Asrock 4CoreDual-SATA2 R20 & INTEL E7500 10/2010

[kiriakos]

Hello I am currently preparing an new build with :

INTEL CORE 2 DUO E7500 2.93 GHZ LGA775 - 1066 FSB
Asrock 4CoreDual-SATA2 R20 ( 533 MHz, 667 MHz)
HD3850 AGP (Sapphire)

And currently I am looking for DDRII ram ,
even if I own OCZ platinum 2-2-2-5 , and actually four sticks of 512MB.

The problem is that by using just too of those I fall short at 1GB ..
I need at list 2GB , as I will do video editing .

And so, it looks that I will need an 2X1GB , I am also looking and for 2x2GB sets.

The only practical issue looks to be that the specific motherboard needs low voltage DDRII 1.8 - 2.0 V

And I need to know what DDRII set of the modern ones support such low voltage ..

I have do my homework about the latest Bios , and the hacked one .

All that I care are to find Low voltage DDRII at lowest possibly latency .

 

[kiriakos]

I found the solution by getting on ebay 2X1GB OCZ PC-4200 4-4-4-12 1.8v
( Value Pro series )
Probably I got lucky due the day 10/10/2010

I am trying to find their code on ebay , and I found identical in specs with different heat-sink .

If some one can identify those, it will be nice .

 

[kiriakos]

Found the Ram code ...
Value Pro PC2-4200 2X1GB Kit 533Mhz 4-4-4-12 1.80 Value Memory OCZ25332048VPDC-K

Now I have to wait for an used Q6600 , as the new E7500 , turned to be damaged , and I had return it for RMA ...
It had be tested on the Asrock and another latest model motherboard , and it did not power on.

 

[kiriakos]

Ok and some pictures of this setup with most parts, but with out CPU ...:\


Yes that's the ProlimaTech Armageddon ..
That fits nicely on the 4CoreDual-SATA2 R2.0 , but there is an small issue with the one corner of the one side plate.
At the up-left corner the clip can not be installed as there is an capacitor there, I had to trim the plate corner by just a half centimeter or a bit less.
And yes, full success .. totally compatible .
My Ram modules arrived today too.

Check the pictures ..
( with out CPU the cooler its not 100% centered ..but who cares ) :biggrin:

 

[ReefaMadness]

Looking good. Are those modules the Gold series? Can't quite tell from the picture.

Also, you stated something about a hacked BIOS in the opening post. Just curious, as I have that motherboard also. Does this BIOS support newer processors?

If so, perhaps you could share a link to the download site.

 

[kiriakos]

Hi , the memory specs are on the message No3 .

The hacked BIOS its actually the official 2.10 , with an small tweak about making possible the 4GB installation - detection.

This is mostly the reason that it become famous ..
It has also one tweaked setting , by setting the memory voltage to low , the motherboard gives even more voltage to the ram modules than the default settings .

Default settings =
1,86V "DRAM Voltage" set to Low
1,96V when "Auto" and "Normal"
2,06V when High



Links

1) Hacked Bios file http://www.pctreiber.net/asrock-bios-downloads?did=102

2) Hacked Bios boot image http://www.pctreiber.net/asrock-bios-downloads?did=100 (Burn with Nero on CD )

3) Forum page .. http://www.pctreiber.net/forum/inte...sata2_bios_2.20a_12456.msg74980.html#msg74980



.

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Reckon this thread should get merged with the main thread

Nice setup, btw. Those boards are great

Edit - you'll have to bump the FSB up to 266 to get 2.4, btw (unless the hacked bios fixes that).

 

[kiriakos]

The old thread had an message of an moderator , pointing to not do any further posting .. Reason = Outdated.

As about the FSB at the 1066FSB CPU's , the 266,5 MHz its the default.

If I can push at 333MHz X4 Bus, this will do 8.5X333= an sweet 2830 .. that the CPU easily can do.

But it will force the motherboard to operate the CPU above the 1066FSB,
and I do not know if it can handle this ..

I truly like to read success stories with this board at 333MHz ..
I do not care for out limits overclock ...
And so , from what I have read, with a first class motherboard the Q6600 it can do about 3GHz at stock voltage .

And so, possibly the 2.8G mark its nothing special , just for the CPU .
Also the motherboard supports 533 & 667 memory (266 & 333)
Yes but does it do this at 1:1 with the Q6600 ?

That's why we all trying to get info and tips , of how to set properly this motherboard, so to eventually get there .

The hacked Bios , its just a bit hacked ... nothing major about how this board uses the quad core CPU's. (Asrock rule of 5% performance reduction )
At list so far .

Asrock points out about FSB reduction, but other users noticed that the CPU divider its less by half unit and not Just the FSB .

http://www.asrock.com/mb/cpu.asp?Model=4CoreDual-SATA2


.

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

It's weird that the board has the FSB reduction. I recall that Gary Key was doing a review of some board a while back (not the 4core), and mentioned in passing that the 4Core was "quirky" with Quads. Maybe it's the caps/voltage regulation? Who knows. In any event, even with changing the multiplier, it's unlikely you'll hit 333. These boards can't handle that high of an FSB.

Edit - btw, here's the main thread, applies to all VSTA boards.

 

[kiriakos]

Its something in hardware level about the VIA® PT880 Pro/PT880 Ultra Chipsets . ( reduction issue )

Even so , the CPU core voltage does not look to be an issue.

 

[kiriakos]

After of major troubles to even boot this MB , I decided to not use it at all.

I got this board used from an person in UK ebay 100% feedback,
I got for it the E7500 , it did not boot , I try on it an Pentium D ,
after many attempts it booted , I flashed the latest Bios successfully,
The E-7500 still did not booted ..
I got an used Q6600 that is recognized with out any latest Bios, still no boot.

I tested 5 AGP video cards, three types of memory modules , with 580W PSU ( trusted one ) no cheap make.

Because of it I wasted other than time , money for buying two CPU's ,
with out to even need them.

Last night I got one Sapphire HD5770 Vapor-X 1GB
And today, an GIGABYTE GA-EP35C-DS3R
And hopping for the best.

This 4CoreDual-SATA2 R20 , turned for me an great waste of time,
not to speak about time and money.

I build my computers for 15 years , never ever had see something so unstable and flaky , like this board.

My opinion , do not use it at all , for Dual core or quad .
The electrical parts around the socket are at their limits for such CPU's,
and probably all the instability comes from the capacitors, that if they loose their good shape just a bit , the motherboard falls apart.

Right now, I am in pain, I did not manage to make any savings by keeping any components from the old AGP setup .
And spent all the cash that an "New" system needs.