missing settings

[Bncybul]

I recently purchased an Abit SH6 i815E motherboard. This board was just reviewed here in Anand. Here's my problem, I have a All-In-Wonder 128 AGP vid card that's flacky as hell in this board. It's a 2x AGP and the settings in the BIOS for changing the board to 2x are missing.There are two other missing settings.Under ADVANCED CHIPSET FEATURES missing are 1.AGP Data Transfer Rate2x mode, 4x mode),2. Display Cache Frequency (100MHz or 133MHz), 3. Onboard Display Cache Settingsonboard vid settings). I can't change the mobo to 2x since the defaut settig is 4x, according to the manual. Abits' website doesn't list a BIOS of any kind for this board,probably because the current BIOS is dated 9/29/2000,only three monts old. My questions: Should I return this motherboard( a pain to tear appart and reship),will a BIOS flash at some future time return these missing settings, can you change a BIOS setting some other way? Any help appreciated, Bo

 

[jaeger66]

Are you sure it's running at 4x? I'm not sure the Abit can force a 2x card to 4x.

 

[Bncybul]

I checked ATIs' website and found something called( CMOS settings which affect display adapters). AGP 1x 2x 4x: Should be set to match the capabilities of the graphics adapter. That's when I found out that the settings were missing under Advanced Chipset Features. The manual says that the default setting is 4x,whether it forces 4x I don't know. The card works great for a few minutes and then the moniter goes black while the computer keeps runnig. When you reboot only two or three programs load in the system tray and then a lockup. It also locksup when you go online. I really think that I need those settings. Bo

 

[jaeger66]

Have you tried using the onboard video to see if that works? Is it disabled with the ATI in?

 

[Bncybul]

I'm using the onboard vid right now. The mobo is perfectly stable and fairly fast with the onboard. I've seen postings from other buyers of this board who returned it because of grapic card unstability. I'm thinkig that their problems might have been caused by the same thing. Do you know if a BIOS flash will restore the missing settings? Bo

 

[jaeger66]

If something isn't working, flashing to the latest BIOS is usually a good first step. I don't have firsthand experience with your board, but I don't recall ever seeing a BIOS setup that allowed a higher AGP speed than the card would support.

 

[Bncybul]

I guess the way I wrote my question is confuseing you. I don't want to run my AIW128 at 4x, I want to run it at it's proper speed 2x, but the setting to change the speed in the BIOS is missing. According to the manual you have two choices 2x-4x, when it is shipped from the factory it is set at 4x the DEFAULT setting. Even though the ability to change the setting is missing I'm assumeing that it is still set at 4x, and since my video card is a 2x model that's what's messing it up.The missing setting ,one of three,is AGP DATA TRANSFER RATE: Bo

 

[jaeger66]

No, I understand-what I'm saying is that if your card only does 2x then it doesn't matter what the BIOS setting is. It will only do 2x. Download WCPUID from www.tweakfiles.com and check the AGP rate from within Windows. The BIOS setting determines what the motherboard is capable of at maximum, so you could force a 4x card to run at 2x, but not the other way around.

 

[jaeger66]

As for the missing settings, my only suggestion is a BIOS update.

 

[java2]

I think the setting you are looking for is under CMOS SETUP UTILITY, at least that is where it is on my board. If not you might want to get the latest BIOS WV at
abitftp

That may clear things up for you.

 

[Doods]

i have the sh6 all the settings are in the bios on mine.i have a Gforce2 installed it disabled the onboard video.put pci sound card in i had to disable 4 settings in the bios. onboard sound was not that great everything working fine.