Chaintech VNF3-250 impressions and questions

CordialSpam · Sep 12, 2004

I flash the bios by using WinFlash and it works like a charm, it updates the bios in like 10 second and I've never had any problem with 5 flashes from stock -> 07/29 -> stock again -> 05/01 -> 07/29, etc

1. - Every single mobo out there will only show up 400 because they only support up to 400, but your DDR533 is most likely will garuantee at DDR533 speed so you have to OC it to 533 and I bellieve it will be stable since you have a 533 advertisede memory. Make sure you raise voltage a little bit if it is unstable at 533.

2. - I beleive it is already on, I didn't even bother to look for it.

GravitonSurge · Sep 12, 2004

Voltage to what, 2.8? And if I change the bus speed on the CPU, does that change the memory automatically or do I have to change the memory speed somewhere.. I didn't see a bios thing for it.

CordialSpam · Sep 12, 2004

memory is FSB X 2 unless you changed your FSB:memory divider, so raise your FSB to like a 250 and you'll get CPU clock at 2500mhz and memory at DDR500 which is already very high.

GravitonSurge · Sep 12, 2004

Well for example DDR533 can go to an FSB (HTT) of 266, right? If I raise my CPU bus, does the memory automatically clock up with it? That's what I'm wondering.

CordialSpam · Sep 12, 2004

If you raise the FSB (HTT) then yes your memory bus will also be raised.

BeerHunter · Sep 12, 2004

Can someone confirm if they ever got Cool and quiet working with later bioses?

This is very important to me.

CordialSpam · Sep 12, 2004

I just sold my video card and I'll have to wait for my new video card to come, I'll check it when my card is here. It should be here on Wendesday this week. Anyways what is cool and quite feature for?

Optic · Sep 13, 2004

I just got this mobo 2 days ago, and i have not tried to overclock yet... I remember someone saying theres a compatibility problem with 9800pro and the vnf3, I have disproved this by running 3dmark03 over night with not a single problem. And for the bios flashing problem, I do not have any insight on it as I do not have a floppy drive(alt-f2 method only works with the floppy drive). Instead I flashed to the newest bios I found on the chaintech site by burning a boot cd with the AWDFLASH program and bios and then flashing in MS-DOS by booting up the cd... (I tired to get it to boot off a USB Key drive but it didnt work)

CordialSpam · Sep 13, 2004

Optic said:
I remember someone saying theres a compatibility problem with 9800pro and the vnf3, I have disproved this by running 3dmark03 over night with not a single problem.

Are you using the 9800Pro? On your sig it is saying 9600xt. Anyways people have problem when OC their system alone with their 9800pro, you kept your system at stock so I believe there shouldn't be any problem with it. I hope I won't have any problem when I do some OC on this cuz I don't have a PCI video card :-/

evanwink · Sep 13, 2004

using 9800 flashed to 9800pro

With the VNF3-250 I'm successfully using a 9800 that has its bios flashed so it runs as a 9800pro. Not quite the same, but pretty close. I haven't started overclocking yet. Just got XP services tweaked yesterday, so will be getting to the OC soon. I'm still on a stock HS and Fan, but thinking of getting a Tornado (I don't think I care too much about sound, but then haven't actually heard a Tornado). Any good alternatives for just a fan? I'm reasonably happy with the stock heatsink. While sort of on the topic, do you all use the method in the Arctic silver instructions specifically for the Athlon64? This is where you put on '1.5 grains' worth of grease, then just apply the HS and allow it to squish the grease around.

Also, for the record, I couldn't get the Alt-f2 BIOS flash to work either (it just hung), but AWDflash off a floppy worked fine. And if it hasn't been said already, the 07/29 BIOS is on Chaintech's website now (think it has been a while, just got my board, though).

-evanwink

Is this (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-999-613&depa=0) the tornado I'm thinking of?

CordialSpam · Sep 13, 2004

A 92x38 tornado can HARDLY fit the stock A64 HS unless you mod it someway. I got my 80x32 tornado few days ago but still waiting on my video card..I just tight them on the stock HS like spazzmattah did with his. This thing is seriously loud but it does hell lots of airflow. You might want to consider the 80mm torando over the 92mm.

evanwink · Sep 13, 2004

Thanks, I was just looking into that. I'm begining to suspect the tornado might be too loud for my tastes, so looking at alternatives.

Still looking into things. Anyone know offhand of a ~55cfm fan with ~35 dB? The Panaflo H1B meets that, but is 92mm. Looks like I need 80 or even 70.

CordialSpam · Sep 13, 2004

I think this fan should fits your best meets.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-999-110&depa=0

hawtrawkr · Sep 13, 2004

i never had a problem with this board and ocing with my 9800aiw which is same gpu/mem as the pro uses

CordialSpam · Sep 13, 2004

Ok I just hooked up to 2500mhz at 1.7vCore and it is now prime testing right now, so far everything ran just fine but my temp under load is 66C!!! LoL this temperature really scared me but when I stick my finger on my heatsink, it is really NOT hot, it is just really warm but it is not even close to VERY HOT. My memory is now at 208 @ 2.7 dimm

GravitonSurge · Sep 13, 2004

I seriously question the temps on this mobo myself. The air blowing out the back is always cool... and the HS is never hot. Even my notoriously hot AGP card isn't getting hot anymore..

spazzmattah · Sep 13, 2004

evanwink said:
Thanks, I was just looking into that. I'm begining to suspect the tornado might be too loud for my tastes, so looking at alternatives.

Still looking into things. Anyone know offhand of a ~55cfm fan with ~35 dB? The Panaflo H1B meets that, but is 92mm. Looks like I need 80 or even 70.

Yes the Tornado is very loud. The only reason I can tolerate it is because my PC is on the other side of the wall and I route all the cables through a big hole behind the desk. I don't think I could stand it if that thing is next to me.

As for the issue with the 9800 Pro, I don't have any problems with it when running in Windows. Only thing is when I reset my CMOS, for some strange reason it won't boot/post unless I remove the 9800 Pro and put a PCI video card. Only then does it boot and all I have to do is go into the BIOS and just Save and Exit. Then put in the 9800 Pro and it would boot. I believe it would do that with any AGP card, not just the 9800 Pro. And I suspect my board is the only one that does that, I don't know.

spazzmattah · Sep 13, 2004

CordialSpam said:
Ok I just hooked up to 2500mhz at 1.7vCore and it is now prime testing right now, so far everything ran just fine but my temp under load is 66C!!! LoL this temperature really scared me but when I stick my finger on my heatsink, it is really NOT hot, it is just really warm but it is not even close to VERY HOT. My memory is now at 208 @ 2.7 dimm

That's awesome Cordial. You know, if Prime runs for hours I wouldn't worry about that temp reading.

Let me tell you something. The other day I went to Chaintech website and downloaded the 7/29 BIOS. I had a heck of a time flashing that thing. When I was finally able to flash it, my temp readings was all screwed up! Idle temp was like 62 degrees C. I thought well the reading has to be wacked cuz I didn't change a thing, it's still running the same 2.56 GHz with the same cooling and everything. So I launched Prime 95 and after 10 minutes Windows frooze! I didn't even bother troubleshooting this crap. I reflashed the 3/8 BIOS back on right away and voila! My temps were normal again (40/49 idle/load), and Prime stable again. Just a little experience I'd like to share. So the original BIOS seems to be the best for my board.

spazzmattah · Sep 13, 2004

BeerHunter said:
Can someone confirm if they ever got Cool and quiet working with later bioses?

This is very important to me.

I never tried it. I would never find such feature useful to me. But you might want to check these drivers out from AMD.

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_182_871_9706,00.html

hawtrawkr · Sep 13, 2004

spazzmattah said:
I never tried it. I would never find such feature useful to me. But you might want to check these drivers out from AMD.

lol i was just thinking to myself that i hadnt ever even tried the cool and quiet feature. :beer:

Chaintech VNF3-250 impressions and questions

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