My sons setup I am building for him...

[Duvie]

CPU: 3000+ Winchester capable of 2.66ghz **temporary until I get him a 3800+ X2** = FREEgot it now
w/ TT Venus 12

MSI Neo4-f = 86.00 shipped from ZZF
E-vga 6600GT PCI-express 128mb = got it now
Patriot "Extreme Performance" (1) 512mb cas 2-3-2-5, 1T....another 512 to follow = got it now
Enermax 460watt Whisper II = bought on ebay for 46.00 shipped
120gb SATA Seagate = bought on ebay for 52.00 shipped 4years left on warranty
Antec SLK-3000b w/ (1) 120mm fans = bought and on its way 56.00 shipped
BENQ 16x DVD-+RW = bought an don its way 34.99 shipped


Yet to buy
AMD 3800+ X2 oem = ? (381 at mwave fro retail) would love an OEM for the 350-360 range...

 

[the cobbler]

I have the neo4-f

you WILL NOT reach 266fsb from bios with a Winchester. there is a 219mhz 'bug' that the bios for this board simply cannot get around. This applies only to 3000+/3200+ Winchesters week 0410 and later so check your Winnie for which week it is.

the highest FSB you will be able to post is 219 if you have a later Winnie.

You can get around this by running overclocking through ClockGen and running a startup script. I am doing this now as a workaround and am running my winnie at 305FSBx8 w/Corsair VS on a 140 divider @2.5,3,3,6 1T. In bios, again, cannot get past 219. Set up all your voltage, RAM, etc. in bios and use ClockGen from there. I even OC to 219x10 in bios just to boot faster and then use ClockGen to apply a 8x divider and 305 FSB upon Windows startup.

once you get the San Diego chip, this board will haul balls straight out of bios and your problems will be solved.

If I could make some suggestions:

1. modular PSUs are complete garbage, kitschy as they may be. buy the Powerstream instead of the modstream. MUCH better.

2. don't worry about RAM dividers. this board has :100/120/133/140/150/166/180/200. I think you can find a good FSB/RAM combo in there somewhere.

3. forget the Epox, especially if you are getting a San Diego in the near future. the budget boards just don't have the overclocking features and option of the Neo4-F. I have a Chaintech VNF4Ultra as well, similar to the Epox, great overclocker doesn't have the dividers, voltage options, etc. (example-chipset voltage on VNF4Ultra goes to 1.7, the Msi goes to 1.85)

if you want some assistance using ClockGen to get around the FSB '219 bug' until you get your San Diego, please let me know. Works like a champ in the meantime

long story short: this is the best board I've ever owned and will get better when I get a 4400.

p.s. the 1.71-1.73 beta bioses appear to at least partially solve the Winnie '219 bug' although you lose the 120/140/180 dividers in the beta versions. I used the 1.71 for a bit and could reach 250FSB with a 3x multi.


'219 bug' details (Winchester week 0410and later). From what I've found in my own testing, this is directly related to HTT multi somehow:
v1.6 official bios:

219x(4x) HTT multi=no problem
229x(3x or 2x)=boot, (4x)=no post
239x(1x)=boot, (2x-4x)=no post


v1.71 beta bios:
219x(4x)=no problem
229x(4x)=no problem
239x(4x)=no problem
250x(4x)=no problem
251FSB=no post

MSI is getting closer to a fix
IF it makes you feel any better, I had the same exact issue with my VNF4Ultra, but it would not boot past 250FSB no matter what HTT multi.

 

[imported_Kensai]

See above.

Buy me an x2 3800+ instead. I've got a folding box I could use it in.

 

[the cobbler]

Originally posted by: Kensai
See above.

Buy me an x2 3800+ instead. I've got a folding box I could use it in.

lol, that's what is going to happen to my VNF4 and Winnie in a couple weeks.

Duvie, if you want a good alternative option to the (IMHO) very strong Neo4-F, you might consider the DFI DAGF, similar price range, same chipset/features/overclockability, etc.

 

[TGS]

Duvie, would you know if those memory modules are TCCD chips? I bought a set of two patriot 512 dimms and they are 2-3-2-5 stock. Those dimms are horrible in my Abit AV8 board. Just wanted to get a concensus to see if I should drop them and grab some new sticks if they can't overclock in a new board.

 

[the cobbler]

i thought those Patriots were all TCCD on Brainpower PCBs?

they should fly

G.Skills are definitely TCCD/Brainpower

 

[Markfw]

And let me know what you figure out. I am getting one of those neo4-f for my 3800+ that is coming in the next 30-45 days.

 

[the cobbler]

Originally posted by: TGS
Just wanted to get a concensus to see if I should drop them and grab some new sticks if they can't overclock in a new board.

I honestly have never understood what people mean by this kind of thinking.

what RAM doesn't OC? sure some OC much, much better than others, but...

I use Corsair DDR400 VS (SPD 2.5,3,3,8@2.65v) on my system, the RAM OCs just peachy to ~228mhz@2.85v and is known to hit ~240-250 with over 3 volts.

am running my 3200+ Winnie right now 305x8=2440, RAM w/140 div= 216mhz 2.5,3,3,6 1T@2.85v.

this is after reading through 42 trillion threads telling everyone how the Neo4 'hates value ram' and 'won't overclock at all' and the board hates 'anything but TCCD'...'might not even run on value ram'...blah blah blah...

load of stinking poo, IMHO. that's why God invented memory dividers.

if you want to run 320FSB 1:1 on 2.9v, yeah, you're going to need TCCD. If not, whatever you've got should be just fine.

 

[Intelia]

Duvie your a good enthusist try the ATI grouper M/B it overclocks like crazy.

 

[TGS]

Originally posted by: the cobbler

Originally posted by: TGS
Just wanted to get a concensus to see if I should drop them and grab some new sticks if they can't overclock in a new board.

I honestly have never understood what people mean by this kind of thinking.

what RAM doesn't OC? sure some OC much, much better than others, but...

I use Corsair DDR400 VS (SPD 2.5,3,3,8@2.65v) on my system, the RAM OCs just peachy to ~228mhz@2.85v and is known to hit ~240-250 with over 3 volts.

am running my 3200+ Winnie right now 305x8=2440, RAM w/140 div= 216mhz 2.5,3,3,6 1T@2.85v.

this is after reading through 42 trillion threads telling everyone how the Neo4 'hates value ram' and 'won't overclock at all' and the board hates 'anything but TCCD'...'might not even run on value ram'...blah blah blah...

load of stinking poo, IMHO. that's why God invented memory dividers.

if you want to run 320FSB 1:1 on 2.9v, yeah, you're going to need TCCD. If not, whatever you've got should be just fine.

That's why I'm assuming it the board. The memory can't be run at 2-3-2-5 at anything higher than 200. I'm dead serious on my AV8, 200.1 will cause instability, that would be at 2.8v. I typically have to run a HTT and divider that brings the memory below 200 when I try for overclocks. I haven't heard anything specifically bad about this particular memory. Though it's an LLK I believe. I've found XBL and BXLK, which should be TCCD on BP PCB.


I'm just trying to find some memory that has a little wiggle room at 2-2-2-5, otherwise I have to run very tight OC settings. I don't want to throw on the volts on my current memory if it has trouble running barely overspec at 2.8v. I would have to check but if I can recall these particular modules have a default voltage of 2.6v(or so they egg claims) here.

Should be TCCD here.

 

[Duvie]

Wjhat is wrong with the Epox board?? I hear better things about it for ocing and used with X2's then the MSI board???

Also I dont share you disgust for the modstream 450 from OCZ with 26a on the 12v though I am leaning towards an enermax with 33a on the 12v rail....

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: Duvie
Wjhat is wrong with the Epox board?? I hear better things about it for ocing and used with X2's then the MSI board???

Also I dont share you disgust for the modstream 450 from OCZ with 26a on the 12v though I am leaning towards an enermax with 33a on the 12v rail....

I know I can vouch for the 33A Enermax's. They are workhorses. I run:

Intel SE7505VB2 with Dual Xeon 3.06/512's with turbine hsf's
4GB ECC Reg memory
5 (five) 120GB SATA drives
(1)120mm and (2) 80mm cooling case fans
SBLive PCI
Promise SATA 4 port I/O board
PCI video capture board.

All on a 460W Enermax. I think its the WhisperII 33A on 12V+

EDIT: I don't have any experience with the OCZ's at all. But I have built at least 12 systems identical to the above one with the Enermax's.

 

[Duvie]

Thanks Keys, and yes you are right...It is a whisper..The noisetakers are the dual 12v rail ones...I am going to go with the single rail and maybe even test it on my system now to see if in fact dual rail +12v1@20A and +12v2@18A is holding me back.....


I am also conviced the newer bioses have fixed the bug and I will be fine so I will go with MSI and the NEO4-F...newegg is out of stock on the other one anyways....

 

[Cobalt]

See this thread here about the Neo4-F. http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=28&threadid=1636425&enterthread=y

 

[Duvie]

updated...almost have all the parts lined up....

Have to get a kvm type switch since I will have it in my office for a bit until I get the X2 and so I want him to be able to just turn the monitor onto his computer...

 

[Duvie]

updated.... getting closer....

Anybody have a read on who is selling any 3800+ X2 oems.....I dont need the HSF adn the warranty...I plan to OC...