Where Are The Gigabyte GA-N680SLI-DQ6 Motherboards?

[Curr]

Hello Beacon147,

I noticed you have 1 hard drive, and it sounds like you aren't using RAID, did you by chance install both the NV SATA RAID drivers and the NV SATA drivers when you were at the "F6" step? Also, have you disabled the NV SATA RAID channels (but not the controller) in the bios? If you aren't using the RAID feature, don't install the RAID drivers, as there should be two choices to install at the "F6" step. I also downloaded the "newest" ones from nVidia's website, version 9.53 (also up at Gigabytes own website)

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Moth...ductID=2460&ProductName=GA-N680SLI-DQ6

Hope this helps some, feel free to keep us informed and we'll do our best to get your straightened out !

 

[eklock2000]

Originally posted by: Beacon147

Ah, other thing... I had an adhesive in the box, saying that it was an GA-N680SLI-DQ6 Rev1 Generation 2.0... has anyone heard anything about it?

Well... i'll try another configurations tonight... and install the F4e, and hope to have it working...

and thx for any help you could gave me, and for the help you already gave... hehe...

Hello Beacon147,

As far as I know, there is only one revision of this board and that is revision 1.0. Generation 2.0 I believe corresponds to the new solid capacitor design and has nothing to do with the revision.

As far as your install goes, are you using SATA or IDE drives? This board natively recognized my SATA drive without any SATA drivers. I might try the install without the SATA drivers if I were you (skip the F6 as I did).

Keep us informed to your progress.

EK2K

 

[cdfire]

Same rev 1 gen 2.0 sticker here, also as I posted before, like eklock I did not have to install anything for my sata drive at f6 nor did a friend of mine with teh same setup. Sounds to me also maybe since your locking up it may be a good idea to try maybe just one stick of ram at a time to see if that has anything to do with it. Just a thought to try out if the passing on the f6 dont work out.

 

[justinburton]

Smitty,

Thanks for the supply update. Also thanks for the bios Gary, at least for those who have their board. I still haven't gotten one yet >(

 

[Beacon147]

Hi guys!!!

Thx very much...

So, I'll try that out... first only one, and then, with without any...

Another thing... sometimes, when installing, the setup says that he can't read a file from the CD of the winxpsp2... strange, huh? I think so too...

And I ran an memtest in the xp, with many windows... and let it roll... but not a single mistake...

the thing usually glitches whenever I'm reading from the cd... or writing in the HD...

Well... I'll try it now!!! thx very much!

 

[Beacon147]

now i'm installing without the f6... no bsod yet... but it gives many errors... things that it couldnt install... and now it froze in the registering components.... it has happened before... i'll try with the driver...

and im begining to think my mobo is thrashed....

 

[imported_sleeprae]

Beacon,

What memory voltage are you running? Corsair 6400C4 should be running at 2.1vdimm, so you'd need to set it to +0.3v. Your issues sound like memory to me, at least...

 

[jwwill01]

Beacon147
Have you tried that CD-ROM and disk on another pc to verify that it isn't one of those? Disk read error sounds 'iffy'

Don't give up. I'm sure you'll find the problem!

 

[Beacon147]

And the instalation with only the massive storage drive, didn't even pass the inicial load from the cd-rom...

Hey sleeprae,

I tried raising the voltage of the ddr2... i raised 0.25... and the system won't post!

and jwwill01,

I used this dvd-rom in my other computer... and it worked just fine...

Is there any issues with an ata-133 cable with this drives?

Thx again people!!!

 

[Beacon147]

i finally understand the voltage menu.... took me long enough...

trying again with the ram voltage right... :thumbsup:

 

[Beacon147]

Well... I managed to install the XP... but still got a bunch of errors... and he didnt even recognized the cd-rom... i had to update the driver... and the usbs weren't function either... i had to update manually each driver... and when i inserted my pendrive, and started transfering some update drivers, the BSOD appeared, and the error was BAD_POOL_CALLER... and when I clicked the on/off button, something started to scream inside the case... and I dont think this case has a speaker... :Q

I'll try again tomorrow using the sata driver in the f6... but I'm starting to get affraid of him... :evil:

Well... thx again, very much, for your help...

Thx!!

 

[TheBeagle]

Hello Mr. Beacon.

Looking at your array of components, the first thing that I would suggest for an initial Operating System (OS) install would be to reduce those components to the bare minimum. That would include removing the sound card and any other collateral peripherals. However, may I suggest that you invest in another hard drive, preferably a WD Raptor 74 or 150 drive, to use as your System Drive. The Seagate drive that you have will be excellent for a data drive. That way you don't commingle the OS components with the data components. It also works much better in that type of configuration.

Then install the OS and format the system hard drive as part of that process, using the full format option (NOT quick install). Also, be sure to wipe out any pre-existing partition(s) on the hard drive as part of that full format process, if you can do that without destroying any necessary prior data. Yes, I know it's a bit slower of an install process that way, but by doing it, you are having the OS check each sector and cluster on the hard drive for integrity. This eliminates one possible source of OS corruption during the install (once you do that for a particular MB/drive combo, you likely won't have to do it again).

Set your CPU speed to 334 with the Spread Spectrum stuff turned off, the memory "linked" and the remainder of the settings at "auto." Do you know that the "advanced" settings in the BIOS are reached by keying Ctrl-F1 while in the main BIOS setup screen?

Also, the noise that you hear might be coming from the motherboard (MB) due to an improperly seated CPU and/or CPU cooler, which is overheating as a result of not being cooled properly. The E6700 is native at 2.66 and therefore the 334 setting which I suggested should work without breaking a sweat. Make damn sure that the CPU is properly seated and that the cooler is also properly installed using a good quality thermal paste (Arctic Silver 5, etc)

On the other hand, you could just leave everything on the board at the stock settings and install the OS. That way, you'd know that it was not likely that some OC setting was causing your OS problems. If you still have those types of serious functional problems with installing the OS at stock settings, then I'd start looking elsewhere for a culprit - a failing or insufficient PSU, bad memory stick, etc.

I would also definitely suggest flashing the BIOS to the new F4E that Gary posted yesterday, since I've tried it last evening and it seems very stable. Let us know how that works out. TheBeagle

 

[cdfire]

Did you set your ram timings to 4-4-4-12 @ 2.1v or did you leave the timings at 5-5-5-14 of which the board defaults the ram timings to. For starers I would just leave it at stock 5-5-5-14 I believe it is @ 1.8v untill you get her up and running. In fact better yet, in the BIOS you could just select load fail save defaults and save, reboot back into the bios and just turn off the things you wont be using like the onboard sound and such. Also I would highly suggest you update the BIOS to at least F3 and better yet the F4 Gary posted. That error your getting, if I recall right can be related to bad ram or a bad device driver. With that, I would do as beagle suggest and make sure you prepair that hard drive correctly. Delete all partitions, create a new one and do the full format not the quick. In any event I think it would be best to start off at default settings and bare minimum hardware installed as beagle suggest, get her up and running first, then worry about tweaking.

 

[Beacon147]

Hello TheBeagle and cdfire...

Well, I really didn't tweaked anything pior to install... only the voltage of the ram, that they told me to do...

The X-Fi is not in the mobo yet too... And I usually do the full format befor an roll of attempts... And the initial plan was to have 2 wd raptors in raid 0 for the os, and this hd for the rest... bbuuuttttt, I live in Brazil... and this things are very hard to get... and VERY expensive... at least 50% expensivier than for you guys... for this mobo I expend at least $700... sad but true...

And the cooler is still the box, because the cooler I bought haven't arived yet... but the cooler is very tight... as tight as this strange pins assembly could be... Btw, I hated this things... you need to put so much strength to get it in place... I was looking for the 9700... but couldn't find it here... I think the psu is ok... the memory doesn't appear to be bad either... but... who knows... hehe...

And thx again for the help... :thumbsup:

Btw, I posted a question in the Gigabyte website, and they didn't returned anything to me yet... sad...

 

[MraK]

got some good news and some bad news, finally found the right settings to keep my cpu stable at 3.4ghz but now for the bad news every time i on my computer i hear this additional short odd beep , a few seconds before the actual bootup beep that you hear when you bootup your computer. to be its sounds bad as in i probably might have done something wrong to coz it to sound like that now. Anyone have a ideas of what it could be??

 

[MraK]

 

[MraK]

Morning Sir Beagle,

Since that last post that you made a couple weeks ago about the memory i chose (OCZ 2GB DDR2 PC2-8500 NVIDIA SLI ready memory) , was a good choice for this motherboard, I'm planning on goin for 4GB, basically getting 2 more GB of memory for OCZ.

Question is, do i really need more memory now???

 

[eklock2000]

Mr. MrAK,

IMO you don't need the extra memory now...kinda depends on what you're doing though.

As far as your beeps are concerned, the last page of the mobo manual says...

Question 5: Sometimes I hear different continuous beeps from computer after system boots up. What do these beeps usually stand for?

Answer: The beep codes below may help you identify the possible computer problems. However, they are only for reference purposes. The situations might differ from case to case.

?? AWARD BIOS Beep Codes
1 short: System boots successfully
2 short: CMOS setting error
1 long 1 short: DRAM or M/B error
1 long 2 short: Monitor or display card error
1 long 3 short: Keyboard error
1 long 9 short: BIOS ROM error
Continuous long beeps: DRAM error
Continuous short beeps: Power error

Hope that helps,

EK2K

 

[TheBeagle]

Good Evening MrAK.

With regard to memory, WinXP-32 can only use 4GB of RAM. However, WinXP-64 can use at least 16 GB of RAM. So, depending on which OS version you are using and how much spare cash you've got lying around collecting dust, etc., you can buy a little or a lot of RAM. However, the real issue is not quantity but rather quality. So be guided accordingly.

On the "strange sounds" issue, I suspect you are describing the sounds that I have heard just as the PC is beginning the POST process, namely a few short clicking type of sounds before the single POST beep telling you that the POST is going forward. If that's what you are describing, then I don't have a specific answer for you about WHAT it is, but it has occurred a few times to me and hasn't seemed to be a problem. If I hear the noises again, and then the board blows up, I'll be sure to tell you! LOL

Hope that's of some help.

To our Brazilian colleague, sorry to hear that they gouge you all that $ for these computer components. Boy, if the dealers charged those kind of prices in the States, we sure would not be having much of a discussion on this board about premium components.

However, if you set ALL the board values to stock and auto (no extra voltage for the memory), and install the OS in that fashion, I think you will have a better chance for a solid, clean install. BTW, my experience with the auto settings, especially the ones dealing with voltage, is that the board will set the correct voltage that it senses it needs for each component.

Now that's just my personal experience with this board and the components that I am using. If you can get a solid, clean install in that fashion, THEN you can begin to tweak around with the various settings to get higher performance. Best regards. TheBeagle

 

[MraK]

as far as OCing goes i look set, yet something kinda bothers me, whenever i use my firefox browser it tends to hang (not responding) and with my easytune, after i long in, it wont pop up.
do you thinks its something to do with any settings that i made in the bios? (i know it may sound corny to ask such a question, but thats the only thing i could think of as a reason for these weird mishaps)

 

[Curr]

I dumped EasyTune, it hangs a lot and doesn't bring anything useful to the table for me, and I really never got a good feeling from it. I use CoreTemp, Everest, Speedfan, CPU-Z for all my informational needs. I definitely suggest doing all your OC'ing from bios, as I've never found Windows tweaking to be stable.

I love Everest 3.7, as it identifies both the ITE8718 sensor for the DQ6 and ADI ADT7374 that is on my BFG 8800GTX so I get accurate temps for my system.

 

[drakey]

Hello Thread Follows and N680SLI-DQ6 owners

I am looking at getting this motherboard but i am wonder if anyone would know if it would allow me to mount a Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme on to the cpu and fit in my lian li pc201b case?

Thanks alot for help
Thread is alot of help

 

[Beacon147]

People... do you think that the problem could be from the PSU?

Thermaltake 600W is enough to hold my fort, isn't it?

 

[imported_sleeprae]

Originally posted by: drakey
Hello Thread Follows and N680SLI-DQ6 owners

I am looking at getting this motherboard but i am wonder if anyone would know if it would allow me to mount a Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme on to the cpu and fit in my lian li pc201b case?

Thanks alot for help
Thread is alot of help

I am currently using an ultra 120 (non-extreme) in a Lian Li V2000B. The heatsink will only mount horizontally. I had to bend the fins up on the lower end to clear the motherboard's thermal solution, and I had to tear off 4 or 5 layers to clear my Dominator memory on the other.

If your case has an inverted motherboard mount like mine does, I'd suggest you replace the onboard thermal solution...the heatpipes don't work nearly as effectively when inverted. They work--just poorly. I've ordered a complete water cooling setup to remediate all of these problems..

 

[bravo36]

Originally posted by: sleeprae

Originally posted by: drakey
Hello Thread Follows and N680SLI-DQ6 owners

I am looking at getting this motherboard but i am wonder if anyone would know if it would allow me to mount a Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme on to the cpu and fit in my lian li pc201b case?

Thanks alot for help
Thread is alot of help

I am currently using an ultra 120 (non-extreme) in a Lian Li V2000B. The heatsink will only mount horizontally. I had to bend the fins up on the lower end to clear the motherboard's thermal solution, and I had to tear off 4 or 5 layers to clear my Dominator memory on the other.

If your case has an inverted motherboard mount like mine does, I'd suggest you replace the onboard thermal solution...the heatpipes don't work nearly as effectively when inverted. They work--just poorly. I've ordered a complete water cooling setup to remediate all of these problems..

FYI, I am running a Koolance system in the same LL case with an inverted DFI 939 board with the heatpipes, and the Koolance products work like a charm.