Read this @ Overclockers.com about Epox 8RDA+

[ManBOO YA]

Epox 8RDA+ I have a couple copies of emails sent to me from Epox technical support saying that the board 1) doesn't have a PCI lock and 2) has a maximum PCI divisor of /5. So that's the big secret.

It's on the main page at Overclockers.com that depressing news, because this board had so much going for it. Someone needs to get a PCI bus speed testing card, and run a test.

 

[halkebul]

Indeed. And that means it is not recommendable for future 400MHz DDR FSB barton processors.

 

[OverclockTHIS]

ha! I knew it...UP YOURS to whomever that had the monkey balls to frick with me. Lousy noobs.

 

[mechBgon]

The 1/6 divisor may be added in a later BIOS revision when there's a need for it, just like the 1/5 divisor was added to the A7V333 BIOSes after there were CPUs that called for one.

 

[OverclockTHIS]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
The 1/6 divisor may be added in a later BIOS revision when there's a need for it, just like the 1/5 divisor was added to the A7V333 BIOSes after there were CPUs that called for one.

Not really...it is a known fact that the KT333 and KT400 both support the 1/5th divider - nothing lower.

Why didn't they just make it so that the PCI was locked like any sane company (look at Asus) would do - BECAUSE nForce2 doesn't rely on the FRICKEN clock divider ?

 

[mechBgon]

My original A7V333-R, with the 1008 BIOS, didn't have 1/5 divider support, and my current one (an RMA return) does have 1/5, which is because it has a later BIOS revision which added 1/5 divider support. I happen to have the 1012 BIOS, and the 1/5 divider was added with the 1011 BIOS to the best of my recollection.

It will be interesting to see what EPoX's next couple of 8RDA+ BIOS revisions bring to the table, in light of this.

 

[Odeen]

An actual "divider" reduces the latency to the PCI and AGP cards. The chipset "knows" to wait three, four, five or six clock cycles before each PCI access.

On the other hand, with the PCI bus locked at some FSB, the chipset has to reach some sort of least common multiple with the PCI bus to access it. So if your FSB is, say, 160mhz, instead of a PCI access every five clock cycles, it has to wait for the two to sync up.

So, I'd rather have a full bank of dividers than a locked PCI bus..

 

[justshawnf]

Ummmm..... Maybe you could explain something for me. In the new bios for the 8RDA+ (released 12/12), in the list of 'fixes' it says:

13.) Added code for Athlon Model 10(Barton) support.

See for yourself:http://www.epox.org/main1.shtml#newsitem1039685796,56281,
Now, I suppose it could just be support for FSB 166 Barton.

I think it's too early to say whether the PCI bus is locked or not. On AOA Forums, someone has posted emails from Epox that say that the PCI speed is locked at 33 Mhz at 100, 133, and 166 FSB. Who are we to believe? Until someone takes a test card and sticks it in the mobo running at 200FSB we won't know for sure.

If you want to send me one, I'd be happy to test it for you. My 8rda+ has been running at 200FSB for 5-6 days now. I haven't encountered any HD corruption. Then again, I don't have any cards in the PCI slots.

 

[Killrose]

This is why I never rush out and buy stuff when it first comes out. I'm sticking with my 8HKA+ till Barton is released and all this stuff gets sorted out.

 

[Adul]

that sucks

 

[Parja]

Originally posted by: justshawnf
On AOA Forums, someone has posted emails from Epox that say that the PCI speed is locked at 33 Mhz at 100, 133, and 166 FSB.

I don't doubt that one bit. 1/3, 1/4, and 1/5 multipliers.

 

[chocoruacal]

Originally posted by: Killrose
This is why I never rush out and buy stuff when it first comes out. I'm sticking with my 8HKA+ till Barton is released and all this stuff gets sorted out.

Yeah, well considering how frequently new stuff comes out, by the time one thing comes along, there's talk about another thing 3 months down the road. But yeah, whats the point of buying immediately after release...more bugs and more $$'s

 

[jpbushido99]

My gosh, I mean do you guys really care if the barton is supported, most people wont be able to afford it until a 6 months to a year after it comes out when the prices are lower. By then either epox will have a bios update for it, or you can purchas a new Barton MB, or you can just ignore all your PCI cards. I mean I really don't think its that big of a deal. Also the Athlon XP2600 333fsb will be much lower by then and you can just OC it to entry level barton speeds.:disgust::disgust::disgust::disgust::disgust::|

 

[daveqb]

http://www.aoaforums.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11745&perpage=20&pagenumber=2

evidence of a PCI lock.