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MSI 845 ultra ARU vs. Epox 4BDA2+

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PeterPan2002

Senior member
I am having a MSI 845 Ultra ARU and it works like champ (1.6A@2.2 w/stock Voltage)
I am gonna make another system for my friend and recently I saw this EPox 4BDA2+
Anybody have any idea which want I should go for since I know MSI is good but maybe Epox is better, may be not
Your ideas is appriciated
Thanks
 
I have both boards and both are good. If you're planning on running > 150fsb, buy MSI, Epox is faster if both running at the same fsb. I'm having problem running EPOX 4BDA2+ at high fsb > 153. My ATI Radeon 8500 can't handle it even with PCI/AGP fixed @ 33/66. Anyone has the same problem running 4BDA2+ @ high fsb? Any way to verify the actual AGP bus speed on 4BDA2+?
 
I'm interested in this too. I'm going to be buying one of these two boards (or possibly a Gigabyte GA-8IRXP) for my next computer. The Gigabyte has the features I want, but I've heard some bad things about the board's stability and Gigabyte's tech support.
 
Don't buy Gigabyte, I tried and returned it already. I like the board's features, but cold boot problem will drive you crazy.
 
EPOX over the MSI by a long shot. The EPOX has:

3:4 mem ratio @ ANY FSB. MSI, can't even set it. I think it is 3:4 up to 123 FSB, then goes to 1:1
1.4 - 1.85 Vcore. No wire trick needed No cold boot issues.
PCI/AGP 33/66 MHz LOCK setting. PCI/AGP in spec @ any FSB

The MSI has some bells and whistles like USB 2.0 that the EPOX doesn't have. You can always add that in. You can't add in the performance features that are missing. How does mine run? I run a P4 1.6a @ 150 FSB, 2.4 GHz and 400DDR. Can't do that with the MSI (or any other i845 board). Check out the SiSoft benches below.
 
I will be quazi-overclocking (just the motherboard). I'm planning on getting a 2.0B and obviously running at a 133 MHz FSB, which should work fine since I'll be getting PC2100 RAM anyway. The overclocking features of the EPoX won't really affect me, will they? I like the USB 2.0 support of the MSI, though I'm running an EPoX board right now and like it along with their tech support. I dunno which one to buy. 🙂 Leaning toward the EPoX currently since I won't have any USB 2.0 devices for a while.
 
With the MSI, 133 MHz FSB = 266 MHz DDR speed. With the EPOX, 133 FSB = 355 MHz DDR Speed. Depends if you want the extra performance. A PCI USB 2.0 card is cheap.
 


<< With the MSI, 133 MHz FSB = 266 MHz DDR speed. With the EPOX, 133 FSB = 355 MHz DDR Speed. Depends if you want the extra performance. A PCI USB 2.0 card is cheap. >>



I'm a slight bit confused on your numbers there...when you said earlier the EPoX has a 3:4 memory ratio, is it actually a step-up ratio? I was thinking it was step-down (133 MHz FSB, 100 MHz (well, 200 MHz) RAM).

What DDR spec is 355 MHz then? Is that PC2700?
 
Its a step up ratio. 133 FSB x 2 (DDR) x 1.3333 = 355 MHz DDR speed. It would be a little over PC2700, more like PC2800. I run overclocked 150 FSB = DDR400 (PC3200). My Samsung PC2700 (DDR333) handles it just fine.
 
Very nice, I'm really starting to like the 4BDA2+. 🙂 More memory bandwidth is always good, especially with a P4. hehe
 
Everybody who has one of these boards loves it. There is no downside. It is the fastest i845 board out there. Never a hint of instability either. Check out the HardfOCP Forums. Its a very popular mobo there. I'm getting ready to order another one myself. Building a similar PC as mine for a friend.
 
Okie oldfart, I let my friend have my MSI and I went for the Epox , right now I have the same exactly CPu, Mobo , Ram you have, what temp are you getting, and what is the voltage of your ram ?
 
I just ordered the Epox 4BDA2+ the other day(hello FedEx where are you?), was going to wait for the T-bred but I just couldn't resist getting one of these.

Epox 4BDA2+
1.6A
Samsung 512MB 2700DDR
 
I use the default 2.6 voltage on the ram. My 1.6A needs 1.675 Vcore for 2.4 GHz. MBM5 reads it as 1.65. Idle temp is usually ~ 36 - 40 C depending on ambient temp. Load is ~ 46 - 50C. I ordered another EPOX/1.6A/Samsung last night for a PC I'm setting up for a friend. This setup will be a little more conservative in the overclocking. I only plan on 2.1 - 2.2 GHz range. My CPU will do that @ default Vcore. I'm hoping this 1.6A will do 2.4 Ghz @ a lower Vcore than the one I have. If it does, I'll put it in my system. I also ordered myself a VisionTek Ti4600. 🙂
 
Quick question..why specifically did you buy the Samsung RAM (I'm assuming their PC2700 stuff)? At Newegg the OCZ and Samsung PC2700 are the same price, but the OCZ is CAS2, and the Samsung CAS2.5 if I remember right. Is the Samsung CAS rating just real conservative and it'll do CAS2 fine?
 
I have an MSI 845...it clocks to 166fsb with some stability problems. Although it does prime for days at that speed it will not complete a 3dmark or play games. At 160 its rock solid! I bought the gigabyte 8irxp thinking the ratio changes that would put the pci/agp back to spec would help. That board will not do 160. 155 is the best ive been able to do with it. Its going back to newegg. Im gonna try the asus p4b266. Who knows maybe the msi is taking the pci/agp clock down, but they just wont let us know there doing it...grrr
 
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