Question Re: EPOX 8K3A & 8K3A+ & running CPU at 166 fsb

[Herkulese]

<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The 8K3a and 8K3a+ are touted as having the 1/5 PCI divider, as well as the listings in BIOS to show that with the 1/5 divider on and running the FSB at 166mhz, that the PCI buss is running at 33mhz, and that the AGP Buss is running at 66mhz.

<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">If you take, for example, an AMD XP-2000 (1.66ghz), and unlock the multipliers on it, can you, then, simply set the multiplier to 10x, set the PCI divider at 1/5, and then run it at 166 FSB?

<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Everything should be in spec:

<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">CPU (10 x 166mhz = 1.66ghz) / In Spec
PCI = 33mhz / In Spec
AGP = 66mhz / In Spec

<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Am I missing anything here?

 

[Vic]

Nope, you're not missing anything.
Except you don't "set" the PCI divisor to 1/5 on the 8K3A(+), it sets itself as soon the FSB gets to 166.
But yes, unlock multipliers on AMD cpu, up the FSB to 166 and lower the multiplier to 10, you will see in the BIOS that AGP/PCI are set to 66/33, and you are good to go.
Couple of warnings, make sure your RAM is up to the task of running at 166, i.e. you have some good PC2700, and make sure your case is well-ventilated, as the northbridge tends to run pretty freakin' HOT at 166 FSB.

 

[Boonesmi]

yup what he said

you get a nice performance boost with a 166mhz/166mhz (fsb/mem)

and the rest of the system stays in spec if you unlock the cpu and drop the multiplier down


i have an 8k3a+ and i have it set up the same way your asking about (166/166) it runs great

 

[VirginiaDonkey]

I have the non + version and I am running 166/166 as well. runs great here too!!

 

[Herkulese]

Thanks for the confirmation guys. It almost seems to easy, and I just wanted to make sure.

BTW: What is the difference between the + and non + versions of the XP CPU's?

Also: Is anyone else having trouble with the formatting in this forum? You may have noticed that my original post is almost unreadable. When I go to Edit Post, non of this stuff shows up at all.

I simply typed the original post into the window, and that is how it came out. I even cut and pasted it into NotePad, and then copied and pasted it back into the post, which usually gets rid of all of that stuff, but it did not bet rid of it this time.

 

[Boonesmi]

then the guy said he had the "non + version" he was refering to the 8k3a
cause all athlonxp model numbers end in +


and i belive (but im not sure) that all you need to do is go into forum "customize" section and select "no" where it askes about using an editor