with Abit? They have a very good reputation.
...and what's wrong with Abit? They have a very good reputation. Their BB looks NOTHING like Iwill's.
The nForce cards ARE AMD ... NO VIA! They aren't the fastest cards, and the O/C features are limited, but they're very stable, easy to install, and have very few problems.
Compare the non-video nForce cards by Abit and Asus. RAID, USB 2.0, etc, etc, etc. The Asus board has hardly ANYTHING. and they cost more. But, if you really think that Abit is that bad, let me know, please.
Besides, my buddy's PCI video card works fine with the mobo. So if I can't get Iwill to RMA and refund, I guess I'll have to return the MSI video card, get a PCI video card, and call it a day.
This has really been a Hellish experience.
SOS....you have to understand the difference between video game
SOS....you have to understand the difference between video game systems and audio systems...one is completely different from another..the specs "may" look good on paper but when you actually try it...that's another story..look at how I got to the ANUS machine..I went non intel and went with the Sis chipset...looking at the specs for that chipset everything looked great!! But no!!! It sucked for AUDIO!!! This is the key...INTEL WORKS...plain and simple...remember...I do A LOT of forum reading everywhere for audio based systems...you rarely see major issues with Intel..I have seen several users report failure rates with the Nvidia chipsets...I don't just say things for a reason...
Now, as far as Abit goes...from what I have been reading even they are going down in Quality Assurance...sad as it may be..there is a reason why just about everyone reccomends Asus...rock solid stability and great support.
I'm sorry Iwill is so lame...and a supervisor laughing in your face is not a good thing. That happened to me once and I indeed lost it on a tech support person becuase of this..I did end up getting that shithead fired as well so their is justice to be had..you of all people will definately get it! Just be persistent and raise some serious friggen hell..
Tommy...yeah..I was a little blunt wasn't I! lmao!!
Someone has to be!! :D
Opus
I assure you, my next PC will be Intel, but I'm not going to tra
I assure you, my next PC will be Intel, but I'm not going to trash everything to make the switch at this point.
If I can "convince" Iwill to refund my mobo, which Asus board should I get? Again, it's the choice of the "lesser of the evils" (like trying to vote for president). I see it as 4 choices...
A7N266-C
A7M266
A7S333
A7V333
nForce, AMD/VIA, SIS, VIA ... I'll remind you, the nVidia IS AMD, with no VIA. It seems the best choice to me, but then, I've been wrong MANY times in the past ... LOL. If you have a better AMD mobo solution, PLEASE tell me.
Update: I emailed SRsystems, who I originally bought the XP333
Update:
I emailed SRsystems, who I originally bought the XP333 from, and begged them to exchange the board for the previously-mentioned Abit board (they don't carry the A7M266). It's been over 2 months, but who knows, maybe they'll have pity on me, given the long explaination I gave. I'm waiting for their reply.
I had to jump through a few flaming hoops, but thanks to an email from MSI tech support, the retailer has agreed to RMA my graphics card without charging their 15% restocking fee.
I reinstalled my buddy's PCI graphics card, re-O/C'd the machine to the previously-mentioned specs, and it's doing great.
I'll keep you posted as the nightmare continues to unfold.
Well...yes, I "WAS" looking to becoming and AMD fool but I kept
Well...yes, I "WAS" looking to becoming and AMD fool but I kept reading about all the issues that most people had concerning Via, AMD and any other chipset that rides with the AMD processors.
I decided not to puch it and become a constant finder of issues and problems and stuck with Intel which is the safest route to take..see, everything works with Intel..no patches needed, no fixes that will never be there or fixes made by third party users...etc etc etc
Opus :p
Hold on a minute ( starts chanting...ohmmmm....ohmmmmmmmmmmmm...
Hold on a minute ( starts chanting...ohmmmm....ohmmmmmmmmmmmm....everyone joins in on R.O. ohmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm) :D
Alrighty then. Lets proceed to THE FINAL BUILD.
Cameras are rolling, barely a whisper in the house, and then.....and then... :eek: :eek: :eek:
Oh well, guess we won't know till after Tuesday. Have fun with the new puter SOS.