k7s5a picky board ?

This is the 2nd s5a in the house, i tried like 12 time to install win2k it would lock up during install at the file copying level at 7,17 and 47 %...or would go in a boot loop, i did format ,shut down,unplug,clear cmos and whatever u can think of..

the thing that seems to fixed it is that i hooked up a regular
keyboard and mouse(not smart but never had prob before)
instead of wireless logitech kit,unplug my second hdd,unplug the burner,and still having prob,then it hit me, the bios !!
it had the 020325 (just bought the board last thursday)
with the cheepo 0325..same trouble..discover along the way
that the aminf329 was better at this then the xxx332 on ecs site.
flashed again with latest vendor bios 020429l..
reformated the hdd and bingo !! all was fine
win2k install went flawless ..

i read of good and bad comment about this board
and was about to send it back to his creator and get
an a7v 133c ,but now since the last 12 hour seems stable
never had so much trouble with a board
my impression are that it is a very sensitive board and that the bios might be a little to fast of the bench at ecs..
but once those issue solved it look's performing

let's say that even if the price tag is compelling it is not a board for the average 1st timer ,,you got a pull trick's from your hat to
get it running..if the asus and company would not be so ridiculously so expensive i would probably never questionned myself and go for the top dog ,but after a while u get tired of spending good money on stuff that finally is all coming from the
same place ..Taiwan..
i'm just curious to see if other have experience similar prob at install,saw a place when one guy had the no go trouble with linux ..so as time go by i will had comment about stability
for now it's hooked like this
2hdd a seagate and a maxtor
256 infineon sdram
a 900 tbird
msi gf2 mx400
lg dvdrom
lg burner
300w ps
logitech wireless kb and mouse

Kontrol..

Welcome to the forum!!

Sorry to hear you had so many problems initially w/ the mobo.
Glad though that everythings running fine now.

I in turn have never encountered a problem since I got the mobo 6 months ago.

The K7S5A was the first MoBo after a long time away from OC and I couldn't believe how EASY it was to set-up.

Zero problems setting everything up.

well it's been over 48 hours now since i last
rebooted after installing the latest driver
4 the video and fixin the ati tv tuner
i ran cpuburnin 2 times for a 2hour period
no probs so far ,,

even after startin every office appz at the same time
+ visio2k (design appz) and a network monitoring appz called Whatsup which i know is very heavy,

talk about el cheapo de luxe upgrade !!

i don't even mind if i can't OC as long as it's stable..
i can put an XP later if i need it .

i let it run seti for a while and wil see..

Ive built 4 s5a rigs and the only problem I had was with the first one. Had trouble with the agp drivers. After I got that sorted out everything is ok. Now my brother on the other hand is having trouble with his and linux. his problems were mostly from not formatting his hdd and trying to let win configure itself to a new mobo. After a format win is running fine though he is still having trouble with Linux (Mandrake 8.2)

The only problem this board ever has is when I try to do an "upgrade install" of win XP to try to keep my files I have saved. It always blows up when the windows installation screen says there are 34 minutes left. I get a blue screen of useless information at that point. I have no problems with a fresh install so I just back up everything before doing something stupid now.

I also totally ignore the drivers disk that came with the board and just use the drivers XP loads.

Mike

follow up

Seti as been crunching for 24 hrs

all is stable i'm getting to like this upgrade more and more

cpu running cool with stock hsf
Board Temperature: 13.0°C / 55.4°F
CPU Temperature: 37.0°C / 98.6°F

my son is having trouble with is but i will
have him get the same bios i got and will see

is on XP too i'll have him do the last update on that
should not do any arm

i'm not a gamer but he is so i got to see
2 kind of use for that board

i also have the bad habit of shoving everything in and
do an install ,might not have helped,,
maybee i should start light like just the
video and install everything else one item at the time


for now all i can say is look's like i'm in business

i guess my daughter will inherit
the p2bf with the coppermine 500

bye bye p2b hello s5a.....i guess it's for keep's

I have built 6 systems w/ this board. I have used 1gig Durons to XP1800+ with no problems. It is a very easy board to set up. I am currenly in the middle of putting together 2 more using othe ECS boards. One w/ the SIS745 Chip and one w/ the KT266A.
So far I am pleased w/ ECS.

Glad to hear you solved the problems and got the thing going. And your poor daughter, why not get 1 more and a duron 1g for about 90.00 for her. That would kick butt on the coppermine and you would have a decent backup laying around.

BTW Da Whip does this mean we may see a new avatar for you?

sockett rackett

Well Tismedt
let's say that for the use she will have of it
the p2b Cumine is more than decent
and if that 440bx would have handled a >1 ghz
at a fair price i would probably have stayed with it
let's not forget that was a reference chipset for a long time
and those p2b series board were pretty sturdy,

but a pc is a pc if you got reliable part on a good foundation
that stay stable that's the most important..
the thing i know is that 440 set as been thrue win 95,98,Me,
2k,and XP and always with all the crap onboard ,snd ,vid,hdd,
nic, tvtuner,printer,dvd and burner,never a blink at install..
s5a i absolutly need to go lighter or else it freezes,

either i'm pretty unlucky and i bought at a 5 month interval two
sensitive boards..or i started to do something wrong..
just helped my son with is and XP ,,we had to remove stuff
or it would freezes at install. so some board take it some don't


but there is a cost to that and
the fact i'm not always intalling Winwhatever version

so i guess i can live with it..now that i have that knowledge
i will just start lighter at install and probably never encounter any
problem in the future as for bios i once install 1013a on that
p2b board and it turned out a mess i had to pull back to 1013
so even Asus as freaky bios at times .


if the industry could just turn up a universal socket on wich
you could attach an adaptor so you could swap cpu brand

or even use the same socket like in the super 7 day's
that would be great it would probably lower the production cost
hence more choice at a fair price for us guy's

but it turned out a big marketting gimmick like the net is turning out to..

waiting for the day of the 5ghz cpu and the 3 cd Win 3k
that would be ridiculous..

have you ever tried win 3.1 with a k6-350...
it burns litterally..boot's in less than 3 second
does not have as much stuff but boy is it hilarious to check out



Kontrol..