Gigabyte GA-7VRXP Problem

[psyclone]

Hi,
I recently purchased the parts to build a new computer and all went fine untill i tried to run a Direct 3D game, all Direct 3D games lock-up. If i run them in software they work but the graphics are crap obviously. So i thought the problem would be the video card i took out the Geforce 3 Ti200 and put in my friends Geforce 4 Ti4400 but it wouldnt let me install the dirvers and i had all kinds of graphical glithces happening. So I decided to put the Geforce 3 Ti200 in my friends computer to see if it locked up and it didn't. Therefore I believe this rules out the Video-Card and can only leave the motherboard responsible.

Here are my system Specifications.
AMD Atlhon XP 2000+
Gigabyte GA-7VRXP
256MB Kingmax DDR333
Onboard Network/Sound/Raid.
Ge-Force 4 Ti4400.
Swansmart Internal Modem.
Pioneer 16x40x DVD-ROm.
Yamaha 24x8x8x CD-Burner (Kept from old computer)

Any help appreciated.
I can only think it is a dodgy motherboard, i only purchased these itmes recently so they are still under warranty to return.

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[psyclone]

These are the operating systems i have tried.

MS Windows XP
MS Windows ME
MS Windows 98 SE

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[psyclone]

Someone out there must have had this problem before, there is a new bios on the website but the list of fixes has nothing like what my problem is.

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[Guest]

Well, this doesn't seem good. I have the exact same motherboard and processor as you and -- here it comes -- I get lockups in 3D applications as well. Actually, I've yet to run through 3DMark2001 in its entirety with it locking up on me. Yet I'm not sure that it's the motherboard yet, because when I swap the 2000+ for a 1600+ everything works great and my system never freezes. I initially thought it might be a power issue so I put a 520 watt power supply in my system and it still happens. For reference, I have a GeForce4 Ti4400.

I've never heard of anyone getting these problems other than people with the 7VRXP and the 2000+ so it must be a problem with the board and its support for said processor. Either that or AMD put out a bad batch of processors, but if that were the case then we'd be hearing a whole lot more about it.

Like you said, the Gigabyte website has a newer BIOS (F6) but it doesn't seem to address the problem we're having. However, it's worth a shot. I'll flash my board with F6 and report back here with the results later.

 

[psyclone]

How could we find out if it is the motherboard or the CPU, I have flashed the bios to version F6 and it didnt work, anyone else out there with the same problem.

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[psyclone]

Which would be more likely, Gigabyte producing a motherboard which cant handle the XP2000+ and not telling anyone about it, or AMD releasing a bad batch of Processors and not telling anyone about it.

You see it locks up at random times in games, like i might get 3 laps through a car race and then lock-up or it might be on the start line it locks up.

I thought with mine it might be a heat issue so i took the side of the case of and blew a huge pedestal fan on the fing and had it running at 41 degrees celcius but it still locked up.

So we are down to one of two things. Dodgy CPU, or Dodgy Motherboard.

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[psyclone]

Fortoms review he used a Athlon XP 2100+ in his computer, you would think if the motherboard cant handle a 2000+ it wouldnt be able to handle a 2100+ ???

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[psyclone]

Just so you know, in non-direct 3D applications, like word/excell, championship manager 2001/2002 it doesnt lock up. Would this lead to it more being an issue with the motherboard, or the CPU

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[psyclone]

Here is what my CPU has written on it to see if we have one from the same batch.

"AMD Atlhon"
"AX2000DMT3C"
"AG0IA 0206WPAW"
"Y7776830222"

Is yours similar?

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[rept]

It's the motherboard that has major problems! If you look on the net you'll see that lots of people have problems getting this mobo to work in AGP x4 with a GeForce 4

The solution with many of them is raise the Vcore with 7.5%

Many people bought this mobo because THG recommended it and are very disappointed.

Check these links:

http://www.amdmb.com/vb/showthread.php?s=2ae4206dfdf2c40d6638fb1357068885&threadid=128762

http://forums.viaarena.com/messageview.cfm?catid=6&threadid=14437

I think the authors of the big mobo test should look into this asap before anymore ppl buy this mobo.

 

[FiL]

if you have a good PSU i'll not count that, but have you measured how hot your CPU is getting during 3d applications?

just a thought

 

[Crashman]

Probably either the power supply or driver revision. I'll fix it for you for $40, plus parts if it needs a power supply. I do this same kind of work on contract for a local shop.

What's the frequency, Kenneth?

 

[mrhappy]

i have a similar setup with

7VRXP
XP1800+
Ti4400
256Mb PC2700

and am having no problems with the board or games etc..

3DMark2001SE - 9854

just to point out that not everyone is getting these problems with this board. am running F4 bios BTW

 

[psyclone]

I took the motherboard back after reading the other forums and showing them to the guys at the store, I now have an Epox 8K3A+ in thier and am having no problems, thatnx for all your help.

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[rept]

I still believe THG should post something about this problem. It's clearly not an isolated thing when you read the other forums and it even happens with 450 watt power supply.

 

[pc_builder]

Hi,
I am using an Athlon XP 1700+ and get intermittent lockups in games too. This mobo has multiple problems and I don't know why it was rated so high by THG. I flashed it to the F6 bios to see if it would correct a couple of problems, which it did, but now NONE of my PCI cards are useable because the motherboard BIOS will enable whatever chipset features I have enabled, but it no longer sees any card I put in any PCI slot(s). It is the last time I will ever buy a gigabyte motherboard. From now on I will stick to the MSI and EPOX motherboards. I have been building PCs for 14 years now and this GA-7VRXP has given me more trouble than all the other motherboards combined. They don't even answer any emails you send to them. I am using a GEFORCE2 PRO video card in there. This mobo has plenty of nice features, but what good is it if the BIOS is garbage code and every new rev they come out with fixes some old problems, but create new problems. They need new engineers there to write their code!!!!!

 

[rept]

I spoke to a pc shop yesterday and he advised me to stay away from that gigabyte board. He said that almost half of them got returned to him because people couldn't get it to work stable. I think that says enough.
Still no response from THG, nor from any of the mails I send them.

 

[psyclone]

I agree with you guys that something should be said in his review, obviously there is some good ones out there or just lucky ones with the hardware they have placed in the motherboard but something should be done.

There is nothing on the website about the problem i get no replies from Gigabyte about the problem at all. The only thing that concerns me is that if you do a search in say google for a review of this motherboard all of the reviewers give it 90% plus.

How come no-one but us buyers have this problem, do they personnally select good motherboards to sen to places like toms hardware.

The other thing is maybe this thread should be locked in for a little while so that everone who visits can see the problem and avoid the motherboard.

p5yc10n3

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[pc_builder]

Well F4 BIOS would not work with the NUMLOCK OFF. The beta BIOS's I tried would not enable the L2 cache and I had no control over the PCI IRQ slot assignments. The F6 code fix boots up with L2 cache enabled, and NUMLOCK OFF feature also works, but no card is seen in a PCI slot, no matter what card I try. I think testers just go with a barebones system and therefore they wouldn't know about a "real" type system as a "normal" end user would build. I tried flashing back to F4 Bios, but the PCI cards are still not seen by the motherboard BIOS. All the chipset features can be set enabled and they work fine, but it is as if the PCI bus is not being scanned and this board has very little user help in software switches, and no hardware CMOS CLEAR jumper. I am hoping that they come out with a new BIOS code that fixes what F6 screwed up. I moved that motherboard into a secondary [backup] system because I can't have a disaster like that in a main system. This main system I'm on now has the MSI KT3 Ultra-ARU motherboard in it and it works just fine and dandy, and ALL the BIOS features work. If gigabyte doesn't come out with a BIOS fix for the F6 code soon, I am just going to replace that mobo with the EPOX 8K3A+ which they also give a free USB 2.0 PCI card with. I like EPOX and MSI best from my years of personal experience. I think people who review products are under too much pressure to produce an article FAST and don't check all the features of the hardware to make sure it ALL works, and they are probably also under pressure not to bad-mouth big company hardware either or they might fall into bad graces with too many big people. The poor end user is always the one who suffers, and board like these at least help people to see problems they might encounter BEFORE they buy. Have a nice day!

 

[psyclone]

still no news from gigabyte

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[psyclone]

the gigabyte website is now actually advertising that they won the "Toms Hardware Guide Award for 2002" award for thier motherboard, something has to be done about this.

And Quickly

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[tdean]

"Many people bought this mobo because THG recommended it and are very disappointed."

same thing with the kt 133a chipset boards. tom rated them very high and never mentioned the southbridge bug. many of us went and bought them and were very disappointed. i think he bases his reviews on advertising. right when you connect to this site you're blasted with gigabyte ads etc...

....the birds seemed to be calling him, thought caw....

 

[rept]

Well I sure will check twice in the future before believing anything THG writes. This site used to give out great, unbiased information. Well that time is long gone.
And he doesn't respond to any mails, I know of at least 2 other people who send him a mail about their problems with the GA-7VRXP board. The ignoring speaks for itself I believe!

 

[cadman]

I have been having the same problems with this board.
I bought it on the recommendation of this site and to say I am disappointed is an understatement.
to top it all the board has blown a MOSFET but still works very strange.I have e-mailed Gigabyte twice and been ignored on both occasions surely there is something the Tomshardware guys can do about all these problems.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by cadman on 06/04/02 01:20 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Nethawk]

This time around with my computer upgrades I have had nothing but problems.

First, I ordered a Gainward Ti 4600 Geforce 4 "Golden Promise" that was bad - both Gainward and Newegg said that they had been shipping units with bad memory. The bummer was that Newegg could not guarantee a replacement was good either :-(

Second, Gigabyte GA-7VRXP. On Tom's review and recommendation, I bought this, and while it was shipping read a bunch of information, but decided to find out for myself - and boy did I! Just about every problem mentioned in this thread hit me. I have since received the Abit KX7-333R, and couldn't be happier. In my book, Abit rules for mobo flexibility and performance.

Third - the AMD XP 2100+ CPU I ordered was defective - it wouldn't boot with either of the above motherboards. So for now I'm stuck with my ancient T'bird 1.33ghz

I learned a very valuable lesson, though. For years I have respected the reviews and the advice of Tom's Hardware Guide, but this particular experience has taught me to take this (and all) review site with a grain of salt. Whether it is the beginnings of lethargy or not I'm not sure, but Tom has lost a notch with this e-consumer.