Need some hardware configuration suggestions

[Bookcase14]

I posted this over in General Hardware, but they seem pretty hopeless on answering. At any rate, sorry for the cross post:

Guys,
Need some help. I built a PC last summer, and let's just say it has been a LESS than pleasurable experience. My setup is the following.
AMD 64 3800+ (939 socket)
Gigabyte K8NSNXP-939 mobo (worst board I have ever encountered)
2x512 sticks of Mushkin pc3200 DDR400 RAM
Saphire Radeon X800 XT PE video card.
2x Western Digital 120 GB SATA
So what's the problem right?Why need a new setup?

First of all the gigabyte board is atrocious. I have had more BSOD with that thing than any other machine, maybe it is just me, I don't know? The Gigabyte board is EXTREMLY unstable in dual channel mode,but runs fine in single channel(mushkin said their RAM works with the Nvidia chip on the mobo) and when I used to play games, I would get a crash about every 10 minutes of playing. When it was on desktop, I would come back from 3 hours to it being restarted.
My Ram doesnt seem to be too much of aproblem, but I have not read that it is 100% compatiable with the board. Regardless of the Ram, I have updated Bios too many times and I just hate the board regardless. (Other's can sympathize with me).

What I am getting at is, Iw ant to get a new board and RAM combo. I also want to move up in the videocard department, I'm looking to go PCI-Express x850 XT PE for the video card. I'm also thinking about the ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX with some corsair RAM. Any suggestions? Do you guys recommend PCI-Express over AGP 8x still? (I've heard it gives better numbers than AGP, but could be a dying breed) I am just trying to basically get a fresh start, Sans hard drives and CPU (since they seem to be fine. Any suggestions on a new motherboard and RAM that will work with an ATI x850 XT PE PCI-Express would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if you know anyone who wants to buy that motherboard for cheap, and video card off of me (still extremely hard to find videocard) let me know. Thanks guys.

 

[aGreenAgent]

I have that motherboard....and I've had it running for a month straight, not a single crash. This board crashes less than my Asus board I was using before this (Although the Asus was using a POS VIA chipset, and this using nForce).

You've either got a hardware conflict, or you just got unlucky and got a bad board.

PCI-E is the way to go. If it's tolerable, I would wait until ATI releases their SLI-type deal, which should be soon. It should work with the Asus SLI boards, but I'm not sure if the current ATI cards already have support and it's just not enabled via software, or if you'll need cards specifically designed for it, ATI hasn't said.

And, I'll buy that motherboard for cheap, and the video card if you'll sell the video card for cheap, too

 

[Bookcase14]

Thanks for the suggestions agent. I'm wondering if I should even go SLI after reading anandtech's troubles with the SLI, and also the fact that they mentioned that there's not much difference. I'm fairly confident I got a bad board, but the board is known for having problems running dual channel (search around the forums) and with the performance I am getting for the price I paid for the stuff last year, it just isn't worth it to me. When I'm playing counter-strike:Source, i'm only getting about 30 fps, which is atrocious for the set-up I have. (I also have turned down effects and not much of a FPS increase) So whether it be a hardware conflict or not, or a bad board, I want to get rid of it. I feel like the non-dual channel is hurting my performance. Also, I'm wondering if i Should just get the ATI x850 XT PE AGP 8x addition, since it is a hell of lot cheaper as of now, but who knows during the summer.

P.S. If I do sell the board it will be for cheap, but if I sell that card, it won't be for cheap considering I paid 550 for it, and it still sells for about 550 now. (Of course I would sell it for less, but not by 200 dollars less) Also, if I sell the board I will most likely be selling the 1gb of Mushkin RAM (2 sticks of 512)

 

[aGreenAgent]

I'll think about it. I'm currently dual-channelling that board, and running a 9700 Pro. I'm getting 100-110 FPS in CS Source.

 

[lansalot]

What does memtech, prime95 do to your system?

 

[Bookcase14]

What effects do you have on? (AF/AA levels) I think I'm running everything on High and have 8x AF and 6x AA (something like that, maybe in reverse). My FPS DROPS like crazy when I get into fire fights with no more than like four people. It's terrible.

 

[Bookcase14]

I have tried memtest 86+ I think, a little while back, and basically when I run dual channel, I get errors. So I thought, "no big deal, just bad memory." Well, when i further tested the sticks in single channel, with one stick in slot 1, and the other stick in slot one, then one stick in slot 2, the ohter in slot 2, (tried 3 and 4 as well) no errors occured and I knew it had to be something fishy with my setup and motherboard. So I put my sticks in dualchannel in slots 3 and 4 because people had told me it's more stable. When I did that, it still crashed, so I don't know what is going on here. I am just looking to do a overhaul sans CPU and hard drives.

 

[aGreenAgent]

I've got everything on high, no AF and 2x AA.

Looks great as far as I'm concerned.

And yes, I'd be interested in the Mushkin RAM and the mobo, if I could get a good deal on it.

And the ATI SLI doesn't actually use the SLI from the motherboard. It uses a DVI cable that connects the two cards externally. So any SLI problems should be void for ATI's solution.

 

[Bookcase14]

I just think I might go a non-SLI board with maybe PCI-express or just agp8x again. Maybe that saved cash could by me 512 more of RAM. So any suggestions on non-SLI boards with PCI-express slots (if they exist) And what is the best non-SLI AGP board out?

 

[aGreenAgent]

Since I've always had bad experiences with VIA chipsets, I wouldn't recommend any of them.

The best non-SLI PCI-E board is probably the Abit Fatality AN8.

The best AGP8x is probably the Gigabyte K8NSNXP-939

Since I'm guessing you don't want that, the MSI K8N NEO2 Platinum is also a good one.

Although I will say that you might want to try grabbing another Gigabyte one, since yours is probably just a bad board. If it's still unstable, take it back, if it's not, then you won't have to reinstall windows because you technically didn't switch mobos

 

[Bookcase14]

Valid point agent. I wouldn't have to reformat( I hate doing that.) I guess I could try gigabyte again...Even though my experience with them has been....sigh...anyway. What RAM do you use for your board that makes it run so smoothly?

 

[aGreenAgent]

I've got Corsair Value RAM atm. A dual channel kit. Timings aren't that impressive, but A64's are less affected by memory timings than most other processors.

I just suggest trying grabbing a new one, since stores have a return policy, just try it and if it crashes, screw it and take it back and grab an MSI or something. But I've had absolutely no troubles at all, so I'm inclined to think it's an isolated incident.

 

[Bookcase14]

I would agree that it would be insolated if there weren't tens, if not hundreds of others with similar stability problems. I don't think my local comp usa sells the gigabyte board, so I'll probably have to order it from newegg.

 

[aGreenAgent]

Ah, I see what you're talking about. It seems to be a problem only with people running 2x 512MB PC3200 RAM in dual channel mode. Nobody else seems to be having a problem. I'm running 2x 256MB, so that's probably why. If you can't get it locally, I'd just order the MSI. If it's local, it's easy enough to just take back.

 

[Bookcase14]

Yeah, see what I'm talking about now? The 1 gig in dual channel doesn't work so hot, that's why I want to stay away. Do you think I would need a reformat with an MSI?
It's essentially the same chip, just diff company and features.

 

[aGreenAgent]

I probably wouldn't reformat automatically, but if it's unstable or slow, I would at least do a repair install.

 

[Bookcase14]

Good call agent, good call. Thanks for the quick responses. If I end up doing this soon, I'll drop you a line concerning the mobo and RAM. (and vid card if you're interested.)