Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)
Im using a Asus EAX800 XT Extreme PE as my graphics cards. Ive set the
PEG at Auto at the moment Performance is amazing il use the SLI sometime
in the future. but i need to start utilizing the features on it as well.
Do you use any sound card?
Naj
tecknotot wrote:
> I have one and think its great... and i only have 1 video card
> too....it has alot of other features that will be utilized very soon.
>
> On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 01:09:32 +0000, Najum Hussain <zen19750@zen.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>
>>Anyone have one and if you do what do you think? anyway i can get the
>>max performance out of it?
>>
>>Naj
>
>
Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)
No, Im currently using the built-in sound card because I had an Audigy
1 and I thought the on-board had newer and better functionality.
But I dont get sound in Half-LIfe 2 unless I change it to 2 speakers
and still trying to figure out why. Do you have Half-Life 2?
On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 12:14:07 +0000, Najum Hussain <zen19750@zen.co.uk>
wrote:
>Im using a Asus EAX800 XT Extreme PE as my graphics cards. Ive set the
>PEG at Auto at the moment Performance is amazing il use the SLI sometime
>in the future. but i need to start utilizing the features on it as well.
>Do you use any sound card?
>
>Naj
>
>
>tecknotot wrote:
>> I have one and think its great... and i only have 1 video card
>> too....it has alot of other features that will be utilized very soon.
>>
>> On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 01:09:32 +0000, Najum Hussain <zen19750@zen.co.uk>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Anyone have one and if you do what do you think? anyway i can get the
>>>max performance out of it?
>>>
>>>Naj
>>
>>
Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)
I have half life 2 and have updated it using the new catalyst drivers.
Its very smooth and i play at high res. Ive never used the onboard audio
codec i disbaled it in order to use the my own sound card Soundblaster
audigy z platinum pro. So far so good no problems.
Naj
tecknotot wrote:
> No, Im currently using the built-in sound card because I had an Audigy
> 1 and I thought the on-board had newer and better functionality.
>
> But I dont get sound in Half-LIfe 2 unless I change it to 2 speakers
> and still trying to figure out why. Do you have Half-Life 2?
>
> On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 12:14:07 +0000, Najum Hussain <zen19750@zen.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>
>>Im using a Asus EAX800 XT Extreme PE as my graphics cards. Ive set the
>>PEG at Auto at the moment Performance is amazing il use the SLI sometime
>>in the future. but i need to start utilizing the features on it as well.
>>Do you use any sound card?
>>
>>Naj
>>
>>
>>tecknotot wrote:
>>
>>>I have one and think its great... and i only have 1 video card
>>>too....it has alot of other features that will be utilized very soon.
>>>
>>>On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 01:09:32 +0000, Najum Hussain <zen19750@zen.co.uk>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Anyone have one and if you do what do you think? anyway i can get the
>>>>max performance out of it?
>>>>
>>>>Naj
>>>
>>>
>
Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)
tecknotot wrote:
> No, Im currently using the built-in sound card because I had an Audigy
> 1 and I thought the on-board had newer and better functionality.
>
> But I dont get sound in Half-LIfe 2 unless I change it to 2 speakers
> and still trying to figure out why. Do you have Half-Life 2?
>
The onboard sound on the A8N-SLI Deluxe is basically just 8-channel AC97
audio, nothing special. Most sound cards will probably have more features.
--
Robert Hancock Saskatoon, SK, Canada
To email, remove "nospam" from hancockr@nospamshaw.ca
Home Page: http://www.roberthancock.com/
Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)
Najum Hussain wrote:
> Anyone have one and if you do what do you think? anyway i can get the
> max performance out of it?
Got one with a PCIe 6800GT - super. Just the one card for now, SLI comes
later. It's a great mobo if you ask me, just one prob: the nForce
firewall seems to block certain websites... can't seem to fix that. And
it keeps prompting me to disconnect my SATA drives in a raid array. But
that seems to be normal.
Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)
tecknotot wrote:
> No, Im currently using the built-in sound card because I had an Audigy
> 1 and I thought the on-board had newer and better functionality.
>
> But I dont get sound in Half-LIfe 2 unless I change it to 2 speakers
> and still trying to figure out why. Do you have Half-Life 2?
Disable the onboard sound (it's just Ghetto-Spec AC97) and use your
much-better Audigy 1.
Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)
Najum Hussain <zen19750@zen.co.uk> wrote in news:41d749cb$0$21324
$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk:
> Anyone have one and if you do what do you think? anyway i can get the
> max performance out of it?
>
> Naj
I have had nothing but stability problems with mine. This is with a
plenty big enough power supply (Enermax EG701AX) and four sticks of
Kingston RAM (2GB total) right off the official Asus Memory QVL list. No
overclocking.
I'm running an AMD FX-55 with factory heatsink.
I have a big Silverstone case with huge fans - temperatures are very low
inside the case and cooling works very well.
Can't figure out why I have so poor stability.
Originally, with a single eVGA 6800GT PCIe card, I would get a hardware
lockup about once a day. The lockup seemed to always be accompanied by
a repeating sound. I'm mostly playing Half-Life 2 and Microsoft Flight
Simulator 9.1 right now, so usually the lockups occured there, but I did
get at least one lockup when web browsing, accompanied by a repeating
sound that happened to be playing at the time. Oh yeah, also got the
same crash in Need for Speed Underground 2.
I have an Adaptec 2940UW, a Maxtor ATA/133 card, and a Sound Blaster
Audigy 2 ZS card. Using the XP SP2 drivers for the first two cards, and
the lastest Sound Blaster drivers.
Meanwhile, my second eVGA 6800GT arrived, and I of course installed it
and went SLI.
Now I get even more frequent crashes - several times a day. These
crashes do not involve repeating sound. I've hardware locked twice now
during initial loading of Half-Life 2 (loading the actual program, after
the "Valve" advertisement), but there was no sound repeating - just a
hardare lockup. I've done less game playing due to trying to
troubleshoot the problem, so most of my crashes now occur during
standard Windows browsing, or while the computer is just sitting there.
These usually start with massive video corruption - i.e. the screen is
all scrambled. This is followed by the screen going completely black
and the machine totally locking up (i.e. Windows XP is frozen at that
point. I have used NT/2000/XP enough to recognize when the video driver
is simply crashed and the rest of the machine continues to run. That is
not the case here - once the screen goes black, the computer is totally
frozen).
Suspecting a hardware conflict, I removed the Adaptec and Maxtor cards,
and this did not help. I then removed the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS and
uninstalled it's software, so that now all I have installed are the two
video cards. I reactivated the motherboard sound system.
I still get the same crashes described above - i.e. video corruption
followed by black screen and complete hardware lock, even with nothing
but the two eVGA 6800GT cards installed.
So far, I am very unhappy with this system. I feel like I "gold
plated" all of my hardware, and tried to buy the best components
available, so it's not like I skimped and went with a marginal power
supply, case cooling, etc.
I'm not sure what to try from here.
I've been using BIOS version 1002, and the release Nvidia drivers.
Since going back to the baseline configuration has not helped, I'm not
sure what to try next.
My only next options are:
1) Remove the second 6800GT and go back from SLI. I hate the idea of
doing this, for obvious reasons (i.e. the expense of this system just to
get SLI).
2) Start trying the Asus BETA BIOS versions.
3) Try the latest Nvidia BETA drivers.
I'm never a fan of BETA drivers and BIOS, but I'm getting desparate....
Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)
fsda wrote:
> Najum Hussain <zen19750@zen.co.uk> wrote in news:41d749cb$0$21324
> $db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk:
>
>> Anyone have one and if you do what do you think? anyway i can get the
>> max performance out of it?
>>
>> Naj
>
>
> I have had nothing but stability problems with mine. This is with a
> plenty big enough power supply (Enermax EG701AX) and four sticks of
> Kingston RAM (2GB total) right off the official Asus Memory QVL list.
> No overclocking.
>
> I'm running an AMD FX-55 with factory heatsink.
>
> I have a big Silverstone case with huge fans - temperatures are very
> low inside the case and cooling works very well.
>
> Can't figure out why I have so poor stability.
>
> Originally, with a single eVGA 6800GT PCIe card, I would get a
> hardware lockup about once a day. The lockup seemed to always be
> accompanied by a repeating sound. I'm mostly playing Half-Life 2 and
> Microsoft Flight Simulator 9.1 right now, so usually the lockups
> occured there, but I did get at least one lockup when web browsing,
> accompanied by a repeating sound that happened to be playing at the
> time. Oh yeah, also got the same crash in Need for Speed Underground
> 2.
>
> I have an Adaptec 2940UW, a Maxtor ATA/133 card, and a Sound Blaster
> Audigy 2 ZS card. Using the XP SP2 drivers for the first two cards,
> and the lastest Sound Blaster drivers.
>
> Meanwhile, my second eVGA 6800GT arrived, and I of course installed it
> and went SLI.
>
> Now I get even more frequent crashes - several times a day. These
> crashes do not involve repeating sound. I've hardware locked twice
> now during initial loading of Half-Life 2 (loading the actual
> program, after the "Valve" advertisement), but there was no sound
> repeating - just a hardare lockup. I've done less game playing due
> to trying to troubleshoot the problem, so most of my crashes now
> occur during standard Windows browsing, or while the computer is just
> sitting there. These usually start with massive video corruption -
> i.e. the screen is all scrambled. This is followed by the screen
> going completely black and the machine totally locking up (i.e.
> Windows XP is frozen at that point. I have used NT/2000/XP enough to
> recognize when the video driver is simply crashed and the rest of the
> machine continues to run. That is not the case here - once the
> screen goes black, the computer is totally frozen).
>
> Suspecting a hardware conflict, I removed the Adaptec and Maxtor
> cards, and this did not help. I then removed the Sound Blaster
> Audigy 2 ZS and uninstalled it's software, so that now all I have
> installed are the two video cards. I reactivated the motherboard
> sound system.
>
> I still get the same crashes described above - i.e. video corruption
> followed by black screen and complete hardware lock, even with nothing
> but the two eVGA 6800GT cards installed.
>
> So far, I am very unhappy with this system. I feel like I "gold
> plated" all of my hardware, and tried to buy the best components
> available, so it's not like I skimped and went with a marginal power
> supply, case cooling, etc.
>
> I'm not sure what to try from here.
>
> I've been using BIOS version 1002, and the release Nvidia drivers.
> Since going back to the baseline configuration has not helped, I'm not
> sure what to try next.
>
> My only next options are:
> 1) Remove the second 6800GT and go back from SLI. I hate the idea of
> doing this, for obvious reasons (i.e. the expense of this system just
> to get SLI).
> 2) Start trying the Asus BETA BIOS versions.
> 3) Try the latest Nvidia BETA drivers.
>
> I'm never a fan of BETA drivers and BIOS, but I'm getting
> desparate....
Assuming you've already run MemTest overnight, to eliminate your RAM, and
Prime95 overnight to check CPU/RAM stability, then the instability can only
really be caused by your video card(s).
I'd swap out the 6800s and run a PCI video card for a few days to be sure.
I'd also remove two of the Memory sticks, just to eliminate the
too-many-sticks-at-too-higher-speed problem that seems to plague most modern
chipsets.
Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)
"Nom" <Nom@Somewhere.Somewhere> wrote in
news:crtgli012e1@news3.newsguy.com:
> fsda wrote:
>> Najum Hussain <zen19750@zen.co.uk> wrote in news:41d749cb$0$21324
>> $db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk:
>>
>>> Anyone have one and if you do what do you think? anyway i can get
>>> the max performance out of it?
>>>
>>> Naj
>>
>>
>> I have had nothing but stability problems with mine. This is with a
>> plenty big enough power supply (Enermax EG701AX) and four sticks of
>> Kingston RAM (2GB total) right off the official Asus Memory QVL list.
>> No overclocking.
>>
>> I'm running an AMD FX-55 with factory heatsink.
>>
>> I have a big Silverstone case with huge fans - temperatures are very
>> low inside the case and cooling works very well.
>>
>> Can't figure out why I have so poor stability.
>>
>> Originally, with a single eVGA 6800GT PCIe card, I would get a
>> hardware lockup about once a day. The lockup seemed to always be
>> accompanied by a repeating sound. I'm mostly playing Half-Life 2 and
>> Microsoft Flight Simulator 9.1 right now, so usually the lockups
>> occured there, but I did get at least one lockup when web browsing,
>> accompanied by a repeating sound that happened to be playing at the
>> time. Oh yeah, also got the same crash in Need for Speed Underground
>> 2.
>>
>> I have an Adaptec 2940UW, a Maxtor ATA/133 card, and a Sound Blaster
>> Audigy 2 ZS card. Using the XP SP2 drivers for the first two cards,
>> and the lastest Sound Blaster drivers.
>>
>> Meanwhile, my second eVGA 6800GT arrived, and I of course installed
>> it and went SLI.
>>
>> Now I get even more frequent crashes - several times a day. These
>> crashes do not involve repeating sound. I've hardware locked twice
>> now during initial loading of Half-Life 2 (loading the actual
>> program, after the "Valve" advertisement), but there was no sound
>> repeating - just a hardare lockup. I've done less game playing due
>> to trying to troubleshoot the problem, so most of my crashes now
>> occur during standard Windows browsing, or while the computer is just
>> sitting there. These usually start with massive video corruption -
>> i.e. the screen is all scrambled. This is followed by the screen
>> going completely black and the machine totally locking up (i.e.
>> Windows XP is frozen at that point. I have used NT/2000/XP enough to
>> recognize when the video driver is simply crashed and the rest of the
>> machine continues to run. That is not the case here - once the
>> screen goes black, the computer is totally frozen).
>>
>> Suspecting a hardware conflict, I removed the Adaptec and Maxtor
>> cards, and this did not help. I then removed the Sound Blaster
>> Audigy 2 ZS and uninstalled it's software, so that now all I have
>> installed are the two video cards. I reactivated the motherboard
>> sound system.
>>
>> I still get the same crashes described above - i.e. video corruption
>> followed by black screen and complete hardware lock, even with
>> nothing but the two eVGA 6800GT cards installed.
>>
>> So far, I am very unhappy with this system. I feel like I "gold
>> plated" all of my hardware, and tried to buy the best components
>> available, so it's not like I skimped and went with a marginal power
>> supply, case cooling, etc.
>>
>> I'm not sure what to try from here.
>>
>> I've been using BIOS version 1002, and the release Nvidia drivers.
>> Since going back to the baseline configuration has not helped, I'm
>> not sure what to try next.
>>
>> My only next options are:
>> 1) Remove the second 6800GT and go back from SLI. I hate the idea of
>> doing this, for obvious reasons (i.e. the expense of this system just
>> to get SLI).
>> 2) Start trying the Asus BETA BIOS versions.
>> 3) Try the latest Nvidia BETA drivers.
>>
>> I'm never a fan of BETA drivers and BIOS, but I'm getting
>> desparate....
>
> Assuming you've already run MemTest overnight, to eliminate your RAM,
> and Prime95 overnight to check CPU/RAM stability, then the instability
> can only really be caused by your video card(s).
> I'd swap out the 6800s and run a PCI video card for a few days to be
> sure. I'd also remove two of the Memory sticks, just to eliminate the
> too-many-sticks-at-too-higher-speed problem that seems to plague most
> modern chipsets.
>
>
Actually, thank you for the suggestions. I have not yet run MemTest
overnight, nor Prime95 overnight. I will try to find these through
google...
Note that I am new to the AMD platform. While I was impressed with the
whole "memory controller integrated into the CPU" thing, I have to say that
now I am longing for a Northbridge memory controller.
I really wanted 2GB, and I wanted to only use two of the four DIMM slots to
allow for future upgrading. But reading that the DIMM configuration is so
finiky, and that you can't use really fast timings when using all four
DIMMs, I decided to go with something off the official Asus QVL. The only
2GB configuration that Asus has on the QVL are the 4x 512MB Kingston config
- I bought the exact Kingston part number that Asus recommended.
I did notice that the motherboard went to 333MHz memory speed, even though
these are DDR400 sticks. I forced them to 400MHz in the BIOS. I now read
on the Asus site FAQs that the motherboard will automatically slow down to
333MHz when four DIMMs are used, although they also say you can force it to
400MHz and that this should be fine when using QVL memory (which I am). I
am going to be pissed if it ends up that I'll have to run at 333MHz -
what's the point of a FX-55 and SLI in this case? Plus, then I might as
well have gone with non-QVL memory and left two DIMM slots open...
I was running an old PCI Matrox Millenium II for a while while initially
setting up the machine (i.e. before I could get my hands on a 6800GT). I
didn't have any hardware lockups at all at that point, although I also
could not stress the system as much with that old PCI card (i.e. no games,
screensavers, etc.), and I didn't really use the system a lot until I got
my 6800GT.
I have noticed that the "hardware lock with repeating sound" occured with a
single 6800GT and the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, while once I went SLI I
just get a system freeze, and it's not associated with sound (with or
without the Sound Blaster installed).
Today the system froze again on a screensaver (DirectX, but not 3D - the
Michelangelo one from MS Plus!), with no repeating sound and no screen
corruption.
Now I am trying the system at 333MHz memory, instead of forcing it to
DDR400, to see if that works.
I'll try the stress tests, too, although I'm not sure how I'll know if it
causes the crash - right now I get the crashes with no "stress test". So,
how will I know that the "stress test" is causing the crash?
Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)
fsda wrote:
> "Nom" <Nom@Somewhere.Somewhere> wrote in
> news:crtgli012e1@news3.newsguy.com:
>
>> fsda wrote:
>>> Najum Hussain <zen19750@zen.co.uk> wrote in news:41d749cb$0$21324
>>> $db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk:
>>>
>>>> Anyone have one and if you do what do you think? anyway i can get
>>>> the max performance out of it?
>>>>
>>>> Naj
>>>
>>>
>>> I have had nothing but stability problems with mine. This is with a
>>> plenty big enough power supply (Enermax EG701AX) and four sticks of
>>> Kingston RAM (2GB total) right off the official Asus Memory QVL
>>> list. No overclocking.
>>>
>>> I'm running an AMD FX-55 with factory heatsink.
>>>
>>> I have a big Silverstone case with huge fans - temperatures are very
>>> low inside the case and cooling works very well.
>>>
>>> Can't figure out why I have so poor stability.
>>>
>>> Originally, with a single eVGA 6800GT PCIe card, I would get a
>>> hardware lockup about once a day. The lockup seemed to always be
>>> accompanied by a repeating sound. I'm mostly playing Half-Life 2
>>> and Microsoft Flight Simulator 9.1 right now, so usually the lockups
>>> occured there, but I did get at least one lockup when web browsing,
>>> accompanied by a repeating sound that happened to be playing at the
>>> time. Oh yeah, also got the same crash in Need for Speed
>>> Underground 2.
>>>
>>> I have an Adaptec 2940UW, a Maxtor ATA/133 card, and a Sound Blaster
>>> Audigy 2 ZS card. Using the XP SP2 drivers for the first two cards,
>>> and the lastest Sound Blaster drivers.
>>>
>>> Meanwhile, my second eVGA 6800GT arrived, and I of course installed
>>> it and went SLI.
>>>
>>> Now I get even more frequent crashes - several times a day. These
>>> crashes do not involve repeating sound. I've hardware locked twice
>>> now during initial loading of Half-Life 2 (loading the actual
>>> program, after the "Valve" advertisement), but there was no sound
>>> repeating - just a hardare lockup. I've done less game playing due
>>> to trying to troubleshoot the problem, so most of my crashes now
>>> occur during standard Windows browsing, or while the computer is
>>> just sitting there. These usually start with massive video
>>> corruption - i.e. the screen is all scrambled. This is followed by
>>> the screen going completely black and the machine totally locking
>>> up (i.e. Windows XP is frozen at that point. I have used
>>> NT/2000/XP enough to recognize when the video driver is simply
>>> crashed and the rest of the machine continues to run. That is not
>>> the case here - once the screen goes black, the computer is totally
>>> frozen).
>>>
>>> Suspecting a hardware conflict, I removed the Adaptec and Maxtor
>>> cards, and this did not help. I then removed the Sound Blaster
>>> Audigy 2 ZS and uninstalled it's software, so that now all I have
>>> installed are the two video cards. I reactivated the motherboard
>>> sound system.
>>>
>>> I still get the same crashes described above - i.e. video corruption
>>> followed by black screen and complete hardware lock, even with
>>> nothing but the two eVGA 6800GT cards installed.
>>>
>>> So far, I am very unhappy with this system. I feel like I "gold
>>> plated" all of my hardware, and tried to buy the best components
>>> available, so it's not like I skimped and went with a marginal power
>>> supply, case cooling, etc.
>>>
>>> I'm not sure what to try from here.
>>>
>>> I've been using BIOS version 1002, and the release Nvidia drivers.
>>> Since going back to the baseline configuration has not helped, I'm
>>> not sure what to try next.
>>>
>>> My only next options are:
>>> 1) Remove the second 6800GT and go back from SLI. I hate the idea
>>> of doing this, for obvious reasons (i.e. the expense of this system
>>> just to get SLI).
>>> 2) Start trying the Asus BETA BIOS versions.
>>> 3) Try the latest Nvidia BETA drivers.
>>>
>>> I'm never a fan of BETA drivers and BIOS, but I'm getting
>>> desparate....
>>
>> Assuming you've already run MemTest overnight, to eliminate your RAM,
>> and Prime95 overnight to check CPU/RAM stability, then the
>> instability can only really be caused by your video card(s).
>> I'd swap out the 6800s and run a PCI video card for a few days to be
>> sure. I'd also remove two of the Memory sticks, just to eliminate the
>> too-many-sticks-at-too-higher-speed problem that seems to plague most
>> modern chipsets.
>>
>>
>
> Actually, thank you for the suggestions. I have not yet run MemTest
> overnight, nor Prime95 overnight. I will try to find these through
> google...
>
> Note that I am new to the AMD platform. While I was impressed with
> the whole "memory controller integrated into the CPU" thing, I have
> to say that now I am longing for a Northbridge memory controller.
>
> I really wanted 2GB, and I wanted to only use two of the four DIMM
> slots to allow for future upgrading. But reading that the DIMM
> configuration is so finiky, and that you can't use really fast
> timings when using all four DIMMs, I decided to go with something off
> the official Asus QVL. The only 2GB configuration that Asus has on
> the QVL are the 4x 512MB Kingston config - I bought the exact
> Kingston part number that Asus recommended.
>
> I did notice that the motherboard went to 333MHz memory speed, even
> though these are DDR400 sticks. I forced them to 400MHz in the BIOS.
> I now read on the Asus site FAQs that the motherboard will
> automatically slow down to 333MHz when four DIMMs are used, although
> they also say you can force it to 400MHz and that this should be fine
> when using QVL memory (which I am). I am going to be pissed if it
> ends up that I'll have to run at 333MHz - what's the point of a FX-55
> and SLI in this case? Plus, then I might as well have gone with
> non-QVL memory and left two DIMM slots open...
>
> I was running an old PCI Matrox Millenium II for a while while
> initially setting up the machine (i.e. before I could get my hands on
> a 6800GT). I didn't have any hardware lockups at all at that point,
> although I also could not stress the system as much with that old PCI
> card (i.e. no games, screensavers, etc.), and I didn't really use the
> system a lot until I got my 6800GT.
>
> I have noticed that the "hardware lock with repeating sound" occured
> with a single 6800GT and the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, while once I
> went SLI I just get a system freeze, and it's not associated with
> sound (with or without the Sound Blaster installed).
>
> Today the system froze again on a screensaver (DirectX, but not 3D -
> the Michelangelo one from MS Plus!), with no repeating sound and no
> screen corruption.
>
> Now I am trying the system at 333MHz memory, instead of forcing it to
> DDR400, to see if that works.
>
> I'll try the stress tests, too, although I'm not sure how I'll know
> if it causes the crash - right now I get the crashes with no "stress
> test". So, how will I know that the "stress test" is causing the
> crash?
>
> Thanks again for your advice.
From that, I suspect your problems are being caused by the GFX card(s) or
the Memory.
Take two sticks of memory out, and see what happens.
Take the 6800(s) out, stick the Millenium PCI in, and see what happens.
Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)
"Nom" <Nom@Somewhere.Somewhere> wrote in
news:cs07lp02t6q@news3.newsguy.com:
> fsda wrote:
>> "Nom" <Nom@Somewhere.Somewhere> wrote in
>> news:crtgli012e1@news3.newsguy.com:
>>
>>> fsda wrote:
>>>> Najum Hussain <zen19750@zen.co.uk> wrote in news:41d749cb$0$21324
>>>> $db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk:
>>>>
>>>>> Anyone have one and if you do what do you think? anyway i can get
>>>>> the max performance out of it?
>>>>>
>>>>> Naj
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I have had nothing but stability problems with mine. This is with
>>>> a plenty big enough power supply (Enermax EG701AX) and four sticks
>>>> of Kingston RAM (2GB total) right off the official Asus Memory QVL
>>>> list. No overclocking.
>>>>
>>>> I'm running an AMD FX-55 with factory heatsink.
>>>>
>>>> I have a big Silverstone case with huge fans - temperatures are
>>>> very low inside the case and cooling works very well.
>>>>
>>>> Can't figure out why I have so poor stability.
>>>>
>>>> Originally, with a single eVGA 6800GT PCIe card, I would get a
>>>> hardware lockup about once a day. The lockup seemed to always be
>>>> accompanied by a repeating sound. I'm mostly playing Half-Life 2
>>>> and Microsoft Flight Simulator 9.1 right now, so usually the
>>>> lockups occured there, but I did get at least one lockup when web
>>>> browsing, accompanied by a repeating sound that happened to be
>>>> playing at the time. Oh yeah, also got the same crash in Need for
>>>> Speed Underground 2.
>>>>
>>>> I have an Adaptec 2940UW, a Maxtor ATA/133 card, and a Sound
>>>> Blaster Audigy 2 ZS card. Using the XP SP2 drivers for the first
>>>> two cards, and the lastest Sound Blaster drivers.
>>>>
>>>> Meanwhile, my second eVGA 6800GT arrived, and I of course installed
>>>> it and went SLI.
>>>>
>>>> Now I get even more frequent crashes - several times a day. These
>>>> crashes do not involve repeating sound. I've hardware locked twice
>>>> now during initial loading of Half-Life 2 (loading the actual
>>>> program, after the "Valve" advertisement), but there was no sound
>>>> repeating - just a hardare lockup. I've done less game playing due
>>>> to trying to troubleshoot the problem, so most of my crashes now
>>>> occur during standard Windows browsing, or while the computer is
>>>> just sitting there. These usually start with massive video
>>>> corruption - i.e. the screen is all scrambled. This is followed by
>>>> the screen going completely black and the machine totally locking
>>>> up (i.e. Windows XP is frozen at that point. I have used
>>>> NT/2000/XP enough to recognize when the video driver is simply
>>>> crashed and the rest of the machine continues to run. That is not
>>>> the case here - once the screen goes black, the computer is totally
>>>> frozen).
>>>>
>>>> Suspecting a hardware conflict, I removed the Adaptec and Maxtor
>>>> cards, and this did not help. I then removed the Sound Blaster
>>>> Audigy 2 ZS and uninstalled it's software, so that now all I have
>>>> installed are the two video cards. I reactivated the motherboard
>>>> sound system.
>>>>
>>>> I still get the same crashes described above - i.e. video
>>>> corruption followed by black screen and complete hardware lock,
>>>> even with nothing but the two eVGA 6800GT cards installed.
>>>>
>>>> So far, I am very unhappy with this system. I feel like I "gold
>>>> plated" all of my hardware, and tried to buy the best components
>>>> available, so it's not like I skimped and went with a marginal
>>>> power supply, case cooling, etc.
>>>>
>>>> I'm not sure what to try from here.
>>>>
>>>> I've been using BIOS version 1002, and the release Nvidia drivers.
>>>> Since going back to the baseline configuration has not helped, I'm
>>>> not sure what to try next.
>>>>
>>>> My only next options are:
>>>> 1) Remove the second 6800GT and go back from SLI. I hate the idea
>>>> of doing this, for obvious reasons (i.e. the expense of this system
>>>> just to get SLI).
>>>> 2) Start trying the Asus BETA BIOS versions.
>>>> 3) Try the latest Nvidia BETA drivers.
>>>>
>>>> I'm never a fan of BETA drivers and BIOS, but I'm getting
>>>> desparate....
>>>
>>> Assuming you've already run MemTest overnight, to eliminate your
>>> RAM, and Prime95 overnight to check CPU/RAM stability, then the
>>> instability can only really be caused by your video card(s).
>>> I'd swap out the 6800s and run a PCI video card for a few days to be
>>> sure. I'd also remove two of the Memory sticks, just to eliminate
>>> the too-many-sticks-at-too-higher-speed problem that seems to plague
>>> most modern chipsets.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Actually, thank you for the suggestions. I have not yet run MemTest
>> overnight, nor Prime95 overnight. I will try to find these through
>> google...
>>
>> Note that I am new to the AMD platform. While I was impressed with
>> the whole "memory controller integrated into the CPU" thing, I have
>> to say that now I am longing for a Northbridge memory controller.
>>
>> I really wanted 2GB, and I wanted to only use two of the four DIMM
>> slots to allow for future upgrading. But reading that the DIMM
>> configuration is so finiky, and that you can't use really fast
>> timings when using all four DIMMs, I decided to go with something off
>> the official Asus QVL. The only 2GB configuration that Asus has on
>> the QVL are the 4x 512MB Kingston config - I bought the exact
>> Kingston part number that Asus recommended.
>>
>> I did notice that the motherboard went to 333MHz memory speed, even
>> though these are DDR400 sticks. I forced them to 400MHz in the BIOS.
>> I now read on the Asus site FAQs that the motherboard will
>> automatically slow down to 333MHz when four DIMMs are used, although
>> they also say you can force it to 400MHz and that this should be fine
>> when using QVL memory (which I am). I am going to be pissed if it
>> ends up that I'll have to run at 333MHz - what's the point of a FX-55
>> and SLI in this case? Plus, then I might as well have gone with
>> non-QVL memory and left two DIMM slots open...
>>
>> I was running an old PCI Matrox Millenium II for a while while
>> initially setting up the machine (i.e. before I could get my hands on
>> a 6800GT). I didn't have any hardware lockups at all at that point,
>> although I also could not stress the system as much with that old PCI
>> card (i.e. no games, screensavers, etc.), and I didn't really use the
>> system a lot until I got my 6800GT.
>>
>> I have noticed that the "hardware lock with repeating sound" occured
>> with a single 6800GT and the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, while once I
>> went SLI I just get a system freeze, and it's not associated with
>> sound (with or without the Sound Blaster installed).
>>
>> Today the system froze again on a screensaver (DirectX, but not 3D -
>> the Michelangelo one from MS Plus!), with no repeating sound and no
>> screen corruption.
>>
>> Now I am trying the system at 333MHz memory, instead of forcing it to
>> DDR400, to see if that works.
>>
>> I'll try the stress tests, too, although I'm not sure how I'll know
>> if it causes the crash - right now I get the crashes with no "stress
>> test". So, how will I know that the "stress test" is causing the
>> crash?
>>
>> Thanks again for your advice.
>
> From that, I suspect your problems are being caused by the GFX card(s)
> or the Memory.
>
> Take two sticks of memory out, and see what happens.
>
> Take the 6800(s) out, stick the Millenium PCI in, and see what
> happens.
>
>
Thanks for the suggestion.
I tried setting my DDR400 to "Auto" in the BIOS, which runs it at
333MHz. Still got a lockup, although almost 24 hours later. This time
between lockups certainly makes this tough to troubleshoot...
I'm going to try the latest beta version of the video drivers from the
Nvidia site first. If that doesn't work, I'll start swapping out video
cards and memory sticks. This'll be a long and frustrating road...
Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)
fsda wrote:
> "Nom" <Nom@Somewhere.Somewhere> wrote in
> news:cs07lp02t6q@news3.newsguy.com:
>
>> fsda wrote:
>>> "Nom" <Nom@Somewhere.Somewhere> wrote in
>>> news:crtgli012e1@news3.newsguy.com:
>>>
>>>> fsda wrote:
>>>>> Najum Hussain <zen19750@zen.co.uk> wrote in news:41d749cb$0$21324
>>>>> $db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Anyone have one and if you do what do you think? anyway i can get
>>>>>> the max performance out of it?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Naj
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I have had nothing but stability problems with mine. This is with
>>>>> a plenty big enough power supply (Enermax EG701AX) and four sticks
>>>>> of Kingston RAM (2GB total) right off the official Asus Memory QVL
>>>>> list. No overclocking.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm running an AMD FX-55 with factory heatsink.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have a big Silverstone case with huge fans - temperatures are
>>>>> very low inside the case and cooling works very well.
>>>>>
>>>>> Can't figure out why I have so poor stability.
>>>>>
>>>>> Originally, with a single eVGA 6800GT PCIe card, I would get a
>>>>> hardware lockup about once a day. The lockup seemed to always be
>>>>> accompanied by a repeating sound. I'm mostly playing Half-Life 2
>>>>> and Microsoft Flight Simulator 9.1 right now, so usually the
>>>>> lockups occured there, but I did get at least one lockup when web
>>>>> browsing, accompanied by a repeating sound that happened to be
>>>>> playing at the time. Oh yeah, also got the same crash in Need for
>>>>> Speed Underground 2.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have an Adaptec 2940UW, a Maxtor ATA/133 card, and a Sound
>>>>> Blaster Audigy 2 ZS card. Using the XP SP2 drivers for the first
>>>>> two cards, and the lastest Sound Blaster drivers.
>>>>>
>>>>> Meanwhile, my second eVGA 6800GT arrived, and I of course
>>>>> installed it and went SLI.
>>>>>
>>>>> Now I get even more frequent crashes - several times a day. These
>>>>> crashes do not involve repeating sound. I've hardware locked
>>>>> twice now during initial loading of Half-Life 2 (loading the
>>>>> actual program, after the "Valve" advertisement), but there was
>>>>> no sound repeating - just a hardare lockup. I've done less game
>>>>> playing due to trying to troubleshoot the problem, so most of my
>>>>> crashes now occur during standard Windows browsing, or while the
>>>>> computer is just sitting there. These usually start with massive
>>>>> video corruption - i.e. the screen is all scrambled. This is
>>>>> followed by the screen going completely black and the machine
>>>>> totally locking up (i.e. Windows XP is frozen at that point. I
>>>>> have used NT/2000/XP enough to recognize when the video driver is
>>>>> simply crashed and the rest of the machine continues to run.
>>>>> That is not the case here - once the screen goes black, the
>>>>> computer is totally frozen).
>>>>>
>>>>> Suspecting a hardware conflict, I removed the Adaptec and Maxtor
>>>>> cards, and this did not help. I then removed the Sound Blaster
>>>>> Audigy 2 ZS and uninstalled it's software, so that now all I have
>>>>> installed are the two video cards. I reactivated the motherboard
>>>>> sound system.
>>>>>
>>>>> I still get the same crashes described above - i.e. video
>>>>> corruption followed by black screen and complete hardware lock,
>>>>> even with nothing but the two eVGA 6800GT cards installed.
>>>>>
>>>>> So far, I am very unhappy with this system. I feel like I "gold
>>>>> plated" all of my hardware, and tried to buy the best components
>>>>> available, so it's not like I skimped and went with a marginal
>>>>> power supply, case cooling, etc.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm not sure what to try from here.
>>>>>
>>>>> I've been using BIOS version 1002, and the release Nvidia drivers.
>>
