I recently built my first computer in about 6 years, inpired by a Hard Disk failure on my overclocked P3-1100, which has been a great computer until recent years, when I have had some HD and Vid card burps.
The last computer I actually purchased was a Micron P-200 and have built dozens since then, for myself, my family and friends. Finally, I just started telling people to buy a Dell because my consulting business, which funds my life, no longer allowed me the time to dabble in computer building.
When I decided to build a new system, I opted for the Intel DP965LT partly because it supported the Core2 Duo technology and partly because I needed the stability I have always come to associate with Intel products. In the past I had built systems using ASUS, ABIT and Intel and one dual processor P3 Tyan MB for a server. Believe me when I say how confused I was by the quantum leap in Computer technology since I built my last computer.
After some research on the internet and on the Intel site I decided on the following main components based on their compatibility tests:
DP965LT
Kingston DDR2-800 Ram (2 gigs)
Enermax EG425P-VE Power supply
Intel E660 CPU
Leadtek PX7600GS Vid card
Seagate Barracuda 320 Gig HD
Plextor PX 760A 18 X DVD RW
Rosewill ATX case which met the current case spec
This setup had everything I needed without having a bunch a stuff I don't need like dual monitor capability and serial port, although it did include a parallel port which I found comforting since one of my my printers uses a Parallel cable.
After the parts were ordered, I discovered this thread, being a long time Anandtech supporter and read all 19 pages, which caused me great concern at first. I noticed that as I got deeper into the thread, problems were being overcome, bios releases were clearing up bugs and everyone here seemed to be coming to terms with this board. I took notes!
The parts arrived within two days from newegg (a great place to shop) and I spent about $1300 without an OS and including a new $65 Everex Aurora Keyboard, which may be the coolest KB I've ever seen (although I still long for my old Northgate Omnikey with it's tactile click).
I took a day to read the manuals and touch everything and formulate my assembly stategy and another to build the system. Everything went together with no trouble, at all. so I put it on the desk and looked at it for a few more days until I had time to drive into the city and buy another copy of XP. I started the computer and after receiving PXE-E61 Media test failure messages, discovered that the IDE cable to the Plextor was NG. I replaced it with the one provided by Plextor and everything was fine until I discovered that the new copy of XP was DEFECTIVE! During the first part of set-up, I kept getting File ACPI.sys was corrupted meeages and I could not get past that. I drug out my old copy of XP, loaded it with no trouble and upgraded it to SP2, which I have on a CD. I simply used the ID numbers from the new, otherwise worthless copy of XP.
I then got on my old computer and downloaded all the latest Inf, Audio, Bios, Ethernet and other pertinant files from the Intel site and loaded them starting with the INF files, as I learned in this thread., Next I updated to the 1458 Bios, since that version had received the highest rating in this thread, loaded the Ethernet Diver, sound driver, Intel management engine and desktop utilities and finally the Video card driver.
By the time this process was completed, Device manager had no yellow marks left and even Desktop Utilities seemed to be fully functional. The fans seem to run slow (I used the Boxed Intel cooler) but they seem to keep everything running anywhere from 38C to 53C according to Desktop Utilities, which does show two instances of motherboard temps, each different.
I aplogize for my long and rambling post but I wanted to thank each of you for making this possible. Without this 19 page troubleshooting guide for the DP965LT mainboard, I would have been lost and doomed to a life dealing with Intel tech support, which is always at least as frustrating as dealing with Microsoft or Intuit. <gloom>
As I near retirement, I may find that I have more time to build a few more computers, particularly since it allows me to spend other people's money!
Thanks and regards,
George R. Thompson
The last computer I actually purchased was a Micron P-200 and have built dozens since then, for myself, my family and friends. Finally, I just started telling people to buy a Dell because my consulting business, which funds my life, no longer allowed me the time to dabble in computer building.
When I decided to build a new system, I opted for the Intel DP965LT partly because it supported the Core2 Duo technology and partly because I needed the stability I have always come to associate with Intel products. In the past I had built systems using ASUS, ABIT and Intel and one dual processor P3 Tyan MB for a server. Believe me when I say how confused I was by the quantum leap in Computer technology since I built my last computer.
After some research on the internet and on the Intel site I decided on the following main components based on their compatibility tests:
DP965LT
Kingston DDR2-800 Ram (2 gigs)
Enermax EG425P-VE Power supply
Intel E660 CPU
Leadtek PX7600GS Vid card
Seagate Barracuda 320 Gig HD
Plextor PX 760A 18 X DVD RW
Rosewill ATX case which met the current case spec
This setup had everything I needed without having a bunch a stuff I don't need like dual monitor capability and serial port, although it did include a parallel port which I found comforting since one of my my printers uses a Parallel cable.
After the parts were ordered, I discovered this thread, being a long time Anandtech supporter and read all 19 pages, which caused me great concern at first. I noticed that as I got deeper into the thread, problems were being overcome, bios releases were clearing up bugs and everyone here seemed to be coming to terms with this board. I took notes!
The parts arrived within two days from newegg (a great place to shop) and I spent about $1300 without an OS and including a new $65 Everex Aurora Keyboard, which may be the coolest KB I've ever seen (although I still long for my old Northgate Omnikey with it's tactile click).
I took a day to read the manuals and touch everything and formulate my assembly stategy and another to build the system. Everything went together with no trouble, at all. so I put it on the desk and looked at it for a few more days until I had time to drive into the city and buy another copy of XP. I started the computer and after receiving PXE-E61 Media test failure messages, discovered that the IDE cable to the Plextor was NG. I replaced it with the one provided by Plextor and everything was fine until I discovered that the new copy of XP was DEFECTIVE! During the first part of set-up, I kept getting File ACPI.sys was corrupted meeages and I could not get past that. I drug out my old copy of XP, loaded it with no trouble and upgraded it to SP2, which I have on a CD. I simply used the ID numbers from the new, otherwise worthless copy of XP.
I then got on my old computer and downloaded all the latest Inf, Audio, Bios, Ethernet and other pertinant files from the Intel site and loaded them starting with the INF files, as I learned in this thread., Next I updated to the 1458 Bios, since that version had received the highest rating in this thread, loaded the Ethernet Diver, sound driver, Intel management engine and desktop utilities and finally the Video card driver.
By the time this process was completed, Device manager had no yellow marks left and even Desktop Utilities seemed to be fully functional. The fans seem to run slow (I used the Boxed Intel cooler) but they seem to keep everything running anywhere from 38C to 53C according to Desktop Utilities, which does show two instances of motherboard temps, each different.
I aplogize for my long and rambling post but I wanted to thank each of you for making this possible. Without this 19 page troubleshooting guide for the DP965LT mainboard, I would have been lost and doomed to a life dealing with Intel tech support, which is always at least as frustrating as dealing with Microsoft or Intuit. <gloom>
As I near retirement, I may find that I have more time to build a few more computers, particularly since it allows me to spend other people's money!
Thanks and regards,
George R. Thompson