CUSL2?

[Raincity]

Syborg1211 I have built over thirty systems with the MSI 6337 mainboard, twenty of them with overclocked Intel Pentium three processors. The MSI 6337 has to be the best mainboard I have ever ever worked with, Period. Bios 1.1 and 1.2 has some issues with the vcore adjustment but everthing else is fine. I have built over 10 systems with the Asus cul2 and I think its a fine mainboard also, but Your not sacrificing anything going with the MSI 6337 instead of the Asus cul2 , so save some bucks and go with the MSI mainboard as LXIhas recomended.

Rain

 

[LXi]

We're all buddy buddy now.

 

[Radboy]

Rain, Have u built any with all 3 RAM slots full?

 

[LXi]

Radboy:

I believe you, no need to ask around for that 3DIMM thing. I know the MSI can't do it.

 

[Radboy]

Then you'd be sacrificing a DIMM slot, wouldn't you?

Suppose I have 2 128MB sticks (like I do), and I want to get into 3D design with say .. Lightwave 6 or 3D Studio Max r3.1 .. and I want to upgrade to 512MB (I might) .. if I only have 2 working RAM slots, I couldn't simply buy a 256MB stick & pop it in .. could I?

Something to consider .. no? .. especially with RAM prices so low now.

 

[Syborg1211]

Sheesh, I host one LAN party and I miss like 20 some posts.

 

[LXi]

Radboy:

You can always sell the two 128MB sticks and get two 256MB sticks cant you?

 

[Raincity]

Guys, please enlighten me on this issue of not being able to use the third dimm slot on the 6337. I have been running 364 megs of Crucial pc133 cas 2 ram via three 128 sticks and have had no issues with it having it set to 133 222 settings while the processor is running at 145 fsb. Everything is rock stable in Win98/Win2K/Linux Mandrake/BEOS. I have no cold boot bug or any issues with this board or any of the systems I have built over the summer and fall with the 6337.

Rain

 

[LXi]

Raincity:

Its a chipset limitation, in Anand's i815 round up they also mentioned it. But if it works, great!! One less argument for the CUSL2 zealots.

 

[Raincity]

I thought the only limitation of the memory was a max of 512 megs of ram with the 815 chipset. So Whats the issue, What Am I missing ?

Rain

 

[LXi]

There is another limitation, which is i815 incapable of running 3 DIMMs(double sided) at 133MHz, the limitation says 2 DIMMs only, but somehow Asus got around the limitation. From your experience, it looks to me as if MSI also found a way around.

 

[Radboy]

Of course I could buy 2 x 256 & sell my 2 x 128, but what a royal pain .. finding someone to buy my RAM, trying to get a decent price, packaging the stuff, paying shipping. Mushkin sells new rev 1.5 sticks for $89. Obviously, it'd be a whole lot easier (for me) to just call Mushkin, get my stick & pop it in - not to mention cheaper.

My point is that the ability to use all 3 RAM slots is something worth considering. I know ppl who won't buy an 815e chipset cuz it's limited to 512MB RAM. If you know you're never gonna use more than 2 slots, then it doesn't matter, but I'd hate to decide somewhere down the road that I need that 3rd slot, and find out my board won't run when I fill the last slot.

Rain, if u read the 815e round-up here at Anandtech (doesn't sound like u have), you'll see that they couldn't get *any* of the boards with 815e chipset to run stable at 133 with 3 RAM slots full .. except the CUSL2 - which is why they awarded it their Editor's Choice.

Here is where they said the MSI board wouldn't run at 133 w/ 3 RAM slots full.

Maybe should give Mike a call & let him know how you got it to work, cuz he wasn't able.

 

[LXi]

Radboy, thats only one web site's opinion, actually more like one person(Mike)'s opinion. Like I said I've found other web sites that prefer the MSI. We cant declare a clear winner by just looking at Anandtech. I agree the 2 DIMM/512MB limitation sucks.

 

[Syborg1211]

One last question, does the MSI come with an ata100 ide cable?

 

[Wingznut]

FedEx just delivered my 815E-PRO. And yes, it does include the set of cables.

 

[Syborg1211]

One question from a happy owner of an MSI 815e Pro now, can the motherboard run 3 one-sided 128 mb ram sticks? thus a total of 384 mb at 133 mhz bus?

 

[Syborg1211]

and also, what about one 128 mb one sided stick and one double sided 256 mb stock?

 

[LXi]

<<can the motherboard run 3 one-sided 128 mb ram sticks? thus a total of 384 mb at 133 mhz bus?>>

No, any combination of 3 DIMMs will not operate at 133MHz. Thats the i815 chipset limitation. But try it, who knows if it works or not.


<<and also, what about one 128 mb one sided stick and one double sided 256 mb stock?>>

2 DIMMs will definitely work.

 

[subhuman]

Before anyone buys the MSI board, you might want to check out how it compares to the CUSL2 here

 

[Supradude]

my roomates having problems with accurate temperature,... and also his fsb resets sometimes... other than that, it's been running fine...

 

[Syborg1211]

MSI doesn't have good temp readings? I am not sure since it always stays at the same temp so either my pep66 is doing its job or the temp reading is wrong.

 

[subhuman]

There ISNT ONE motherboard with &quot;good&quot; built-in readings. So fortunately, this doesn't factor into the buying decision. Yet.

 

[LXi]

Take a look at my reply to your thread.

 

[Syborg1211]

I am getting some mixed answers from reviews and from people. So 3 single sided sticks of ram won't work at 133? And the Anandteh review mentioned something about not being able to run 133 mhz ram with 100 mhz processors? What is with that?