Last skt A upgrade, need mobo - KT880 or NF2 Ultra 400

[nebula]

Last week I decided to make one last upgrade for my socket A. Bought myself a XP-m 2600+ and plopped it in my MSI KT6V. Turns out the MSI lets me change the multi in the BIOS but it doesn't take. I Googled and found a post saying the MSI doesn't allow multi changes on the mobiles. I can do it in Windows but can't do the FSB in Windows and can't obviously set the FSB in the BIOS to 200 with a multi of 15!! Side note - system did boot up at 166x15 = 2500

OK, so heck, let's just get a great OC'ing mobo so I can really take advantage of the mobile. I've always been a VIA user and haven't had any problems but this time I want to crank on this chip and the NF2 seems to be regarded as THE XP OC'ing platform. I know the KT880 SAYS they have the AGP/PCI lock but does it work?

Considering the ASUS A7V880 or the ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe. I want SATA, Firewire not needed but nice to have on hand. Opinions/thoughts appreciated!

XP-m 2600+
2x512 Geil PC3200
SLK-900A
Thermaltake Silent PurePower 360W

 

[DAPUNISHER]

NF7-sAwesome overclocking features and voltages+Soundstorm for $80 shipped would be my weapon of choice.

 

[nebula]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
NF7-sAwesome overclocking features and voltages+Soundstorm for $80 shipped would be my weapon of choice.

How's the NB fan? I really only wanted a passive NB fan because I have a pretty quiet system and want to keep it that way! All the active NBs I've seen/heard are freakin' noisy! I suppose I could replace it with that Zalman copper passive NB HS if it bothers me.

OK with the SLK? Looks like it...

EDIT: I should add, I'm not much of a gamer anymore, mostly into video editing/rendering. If that makes any difference...

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Your stuff will work/fit fine and swapping for a passive NB cooler is not an issue either. Without the IGP the NB doesn't get that hot so if your case cooling is good a big passive sink is great. I recommend adding passive cooling to the SB as well as it can run pretty hot and even cause heat related problems without one sometimes.

 

[Shaotai]

My vote is for the DFI ultra infinity... NF2 Ultra with sound storm... one of the best O/C mobos around, especially paired up with your mobile 2600+...
I loved mine while I had it... (moved up to a64 now...)

Plus, the NB is passive!

 

[nebula]

Was just about settled on the Abit when I saw Shaotai's post, darn you! j/k

I think I've decided to go with the NF2 over the KT880 since the KT880 is VIAs first chipset with dual channel and I don't want to get stuck in the KT400 > KT400A thing again like I did back then.

The DFI is a little more expensive but it brings two more SATA connectors to the table, better board layout, passive NB. I've gotten sick of small, rattly, crappy fans. Had to replace both my GF2 and GF4 fans.

Going to check out some reviews/opinions on the DFI...

Thanks!

 

[ChineseDemocracyGNR]

The KT880 boards only have two SATA ports, but native SATA on the VT8237 southbridge is much better than a SiliconImage chip on the PCI bus like most nForce2 boards. Some newer nForce2 mobos have native SATA, like the MSI K7N2 Delta2 and ABIT NF7-S2 (this last one not recommended).

I would be getting a KT880 board if I were you, but only because I had one nForce2 SPP board before my KT600 and that scared me off nVidia chipsets for a while. If I were upgrading to an Athlon 64 today SiS and even ULI would come before nVidia (that's how bad the nForce2 was to me).

Anyway, the MSI KT880 Delta is basically the board you have with the newer chipset, 3 dimm slots and the position of the SATA connectors fixed. It also has no problems working with Mobiles, there's even a good range of voltage options if you want to downclock or kill that processor (1.45V - 2.3V).

I also suggest you don't spend a lot of money on a new board just so you can run FSB at 200 instead of 166. Think "cost-performance ratio".

 

[nebula]

Originally posted by: ChineseDemocracyGNR
The KT880 boards only have two SATA ports, but native SATA on the VT8237 southbridge is much better than a SiliconImage chip on the PCI bus like most nForce2 boards. Some newer nForce2 mobos have native SATA, like the MSI K7N2 Delta2 and ABIT NF7-S2 (this last one not recommended).

I would be getting a KT880 board if I were you, but only because I had one nForce2 SPP board before my KT600 and that scared me off nVidia chipsets for a while. If I were upgrading to an Athlon 64 today SiS and even ULI would come before nVidia (that's how bad the nForce2 was to me).

Anyway, the MSI KT880 Delta is basically the board you have with the newer chipset, 3 dimm slots and the position of the SATA connectors fixed. It also has no problems working with Mobiles, there's even a good range of voltage options if you want to downclock or kill that processor (1.45V - 2.3V).

I also suggest you don't spend a lot of money on a new board just so you can run FSB at 200 instead of 166. Think "cost-performance ratio".

I suppose you're right, I shouldn't put alot of money into this but I'll probably run this system for some time. Have you done any research on the KT880 as far as issues, like I mentioned, like the KT400 craptacularness? Is the AGP/PCI lock really working on the KT880? Not that it matters too much since I'd bet I don't go over 200FSB too much but it may be fun to try since I have the nice chip.

So now if I look into the KT880 some more, the MSI allows multi change for the mobiles FOR SURE? The ASUS is the same price, looking into that board too since in the past I recall ASUS boards being more OC friendly than MSI. I guess I lose Firewire capability but can always get a card if I even need it.

Do you have the KT880 Delta?

 

[boyRacer]

just don't get the abit's KT880 board... the kw7. no overclocking options so far... i guess that's their way of locking the pci/agp... lol.

 

[Gamingphreek]

1. DFI Ultra Infinity
2. Abit NF7-S
3. Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe

Top performing "deluxe"/"premium" m/b's

-Kevin

 

[Sentinel]

no go for the shuttle AN35N Ultra 400?

 

[ChineseDemocracyGNR]

Originally posted by: nebula
I suppose you're right, I shouldn't put alot of money into this but I'll probably run this system for some time. Have you done any research on the KT880 as far as issues, like I mentioned, like the KT400 craptacularness? Is the AGP/PCI lock really working on the KT880? Not that it matters too much since I'd bet I don't go over 200FSB too much but it may be fun to try since I have the nice chip.

So now if I look into the KT880 some more, the MSI allows multi change for the mobiles FOR SURE? The ASUS is the same price, looking into that board too since in the past I recall ASUS boards being more OC friendly than MSI. I guess I lose Firewire capability but can always get a card if I even need it.

Do you have the KT880 Delta?

The MSI KT880 Delta was the first KT880 board to arrive in the country where I live, and it quickly became very popular.

As for the AGP/PCI lock I can't tell you for sure if it works on this board. I have e-mailed MSI twice about it and both times they said this board DOES support it by default. I know someone running a Barton at 185x11 without problems, but that doesn't mean the locks are working.
My Mobile is working fine at 210MHz on my KT600. I could push it further but I decided it was not worth it for the performance gains I was getting.

The MSI KT880 definatly can change the multiplier on Mobiles. There are many people using this combo here, and THG even has an article where they underclock a Mobile on this board. The BIOS option works, you don't need an utility like CPUMSR to change it on Windows. I usually like ASUS boards but the MSI has a better power regulator for the CPU, it uses the 12V rail for the processor and has more options for the Vcore.

As someone else mentioned, ABIT's KW7 is a very limited board. Not only it has no PCI/AGP lock but it will always use the default AGP/PCI divider for the processor, so even a Barton XP 2500+ -> 3200+ overclock is impossible on it. It also fails to detect the XP-Mobile, so default FSB is 100MHz.

 

[nebula]

Originally posted by: Sentinel
no go for the shuttle AN35N Ultra 400?

In my searchings, I read that this is a nice OC board but the one thing holding me back on the Shuttle is it has no SATA connectors.

 

[nebula]

Originally posted by: ChineseDemocracyGNR

As for the AGP/PCI lock I can't tell you for sure if it works on this board. I have e-mailed MSI twice about it and both times they said this board DOES support it by default. I know someone running a Barton at 185x11 without problems, but that doesn't mean the locks are working.
My Mobile is working fine at 210MHz on my KT600. I could push it further but I decided it was not worth it for the performance gains I was getting.

The MSI KT880 definatly can change the multiplier on Mobiles. There are many people using this combo here, and THG even has an article where they underclock a Mobile on this board. The BIOS option works, you don't need an utility like CPUMSR to change it on Windows. I usually like ASUS boards but the MSI has a better power regulator for the CPU, it uses the 12V rail for the processor and has more options for the Vcore.

*sigh* I Googled and Googled for everything I could find about the KT880 Delta, checked the MSI forums, etc. and I can find very little info on it. At the MSI forums, someone says it doesn't have the lock. The article I found at THG doesn't say anything about over or under clocking this board. Do you have a link? I did find yesterday a post that had the MSI board at 211FSB or something like that in his sig. I guess that still doesn't mean the lock works.

I like the native SATA on the KT880s but since this is my last skt A, I want to do it right. Just had a thought, off to Google on the ASUS A7V880, maybe I can find more info.

As far as for an NF2, I'm leaning towards the DFI if I decide to go that way. I like the board layout better and passive cooling on both the NB and SB.

 

[nebula]

Decided on the Abit NF7-S

I liked the DFIs board layout but read that it sometimes has BIOS corruption issues. Also came across a statement that said it gave higher FSB but the NF7-S gives higher overall OC. For the extra money, decided against it.

Looked at the Shuttle briefly but for $25 more I get SATA on board and Firewire.

So that was my decision. Since this is my first NF chipset board, after installing XP, do I just load up the Unified Driver from nVidia then I'm off to the races? Kinda like the VIA 4-in-1s? I've always used nVidia's video card reference drivers instead of the card makers, can the same apply here or is it better to use Abit's?

 

[spidermonkey486]

kt880??? soyo kt880 dragon ultra 12 freakin drives 8ch audio etc etc etc ...big tag
or the asrock upgradekt880? ? slot for upgrade to the socket754 & only3 pci slots

also think the NF2 spp was the NF to have but i scrounged a used ultra400/mcp-t w/ sata pata-raid usb2 1394a so we'll see how it goes