ASUS A8N-E IDE controller issue? (DVD Drive buffer)

BrettB

January 24, 2006 12:33:03 PM

As a recent convert to the realm of AMD, I have been very pleased with gaming/office apps so far. However, I have had issues with DVD backup/burning since I upgraded my system. My NEC burner has been with me through 3 platforms, and never displayed this issue. I think it's mobo realted, so I posted here. Please move if need be. Here are the components:

Antec True Power II 550
Asus A8N-E nForce4 Ultra S939
NEC 3520A DVD+-R
AMD 64 3200+ Venice CG stepping
eVGA Geforce 7800GT 256MB VIVO
4X Corsair PC 3200 512 MB DDR dual channel
Sound Blaser Live! PCI
Maxtor 60 GB IDE 7200 System Drive
IBM 185 GB IDE 7200 Media Storage
Dell 20" Widescreen LCD 2005FPW

Here is the issue: When ripping a DVD, the device buffer does not fill up all the way. it also drop down to nearly nothing occasionally. Also, when burning a DVD, the device buffer is all over the map. It goes from 0-5% to 70-75% rapidly, but never really fills up. This adds about 33% more time to each of these jobs. Should I be using the nVidia replacement for the Windows IDE driver? I used it at first, then uninstalled it, and now have the Windows driver there. Same issue. I would not think that power is an issue, with a supply like that. All of my drives are IDE.

Anyone else see this problem? Any advice?

More about : asus a8n ide controller issue dvd drive buffer

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pat

January 24, 2006 4:34:52 PM

Might be that your memory is set to run at 400 MHz while it should be a 333(166MHz), even with the Venice on that board. And 1T too. Just diagnoze data corruption with a board like yours and the problem was the memory running at 400 ddr. That and bumping the voltage to at least 2.7 volt

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scoyle

January 24, 2006 6:32:18 PM

Quote:

Might be that your memory is set to run at 400 MHz while it should be a 333(166MHz), even with the Venice on that board. And 1T too. Just diagnoze data corruption with a board like yours and the problem was the memory running at 400 ddr. That and bumping the voltage to at least 2.7 volt

Why would you recommend that he run his RAM slower than what it's rated for? That doesn't make any sense to me. Your RAM is fine at 200Mhz, and is optimally synchronized with your FSB.

This doesn't sound like a RAM issue at all, but rather a driver issue. Go to Nvidia's website and download their latest nforce4 ultra platform drivers. This could very well be your problem.

If it's not, look around on the website of the company that makes your DVD burner. They might have a firmware upgrade that solves a possible incompatibility with that particular DVD burner and the Nfore4 chipset.

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pat

January 24, 2006 6:41:46 PM

Fact is, the ram is ok for 400, but the memory controller might have problem with 4 sticks, even if it is a venice and supposed to be able to run 4 sticks a 400.

So, running them at 333 might fix his poblem and he won't notice the difference in speed anyway, unless he spend most of his time running benchmark program.

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