*** Official ABIT IC7/G (875P) Thread ***

[KillerBob]

Originally posted by: Grit Now for the bad news: There are reported problems with Intel RAID, some in this thread. I'd suggest using the SI controller for RAID until the Intel problems are resolved.

I am not sure I agree. I have run for two weeks with Raid0 through the Intel controller, and it is fast. My Seagate Barracudas perform flawlessly and I can only recommend going that route. However, you are right, a Raid0 array is ALWAYS less resilient, and data should be stored elsewhere.

The biggest pain with an array is ghosting it, as the image is very big, and will have to fit somewhere with lots of space Also, you should only use true SATA drives, as the adapters have been the source of many problems.

 

[Wurrmm]

Originally posted by: oldfart
My IC7 + 2.6C here I use 2-2-2-5 mem timings. I can almost get "fast" performance mode working. It will cause a Prime95 error after an Hr or two if enabled.

Interesting. I was running Ultra and 2-2-2-6 2.7v for awhile and it seemd pretty darn stable, except for the random BSODs I mentioned, which when now set to fast, I am not getting. I am gona get Prime95 and ScienceMark and give my comp a thorough testing. I hope a new bios release will allow for more aggressive timings.

 

[oldfart]

I used two instances of Prime95 and also had Serious Sam looping all running at the same time as a stability test.

 

[TygGer]

Is it necessary to format the floppy to a bootable disk when flashing the BIOS?

I've never done this before so any help would be appreciated! Im guessing everything in the BIOS will be reset to default.

Thanks.

 

[oldfart]

No. You can just put the files on it (including the flash utility) and use the ALT+F2 when booting.

 

[SnowBoarder9455]

Uhh, I didn't think it would work if you didn't do the system floppy, but its no big deal either way. When you go to format the floppy (in windows explorer or My Computer) there is an option for System/Boot Disk. I did this both times I flashed the bios, and it worked fine. I've done it both letting the disk boot up and typing in that command, and using alt+f2. Alt+f2 is MUCH easier, I wish I had known about it the first time.

(Yes, I know there is a message on the screen, I'm just that dumb)

 

[oldfart]

Originally posted by: SnowBoarder9455
Uhh, I didn't think it would work if you didn't do the system floppy, but its no big deal either way. When you go to format the floppy (in windows explorer or My Computer) there is an option for System/Boot Disk. I did this both times I flashed the bios, and it worked fine. I've done it both letting the disk boot up and typing in that command, and using alt+f2. Alt+f2 is MUCH easier, I wish I had known about it the first time.

(Yes, I know there is a message on the screen, I'm just that dumb)

You dont need system files on the floppy. Just the BIOS and flash file.

 

[Junkman]

About the memory timings and using fast mode or turbo...has anyone tried any of the PC3700 modules? I wonder if this board is way ahead of the currently available ram or is it just a bios revision thats needed?

 

[Wurrmm]

Still running crash free....gona give Prime 95 a go tonight.

 

[dartworth]

Is anyone using a SATA drive for their boot disc?

I was thinking of using a Raptor for a boot disc with this board. Any problems with this?

Thanks

 

[KillerBob]

No problems using an SATA drive as your boot drive.

Just set the settings in the BIOS correctly, and if you ahve the IC7-G remember that SATA1 and SATA2 are the Intel "onchip" controllers. I think it is only the "onchip" controller that can be used as in a normal (non-Raid0) setup, and ensure you set the "onchip" Serial ATA Mode for "IDE". Then when you install Win you simply specify that drive as you install drive.

 

[JonnyBlaze]

Originally posted by: KillerBob
No problems using an SATA drive as your boot drive.

Just set the settings in the BIOS correctly, and if you ahve the IC7-G remember that SATA1 and SATA2 are the Intel "onchip" controllers. I think it is only the "onchip" controller that can be used as in a normal (non-Raid0) setup, and ensure you set the "onchip" Serial ATA Mode for "IDE". Then when you install Win you simply specify that drive as you install drive.

im using the onboard (sata03) sata controller for my raptor and the fourth one for my maxtor.

dosent have to be raid.

Matt

 

[virtuamike]

Played around with the "strap" option and noticed that unless you set it at what your CPU is originally rated for, memory timings go all crazy and you'll have all sorts of instability problems. Currently running a 2.53 (533) at 150 fsb with 4:5 mem ration (150/187), if I set strap to 400 and mem ratio to 3:4 I get 150/200 in bios. But when it comes to testing it Windows, it recognizes ram as 300 and I get bsod, system restarts, etc. In other words, if you're having instability problems, make sure your strap is set to CPU's original bus speed and adjust from the available mem ratios. I think using the wrong strap messes with cpu/mem hub timings.

 

[Wurrmm]

Well, I let prime95 go last night.
Mem XMS PC3500C2 @ 400MHz 2-3-3-7 2.7v
CPU P4C 2.8GHz @ Default clock and 200FSB
Performance Mode @ Fast

Started it at 1:27 EST and here is what happened:

[Wed Jun 04 01:27:44 2003]
Self-test 1024K passed!
.
.
.
[Wed Jun 04 08:59:02 2003]
Self-test 1536K passed!
FATAL ERROR: Rounding was 0.5, expected less than 0.4
Hardware failure detected, consult stress.txt file.

Is this good or bad??? Is there anyway to determine what caused the error (this is my first time using Prime95)?? Anands Review said they went 24hrs straight aft what seems like more aggressive settings. Is there memory, CPU, mobo, rated better than most retail???

 

[oldfart]

You went 7.5 Hrs with no error? That is actually pretty good. You are very close. Ditch the fast setting and you should be fine.

 

[Wurrmm]

Yeah....I actually had alot of stuff running also, like norton system works pro 2003 back and norton internet security background stuff going. And my comp had already been running and playing games all day for like 10 hours. I think I am gona keep my settings the way they are. Fast and pretty darn stable, but I am still considering disabling Performance Mode and pushing my mem to 2-2-2-6 2.7v.

I would still like to know how Anand got it to go 24hrs at 2-2-2-6, and if they used Performance Modes, so if any of the STAFF are reading could you possibly post the Bios settings used in the Abit IC7-G review...pretty please. I would also still like to know what these things do and what Performance Mode does exactly.

Refresh Cycle Time (Auto)
Read Delay (Auto)
read Delay Adjust (Auto)
Command Per Clock (Auto)

CPU THRM-Throttling (63.5%)

 

[la400]

Below are the results of some very meticulous (and 5 hours worth of testing). You guys will find it very useful

I have got the following setup:

Abit IC7-G
2.4C @ 3.2 (went as high as 3.5Ghz with some instability but default voltage - still a lot of room here)
2x raptors (see below)
2x 256MB GeiL PC3500 Ultra Platinum (4.5ns)
2 120GB WD 1200JB's on the separate chanels

When I first got the board I set the raptors in RAID0 on the intel adapter, loaded windows xp sp1, everyhting was superfast!!! .... that is until i used Nero. Sometimes (about 50% of the time), as Nero burnign program was burnign a cd or dvd, and/or Nero Info Tools was querying the drives, I woiuld get a BSOD!. Damn I thought, Abit sucks!!! Then many hours of testing followed. Whater I did, including enabling/disableing Sil RAID with and without the Serillel 2 adapter, as well as Ide bus master and other settings enabled/disabled, the problem PERSISTED!

Then I decided to install Xp on a non-raid single Raptor. Did a clean install of XP SP1, installe dall of the software. in EVERY POSSIBLE CONFIGURATION, as stated above (including enabling/disableing Sil RAID with and without the Serillel 2 adapter, as well as Ide bus master and other settings enabled/disabled) the system was SUPER STABLE - NOT A SINGLE CRASH OR BSOD. Awesome. So, this obviously suggested that RAID0 driver was at issue. To UNEQUIVOCALLY confirm this, I used the feature of Intel RAID IAA application to make the existing drive (and my second Raptor) into a RAID0 array (it can do that while in Windows). So I now had the same thing as before: a 2x Raptors in a RAID0 array. Guess what - CRASHED and BSODs arw BACK while using Nero.

CONCLUSION: There is a problem in the iaStor.sys (the ide driver from intel). so wait for an update before raiding them.

just when you thought I was done... another small finding on overclocking.

My board would not overclock more than 8MHz FSb unless the AGP/PCI setting was set to FIXED. The dividers do NOT work on this board (at least for me). Now I overclocked to 300 fsb !!!! with soem instability. The mobo is stable at 280 FSb and 1.6 core volt.

Stay tuned for some CPUZ pics

Enjoy... Waiting for some of your feedback on if you find it useful.

 

[oldfart]

Originally posted by: Wurrmm
Yeah....I actually had alot of stuff running also, like norton system works pro 2003 back and norton internet security background stuff going. And my comp had already been running and playing games all day for like 10 hours. I think I am gona keep my settings the way they are. Fast and pretty darn stable, but I am still considering disabling Performance Mode and pushing my mem to 2-2-2-6 2.7v.

I would still like to know how Anand got it to go 24hrs at 2-2-2-6, and if they used Performance Modes, so if any of the STAFF are reading could you possibly post the Bios settings used in the Abit IC7-G review...pretty please. I would also still like to know what these things do and what Performance Mode does exactly.

Refresh Cycle Time (Auto)
Read Delay (Auto)
read Delay Adjust (Auto)
Command Per Clock (Auto)

CPU THRM-Throttling (63.5%)

Just to clarify, 7.5 hrs is close, but not there. You should be able to run Prime95 with no errors.

 

[SysRaider]

Originally posted by: la400
CRASHED and BSODs arw BACK while using Nero.

So, do you only get problems while using Nero becuase I never use nero and I desperately need Raid 0? And my second question is do you all think that Intel will fix this problem??
EDIT
And my third question is, is this problem only on the Abit IC7/IC7-G boards? Because if it is, Ill send the board back and get an Intel one. Ive already had to have it RMA'd because this board wouldn't start up.

 

[Wurrmm]

Just found out I had a bad stick. I indivisually tested each with memtest 86 and even though in dual channel, no errors, one got errors and the other did not. I also set my timings to 2-2-2-6 2.7v and one stick was bad and the other was not, where as I was getting constant errors in dual at those times. If the new stick is good, then I should beable to get 2-2-2-6 perfect with both from memtest86.

 

[KillerBob]

The NERO problem is exactly what I talked about earlier. On the same install of WinXP, the second I uninstalled NERO and started using CloneCD and Veritas I have had no problems with BSODs when burning CDs or DVDs.

I am running WinXP on two Raid0 SATA Barracudas, and you guys are right, it is an incompatibility between NERO and the Intel IAA drivers!!! There are other incompatabilities as well; GHOST for one will not work on this version of the IAA drivers. Intel has acknowledged these issues:

From Intel (ftp://aiedownload.intel.com/df-support/5814/ENG/Release_30.htm)

1103976 Incorrect disk configuration shown in Ahead* Nero* InfoTool utility when Intel(R) Application Accelerator RAID Edition software has been installed

Now we are just missing someone to actually fix it...

 

[Wurrmm]

I am gona really put the toture to my one remaining stick. Set to 2-2-2-6 2.7v, Perfromance Mode set to Ultra, Refresh Cycle Time set to Aggressive (whatever that does, sounds fast). I am also gona even try to put back in my Serillel 2.

 

[Ketchup]

Originally posted by: Wurrmm
I am gona really put the toture to my one remaining stick. Set to 2-2-2-6 2.7v, Perfromance Mode set to Ultra, Refresh Cycle Time set to Aggressive (whatever that does, sounds fast). I am also gona even try to put back in my Serillel 2.

Your other stick might not be "bad," it just might not overclock as well as the other stick. Not all memories overclock the same, even though they are the same size and speed.

 

[mnahmia]

Serious conflict between IC7-G and Audigy 2.

My rig:
P4 3.0ghz,2Raptors on SATA 1 & 2,Corsair Twinx1035-3200LLPT(2-3-3-6),Hercules Ti500 video.
With Audigy installed get constant sudden reboots or computer freezes,especially in IE.
Makes no difference whether internal audio is activated or not in Bios.
Reboots are usually folllowed by a message error that something serious has occurred!
One of the messages I was able to undestand said a dll error or conflict had occurred.
No conflicts or errors in the control panel.
Uninstalling Audigy solves all problems.Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[Intelligence3]

mnahmia - My IC7-G works fine with an Audigy 2 (platinum). Have you tried the Audigy2 in something else? Maybe the card's bad.