***Unofficial Gigabyte X38 / EX38 Chipset Thread***

[Hibrass]

Ok...

A little more on the DS4 board...

I believe the Realtek NIC is causing my crashing and reboots. I have tried two sets of drivers, one from the cd and one from the Gigabyte website. Strangely Windows update has a Realtekc driver released effective the 25th but I couldn't get it before the PC crashed again.

So far I have tried both XP and Vista 32 with the same results. Also when the machine is running the NIC will only connect at 10MBP Duplex. (This is a problem that others on this forum have fun into.) So for tonights test I will disable the Onboard NIC and go back to my trusty 905C and format and reinstall Vista 32 this time and see what happens... I will need to reset my voltages as I was playing with those to see if there would be any additional stability... (There wasn't.)

Oh and I'm using BIOS version F2. I was able to download F3 on my Server but I wasn't able to get the BIOS update to run... I'm not sure why... I will check into that also tonight..

More later,

Hibrass

 

[Xpoc]

I was reading another thread where a guy had pealed of his X38-DS4 motherboard sticker, and undnderneath it says X48-DQ6. Sure enough mine is the same.
My asus P5E sticker comes of to reveal Asus Maximus Formula on the pcb. lol

 

[Hibrass]

I took the stickers off my ex38 and all I got was an ex38...

In the meantime I may have wanted to leave them on... Because I have yet to manage a stable install with vista 32 on this board. I was able to get a stable XP install by disabling the Realtek lan function.

Are there any know issues with install Vista32 on a primary or secondary partion??

Oh well I will try some more stuff tonight after work...

Later,

Hibrass

 

[Hibrass]

Well this has gotten old.

I'm RMA'n the board. This thing just won't run stable. The last thing to stop working were the USB ports.

I have check the drive and it came out Ok. The memory seems ok but I don't have a way to throughly test it.. The processor is the same story along with the Video card.

I did manage to update the BIOS to F3 but that didn't help and no OS that I have ran stable for more than a couple of hours. Vista didn't make it more than a couple of minutes...

This is my first Gigabyte product so I will try one more. If that fails I'm going back to ASUS...

More next week, Maybe...

Hibrass

 

[Hibrass]

Well I seem to be the only one posting about this board now...

Some positive updates...

First I seem to have run into the 4 DIMM / 4 Gig of memory problem... I removed 2 gigs of memory and disabled AHCI and Vista 32 installed solid with no error or problems.. I have also SP1 and still solid.

I have since connected all of my external components and they appear to be running ok also now.

Now I did attempt to reset AHCI to active in BIOS and rebooted the PC and it instantly Blue Screened so need to look into that a little more... LOL

Currently it is setting on building desk running Prime 95...

More in 12 hours or so...

Hibrass

 

[bigsnyder]

AHCI is something that really can't be switched on or off after an install, so I am not surprised by the BSOD. Unless your board is having IRQ conflicts, I would just leave AHCI off. As long as ACPI is still enabled, your board should function normally. As far as feedback on this board, the only anomaly for me seems to be the higher cpu temps. I am already hitting 40-44c just on idle and 70c on full load with an e6400 @2.5Ghz, but Prime95 does run without errors. My temps were much cooler on my old board, so I am not sure if the board is getting an inaccurate measurement or my stock HSF is just not doing its job. I will have a better idea once I update my HSF.

 

[Xpoc]

Here's away to turn AHCI on after install. Using Vista

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976

 

[Hibrass]

Guys thanks for the info on AHCI! Most helpfull...

Ok heres the deal... With 2 1 gig modules in slots 1 and 3.. The board runs great...

If I try to run 4 1 gig modules the install will unstable and reboot constantly... Even worse if I try to install 2 1 gig modules in slot 2 and 4 the board will crash instantly..

So it appears I'm off to RMA the board... The only big decision I have at this point is whether to get another DS4 or go to an ASUS board. I'm leaning toward a DS4 just because I figure I was just unlucky...

More next week after I get a new board..

Thanks for all of the info!

Hibrass

 

[Hibrass]

Oh and another thing I noticed while doing all of this..

In BIOS I left the DIMM voltage at normal. And I left the DIMM id based on SPD.. Under PC Health the voltage was always running about 2.2 volts on the DIMMs. I thought this was something to do with the SPD setting...

Anyway If you set the voltage to manual and say add .05 suddenly the voltage was displayed in PC health as 1.85... Go figure...

Back to packing up my board...

Hibrass

 

[bigsnyder]

Anyone else running a first generation core2 duo like the e6400 on this board, especially with stock cooling? I am interested in what kind of temps you might be getting.

 

[rntntn10]

I'm currently running a 6750 mid 40's with a zerotherm. btw happy 52nd to me and I just latched on to an e8500! It shoulld be here at the end of the week. This should be more than enough to pull 4 sticks of 1066 ram.. I hope, The last time things just didn't quite work as planned...catch everyone later.

 

[Prop Maker]

Hello Everyone! This is an excellent thread! I have a question to anyone who has bought the Gigabyte EX38-ds4 Motherboard. When you got it, Out Of The Box, What Bios Version did it have installed on it? The F1, F2 or F3?

Thank you for anyone who replies

 

[bigsnyder]

F2.

 

[bigsnyder]

To anyone wanting use an Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro on the GA-EX38-DS4, they will fit. The very bottom row of fins do barely hit the northbridge heatsink and the bottom corner of the fan slighty rubs it as well. I bent the fins up a little to allow clearance, so only the fan rubs. If I ever get my camera working again, I will post pics. Just a FYI.

 

[HenrikM73]

Hi,

i am looking into replacing my trusty old computer ( AMD64 3200+ ) with a new setup.

I have the following setup in mind and would like your insights/comments on it.

Motherbord : Gigabyte GA-EX38-DS5
CPU : Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66 GHz ( 1333 Mhz FSB )
CPU Cooler : Thermalright Ultima-90I with a 120 mm Scythe S-FLEX SFF21D Fan
RAM : Mushkin Xtreme Performance 2 x 2 GB PC2-8500 / CL5 / 1066 MHz
GFX : ASUS EAH3650 SILENT/HTDI (512 MB) (ATI Radeon HD 3650)
HDD : Samsung SpinPoint F1 750 GB
DVD : Samsung WriteMaster SH-S203B
Case : Antec LifeStyle SOLO
Case Fan Back : 1 120 mm Scythe S-FLEX SFF21D Fan
Case Fan Front : 2 92 mm fans ( Something that does not make much noise )
PSU : Corsair HX520W

I should properly mention that i do not plan to overclock the CPU and that i am very
concerned about noise.
The parts have been selected with quality and low noise in mind and
with regards to the GFX i do not game that much

The RAM have been a difficult choice because i do not plan to overclock
and would like to leave the bios settings to auto/default as much as possible.
But after talking with the people at the Mushkin forums it seems that that
is not an option as the RAM requires 2.1v to reach the 1066mhz and CL5.

But what could i expect from the RAM if i were to leave the bios settings for
the RAM to auto/default on the gigabyte motherboard
What Mhz would the RAM then run at and at what latency and what about
this divider/ratio stuff, would the motherboard set that automatically?

I know it is a lot of questions but i have to admit that the RAM issues
are really out of my league.

 

[bigsnyder]

Where are you from? The DS5 is not available here in the U.S., but it is a great choice if you are somewhere it is available. As far as RAM, take a look at the G.Skill DDR2-1000. Probably much cheaper than the Muskin. Your stock FSB will be 333Mhz in which DDR2-667 will be sufficient when running the memory at 1:1 ratio. As far as what timings the memory will run when everything is stock/auto, check the memory manufacturer for a possible table for your specific ram. CPU-Z has a table which reports the SPD data of the installed memory. As far as other components, consider the following:

Western Digital WD6400AAKS if 750GB is not an absolute requirement.
Xigmatek HDT-S1283 cpu cooler - one of the best coolers around and relatively cheap
HD3870 - many variants available, might even be passive version available

Hope this helps.

 

[HenrikM73]

I am from Denmark ( Northern Europe ).

I was also considering the DS4 but the price difference was only about 50 USD
and with the low exchange rate from USD to DKK ( Danish Kroner ) i thought what the heck.
Furthermore i want an external HDD ( My Book Home Edition 750 GB ), it has an eSata
connection and from reading on the net it seems that it is a good idea to run it on another
controller than the ICH9R that is going to used for my Boot HDD and Dvd.
Something to do with ACHI, windows installation, HotSwap etc. Very confusing.

The price difference between the RAM i want and the one you suggest is also very low, so why not just buy the Mushkin. They have a very good reputation as far i can understand.
If my FSB is 333 and i run the RAM at 1066mhz and at CL5 ( by raising the voltage of the ram to 2.0-2.1 ) than my ratio will be something like 333:533, is this not correct?
What will that translate into? -> 3:5?
Is it a problem to run the RAM faster than the CPU?
Will i gain any realworld benefit from it?
I think i found some tests on tomshardware that suggested that a 0-10% performance increase might be achieved during certain situations when using RAM that ran a higher Mhz than the FSB.
Could another possibility be to set the ram to 667mhz and 1.8v and then perhaps a lower latency CL4 to achieve a ratio of 1:1 or do the RAM need the higher voltage to work properly?
The motherboard supports a FSB of 1600 mhz as far as i know so the RAM should at least be able to run at 800 mhz
to be futureproof if i want invest in the next Gen CPU.
That is also why i buy 2x2gb sticks so that i can invest in 2x2gb more at a later time when i move from my XP 32bit
to a 64bit OS, Vista or the next one

i want the samsung HDD because it has received great reviews and it would be nice to have the space
The cooler is chosen due to its weight and performance ( the CPU will be run at stock )
With regards to the GFX it is compromise between performance and being passively cooled.
I have looked into a passively cooled 8600gt/9600gt but from the reviews i am doubting that they can
be cooled sufficiently by a passive solution and not requiering a massive airflow in the casing.
I am pretty a... about noise and every thing is chosen to for their silence and not needing additional noise fans

 

[Obsoleet]

I thought I'd better chime in on my experiences with this board for anyone looking to buy it. Starters, I can say I'd rebuy it without a doubt. I think the DS4 itself is probably the best buy on the market for a X38 motherboard overall. Great features, fine OCing, nice heatpipe layout ect. (nice price IMO, I paid $200)

The things I don't like, and this is probably more due to my HSF choice.. but I can't use tall ram chips in my machine due to the CPU fan almost covering the 1st slot. Though any RAM that's Mushkin height or less will fit fine. Not really a complaint, because it wasn't a problem.

Running 375x8 on this at 4-4-4-12 for 3ghz on stock voltage. I can't really say I'd have it any other way.. and it's what I'd probably recommend as the general setup to anyone out there looking for quad. I left the speedstep features enabled and it hasn't caused any problems for me on Vista64.

My board came shipped with the F3 bios already on it. Any questions, I'll subscribe to this thread and try to read the replies or you can PM me. I really couldn't recommend this board anymore, has the 889A Realtek codec, eSATA and is just a nice setup.. couldn't be happier.

 

[reactiv]

Hi there,

I've been all over the internet and in particular anandtech researching my new rig.

i'm just down to the motherboard and praise the lord i find this thread.

I'm just wondering is it worth paying the extra for the GA-X38-DS5 over the GA-X38-DS4?

What do i get extra from the ds5? (i know solid state capacitors is one thing)

I'd like this board to last for years so perhaps thats one selling point (it'll get filtered down to my mums PC)

Basically the cheapest I've found the board are DS4 @ £112 and DS5 @£127

just wondering if it was worth it. bear in mind earlier today I was ready to purchase the Asus P5E for £122 (and that its a similar board to the much talked about maximus formula)

I think I am decided on the Gigabyte primarily cos of the probs i've read with the asus.

Hopefully some of you can hit me up with some good info and/or places to buy that might be cheaper than what i've seen!

Thanks in-advance!

 

[Obsoleet]

I haven't seen the DS5 here in the US. I use the DS4. I'd recommend the DS5, but the only problem might be if they don't sell a ton of them.. how well it'll be supported? Maybe it uses the same bios? I dont know, but I do know they are selling tons of DS4s... (I tend to try to pick something that's popular for multiple reasons)

i'd choose based off of if the DS5 used the DS4 bios or not. Check the latest versions for each and see if they are identical besides the naming scheme. If not, I'd personally get the DS4.

 

[bigsnyder]

The DS4 and DS5 are virtually the same board. The two biggest differences is the DS4 does not support the extra 2 SATA ports from the JMicron controller, and the northbridge cooling solution. The only other difference, though minor, is the DS5 uses a different revision of the gigabit LAN controller. Other than that, they are the same boards.

 

[reactiv]

hi,

thanks for the feedback.

when i look at the specs (on the gigabyte site) the only difference I can ascertain is:

GIGABYTE SATA2 chip:
1. 2 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors (GSATAIIA, GSATAIIB) supporting up to 2 SATA 3Gb/s devices

Internal I/O Connectors
8 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors (DS has 6)

h/w monitoring:
1. CPU fan speed control (DS4 has smart fan control)


Now this is for the X38s

I notice that the EX38s have Silent Pipe cooling as opposed to X38-DS4 "Heat sink on north bridge and south bridge"

Does this difference mean I should be looking out more for the EX-DS4 over the standard X version. I thought these were cut down a bit from the X originals.

Needs some/as much clarity as possible as I'm pretty sure that this is the board I'll order. But would be nice to get the better of the variants.

Gonna scout around for prices in the interim.

 

[bigsnyder]

No, the EX38 versions are actually better featured. They feature the same power regulation as the DQ6 and dual gigabit LAN connectors. Check this link for quick reference.

 

[reactiv]

Originally posted by: bigsnyder
No, the EX38 versions are actually better featured. They feature the same power regulation as the DQ6 and dual gigabit LAN connectors. Check this link for quick reference.

Thanks bigsnyder.

I did use the full specs as my tool to ascertain the differences in my previous post (two browsers side by side). I didnt notice 2 x LAN ports (I only need one anyway)

Now i found this site:

http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1227&pageID=4501

very good info cos although its mainly a test on the EX-DS4 it does a comparison between the X-DS4 too. Not much in it but EX comes out on top (but not totally vs the P35 board)

I know you guys have got yours already but this is helpful for anyone stumbling across this thread looking for info.

In my case I'm still a little confused - primarily about the differences between the EX-DS5 and EX-DS4. I've found them at £127 and £115 respectively but can't understand the product positioning of the DS5 - if the only difference is two sata ports onboard I imagine that I'd be no better off getting the DS5. (unless I obviously need loads of SATA ports)

Perhaps the box contents are different??

So I guess I'm gonna look towards an EX-DS4 - unless someone can tell me where the £12 difference in boards come in and what impact is has (i.e 'for £12 more better get the DS5)'

If anyone knows any good UK links to buy it for a lower price than £115 please let me know!

Thanks for all the help with this guys!

 

[bigsnyder]

If I had a choice, I would have gotten the DS5 for the extra SATA ports. Plus, the northbridge cooling solution of the DS5 seems to be a little more cpu HSF friendly (though most HSF solutions seem to work fine on the DS4). It all depends on what you can get and how much you are willing to spend.