Are there known issues with Chaintech VNF3-250 mobo and 2600+ Sempron??

[formulav8]

I just got a brand new 2600+ 754 Sempron (1.6ghz, 128 L2) and I just get beeping whenever I turn the computer on. I can put the 3400+ Newcastle back in and it works perfectly.

So, either my chip is DOA or the mobo doesn't like these .09 low cache chips?? Anyone heard of anything??

I also DO have the latest 2005/3/21 that is listed on their website installed. Anyone with any idea's or info???



Jason

 

[o1die]

I would call chaintech and ask for a bios update. Sometimes a firm will send you one by email. If chaintech won't, find another board or return the cpu.

 

[rdegler]

I am installing Windows 2000 on a chaintech vnf3 250 at this moment using a Sempron 2800+. Everything is going fine. It appears that the semprons .90mm work fine.

I am using the shipping bios.

good luck

 

[Vette73]

yea others have the same board and chip and it works fine. Flip the chip over and check ALL the pins. Reset the bios and try once more. Also if you are running more then 1 stick of ram only put 1 in for testing. Then after that try it one more time. If the same thing happens send it back.

 

[formulav8]

Hi, thanks alot for the replys. I will try 1 more time I guess and then RMA the cpu.

Does the 754 cpu's have overheat protection built-in like the P4's do?? Or is it the mobo only that can prevent overheating?? Anyone know?


Jason

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: formulav8
Does the 754 cpu's have overheat protection built-in like the P4's do?? Or is it the mobo only that can prevent overheating??

Resurrecting an old thread because I just got in my first VNF3-250 today...

Does your asking mean you fired it up without a HSF?

 

[formulav8]

Hi, No, it had a hsf on it. I didn't know if possibly the hsf wasn't making good contact with the cpu.

For some reason, after I took the mobo out of the case and such it would work fine with the 2600+ Sempron. I am not sure what the deal was but maybe somehow it wasn't making good contact with the cpu in the case for some reason. I don't know. I don't have that mobo anymore. It officially fried and smoked a couple days after that


Jason

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: Zap

Originally posted by: formulav8
Does the 754 cpu's have overheat protection built-in like the P4's do?? Or is it the mobo only that can prevent overheating??

Resurrecting an old thread because I just got in my first VNF3-250 today...

Does your asking mean you fired it up without a HSF?

Hey Zap, I used one of those mobo's in a build for a guy last month. I was pretty impressed with it.

Lemme know what you think, especially if you OC with it. I left him at stock speeds since his old rig was a P2 @ 400mhz IIRC. I figured that speed jump was enough for him ATM. Later I figure he'll want me to OC it though.

Fren

 

[Zap]

I've fired it up and fiddled with overclocking an old Sempron 3100+ that I have temporarily (until my $100 A64 3400+ shows up). That Sempron may not have cool and quiet though I've heard that those 3000+ and higher do. Perhaps because it is on the older .13 micron core... If I lower the multiplier the board will not POST even with all other settings at default. The BIOS is next to the latest, probably won't update because the latest doesn't seem to do much more. The audio daughtercard was a nice touch, especially for a $56-shipped motherboard.

I choose this board because of 1) cost 2) ability to use large HSF 3) passive Northbridge cooling 4) known to overclock at least minimally, and has all the important BIOS settings 5) needed a socket 754 board 6) needed AGP.

Haven't installed Windows yet, indeed setup is just sitting on top of a motherboard box with a video card, RAM, CPU, HSF, power supply and monitor hooked up. CPU will POST easily at 250MHz FSB but will not at 270. I think I got it to POST (was getting late last night) at 260MHz or so, but I believe I'm hitting the limit on that particular CPU because it gets around the same in my Epox 8RDAI board while my A64 2800+ can POST at 300MHz on the Epox (all on default 9x multiplier for 2.7GHz!!!).

With two 512MB sticks of RAM the board drops to DDR333 setting maximum, just like my Epox. IIRC this is an AMD limitation that board manufacturers are following. However, the board drops down to DDR200 (yes, PC1600!!!) if I manually set it to 1T. IIRC my Epox let me stay at DDR333. Of course DDR333 becomes something... more... after overclocking. Makes me wish for a single 1GB module that can run beyond JEDEC specs, but those are rare and expensive - unreasonable for a budget build.

I don't know what maximum FSB I can attain on this board, but I have heard others get close to 300MHz. I don't feel like ripping apart my A64 2800+ system just to test it out since that's the system I'm currently typing this message on. I'll wait until I get my 3400+ and drop the multiplier to see what it can do. Hopefully I'll get it in a few days. My buddy is supposed to ship it to me today, using UPS Blue, however he's not too reliable. :roll:

 

[Peter]

The board might need a BIOS update to run E6 step processors.

Overheat protection? These chips hardly consume 30 watts - you'll be hard pressed to get them warm; overheating is far out of question. But yes, they do have that feature - if the board brings the necessary wiring.