- Oct 13, 1999
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Biostar GeForce6100-M7 mini-review
03/11/2006
CLIFF NOTES VERSION: Compared to the excellent Tforce6100, the Geforce6100-M7 has a trimmed down BIOS, trimmed down overclocking abilities and trimmed down price ($60 versus $70 at this time). Basically think of it as 3/4 of a Tforce for 6/7 of the price. Worth it? Yes for budget rig, no if overclocking.
Pictures:
Pictures courtesy of Newegg
My craptacular picture of board, with certain parts circled
PCB Differences between Geforce6100-M7 and Tforce6100:
Please refer to my Biostar Tforce6100 mini review for pics and description of the Tforce version. BTW, that review is currently #1 on Google when you search the words Biostar Tforce6100 review.
There are a number of differences between the boards. The most obvious are the PCB color (red instead of blue) and BIOS with fewer features, but there are a number of other small differences between the otherwise near-identical PCB. Besides the actual PCB differences, there is a sticker on the boards between the CPU and RAM slots. My Tforce says A03 while the Geforce says A01. I've heard that this refers to the Northbridge revision number but I'm not 100% sure.
A couple of items that I didn't circle before uploading my craptacular picture is the lack of the JDDR_OV>3V jumper - the pads and silkscreening is there but no actual pins/jumper. Also missing is a power LED on the board, lit up when the PSU is hooked up and turned on even if the board isn't running.
Looking at the craptacular picture, circled in BLUE are the main power capacitors. These are the typical Radial Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors that you find on almost all motherboards. On the Tforce board, these five capacitors are different and are AFAIK Hybrid Solid-Liquid Electrolyte Capacitors. Those are similar to ones used on some video cards and high end boards by Abit and DFI. They are supposedly higher performance and long term reliability while taking up less space - at an additional cost.
Circled in ORANGE are silkscreens and solder pads that are on the Geforce board but not the Tforce version. Next to the SATA ports are a second pair of potential SATA ports. A couple of "missing" capacitors are just not present on the Tforce version. Also, next to the Northbridge is a place for some headers of some sort, perhaps for TV-out, DVI or Firewire... who knows...
Circled in GREEN are solder pads of components on the Tforce board that are missing on the Geforce board, with the spot reserved but nothing there. Between the SATA and IDE ports are the "missing" power/reset switches that made the Tforce so handy to bench test. At the two ends of the RAM slots are the extra fan headers, meaning the Geforce has 2 to the Tforce 4. Between the RAM slots and the edge of the PCB is a spot for a large capacitor that is on the Tforce but missing from the Geforce. Perhaps this is for the over-3V vDIMM option of the Tforce? The circled spots around the CPU area are "missing" MOSFETs, around SIX of them MIA. The sixth one is to the left of the blue-circled stuff (I missed it earlier). Also missing is a third coil. I take this to mean that the board has a 2 phase power circuitry instead of 3 phase (someone correct me if wrong).
There may be other differences that I missed, but suffice to say that the boards share similar PCB layout, but not identical.
Oh yeah, this board has the same CRAPPY video card clip at the end of the PCI-E 16X slot that the Tforce had.
BIOS features:
BIOS version: CR51M920 BS
DATE: 09/20/05
What BIOS has:
CPU Frequency 200-300MHz in 1MHz increments
HT 1-5X, Auto
CPU Vcore +0.05V, +0.10V, +0.15V
DDR Voltage 2.66V, 2.72V, 2.82V, 2.93V
What BIOS lacks versus Tforce version:
No PCIe clock adjustment
No CPU Frequency over 300MHz
No "over 3V" vDIMM jumper
No extra vcore
No undervolting
No Smart FAN Control
No CMOS Reload
No automagical overclocking mode (Overclock Navigator)
Fewer DRAM latency options, basically standard Memclock, CAS, Tras, Trcd, Trp, Timing (1T/2T)
I'm probably missing a few items, but this should tell the experienced hardware geek, in a nutshell, how the BIOS stacks up to the excellent Tforce version.
Overclocking:
Well, the results SUCK. I'm using the same Sempron 2600+ that I tested with great success on the Tforce board, and with vcore all the way up (HW Monitor shows 1.53v) the highest I can POST is 270MHz HTT (tested in 10MHz increments).
Something else is that when any boost in vcore is used (regardless of any other settings) the computer will not reboot. Exiting out of BIOS will result in the board shutting off. A software reboot such as hitting ESC while running Memtest will result in the board shutting off.
At the maximum of 270MHz HTT, the board was perfectly stable. Is this lower clock (versus maximum POST of 330MHz HTT on Tforce) due to the missing power components versus the Tforce? Let's find out...
Updating to Tforce BIOS:
I've read that the Tforce BIOS can be flashed onto the Geforce board, so I decided to try it.
BIOS version: CR51M207
DATE: 02/07/2006
The flash software accepted it as a proper replacement for the board. I backed up the old BIOS and flashed it, then hit F1 to reset. No POST. Turned it off, cleared BIOS and turned it on and was greeted with the Tforce splash screen. So far so good, the boards are similar enough that the flash program and BIOS itself seem to think them one and the same.
First thing I tried was to enable the Smart FAN because the fan noise was driving me batty since it's an arm's reach away on the desktop. Well, it didn't work.
Next, I tried raising the vcore since doing that with the original BIOS resulted in the board shutting off every time it supposed to reboot. Well, board no longer shuts off, but board also no longer changed vcore values, as reported by PC Health Status. OverClock Navigator Engine claims my Palermo D0 core wants 1.475v while PC Health reports it getting 1.39v. Neither number changed a whit no matter if I overvolted or undervolted.
Next, I tried raising HTT and guess what, it can POST at 10MHz higher (in 10MHz increments) than the original BIOS. Whoop-de-do. 280MHz POST on a CPU that will POST at 330MHz on the Tforce.
Updating to newer Geforce BIOS:
With the lack of support for the unique Tforce BIOS features, I decided to go back to the Geforce BIOS, but to a newer one in hopes of... dunno. My hopes aren't too high at this point. Looking on the Biostar web site I find...
BIOS version: CR51M207.BF and CR51M207.BS (former no splash screen, latter has splash screen)
DATE: 02/07/2006
Same date and version as the latest Tforce BIOS but for the Geforce, plus option for no splash screen? I'll try it!
This time I clear the BIOS before flashing (should'a done it last time). Flash BIOS, hit F1 and behold the board rebooted fine. Go into BIOS and... strangely the Vcore and VDIMM are set to MAX.
Anything new in BIOS? Nope. Vcore reboot problem fixed? Nope. BTW, I was testing at +0.15v only on the original BIOS. On the new BIOS that setting causes the same power off problem, but the other two Vcore settings don't give this problem. I have to assume that the problem only exists with the higher setting on the original BIOS as well since I'm not going to bother flashing back to the original to test it again.
How about overclocking? Yes, it will POST at 270MHz. No, it will not POST at 280MHz even with raised Vcore. Only thing that has changed is no splash screen.
Conclusion:
If you need a really budget board with some overclocking and decent IGP (as far as an IGP can be decent) then the Geforce6100-M7 fits the bill.
If you are looking for a Tforce in sheep's clothing, you won't find it here.
My results on this board were actually reminiscent of my (former) Chaintech VNF3-250. Cheapest of the bunch and can actually overclock a reasonable amount. However, the Tforce version of the board totally spoiled me. If I had reviewed this board first, perhaps I would have been "easier" on it since the same Sempron 2600+ gets the same results on the Chaintech VNF3-250 but better results on the Epox 8KDA3I. Well, the Tforce board did even better than the Epox (which I also no longer have - Blueweasel bought it from me and is running at 320MHz HTT). Being that I did review the Tforce board before this one, my expectations were skewed and thus I'm not as pleased with this board as I otherwise may have been.
Trying to put this board into perspective, I think it has all the features and overclockability of any other $60 (or cheaper) motherboard. Unless there are reliability issues with this board, I see no reason to not use it for budget builds for people needing a basic computer, however enthusiasts should pay the $10 more for the Tforce version.
03/11/2006
CLIFF NOTES VERSION: Compared to the excellent Tforce6100, the Geforce6100-M7 has a trimmed down BIOS, trimmed down overclocking abilities and trimmed down price ($60 versus $70 at this time). Basically think of it as 3/4 of a Tforce for 6/7 of the price. Worth it? Yes for budget rig, no if overclocking.
Pictures:
Pictures courtesy of Newegg
My craptacular picture of board, with certain parts circled
PCB Differences between Geforce6100-M7 and Tforce6100:
Please refer to my Biostar Tforce6100 mini review for pics and description of the Tforce version. BTW, that review is currently #1 on Google when you search the words Biostar Tforce6100 review.
There are a number of differences between the boards. The most obvious are the PCB color (red instead of blue) and BIOS with fewer features, but there are a number of other small differences between the otherwise near-identical PCB. Besides the actual PCB differences, there is a sticker on the boards between the CPU and RAM slots. My Tforce says A03 while the Geforce says A01. I've heard that this refers to the Northbridge revision number but I'm not 100% sure.
A couple of items that I didn't circle before uploading my craptacular picture is the lack of the JDDR_OV>3V jumper - the pads and silkscreening is there but no actual pins/jumper. Also missing is a power LED on the board, lit up when the PSU is hooked up and turned on even if the board isn't running.
Looking at the craptacular picture, circled in BLUE are the main power capacitors. These are the typical Radial Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors that you find on almost all motherboards. On the Tforce board, these five capacitors are different and are AFAIK Hybrid Solid-Liquid Electrolyte Capacitors. Those are similar to ones used on some video cards and high end boards by Abit and DFI. They are supposedly higher performance and long term reliability while taking up less space - at an additional cost.
Circled in ORANGE are silkscreens and solder pads that are on the Geforce board but not the Tforce version. Next to the SATA ports are a second pair of potential SATA ports. A couple of "missing" capacitors are just not present on the Tforce version. Also, next to the Northbridge is a place for some headers of some sort, perhaps for TV-out, DVI or Firewire... who knows...
Circled in GREEN are solder pads of components on the Tforce board that are missing on the Geforce board, with the spot reserved but nothing there. Between the SATA and IDE ports are the "missing" power/reset switches that made the Tforce so handy to bench test. At the two ends of the RAM slots are the extra fan headers, meaning the Geforce has 2 to the Tforce 4. Between the RAM slots and the edge of the PCB is a spot for a large capacitor that is on the Tforce but missing from the Geforce. Perhaps this is for the over-3V vDIMM option of the Tforce? The circled spots around the CPU area are "missing" MOSFETs, around SIX of them MIA. The sixth one is to the left of the blue-circled stuff (I missed it earlier). Also missing is a third coil. I take this to mean that the board has a 2 phase power circuitry instead of 3 phase (someone correct me if wrong).
There may be other differences that I missed, but suffice to say that the boards share similar PCB layout, but not identical.
Oh yeah, this board has the same CRAPPY video card clip at the end of the PCI-E 16X slot that the Tforce had.
BIOS features:
BIOS version: CR51M920 BS
DATE: 09/20/05
What BIOS has:
CPU Frequency 200-300MHz in 1MHz increments
HT 1-5X, Auto
CPU Vcore +0.05V, +0.10V, +0.15V
DDR Voltage 2.66V, 2.72V, 2.82V, 2.93V
What BIOS lacks versus Tforce version:
No PCIe clock adjustment
No CPU Frequency over 300MHz
No "over 3V" vDIMM jumper
No extra vcore
No undervolting
No Smart FAN Control
No CMOS Reload
No automagical overclocking mode (Overclock Navigator)
Fewer DRAM latency options, basically standard Memclock, CAS, Tras, Trcd, Trp, Timing (1T/2T)
I'm probably missing a few items, but this should tell the experienced hardware geek, in a nutshell, how the BIOS stacks up to the excellent Tforce version.
Overclocking:
Well, the results SUCK. I'm using the same Sempron 2600+ that I tested with great success on the Tforce board, and with vcore all the way up (HW Monitor shows 1.53v) the highest I can POST is 270MHz HTT (tested in 10MHz increments).
Something else is that when any boost in vcore is used (regardless of any other settings) the computer will not reboot. Exiting out of BIOS will result in the board shutting off. A software reboot such as hitting ESC while running Memtest will result in the board shutting off.
At the maximum of 270MHz HTT, the board was perfectly stable. Is this lower clock (versus maximum POST of 330MHz HTT on Tforce) due to the missing power components versus the Tforce? Let's find out...
Updating to Tforce BIOS:
I've read that the Tforce BIOS can be flashed onto the Geforce board, so I decided to try it.
BIOS version: CR51M207
DATE: 02/07/2006
The flash software accepted it as a proper replacement for the board. I backed up the old BIOS and flashed it, then hit F1 to reset. No POST. Turned it off, cleared BIOS and turned it on and was greeted with the Tforce splash screen. So far so good, the boards are similar enough that the flash program and BIOS itself seem to think them one and the same.
First thing I tried was to enable the Smart FAN because the fan noise was driving me batty since it's an arm's reach away on the desktop. Well, it didn't work.
Next, I tried raising the vcore since doing that with the original BIOS resulted in the board shutting off every time it supposed to reboot. Well, board no longer shuts off, but board also no longer changed vcore values, as reported by PC Health Status. OverClock Navigator Engine claims my Palermo D0 core wants 1.475v while PC Health reports it getting 1.39v. Neither number changed a whit no matter if I overvolted or undervolted.
Next, I tried raising HTT and guess what, it can POST at 10MHz higher (in 10MHz increments) than the original BIOS. Whoop-de-do. 280MHz POST on a CPU that will POST at 330MHz on the Tforce.
Updating to newer Geforce BIOS:
With the lack of support for the unique Tforce BIOS features, I decided to go back to the Geforce BIOS, but to a newer one in hopes of... dunno. My hopes aren't too high at this point. Looking on the Biostar web site I find...
BIOS version: CR51M207.BF and CR51M207.BS (former no splash screen, latter has splash screen)
DATE: 02/07/2006
Same date and version as the latest Tforce BIOS but for the Geforce, plus option for no splash screen? I'll try it!
This time I clear the BIOS before flashing (should'a done it last time). Flash BIOS, hit F1 and behold the board rebooted fine. Go into BIOS and... strangely the Vcore and VDIMM are set to MAX.
Anything new in BIOS? Nope. Vcore reboot problem fixed? Nope. BTW, I was testing at +0.15v only on the original BIOS. On the new BIOS that setting causes the same power off problem, but the other two Vcore settings don't give this problem. I have to assume that the problem only exists with the higher setting on the original BIOS as well since I'm not going to bother flashing back to the original to test it again.
How about overclocking? Yes, it will POST at 270MHz. No, it will not POST at 280MHz even with raised Vcore. Only thing that has changed is no splash screen.
Conclusion:
If you need a really budget board with some overclocking and decent IGP (as far as an IGP can be decent) then the Geforce6100-M7 fits the bill.
If you are looking for a Tforce in sheep's clothing, you won't find it here.
My results on this board were actually reminiscent of my (former) Chaintech VNF3-250. Cheapest of the bunch and can actually overclock a reasonable amount. However, the Tforce version of the board totally spoiled me. If I had reviewed this board first, perhaps I would have been "easier" on it since the same Sempron 2600+ gets the same results on the Chaintech VNF3-250 but better results on the Epox 8KDA3I. Well, the Tforce board did even better than the Epox (which I also no longer have - Blueweasel bought it from me and is running at 320MHz HTT). Being that I did review the Tforce board before this one, my expectations were skewed and thus I'm not as pleased with this board as I otherwise may have been.
Trying to put this board into perspective, I think it has all the features and overclockability of any other $60 (or cheaper) motherboard. Unless there are reliability issues with this board, I see no reason to not use it for budget builds for people needing a basic computer, however enthusiasts should pay the $10 more for the Tforce version.
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