EP 8KTA3 OWNERS ONLY

[AMDPROF]

:QHi,
to leave out of consideration I am epox enthusiast custmer , but I have in
this time some problems with 8KTA 3 and I would like to known if is an
isolated and unluck incident or is a worldwide problem, I mean in first boot
when you push pause the CD ROM is recognized from BIOS like PIO MODE 4.
In the BIOS there isn't the voice AGP 4X Mode and the only choise I got is
2x or 1x.
In the BIOS if I disable integrated audio feature when boot the OS still
searching for PCI multimedia device
My system configuration is:
Mb Epox 8KTA3
CPU AMD ATHLON 800
RAM 256 PC 133 BRAND
HD IBM DTLA 30 G ATA 100
CD ROM LG 52X UDMA 33
VIDEO ELSA ERAZOR X 2X/4X CAPABLE
AUDIO SOUND BLASTER LIVE!
OS WINDOWS SE
I will appreciate yours experiences for reply and apoligise me since now for
my english is not my native language.
P.S. the motherboard serial number is 0101117001250 , please write yours
thanks
regards

 

[Wolfman35]

OK, Bottom line is you really don't have any problems that the VIA Drivers (OS Installed) won't solve. Let me see if I can help you on some of this. The 686B has some issues with non ATA100 capable devices but most are solved in Windows with the VIA Driver load. It's not unusual for the Board to "see" a CDROM/CDRW as PIO4 in POST rather than UDMA2. Yamaha and Sony both have this "issue" and probably many more Optical drives.

You have to disable the onboard Audio in 2 places in BIOS. Integrated Peripherals and Advanced Chipset. Make sure you also have the Gameport and MIDI Disabled as well. Also set the CNR Modem to Disable rather than the default Auto setting.

The 4X AGP setting is default and also a function of the VIA (OS loaded) Drivers.

Use a program like SiSoft Sandra to check your setup AFTER the OS Boots and the VIA Drivers are running. It should solve many of your problems (Unless you're running DOS only).

 

[Arbiter]

Wolfman,

I just received this motherboard last night and was wondering if you'd mind giving a quick explanation (or link) of what exactly the VIA '4 in 1' drivers are; I've seen them referred to countless times and have the general idea that they're needed to address various problems, but I'd just like to be sure. The Epox manual only explains how to load them. Thanks...

 

[Wolfman35]

The 4 in 1 drivers are the operating code for the VIA Chipset. They control and Implement many of the VIA chipset functions that do not load natively with Windows (at least not 95-98SE) and update the code that does load with Me and 2K. It's really no different with an Intel chipset. Intel chipsets have to have the 95-98SE OS code updated for the I815 just like VIA does.

They mainly enable DMA, AGP (4X is the Turbo setting) and IRQ Allocation (Miniport). The BusMaster Driver is also included.

Here is the link to VIA's website for the Drivers. I prefer the 4.24 version and the 4.25 is the current Approved version but 4.26 is probably best for the 8KTA3 and 4.28 is the latest Beta.

VIA Drivers

 

[AMDPROF]

thanks for helping
you was true for disable two times in bios for audio features....but
Agp 2x is really a bug of this BIOS

 

[Wolfman35]

AMDPROF: What are you using to determine that your AGP Card is indeed not running at 4X?? Trust me that the VIA 4 in 1 drivers enable the 4X Mode. Are you saying that the EP8KTA3 is not 4X capable with the production BIOS? I think you may be wrong but I really would like to know how you are determining this. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[AMDPROF]

I run WCPUID

 

[Zuluwarrior]

This brings up a question I have concerning the 4in1.

I figured you'd just go to their site, download a file,
and decompress and hit setup and away it goes,

but .....

as i recall when i tried it, there were two archives
or two directories with the same setup file in them,
and when i tried to execute one nothing happened
and when i went deeper into the directory stack, it
installed like one driver it said which left me
saying "where the hell is the 4 in 1,this looks like 1 in 1

Bottom line is this driver don't install like any driver I ever saw,
and i walked away unsure if i did it correctly or even
if i got the right file for that matter....

Is there an faq somewhere on specific steps to installing 4 in 1
and should i even attempt it if my windows is running without
problemo



thanks

 

[Inferno]

That is incorrect. The default bios supports 4x agp. If you have a PCi video card the bios will only allow 2x agp until you install the agp. Also if you card is AGP with a PCI chipset it will probably do this as well. I have had no problem with my computer and this board. I would like to figure out how to turn on fast write and sideban addressing in ME and 2000.

 

[Arbiter]

Slightly off-topic, my only problem so far with the 8KTA3 has been a big one: I can't go to 133Mhz with my 1.2G T-bird (no POST, no matter what multiplier I set in BIOS). I'm stuck at 100Mhz FSB.

Has anyone else out there gotten a 1.2G T-bird to work at 133Mhz with this board, without modifying the bridges?

 

[gtd2000]

Arbiter,
U can't change the multiplyer if you don't mod the bridges unless you have an "unlocked" CPU
even if you change the multiplyer in the BIOS etc the setting will still be 12x.

This results in 12 x 133FSB = 1596Mhz or 1.6Ghz - which I think is rather unlikely to obtain

Unlock the bridges (pencil) then try first at 9 x 133FSB then keep trying 9.5, 10 etc..to see how high u can go

I'm running an Intel so I might be talking out my @rse..

 

[Arbiter]

Thanks GTD;

The 1.2's apparently all have their bridges already unlocked, so that's not a problem.

 

[gtd2000]

So what mulitplyer were you using?
Did u try 9x ?

 

[Truro]

Waiting for UPS to bring my first Epox and 1 gig, so this info is what I've read, I havn't tried it. I bought a defogger kit and am waiting for you guys to figure it all out before mine shows up, LOL:

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Yes! Finally got it to work. Turns out that all the settings for FSB should be at default to get into 133fsb mode (133-155).

Anyway, for anybody that is still looking for a solution, this is how I got it work:

connect L1 bridges
set voltage bridges to 1.85
set multiplier on L6 to 7x
set everything on voltage/multiplier BIOS screen to default to enable 133fsb settings
turn off computer
set jumper to 133fsb
boot! hopefully
go into BIOS and adjust to desired settings

-----------------------------------------------

OC on 8kta3: No problemo!
My solution (700 duron):

1) remove hostclk jumper (!)
2) boot into cmos
3) set vcore to +0,200V
4) set CPU ratio to x6
5) save & exit & reboot
6) shutdown
7) hostclk jumper on 2-3
8) tadaa!!

Now working on 900@150@38, rockstable!!!

(works with bios 10/01 and new 31/01)

Birdie

------------------------------------------------------

 

[Arbiter]

GTD,

I did try 9x, switch 100->133, and reboot. The problem is that as soon as the CPU fires up, and before it can read the '9x' from the BIOS, it is coming up at the default (L6 bridges) multiplier, which is 12x in my case. 12x133 = 1600Mhz!!! Upping the voltage won't help in that kind of situation. So it stops dead in its tracks, and BIOS never has a chance to read the 9x value out of its memory and use the user's BIOS multiplier.

The solution people have posted is to modify the L6 bridges to make the CPU use a lower default multiplier, so the T-bird comes up OK underclocked and then the BIOS can set the multiplier at will. Unfortunately, with a 1.2 or 1.1Ghz T-bird, this involves cutting the bridges instead of simply filling them in with a pencil, which can be done with lower speed CPUs.

Some mobo's (Gigabyte, Asus?) use dip switches on the 133A instead of BIOS to force the CPU at the new multiplier, doing it by hardware instead of firmware, and this apparently gets around the problem.

 

[gtd2000]

OIC... Good job that has been pointed out - I may be in the market for a KT133A board soon and was basically going for either the Epox or the Abit.

I had noticed a few posts regarding the 133FSB on the Epox boards.

I assume this problem is specific to the Epox - the Abit uses the bios to change the multiplyers too? Edit>> Or is this only with regard to the higher speed T-birds? <<end

 

[Tummy]

Eeek! GTD - is there anyway around the problem then? I've got an 8kta3 with a 1.1Ghz T-bird, and can't get the 133fsb thingie to work either!! I'm so choked right now... =(

 

[gtd2000]

Tummy
I'd check on newsgroups about it - I'm no authority on the Epox boards sorry.

 

[Tummy]

Okay... thanks dude. I'll look around and see what I can find out then.

I should be asking Arbiter, huh.

So, Arbiter, is there any solution to the problem then? Other than to cut the L6 bridges? Thanks!

 

[Killrose]

Tummy, visit toms hardware and check out his AMD Socket A overclocking guide. It will show you what bridges to cut or close to get a lower multiplier. Other than that maybe if we all wait a few weeks Epox will come out with a new bios correcting this problem. If they don't, a lot of people are going to steer clear of this board till they do. It should be easy for them to do I would think. Would also be nice if they could step the MHz adjustments some more for more choices at the top end.

 

[Tummy]

I thought about that, but I'm pretty hesitant to cut the l6 bridges... I guess that means I'll have to wait for Epox to (hopefully) release a new BIOS. I would think that instead of setting the default multiplier to default, they could hard input a 5x or something like that so that unlocked cpu's would automatically be 5x instead of the default. Or, maybe they could make it so that the fsb settings could be changed to 133+ in BIOS instead of having to use that silly jumper. I guess for now I'm stuck. Damn, i can't even get my bloody 1.1 stable at 1.2 (100fsb) right now anyway. Sigh.

 

[Arbiter]

Tummy, check out my thread in the CPU forum, subject 'Cutting bridges (KT133A won't got to 133Mhz)'. All of the possible solutions to our problem that I know of, to date, have been mentioned there, by DaddyG and JohnCar.

GTD, I HAVE seen one person at AMDZone forums with an Abit board also apparently had this problem as well, so I don't think this problem is just with Epox.

I have a bad feeling that this is NOT correctable by a BIOS update. An unmodified 1.2G CPU will always come up starting at 12x133=1600Mhz. The question is if a new BIOS can tell it to slow down (lower its multiplier) fast enough to prevent the automatic shutdown.

 

[gtd2000]

I'm only going to be going for a cheapy Duron 700Mhz so it should hopefully be a simple 133FSB for me.
When a Thunderbird 1.2G is the same price I'll get one
That should be in about a years time at this rate...lol