Gateway FX 6800-01e BIOS Update from Gateway Unsupported - Page 4 - Chipsets-Bios

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Should I be concerned that Speedfan's Temp1 shows Temp1: 100C on my Gateway FX6800-01e? It's a bit scary since I don't know if there's going to be a meltdown. Is that the CPU or?

Message edited by mpdznr on 08-24-2009 at 06:10:22 AM

Reply to mpdznr

Register or log in to remove.

As long as the individual core temps are around 42°C each you should be OK.

I would shut the system down, inspect it for dust and clean it out with an air compressor or a can of compressed air.

One thing, make sure that there is adequate airflow around the system. You don't want the system to be in a restrictive air flow space as this can cause heating issues.

Leaving the Hotswap bay door will can help to keep the system a little bit cooler.

Upgrading the rear fan to a more powerful fan of the same size and an 80mm fan to the inside of the front will help too. You can also add another fan to draw heat away from the memory and at the same time, to help blow out the heat from the video card.

Or instead of adding more fans, you could go with a good liquid cooling system. Just be careful as some of the cheaper stuff can leak.

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

just wanted to say that i have had big problems with this computer,fx6800-01e.I may have gotten something straight after a ton of problems.When I flashed the bios I got a error when I checked off the boxes in setup and barely got back to bios setup.After multiple trys of flashing bios every way and still getting cksum errors the only way i got it to actually flash ,I THINK is to check all boxes on left in setup and then load optimal and restart and it flashed and showed rewriting all the bios,instead of a smaller files as it did the first five times I TRIED.THE computer restarted and only then in system properties was the bios version ami r01-a4 2-11-09.I assume that that unlocked tne turboboost.At least it seems stable.I have replaced power supply with 850 watt black widow and added three more gigs of ram and also have another 4850 card running in crossfire.But with the flashing cursor problem and the bios fiasco and the pci slots being to close together this mother board is basically the week link in this system.Thanks for this post as it may have helped me and others with this system.

Reply to Anonymous

I think that Gateway has gone way down in support and will probably never buy one of their units again. I might even take my unit back to Costco before my 3 months are up. I installed Ubuntu (Linux) as a separate partition and OS but my Vista 64 system seemed to have slowed down.

When I flashed the Bios the system came up with a CMOS checksum error and then I had the option to load the default settings or enter the bios every time I boot up now. Then the computer seems to work properly. The Bios Version/Date is: AMI RO1-A4, 2/11/2009.

I am wondering if I have to restore my old Bios to make things work properly again and then remove the other OS?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

chet

Message edited by chetwynd on 09-26-2009 at 01:47:40 AM

Reply to chetwynd

I flashed to BIOS Version/Date: AMI R01-A4, 2/11/2009.

I am not happy with the results because the new Bios is giving me a CMOS checksum error every time I start the computer. I have to sellect between entering the bios or restoring the default settings every time.

I don't know if the problem is due to the new Bios or that I have a dual OS using Ubuntu (Linux) on a separate partition. The system boots up using Vista if I don't sellect Ubuntu.

The system seemed to have slowed down ever since I installed Ubuntu. Is this a normal result when one has 2 OS?

Any help with these problems would be greatly appreciated.

chet

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by chetwynd on 09-26-2009 at 01:52:26 AM

Reply to chetwynd

chetwynd wrote :

I saved my original Bios from my Gateway FX6800-07h computer and flashed to BIOS Version/Date: AMI R01-A4, 2/11/2009. If you would like the original Bios just email me at chetwynd50@gmail.com and I can send it to you.

I am not happy with the results because the new Bios is giving me a CMOS checksum error every time I start the computer. I have to sellect between entering the bios or restoring the default settings every time.

I don't know if the problem is due to the new Bios or that I have a dual OS using Ubuntu (Linux) on a separate partition. The system boots up using Vista if I don't sellect Ubuntu.

The system seemed to have slowed down ever since I installed Ubuntu. Is this a normal result when one has 2 OS?

Any help with these problems would be greatly appreciated.

chet

Probably, you already read many people has the same CMOS checksum error in this thread. I am one of the luck people who don't have this problem because of the following suggestion. I strongly don't believe that having another OS (Ubuntu) made your system slower.

Quote :

I did finally get this bios upgrade to work correctly. I followed a couple of suggestions from this post.

First I followed this process as instructed by Renegade_Warrior :

Downloaded the Bios upgrade and made sure all the files were in the same directory.

Right clicked on AFUWIN and selected run as administator as instructed by rdk2009

Make sure your system is disconnected, the Anti-Virus is disabled, then
select Start > Run and browse to the folder where the files are and select AFUWIN.EXE Then hit - Open

You will see a Dialog Window pop up with three tabs, Select the Setup tab.

Under Block Options, you'll want to select the following.

- Program All Blocks
- Boot Block

Under CMOS Options Select - Load ROM File's Optimal

Under Miscellaneous Select

- Do Not Check ROM ID
- Restart After Programming

Next Click Open and select the ROM file - 842P161G.ROM

Click the Flash button and let it do it's job.

DO NOT Touch anything until it finishes.

On restart I had to manually go into boot options and reselect my primary boot drive. Before I did that I booted to a blank screen so this information was somehow erased. After that the computer restarted normally but the system hade to automatically reinstall the I/O drivers. This happened automatically with no effort on my part. The bios showed the correct update and a CPU speed of 2.79 up from 2.67. I never did get a checksum error as many have stated. But did have to reset my primary bootdrive info.

Reply to udaman

Thank you for the CMOS error correction posts. I got it corrected by keeping all 5 files in 1 folder and right clicking on the .EXE file and running it as the Administrator (which I forgot to do while cursing in the past). Checking all the boxes (that disapear after you sellect the ROM file to be flashed) has to be rechecked. Making sure nothing is running and disconnect from the network.

Thank you all for your great suggestions that helped a lot.

Gateway service sucks - This is my last conversation with them - I found the solution myself on the Intel site where they suggested resetting the power management modes that interfere with the speed detection.

"I bought this my FX6800 from Costco and fount that the processor is running at 1.59 GHz instead of the 2.67 GHz it’s supposed to run at. Please tell me what I can do about getting the unit to perform up to specs." was submitted by J to the problem analysis engine.

30 Aug 2009 11:14:48 AM Phone Number set to
30 Aug 2009 11:14:52 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 created an incident named J.
30 Aug 2009 11:14:57 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: Welcome to Gateway Chat. My name and badge number are Dhilipan_GWSI838. I am looking at your account and the information you submitted. I will begin troubleshooting with you in just a moment.
30 Aug 2009 11:16:41 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: Thank you for being online. I appreciate your patience.
30 Aug 2009 11:16:59 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: May I confirm with your computer serial number is XXXXXXX?
30 Aug 2009 11:17:53 AM J says: I will have to take the unit back if we can't get this unit to perform to spec. The unit was bought as FX6800-07h but System info states its a FX6800-01e.
30 Aug 2009 11:18:02 AM J says: Yes the Ser # is correct
30 Aug 2009 11:20:04 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: Thank you for the confirmation.
30 Aug 2009 11:21:19 AM J says: The Intel Processor ID Utility gave me the above information. The system does not seem to be any faster than my 10 year old P4 2.4 GHz computer with 1.5 GB Ram and a cheap $100.00 video card.
30 Aug 2009 11:22:57 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: Could you explain the issue briefly?
30 Aug 2009 11:25:59 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: Are we still connected?
30 Aug 2009 11:26:06 AM J says: This computer does not seem to be any faster in any way than my 10 year old Intel P4 2.4 GHz computer with 1.5 GB of RAM and a cheap $100.00 video card. The Intel Processor ID Utility shows that the expected GHz is supposed to be 2.67 but the actual GHz is 1.59 and the unit was bought as FX6800-07h but System Info shows it to be FX6800-01e.
30 Aug 2009 11:26:59 AM J says: Can you tell me why this discrepancy?
30 Aug 2009 11:30:35 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: Could you stay on the line for two minutes while I check it for you?
30 Aug 2009 11:30:49 AM J says: yes
30 Aug 2009 11:32:58 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: Thank you for being online.
30 Aug 2009 11:33:31 AM Joe Tody says: Still here - waiting for answers!
30 Aug 2009 11:35:25 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: If my understanding is correct, your new computer is running slow,am I right?
30 Aug 2009 11:35:38 AM J says: yes
30 Aug 2009 11:36:00 AM J says: and it seems to be not the unit I paid for.
30 Aug 2009 11:36:45 AM J says: what is the difference between the FX6800-07h and the FX6800-01e?
30 Aug 2009 11:38:59 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: Based upon the process the speed is different.
30 Aug 2009 11:40:38 AM J says: my Expected speed is 2.67 GHz and my actual speed is 1.59 GHz according to the Itel Processor ID Utility.
30 Aug 2009 11:41:19 AM J says: If there is something wrong with this CPU - what is the process for returning the product for repair to Gateway in the Vancouver BC area?
30 Aug 2009 11:41:54 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: You can find the specification in the gateway website.
30 Aug 2009 11:43:18 AM J says: Do you know why my computer's speed is so radically different than what it's supposed to be?
30 Aug 2009 11:43:49 AM J says: Do you have any test that I can do to confirm these results?
30 Aug 2009 11:44:39 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: Computer speed is depend upon the processor.
30 Aug 2009 11:45:31 AM J says: Please tell me what processor came with the FX6800-07h and which one came with the FX6800-01e?
30 Aug 2009 11:46:23 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: The specification is listed in the gateway website.
30 Aug 2009 11:47:36 AM J says: are you able to help me with my problem or not?
30 Aug 2009 11:49:06 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: The specification of both the computers are listed.
30 Aug 2009 11:49:09 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: Processor1 Intel® Core™ i7 processor Chipset Intel X58 Express
30 Aug 2009 11:50:28 AM J says: what do you suggest for me to do in order to get the computer to work according to specs?
30 Aug 2009 11:52:29 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: Both are same model only and both are having thwe same specifications. There is no difference between the processors and chipset
30 Aug 2009 11:53:35 AM J says: Again - What do you suggest for me to do to get this computer working to specifications?
30 Aug 2009 11:54:41 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: It may be soft wares installed in your computer please check it.
30 Aug 2009 11:54:58 AM J says: how?
30 Aug 2009 11:55:40 AM J says: The processor speed is over 1.0 GHz slower than its supposed to be.
30 Aug 2009 11:55:50 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: I am sorry am I not aware for that.
30 Aug 2009 11:57:02 AM J says: As I stated before - The Intel Processor ID Utility shows my speed to be 1.59 GHz and the Expected speed is supposed to be 2.67 GHz.
30 Aug 2009 11:58:59 AM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: I will provide the Answer By Gateway number please contact them to resolve the issue.
30 Aug 2009 11:59:30 AM J says: Is this a common problem with this unit? If so - Where do I send it for repair?
30 Aug 2009 12:01:12 PM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: Joe, please delete the unwanted files from your computer and check. If the issue persists please contact us we are ready to help you.
30 Aug 2009 12:03:03 PM J says: What makes you think that this is a software problem. don
30 Aug 2009 12:03:33 PM J says: Don't you have any way of testing this computer to verify that there is something physically wrong with it?
30 Aug 2009 12:04:02 PM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: No there is no physically wrong in it.
30 Aug 2009 12:05:15 PM Dhilipan_GWSI838 says: Basically both are having the same specifications. If you have still doubt please contact any local technician to resolve your issue.
30 Aug 2009 12:05:52 PM J says: I will keep this log and post it on a website to show what kind of a response Gateway has for their customer. Thxs for your help

Reply to chetwynd

Wow! What kind of support was that? Their response was non sense!

Reply to udaman

Had the same problem , twas the power saving feature in control panel in vista saving energy by running at half speed
making no sense what so ever ..................????????????

Reply to dr m

Renegade_Warrior wrote :

Just make sure you do not get Windows 7 from a Torrent as you stand a good chance of getting a load of pre-installed malware with it.

If you get a TechNet Plus license, you can get Windows 7 RTM (no expiration) along with other software and access to TechNet resources.

Code TMSAM10 still works. Used it last week and got $86.00 off (not counting tax)

I plan to use TechNet to update my skills while my daughter is in school this year.

The promotion code still works. How is your gateway system running? Thanks!

Reply to udaman

So far, so good

The biggest lesson I learned from buying this gateway system was to never buy anything produced by Acer ever though it may bear another company name.

I should have stuck to building systems as I used to do.

Instead, I've gotten into customizing my KJ Jeep.

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Renegade,

I have been trying to get my FX 6800-01e Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit install to recognize a "RAID Controller" that says there is no driver installed for the I/O Hub PCI Express Root Port 1 -3408. Any idea what this is? I have downloaded the latest 64 bit driver from Intel and installed them. Still says it cannot install driver.

Renegade_Warrior wrote :

So far, so good

The biggest lesson I learned from buying this gateway system was to never buy anything produced by Acer ever though it may bear another company name.

I should have stuck to building systems as I used to do.

Instead, I've gotten into customizing my KJ Jeep.

Reply to CaptainHeadwound

Did you do a clean install or an upgrade?

That would be Intel(R) 5520/5500/X58 I/O Hub PCI Express Root Port 1 - 3408

The Raid driver you want to look for is Intel® Matrix Storage Manager v 8.9.0.1023

This is the latest driver released 7/17/2009

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Clean Install ...I tried manually loading the newest drivers from Intel for that device after unzipping the INF package. Had to keep trying until it finally took a ACHI driver..then blue screened. Install is now killed and will not boot. I am going to nuke it(format) and do another install. Did you use F6 to load drivers during install...or just let Win 7 use default drivers and then install Matrix Storage after first boot? I really want to use RAID for my 2 Western Digital Cavier Black drives in the 2 hot swap caddies in the front. Should I be trying to just mount these 2 drives internally and leave the bays open? Could that be the issue?

Thanks buddy!

Renegade_Warrior wrote :

Did you do a clean install or an upgrade?

That would be Intel(R) 5520/5500/X58 I/O Hub PCI Express Root Port 1 - 3408

The Raid driver you want to look for is Intel® Matrix Storage Manager v 8.9.0.1023

This is the latest driver released 7/17/2009

Reply to CaptainHeadwound

Sorry to take so long, was at a neighbor's helping out with a system.

I did a clean install here too and I let Windows 7 take care of everything. Installed the Intel Matrix Manager Storage Manager after the install was finished.

As for the drives in the Hot Swap bay, I didn't insert the drives until after the driver Storage Manager was installed.

Maybe the UAC might be interfering with the install?

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Are you using the Hot Swap bay for your RAID boot drive? That is what I was attempting to do.

Renegade_Warrior wrote :

Sorry to take so long, was at a neighbor's helping out with a system.

I did a clean install here too and I let Windows 7 take care of everything. Installed the Intel Matrix Manager Storage Manager after the install was finished.

As for the drives in the Hot Swap bay, I didn't insert the drives until after the driver Storage Manager was installed.

Maybe the UAC might be interfering with the install?

Reply to CaptainHeadwound

Not doing RAID, but I am using it for hot swapping.

If you try to insert a drive in the front bay without the Intel Storage Manager installed, then the system will crash, or at least it used to in Vista.

But with the Storage Manager installed, it should automatically detect the drive. If not, then just open the program and click Actions > Rescan for Plug and Play Devices

Matter of fact, it's been a long morning, I should have thought of this earlier.

The front bay uses the same controller as the main hard drive (Operating system drive). So you'll need to configure RAID in the system BIOS for the drives.

You'll just need to be careful of which drives you configure as Gateway wasn't very careful of which bays they connected to which drive connector.

When you open your case and you look at your SATA connectors, it'll be like this:

SATA-5 SATA-3 SATA-1
SATA-6 SATA-4 SATA-2

5 & 6 will be towards the bottom of the case
with 6, 4 and 2 against the motherboard.

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by Renegade_Warrior on 10-08-2009 at 08:30:33 PM

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Format and fresh Clean install, everything is working but still have the dreaded Raid Controller (code 28) missing driver. My Windows Experience score is also taking a hit from all mid 7"s down to 5.9 due to RAM and Hard Disk Read. Maybe Windows 7 is just not meant to run on this X58 Gateway motherboard? Any other ideas...anybody?

Thanks for helping out...really has me stumped!

Renegade_Warrior wrote :

Not doing RAID, but I am using it for hot swapping.

If you try to insert a drive in the front bay without the Intel Storage Manager installed, then the system will crash, or at least it used to in Vista.

But with the Storage Manager installed, it should automatically detect the drive. If not, then just open the program and click Actions > Rescan for Plug and Play Devices

Matter of fact, it's been a long morning, I should have thought of this earlier.

The front bay uses the same controller as the main hard drive (Operating system drive). So you'll need to configure RAID in the system BIOS for the drives.

You'll just need to be careful of which drives you configure as Gateway wasn't very careful of which bays they connected to which drive connector.

When you open your case and you look at your SATA connectors, it'll be like this:

SATA-5 SATA-3 SATA-1
SATA-6 SATA-4 SATA-2

5 & 6 will be towards the bottom of the case
with 6, 4 and 2 against the motherboard.

Reply to CaptainHeadwound

This has me a bit puzzled too as my installation ran flawlessly.

Then again, I've yet to do a fresh install when my Retail package comes in on the 22nd.

You might want to check back earlier in this thread for BIOS settings I had previously posted and check your settings on the off chance that there might be something there causing this problem???

Or if possibly there might be something loose in the case such as a connector?

The driver should have installed. :scratches head:

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

This is definitely weird. No issues doing a non-RAID install as it uses the controller with a different driver. It's running ok and I'm going to load software and see if I can crank out some Crysis and Battlefield 2 on it. I'll post results...or failure! Looking forward to throwing my Windows 7 Launch party on the 22nd if it stays stable. Sager laptop gets the treatment next!

Renegade_Warrior wrote :

This has me a bit puzzled too as my installation ran flawlessly.

Then again, I've yet to do a fresh install when my Retail package comes in on the 22nd.

You might want to check back earlier in this thread for BIOS settings I had previously posted and check your settings on the off chance that there might be something there causing this problem???

Or if possibly there might be something loose in the case such as a connector?

The driver should have installed. :scratches head:

Reply to CaptainHeadwound

-=< Good Luck >=-

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Has anyone experienced a change in their graphics link width after updating their bios. CPU-Z reports that my comp has a link width of x4 while it should be x16. My card is in the first slot and I even pulled it and re-seated it. Below is a report from CPU-Z of my comp on the left and a similar on the right. The only difference is I have the new bios and the other has the old.

If anyone else has this problem or can explain it or fix it, it would be appreciated.

http://entertainment.webshots.com/ [...] 8839uFxrTK

Reply to corby

Just checked mine and it is reporting x16

Are you running the 64-bit version of CPU-Z?

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Yes, 64 bit. Just to be sure I just downloaded the 64 zip file and got the same result as the 32/64 setup file that has both binaries.
Still have the same result.

It does report a max supported value of x16 but it is only using x4. That is a quarter of what it should do.

Thanks for checking your system. Something is screwey somewhere. Could it be the graphics card? The only change I made to the system was to replace the original HD that failed and put in a 1T drive. Of course I had to reload everything to the new drive.

Reply to corby

Are you running the newest ATI Catalyst Drivers?

ATI Catalyst™ 9.9 Suite for Windows 7 (64 bit)

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

I'm running Vista 64bit with the latest drivers. I have attached results of GPU-z. It also reports x4. If you see anything strange in attachment let me know.

http://community.webshots.com/album/570652106CjlCIr

I also checked the bios and set to "optimal defaults" with same result. Can't do very much in bios.

Reply to corby

Can't see or think of anything either.

- This may sound a bit screwy, but did you reconnect the power connector to the card when you puled and reseated it?

Not sure if the card would still work or if it would just cause the problem you are currently having.

Wish there was something more I could think of.

Good Luck!

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Yes, the power was re-attached and fan is running. I also switched to a second power plug but no change.

I was wondering if the CMOS was drained, would'nt that reset the mobo? I want to try. Other than pulling out battery, is there anything else I need to do on mobo to drain completly? What is best way to do on this mobo. What are consequences.

Message edited by corby on 10-13-2009 at 05:25:23 PM

Reply to corby

:lol: Looks like we're both having problems now.

I was running Catalyst 9.8 and just decided to upgrade to 9.9 yesturday. Ran into a big problem that I have not been able to correct yet. To to it off it seems like there is others having the same problem with the Catalyst 9.9 drivers in 64-bit Windows 7.

Running dual 24" monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each

After I installed the Catalyst 9.9 drivers, I'd get as far as the Windows starting up screen. After that both monitors would go dark instead of showing the login screen. You can still hear the login screen chimes though and I can do a Remote Desktop login using a system connected to my TV.

In the Device Manager the video card shows as "Unknown", yet under that it is still listed as ATI Radeon 4800 Series. Yet at the same time the Catalyst Manager says that there is no Ati card installed or present. I've tried reinstalling the driver. Disconnecting the system, deleting the windows Ati drivers & inf files and disabling windows update, then manually installing the drivers from Ati, all with no luck.

I couldn't even use system restore cause it turns out there was some sort of mismatch in the drive tables or some such. This PO'd me the most cause it prevented me from going back to before the driver update.

Now I guess I'm gonna have to do a bit of house keeping about a week earlier than planned, gathering together everything I need to save, then use my Windows 7 disk to hopefully effect a repair or a fresh install till my new Disks come in.

Oh well, it's been an interesting day so far

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Sorry to hear about your situation now.

Maybe it is ATI/AMD's fault. We'll have to send them some info on our problems.

Reply to corby

:lol: From what I have came across, there are a handful of different problems being experienced, but I gather a good portion are being caused from windows automatically downloading and installing a driver instead of letting the user install the Catalyst driver. After that, the problem just steam rolls.

I just said the hell with it, popped a 320 GB drive in the front bay and now I'm in the process of scrounging through my system, trying not to miss anything which I might otherwise regret losing.

Thank God for Remote Desktop and wide screen LCD TVs

It makes the job that much easier. Although to tell the truth, I've never run into a situation where I couldn't get the video up and running again. At least not to this extent.

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Backed up about 300 GB of data yesturday, then spent the rest of the evening with my family.

Today I extracted the 64-bit Windows 7 RTM from the ISO image to a flash drive, then remotely logged into my system and started the installation. Then when the system rebooted, I was able to continue directly from the system itself.

I did an upgrade directly over the RC and it fixed the problem with my monitors remaining blank.

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Thanks a ton for all the info in this thread. I successfully upgrade my bios.

I am having trouble upgrading my RAM. Only the white slots seem to work. I have the stock memory that came with the system and then an additional 6GB(3x2GB).

When I place any memory in the blue slots I get the following error:
1) It beeps continuously. I read in Renagade Warrior's post that I should be able to just power down and back up and it should work.
2) If I put new ram in the white slot only (blue empty), no error everything is recognized. Same if I pull it out and put the original 3GB back in.
3) If I try to only put it in the blue slots it immediately makes the one long continuous beep.

Here is the new RAM I am putting in:
[url=http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4282860&CatId=4327][/url]

THe other item I noticed is that is Renegade Warrior's post it said to clear NVRAM from the bios menu. I do no see it anywhere in the bios. Am I supposed to do it with the bios update tool? Would that cause my problem with my other slots?

My gut is telling me that it might be a bad motherboard. Any advice is appreciated.

Reply to stingreye

Don't worry about the Clear NVRAM as you successfully updated your BIOS. The setting was programmed in the BIOS update.

Here is the AMI BIOS Beep Codes - on Wikipedia

Here is the AMIBIOS8 Check Point and Beep Code List on the last page, you'll find the AMIBIOS8 Beep codes.

You'll need to listen to the beeps to see if it is continuous or a specific number which repeats.

The Checkpoint stuff in the Pdf document I'm not familiar with, so I wouldn't know how to go about using that information yet.

The only thing I can really see is the new memory is using CAS Latency: 7-7-7-20 which is pretty good, but the original memory has nowhere near that good of a latency and that MIGHT be what is causing the problem as you're mixing molasses with maple syrup (one being thicker than the other) which is giving you a drastic timing off set.

You could try ordering a second set so you would have as close to a matched set as possible. Cause it's preferable to use matched sets of memory to avoid problems.

But first see what the beep codes tell you. If it tells you anything other than the memory, then you'll want to get your hands on a POST card which can be used to run a dianostic on your system unless you know someone who has one.

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Thanks. Its one long continuous beep. I went ahead and ordered another 6GB. One interesting thing:

It will not work with the white slots empty and the blue slots with the memory. It makes me wonder if the system requires memory in the white slots? Anyone know if the white slots are required to be filled first?

Well, I will take a shot with the new RAM (good excuse to get more).

Reply to stingreye

Yes, the White slots have to be used first or the system will not work.

As for my using Maple syrup and Molasses for comparison, I was using the difference in viscosity to compare to the timing difference.

Good Luck

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Road Warrior. Awesome! Thanks for the help. Yes molassis and maple syrup great metaphor.

Reply to stingreye

Just remember, if you haven't disabled the Gateway logo Boot up screen yet, you might just want to do this in the BIOS as I described earlier in the thread.

This way, you'll be able to see what's what with the boot up sequence and if the memory should read such as tri or dual channel or something else. Cause with any new memory, there is always the possibility of bad memory as one guy ran into early in this thread.

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Here is an update on my questioning the bios update causing my video link width problem. It was not the update.

I opened the case again with the intent of cleaning the HD4850's contacts. Looking at the mobo, after pulling the video card, the markings on the two slots were marked PCI-e 16A and PCI-e 16B. The video card had been in the slot closest to the processor which was marked B. I thought that if the slots are marked A and B, your problably should use A first. I put the card in A and, lo and behold, it reports a link width of X16. Problem solved.

The Gateway site says this comp has one PCI-e 16 slot. Mine has two, but why they did not have the card in the slot marked A confuses me. Should it matter? Don't know. Pictures of this mobo on the web all seem to have the card in the top PCI-e slot. Has anyone noticed how their mobo is labeled. The labels next to the slots are in very small print. I find the whole thing curious. Since card now reports x16 then maybe slot B has a problem.

Reply to corby

As I've mentioned before, Gateway (Acer) doesn't even list the correct specifications for the FX6800 systems on their website and they can't even supply the motherboard documentation either.

As a direct result, retailers list the Specs Gateway provides them and no one (including support) seems to know what they are doing.

As for your video card, congratulations on fixing problem.

At the same time, it seems that there may be a problem with slot-B. With my system, the video card performs @ x16 whether it's in slot A or B.

But yeah, mine even came with the card in slot-B

The way things are looking, we may just need a sub-forum to deal with problems just for FX6800 systems.

------------------------------ FX68800-01e Core i7 920
12GB Corsair DDR3
3.25TB Storage
Dual 24" LCD Monitors @ 1920 x 1200 each
Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Confirmed. New RAM works. Removing the molasses (original 3GB RAM) proved all slots work. The computer now reports 12GB. THanks for the help Road Warrior.

Reply to stingreye

You're welcome!

Reply to Renegade_Warrior

I ran across this thread and saw some mention of the video card issues for this computer so I thought I'd ask a question here. I have not found a way to update the ati 4850 video card driver. When I tried I first removed the old driver and catalyst suite (following ati instructions). When I tried to install the new driver I got got an "out of disk space" error and some message about a Microsoft redistributable something. The driver install stoped , the screen became darker and the catalyst suite was not there so I could not increase the brightness. Numerous contacts with the store I purchased the computer at, ATI and Gateway did not solve anything. Eventually, Gateway told me I could NEVER (huh???) update the video card driver and I had to do a complete system restore which erased all I had on the hard drive and reinstalled the old driver. I was not happy. Is this problem related to the BIOS? Any one have the same problem and had a solution?

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to BenL9

That should have nothing to do with the BIOS update what so ever.

Also it seems that Gateway fed you a line of crap saying that the driver could never be updated.

If anything, I would recommend installing a new, larger hard drive.
Then upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit as a clean install by selecting custom installation when you get to the selection screen.

You won't need any of the drivers or other stuff from Gateway. About the only thing you'll need is the newest release of the Intel Matrix Storage Manager and the newest Ati Catalyst suite along with what ever software you prefer.

I recommend Avast! Anti-Virus or ESET NOD32 (64-bit) along with MalwareByte's AntiMalware and SpyBot -Search & Destroy (with out the Tea Timer).

Read through this thread and you'll find information to help with this

Reply to Renegade_Warrior

BenL9 wrote :

I ran across this thread and saw some mention of the video card issues for this computer so I thought I'd ask a question here. I have not found a way to update the ati 4850 video card driver. When I tried I first removed the old driver and catalyst suite (following ati instructions). When I tried to install the new driver I got got an "out of disk space" error and some message about a Microsoft redistributable something. The driver install stoped , the screen became darker and the catalyst suite was not there so I could not increase the brightness. Numerous contacts with the store I purchased the computer at, ATI and Gateway did not solve anything. Eventually, Gateway told me I could NEVER (huh???) update the video card driver and I had to do a complete system restore which erased all I had on the hard drive and reinstalled the old driver. I was not happy. Is this problem related to the BIOS? Any one have the same problem and had a solution?

Benl9,

I got the error also. Click to close the error message and wait a short while for the rest of the program to finish and the latest Catylyst drivers and menu will install. Why it is look for 2005 redistributable I do not know. Renegade Warrior probably can tell us.

Reply to corby

It's the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2005 which is required for the Catalyst Suit.

The install package will check to see if it's installed and if it is up to date. If necessary, it'll install the C++ package or if it's not the most current, it'll install the updated package.

Microsoft still releases updates for this package periodically from what I can tell.

I'm surprised that they are still using the 2005 Redistributable too instead of something newer.

Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Thanks for the quick replies. Are you sure it will eventually install? I have not done this in a while, but I seem to recall something about the installation aborting... I may be wrong. It has been a while. In the email I sent to ATI when I was describing the problem I have a screen print of the error report with an indication of a failure of the redistributable and an "Out of disc space" error. "Error Message - Application Install - Out of disk space." I told ATI the the installation stopped. I remember waiting a while and the ATI indicator showing installation progress hung up at one point and did not move. (I have plenty of disk space.) ATI mentioned something about Gateway using a special drive partition (?) that was causing the problem. But they were very vague and eventually sent me back to Gateway who gave up completely and said I will never be able to update this ATI driver. They said I would have no problem with NVIDIA cards. Which made no sense. By that time I did not trust either Gateway or ATI with explaining this problem to me in an understandable way.

If this fails again that will mean another restore and doing a system restore is not a pleasant thing to do if you have data you don't want to lose and no quick and easy way to back it up. But I am stunned I can't update the video card driver. (Since this does not seem to be a BIOS problem, I can move the topic to the graphics card section if necessary.)

Reply to BenL9

The hidden partition on the drive is known as an EISA partition. These are used by OEMs for System Recovery tools, System Image and OEM Drivers.

Last I knew, you could access the EISA partition using http://www.fs-driver.org/ Ext2 IFS for windows. It allows you to set a drive letter for the partition so you can access it or to remove the drive letter to keep it hidden.

Here is a little something from mydigitallife.info

Quote :

Here’s the trick to delete and remove the EISA recovery or diagnostic partition in Vista. Before proceeding with the deletion action, make sure that at least a set of Recovery Disc Media has been created. Else, you won’t be able to restore your computer to working and factory default condition when any problem on PC requires reinstallation.

Open a command prompt as administrator.

Run Diskpart application by typing Diskpart in the command prompt.

In the “Diskpart” prompt, enter rescan command and press Enter key to re-scan all partitions, volumes and drives available.

Then type in list disk and press Enter key to show all hard disk drive available.

Select the disk that contains the partition you want to remove. Normally, with just 1 hard disk, it will be disk 0. So the command will be:

select disk 0

Finish by Enter key.

Type list partition and press Enter key to show all available and created partition in the disk selected.

Select the partition that wanted to be deleted by using the following command, followed by Enter key:

select partition x

where x is the number of the EISA based recovery partition to be removed and unlocked its space. Be careful with the number of this partition, as wrong number may get data wipes off.

Finally, type in delete partition override and press Enter key.

Once the partition has been deleted, exit from Diskpart, and now users can use the much familiar and much easier Disk Management tool in Windows (diskmgmt.msc) to manipulate the freed unallocated partition. Users can create a new volume (partition) with this space, or simply merge it to existing partition by extending the size of the existing partition.

Warning - If the EISA partition is left in place and you add another drive to the system, if the new drive is connected in a position on the SATA controller lower than the Operating system drive and you try to run the Gateway Recovery Tool to either create a set of backup disks or to restore the system, then the drive that is lower in position on the controller will be converted entirely to an EISA partition due to a set of batch files which are present on the recovery partition.

With the system laying flat on it's side so the motherboard is facing up, the SATA controller ports are as follows:

- - Left, Top Row - SATA-5 SATA-3 SATA-1 - Right, Top Row
Left, Bottom Row - SATA-6 SATA-4 SATA-2 - Right, Bottom Row

The Operating system drive (C:\Drive) should be connected to the SATA-1 port to prevent any such accidental problems.

But I still feel your best bet would be a clean installation on a New hard drive. This way you'll have more space for your stuff as you'll have both the new and old drives. You can always copy what you need from the old drive after the installation if need be. Windows 7 does deserve serious consideration.

Message edited by Renegade_Warrior on 11-05-2009 at 01:15:20 PM

Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Just had to fix an error caused when I missed a key while typing last night.

Reply to Renegade_Warrior

OK. The EISA partition was what the ATI tech phone person seemed to think was the problem. He said a few words about the driver being loaded into the recover partition and running out of room since partition only contained the recovery programs etc. But ATI did not have a solution, which is rather strange. He said also it only happened with Gateway. The drivers do not seem to go where they should go. A bit like changing the oil in your car and the oil you pour in goes into the gas tank which is filled with something else.

I understand how removing the EISA partition may solve the problem. The driver will then only have one partition to go to. But I don't understand how putting in another hard drive will solve the problem. Can you explain a bit of the reasoning? I will not do this myself but will have to explain to whomever I have try to fix this what I am trying to do. This is one if the strangest and most unnecessary equipment failures I have ever run across.

Reply to BenL9

The problem here is the EISA partition is Partition 0
and the Operating System Partition is Partition 1

When the system Boots, Gateway (Acer) loads certain processes related to the EISA Recovery partition. These processes monitor the system and as necessary, update the Recovery Image and drivers stored on the EISA partition. This is what is interfering with the ATI installation/update.

This is one of the reasons why it is preferable to do a clean install of Windows without all the OEM crap that is included when you purchase the system.

Now the reason why I recommended installing a new drive and installing windows to that drive is to get around some problems. One such problem is the OS being on the second partition which if you remove the first partition, this can cause a known problem which off hand I can't remember right now. (currently sick with fever). Another thing is you wouldn't have the Gateway processes loading in the background and you don't have to worry about the drive accidentally being converted to an EISA partition.

A Plus is more drive space and a clean installation.

You don't even need the EISA partition really. Instead, you can get Gateway to send you the Restore DVDs (there are 2 of them).

The Disk title is:

Applications, Drivers, & Operating System Restore DVD P/N DD G410X SVA
1-4D5MCY

On the back is a Red Warning Sticker about the software may not be returned for a refund if the seal has been broken or tampered with. There is also a part number on the sticker - Part No: 3004919

Reply to Renegade_Warrior

Focus On

Gateway FX 6800-01e BIOS Update from Gateway Unsupported - Page 4

Forum Motherboards & Memory : Chipsets & Bios - Gateway FX 6800-01e BIOS Update from Gateway Unsupported