Asrock 4CoreDual-SATA2

[cpmee]

Originally posted by: Budarow

Originally posted by: cpmee

Originally posted by: Budarow

Originally posted by: jimmor

Originally posted by: Budarow
Hey guys, how about some opinions on whether or not my PS is adequate for a 4CoreDual based PC below? The know the Pentium D line sucks more juice than newer procs, but I'm guessing it ought to be okay with an Ultra V-Series 350w (ATX 120mm fan SATA Ready Power Supply with 18A on the 12V rail). I'm pretty sure the PS is defective and not just "underpowered" for the PC. The PC would not POST; however, the CPU fan, power supply fan and other case fans would spin-up. The monitor had a "blinking" cursor, but no messages.

I uninstalled the above Ultra power supply and installed another power supply (Thermaltake 430w) and the PC instantly POSTed and everything seems to be fine now (i.e., WinXP loaded, etc.). Just to make sure, I reinstalled the Ultra PS (prior to loading WinXP) and it was back to not POSTing again. So for sure, the issue is the PS.

The PC includes the following:

Motherboard:ASRocks 4CoreDual
CPU: Intel Pentium D925 at 3.0GHz (OEM HSF)
RAM:2 sticks of DDR2 PC6400 (OCZ)
Video:ATI X800XT PE (AGP)
Hard Drive:1 Maxtor 320GB
Sound: integrated
LAN:integrated
Optical Drives 2 DVD Burners (Samsung 203)
Fans: 5 total (3 case fans, the PS fan and the CPU fan)

There's nothing OC'd and all settings are on default/automatic. Also, the CPU and case temperature is good/normal.

Since the mobo was obviously receiving "some" power from the PS (i.e., the fans were spinning), I'm not sure if the PS is defective or if it just didn't have enough power for the PC. If the PS is defective, I need to exchange it.

Thank You,

Not sure what you are asking for, or why ?

You removed a "Ultra V-Series 350w" psu because your setup wouldn't post. You installed a "Thermaltake 430w" psu and everything now works ok? YES

So now you are trying to get people on this forum who have no access to your "old" 350watt psu to tell you whether it was faulty or just had insufficient power for your particular setup ??

Why does it matter, are you maybe intending to RMA it ? YES

You could obviously try switching off, or disconnecting, unnecessary to booting devices, ie, bios's integrated audio & lan, your 2 DVD burners and some case fans. If you then still can't boot, then likely your psu is faulty ---> assuming of course it ever worked with your computer setup? This is a good idea and I'll try this.

Of course if your Ultra V-series 350 is nothing more than a cheap "generic" psu, then I suggest you bin it and move onto a proper branded psu like the Thermaltake 430W you tested with !

Thanks for the suggestions

I received an e-mail from Ultra Products. The CSR went to the Newegg website and used their wattage calculator (never knew they had 1). Ultra came up with a 453w PS for my PC and said they recommend going ~100w over the "minimum" recommended wattage (so 553w).

Geez...if the Newegg calculator is right, 1 would think all the OEM PC builders out there who install power supplies which have ~1/2 (or less) the "recommended" wattage (per the calculator on Newegg's site) would be replacing the PS' in at least 50% of the PCs they sell.

IMO, I think the Newegg calculator is BS. Seems to be a marketing tool to get peeps to over engineer and buy more expensive PS'.

The OEMs have had plenty of power supply issues to deal with. I dont think any would have sold a system with Video:ATI X800XT PE (AGP) /350watt psu, unless it was only with a 15 day guarantee. They would have increased their profits on the higher watt psu too.

Large OEMs, like Dell, Gateway, Compaq, etc have their systems engineered to the last watt. If you later put just 1 stick of memory or a dinky pci card in it, watch out, the psu blows. Dell has had large returns, they have trying to keep quiet about, because they cheaped out on the psu on some models.

I agree with you, all I'm saying is a decent quality 350w PS with 18a on the 12V rail should have more than enough juice to allow a PC with my specs to POST. And this PS is supposed to be decent. Just guessing, but I'd imagine my PC at idle would draw less than ~150 watts. I'll disconnect a bunch of components just to test this PS, but I'm guessing it won't make a difference and the PC still won't post and I'll be RMAing this PS.

At idle, after its booted up, 150watts idle is about right. But booting puts a big load on the system, least double, getting the drives and fans etc started. Also since there are no psu police, specs on a psu are a lot of times, pure fantasy. As are the "certification" emblems.

But by all means rma the thing if the warranty is still good. It can always be used in a lesser system.

 

[cpmee]

Originally posted by: bujeezus
forgive me guys n gals if this has already been answered, but i just couldn't bring myself to read thru 32 pages (i got to 24 before my eyes started to glaze over)

i just recently got this board in a barebones sysytem. i'm runnin a E2160 @ 267 fsb as the only oc'ing coz i'm happy with it and it's stable. also runnin a lot of legacy stuff. 1 gig ddr (2 512 sticks) memory, x800 agp card an 2 ide hdd's. my only complaint with this system is an abnormally long boot up time and the onboard sound doesn't work. usually about 35 secs before i see the windows xp logo (xp pro serv. pack 2). is this a simple fix? thanks in advance for any help. great board btw.

Did you install the via 4 in 1 driver ?


For the onboard sound, make sure its enabled in bios, and download the latest realtek drivers, 184 IIRC. It looks like some of the install cds that come with board are corrupt.

 

[bujeezus]

yeah, i installed the 4-1 drivers off the cd. is the install cd problem concerning the boot up issue or the sound card issue or both? thanks.

 

[dmarook]

Having problem reinstalling xp. Had a perfectly running system with XP and Vista dual boot. Recently updated Bios to 1.80 as I am planning to get the ATI 3870. Due to some software issues, I seem to have messed up my system. I have been trying to reinstall XP but everything seems to freeze after I hit the enter to boot from cd and it says on the monitor "inspecting your system". I still can boot up in to the broken XP but multiple install attempts have left me with multiple instances of xp in the boot menu. I have come to my wit's end. Can't even get to the point to format my disk. Any ideas??

My System:

4 Coredual-SATA2 (1.80)
E4500
ATI raedon 9800 Pro in AGP slot
Creative SB Audigi 2
2 SATA and 1 IDE disk
1SATA controller with another SATA disk
Plextor DVD rewriter

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

 

[Hoskins]

chances are you f*cked your system like i just did..........i just ran the update utility and it locked my pc meaning i had to manually reboot (which is recommended u never do), now my pc doesn't even POST. Im pissed. Anyone have a toasted board they could salvage the bios chip from?

 

[dmarook]

It's difficult for me to say that the Bios update had anything to do with it as I can easily boot up from ubuntu CD. However ERD commander would not load. And also, I have been able to restore back up disk image of my C drive. I only wish I had made a backup before everything messed up.

 

[Peav]

Originally posted by: Hoskins
chances are you f*cked your system like i just did..........i just ran the update utility and it locked my pc meaning i had to manually reboot (which is recommended u never do), now my pc doesn't even POST. Im pissed. Anyone have a toasted board they could salvage the bios chip from?

Not a spare chip, but if your UK based I can hot flash your bios for you. Just PM me if you need help.

 

[cpmee]

Originally posted by: Hoskins
chances are you f*cked your system like i just did..........i just ran the update utility and it locked my pc meaning i had to manually reboot (which is recommended u never do), now my pc doesn't even POST. Im pissed. Anyone have a toasted board they could salvage the bios chip from?

You may want to email asrock support if you cant find a hotflash. Bios chips are inexpensive, and then you would have a spare too after hotflashing the old one.

 

[cpmee]

Originally posted by: bujeezus
yeah, i installed the 4-1 drivers off the cd. is the install cd problem concerning the boot up issue or the sound card issue or both? thanks.

Only you can find out exactly what on your cd. :laugh: The drivers on the cd arent the latest ones anyway, update them all.

 

[Hoskins]

Originally posted by: Peav

Originally posted by: Hoskins
chances are you f*cked your system like i just did..........i just ran the update utility and it locked my pc meaning i had to manually reboot (which is recommended u never do), now my pc doesn't even POST. Im pissed. Anyone have a toasted board they could salvage the bios chip from?

Not a spare chip, but if your UK based I can hot flash your bios for you. Just PM me if you need help.

i just purchased a new board......the same one. Probably i'll hotflash it but won't really need to. What are the chances of a hotflash killing both chips?

 

[cpmee]

Originally posted by: Hoskins

Originally posted by: Peav

Originally posted by: Hoskins
chances are you f*cked your system like i just did..........i just ran the update utility and it locked my pc meaning i had to manually reboot (which is recommended u never do), now my pc doesn't even POST. Im pissed. Anyone have a toasted board they could salvage the bios chip from?

Not a spare chip, but if your UK based I can hot flash your bios for you. Just PM me if you need help.

i just purchased a new board......the same one. Probably i'll hotflash it but won't really need to. What are the chances of a hotflash killing both chips?

99% of hotflash errors are due to klutziness, so how klutzy are you ? 50% 75% ? :laugh:

Seriously, if youre not comfortable doing it, dont.

 

[Hoskins]

im not a klutz and will probably give it a try.

 

[BAUBAU]

bujeezus, for issues with HDD & slow boot:
Boot Settings Configuration - Boot from Onboard LAN=Disabled; 1st Boot Device=your windows HDD; 2nd=Disabled; 3rd=Disabled
IDE Configuration - every HardDisk device needs 32bit data transfers=Enabled; smart=disabled(for performance); all other on Auto
PCI PnP Configuration - PCI IDE BusMaster=Enabled
Chipset - V-link Speed=Fast; V-link Auto-Disconnect=Enabled; IDE drive Strenght=UltraHigh/High
What devices you dont use, disable them - Floppy Disk, Super IO Chipset - all if you dont use gameport, midi, com&lpt ports

, for issues with onboard realtek HD audio:
Chipset - Onboard HD Audio=Enabled (not Auto), Front Panel, CD-in same;
PCI PnP Configuration - PCI Latency Timer=64
, and few that helps generally:
ACPI - ACPI HPET Table=Enabled (very important for overall system performance as it enables a new clock generator, may require a OS repair/reinstall)
Echo TPR Disable=Enabled; PCIE Downstream Pipeline=Disabled

I only had some issues with BSOD from onboard audio in games that use EAX2, now not anymore (driver R184)
Chipset Driver VIA HyperionPro V514A - works well, did not test yet latest V515A


dmarook, run msconfig - on the boot.ini tab you see all that you need to clean up. Press Check all boot paths, set to default the one you know is good, change timeout etc. If you need to also remove things from there, its simple: run cmd then cd\ then attrib -S -H -R boot.ini then notepad boot.ini and then disable Word wrap in Notepad and delete the lines you dont need. If its a more serious issue, use the Windows XP install CD, do not choose at the first prompt to fix with the Repair Console, go with the install, at the next step where you choose where to install it will detect your windows installation(s) and ask you to repair by pressing R...do that, it will clean your boot manager for you. Apply again the latest ServicePack..and voila! you have your system up again with all your programs & shit.

Hoskins, 4CoreDual-SATA2 has an AMI BIOS with an much better boot block protection than AWARD for example. Chances are that you only corrupted the main BIOS area, not the boot block, so use the recovery procedure found here AMI-BIOS-recovery You only need a working floppy disk. About hot swapping... i've done countless times that - DFI maiboards come with a handy tool to extract the bios but you can find something similar - its really easy, but the trick part is to not push the bios all way down when swapping so that you do not break some legs of the chip. It really helps if the mainboard is out of the computer case, because the chip is not placed well on this one.

 

[cpmee]

About hot swapping... i've done countless times that - DFI maiboards come with a handy tool to extract the bios but you can find something similar - its really easy, but the trick part is to not push the bios all way down when swapping so that you do not break some legs of the chip. It really helps if the mainboard is out of the computer case, because the chip is not placed well on this one.


Yep, dont push the chip in too much when swapping. Also very important, DO NOT USE METAL tools when extracting the chip when the mobo is powered on. Use something like a cheap PLASTIC fork.

 

[Alex0915]

Im thinking of getting this card... is it about the size of an x1950pro or bigger? Is it dual slot? Also, how hot does it run? I have an AsRock 4core dua-sata2 mobo with the x1950pro, would you recommend the sapphire 3870 for me if Im using xp sp2, or is it going to cause problems just like it does in vista? I heard you needed a mobo bios flash to get it to work at all in your mobo and I dont see one being available as yet for the sata2 board, maybe it wont need it? Thanks!

 

[dmarook]

Originally posted by: BAUBAU
bujeezus, for issues with HDD & slow boot:
Boot Settings Configuration - Boot from Onboard LAN=Disabled; 1st Boot Device=your windows HDD; 2nd=Disabled; 3rd=Disabled
IDE Configuration - every HardDisk device needs 32bit data transfers=Enabled; smart=disabled(for performance); all other on Auto
PCI PnP Configuration - PCI IDE BusMaster=Enabled
Chipset - V-link Speed=Fast; V-link Auto-Disconnect=Enabled; IDE drive Strenght=UltraHigh/High
What devices you dont use, disable them - Floppy Disk, Super IO Chipset - all if you dont use gameport, midi, com&lpt ports

dmarook, run msconfig - on the boot.ini tab you see all that you need to clean up. Press Check all boot paths, set to default the one you know is good, change timeout etc. If you need to also remove things from there, its simple: run cmd then cd\ then attrib -S -H -R boot.ini then notepad boot.ini and then disable Word wrap in Notepad and delete the lines you dont need. If its a more serious issue, use the Windows XP install CD, do not choose at the first prompt to fix with the Repair Console, go with the install, at the next step where you choose where to install it will detect your windows installation(s) and ask you to repair by pressing R...do that, it will clean your boot manager for you. Apply again the latest ServicePack..and voila! you have your system up again with all your programs & shit.

Thanks BAUBAU. I have already reinstalled XP. Installed it in my second drive after making it the primary drive. As I keep my data on a different partition, getting things up and running was easy although time consuming. I will keep your advice in mind for future reference.

 

[dmarook]

Anyone here using the ATI 3870 with this MoBo?

May we have some feedback on:

• How easy is it to setup?

• What is the performance like.

• Any luck at all with Vista?

• Which manufacturer/Brand are you using?

As the Nvidia midrange cards are no go with this board, I guess the 3870 is the way to go. I was under the impression that the 3870 has a PCI-E 2.0 interface like the Nvidia cards (Or am I wrong?), so how can this card work without GPU bios modification out of the box? Does this mean there is hope for the 8800 GT with driver update (after updating the MoBo bios to 1.80)? While people have managed to get the 8800 GTS working after downgrading the GPU bios, it is not a practical solution for people who are on a gradual upgrade path with this board and not necessarily have a second computer handy with a PCI-E 2.0 slot. Thanks in advance for all your comments and replies.

 

[cpmee]

Originally posted by: Alex0915
Im thinking of getting this card... is it about the size of an x1950pro or bigger? Is it dual slot? Also, how hot does it run? I have an AsRock 4core dua-sata2 mobo with the x1950pro, would you recommend the sapphire 3870 for me if Im using xp sp2, or is it going to cause problems just like it does in vista? I heard you needed a mobo bios flash to get it to work at all in your mobo and I dont see one being available as yet for the sata2 board, maybe it wont need it? Thanks!

For the 3850/3870, you need to update to bios 1.80 which has been out for a month.


Its available here :
http://www.asrock.com/mb/downl...=4CoreDual-SATA2&s=775

 

[fritzfield]

Re:Martinsfit comment about 2GIG Ram modules.
I have the 2 Gig Rams (A-Data DDR2-800).

Will I fry the mobo, the RAM or NADA, just a no go?

Any guidance out there, as the A-DATA RAM modules were delivered today and I'm a itchin' to get a goin'.

 

[martianmisfit]

^

i'm about as clueless as you are. i would try it if i had a 2GB module, but only if it was DDR2 667 or DDR2 533.

 

[fritzfield]

Thanks martianMAN.

I'll try it tomorrow and post my results.

 

[cpmee]

Originally posted by: fritzfield
Re:Martinsfit comment about 2GIG Ram modules.
I have the 2 Gig Rams (A-Data DDR2-800).

Will I fry the mobo, the RAM or NADA, just a no go?

Any guidance out there, as the A-DATA RAM modules were delivered today and I'm a itchin' to get a goin'.

You wont fry the mobo, unless they are bad sticks. I read another thread somewhere where someone tried 2gig sticks and only one stick could be recognized. I think with (2) 2gig sticks installed, it either didnt boot or only the 1 was recognized (2gigs total). I dont have the link, but I think it was in this anandtech forum, under this mobo thread or one of its predessors.

 

[fritzfield]

well, thankee kindly. I'l let U No what Happens.

 

[fritzfield]

OK. This is what happens with A-DATA 2Gig DDR800 RAM. Running 5-5-5-18, DDR667 and memory voltage normal. FSB of 300.

The machine boots fine. The 1.80 BIOS reads each DDR2 slot as 2048MB of RAM, however it reports only 2816MB of available RAM

CPU-Z identifies the RAM as 2048MB each stick.

Vista Ultimate 64 only recognizes 2815MB RAM under system devices.

So, I guess thats it with the 2GB RAM sticks.

 

[lowrider69]

Great thread, i've been reading it on and off for a few weeks. I recently upgraded from a old socket A board to a 4CoreDual-SATA2 with a e6420, no problems at all..i'm very happy with this board.