Help with FIC SD11 and Geforce DDR

[orgcaptainnemo]

Hey guys,
I just made an impulse buy and got a VisionTek Geforce DDR card, BUT I have a FIC SD11 mobo running an Athlon 700 (classic). I have heard there are problems with athlons and geforces, and this mobo too. Does anyone know what I'll have to do to get it up and running? Will it work at all (I hear 1x AGP will do it). Thanks!

 

[orgcaptainnemo]

BUMB

 

[rush2112]

The problem is not with Athlon and GeForce, but there is a problem with the SD11 accepting APG 2.0 cards when it's only at an AGP 1.0 spec.

Some have it running without problems, others do.

Check out the SD11 FAQ at www.fic.com.tw.

-=)Rush(=-

 

[orgcaptainnemo]

I checked out the FAQ that you showed me. But I also checked our their compatibility list (a pdf file). It lists lots of Geforce cards and says that they tested to be compatible. I am going to run it with a different HSF and it will hook up directly to the PS (not the CPU). Will this put its power consuption under so that it will work with AGP 1.0? I have the latest revision of the SD11 (1.8), so do you think it will work? If you look at the review for the SD11 on anandtech they reviewed it with a Geforce SDR and they said NOTHING about having any problems. Does anyone else know anything about this?

 

[rush2112]

It almost appears to be a crap shoot at times.

I've talked to two different people using the same card in the SD11.
One works, and one doesn't, it's odd! Honestly, I'm not sure they changed anything in the 1.8 revision concerning the APG slot.

Many hardware review sites missed problems concerning the SD11. Not that I blame them, one tester cannot make up for the thousands of SD11 beta testers out here (I'm still waiting the final release of the SD11 )

-=)Rush(=-

 

[Comp625]

Just because they say the FIC SD11 mobo is compatible with the GeForce card DOES NOT mean the GeForce will be running at full potential.

My friend has a FIC SD11 motherboard too. The only way his Creative Labs GeForce2 GTS is to set it to AGP 1x. At 2x, after 40 mins, he will crash. Also, try disabling FastWrites if your mobo supports it and disable Side Band Addressing. These 2 features will only make the card more unstable.

 

[Techwhore]

as an ashamed owner of a FIC SD-11, it's very important to know your revision. If it's pre 1.7a then i'd suggest your card won't work and for you to return it and buy a new mobo. If it's 1.7a then they were supposed to have fixed all the power distribution settings to both the cpu and agp port so you should be fine in theory (but as others have said, it's often a crap shoot). As for 1.8, i've only heard rock solid reviews and that it is now a very stable competitor, but the name has already been dragged through the mud. Another factor might be your PS, if you have a 250 or lower PS, it's risky seeing as how both your geforce and athlon would take up so much power. 300 or better you should be fine, assuming all else is compliant.

 

[orgcaptainnemo]

WOW, I was gone all weekend, but I really appreciate all your guys help! I do have the latest revision (1.8) and a 300 watt PS. So hopefully it will work fine, I'll let ya all know what happens.

 

[orgcaptainnemo]

Hey all, I got the card, and now I need to test it. What is a good stress test to see if the card is stable? If I just play CS for a few hours will that do it? Thanks in advance.

 

[Techwhore]

run 3dmark2000, that will usually crash ya quick if anything's wrong. A 24 hour test should be enuff to deem it good if it lasts.

 

[orgcaptainnemo]

24 hours? I can't leave my computer running for 24/7. I need to use it to do my homework stuff. I've run 3dmark 4 times and it hasn't crashed it yet...is this good enough?

 

[Techwhore]

well, generally a 24 hour continous loop will more effectively demonstrate stability as it is more of a stress test. If you could run it for a few hours, or simply just leave it on one night while you sleep and see if it's still going in the morning that'd be fine. If it's made it past a few tests, that's good but sometimes that's not enuff. I had my athlon 550 @ 750 pass 3dmark 2000 a few times in a row but failed to do it for 24 hours. End result is, when i leave my machine o/c'd for too long, it crashes/restarts itself.

 

[twig]

Late to this post.. hope all is well. I have an SD11 Rev 1.7 (a?) from Nov 99, Athlon 600, Creative geForce DDR. My system was very unstable and I did these things in order:1. New PSU.. I went 400watts PC Power 2.New vid card (was uncooled Voodoo 3.. very hot,added the geForce). 3. Added two large fans in/out. I run the CL DDR at 2x AGP with the AGP wizard and sideband on. However, I would still occaisionally crash.. then I ran the DocMEM soft RAM test and my generic RAM was THE problem .. I upgraded to 256MB Micron Crucial PC100 and now it is stable as a rock. My 3DMark 2000 just increased from 4450 to 4760 by o/c the new 6.18 nvidia drivers to 125 core, 340 memory. It will run 3D Mark all day/nite now..

 

[IronMike]

I had the exact same problem as you. SD11/Athlon 700/Elsa Geforce DDR.
Purchased extra fans, new Antec 300w power supply, checked memory, flashed bios, installed latest drivers (including nvidia), reinstalled windows numerous times. Guess what finally got my system working?
Yep - An Asus K7V. $crew FIC.
Sorry, but you will never get it right enough to run/enjoy those games that put it to the test.