MSI Neo2 confirmed to work with AMD X2's w/ 1.9b5 bios

[Duvie]

markFW900 and I have worked the last few hours and we have got the bios to properly recognize the chip as a 4400+ X2...previous 1.8 would not do that plus would not set the OS to see multiple cores...

OS is confirmed now seeing 2 cpus in task manager...

Cinebench scores a 680 on the rendering...

Sissoft scored like 24000 in cpu...

Temps with limited dual core loading was at 48c but Mark is going t set up 2 instances of Folding at Home to run overnight...It is currently at 2.6ghz with 1.47v...


Now the funny part....Vcore options are hosed to say the least....It goes from 1.55-1.8+...It automatically set it to 1.65v and that wouldn't boot...We set it to 1.55v the lowest it would go and it would not boot...set it to 1.7v in bios and corecenter and bios sees it as 1.47v upon restart...

So basically it is not setting the vcore default right...I think multis are gone if I remember...



http://www.lejabeach.com/MSIK8N/k8nneo2.html

grab the top one...the non-modded one....7025nms19B5.zip

 

[Markfw]

I would boot, and you can flash, probably with any bios, but it will NOT see 2 cores even in XP untell you flash to something better than 1.8. I now Have 2 cores doing F@H, and the temp is 50c And I will update later the stability. If it makes overnight with 2 F@H, it is stable, believe me !

Stay tuned, thus Fvcker rocks !!!!! And I haven't even tried a max OC, just shot in the dark !!!!! It is faster than my dual Opteron(for cpu tasks), and that sucker cost me an arm and a leg !!!!

 

[ProviaFan]

Glad to hear of your success (go F@H!) :thumbsup:

I hope to join you tomorrow

Edit: #$%^, make that "later today." I've stayed up way too late copying personal files off of the system disk that I'm going to hook up later to do the fresh install on.

 

[Duvie]

update us mark ASAP...

 

[Markfw]

Well, I had a small problem last night (I forget what now) so I went down to 2530 and 1.42v(47c) Stable all night with F@H x 2. I have to work today using this PC, so no playing around till tonight. maybe go back up with more volts.

 

[composer777]

I just threw on 1.9b2 last night in anticipation of getting my 4800+ this Thursday. I can confirm that this new bios has "1 CPU" next to the processor ID string, which would indicate that it does have dual core support, just to confirm what Mark and Duvie have seen. I've read elsewhere that this is a brand new, completely rewritten bios, so to anyone else that is reading this, make sure that you use the /cc option when flashing your bios so that you clear your cmos settings.

Mark, how did you get your voltage down to 1.42? Were you able to to set it correctly in the bios? Or was that the voltage that was automatically set?

 

[Markfw]

The default is 1.28 I set it to 1.65, and it gives me 1.42, I just had another burp at 1.42, so I went back up to 2563 and 1.47v (setting it to 1.7 gives this). We will see how it is now.

 

[composer777]

When I look in bios settings, it also lists the option "CPU Default" which appears to do the right thing with my single core processor. Are you saying that CPU Default also gets it wrong?

My 1.92b5 also only gives voltage options from 1.55-1.7. Something must be different when it sees two cores.

Originally posted by: Duvie
markFW900 and I have worked the last few hours and we have got the bios to properly recognize the chip as a 4400+ X2...previous 1.8 would not do that plus would not set the OS to see multiple cores...

OS is confirmed now seeing 2 cpus in task manager...

Cinebench scores a 680 on the rendering...

Sissoft scored like 24000 in cpu...

Temps with limited dual core loading was at 48c but Mark is going t set up 2 instances of Folding at Home to run overnight...It is currently at 2.6ghz with 1.47v...


Now the funny part....Vcore options are hosed to say the least....It goes from 1.55-1.8+...It automatically set it to 1.65v and that wouldn't boot...We set it to 1.55v the lowest it would go and it would not boot...set it to 1.7v in bios and corecenter and bios sees it as 1.47v upon restart...

So basically it is not setting the vcore default right...I think multis are gone if I remember...



http://www.lejabeach.com/MSIK8N/k8nneo2.html

grab the top one...the non-modded one....7025nms19B5.zip

 

[composer777]

Wow, it sounds like the voltage is WAY off. How did you determine that it was 1.42 and not 1.65? Are you using corecenter in Windows or some other tool to verify voltage?

It might be a good idea to hold off on upping the voltage until you're sure that it's not really send 1.6+v to the CPU.

 

[Markfw]

Both the bios in the system health, and core center said 1.42 when I set to 1.65. I am at 1.7 now, and it says 1.47-1.48 There is a default which gave 1.28, and 1.55,1.6,1.65 and 1.7 as choices.

Also, if it really was 1.65 ot 1.7, it wouldn;t be at 48c full load !

 

[jpeyton]

I saw the picture of your CPU, and we have the same week and same stepping, so you can probably expect similar overclocks if the motherboard isn't holding you back. I'm about 3 hours away from completing my 24 hours of dual Prime95 Small FFTs, so I am quite happy with how the X2s overclock compared to single-core San Diegos. I placed an order for a TT Big Typhoon so hopefully that will be able to handle the heat a little better (still around 60C LOAD overnight with my Zalman).

 

[Ike0069]

Is this update only beneficial if you are going with an X2?
Either way I think I'll wait 'til they fix teh Vcore issues.

 

[Markfw]

Vcore is fine on 1.8, which is all you need. I need 1.95 for the X2 support.

 

[Duvie]

I agree....too many options I use disappear and so it is not worth it...

 

[Ike0069]

Good, I'll just stick with the 1.8.
Not that I have much room to OC anyways with my current CPU.

It's good to know that this board will work with the X2 for future buying decisions though.

 

[Duvie]

Originally posted by: Ike0069
Good, I'll just stick with the 1.8.
Not that I have much room to OC anyways with my current CPU.

It's good to know that this board will work with the X2 for future buying decisions though.

It works but with quirks!! kinda rhymes huh???

I imagine from rumblings I hear the offcial bios will be out within a month....They obviously focused on the NF4 boards first....I imagine a better beta or modded bios will be out before that...

I dont think we will get any multiplier support as I have read throughout all x2's which made me think this was likely a early immature X2 bios attempt by MSI.....

 

[Markfw]

well, stable for 5 hours do a LOT of sql and about 15 tasks, multitasking at 2563...at 48c and 1.47 vcore 100% for those 5 hours with 2xF@H going, memory at 800meg used.

 

[Duvie]

Originally posted by: Markfw900
well, stable for 5 hours do a LOT of sql and about 15 tasks, multitasking at 2563...at 48c and 1.47 vcore 100% for those 5 hours with 2xF@H going, memory at 800meg used.

NICE!!!

PPL need to remember a more offcial board may also be more stable....temps seem good...and you are running 1:1 timings still right???

 

[Markfw]

yup 1:1 233 mhz 2.5,3,3,7 timings. And believe me, when you do as much at work as I do, you need speed and mostly dependability.

 

[Dadofamunky]

Jeez.... and here I was fat and happy with my San Diego. Now I'm trying to keep my shaking fingers off that credit card.....

 

[z3razerviper]

Duvie below is a post I made on the planetamd64 forum and I think you all answered my questions. However I would like some more details about the quirks you are finding.

--My planetamd64 post
http://www.planetamd64.com/index.php?showtopic=7581&hl=
Ok I may be confused but if you put a dual core cpu on a mainboard that does not already have the latest bios on it what happens. I ask this because I will be ordering a 4400+ and a MSI K8N Neo2 platinum (I have an AGP 6800 ultra I don't want to upgrade my video yet). Since I will not have an existing single core 939 to do the bios update what will happen? Will the system see only 1 of the 2 cores and allow me to do the firmware update or will it just fail to post completely.

 

[Duvie]

It booted just fine and ran just fine.....I believe it set the vcore much like a winchester and venice (1.4v default)....It tooks aus a bit to realize it was not seeing the 2nd core...Mark set the multiprocessor driver manually and that did not help...we then tried new installs of Win2k and fresh installs of winxp with all SPs....

1.8 booted fine and I would imagine that any bios that can run a venice which I have seen confirmed back as far as 1.4 bios should boot fine....

 

[z3razerviper]

Beyond that you have no other quirks? Is the system stable?

 

[composer777]

Well, I just got my 4800+ today, put it on the Neo2 and it works fine in Windows XP. I can see both cores in task manager. So, you can take this as a 2nd confirmation that it works on the Neo2 with bios 1.9b5.

The bad news is that I get a kernel panic when I try to boot linux in SMP mode, but that's an entirely different OS, and linux does work fine in single proc mode. Keep in mind, I've only had about an hour to play with it, but so far it works great in windows. I should be able to get linux up and running, but it might take me a while to figure what is going on.

Originally posted by: z3razerviper
Beyond that you have no other quirks? Is the system stable?

 

[Duvie]

Originally posted by: z3razerviper
Beyond that you have no other quirks? Is the system stable?

You wil have to ask Mark, but I know he cranked work SQL's all day yesterday while running 2 instance of folding at home....no errors and the FH didn't crap out with Early End Units (EEU).....

F&H is especially a good stress test for AMD64 systems since it is sensitive to ram errors and cpu ocing issues.....

I highly recommend it, even more so then just running prime small FFT (2 instances of it)....