A7N266-VM Overclocking?

[filip04]

can i get a more exact link??? like one RIGHT to the bios? i can't find it, even though i'm pretty sure im in the right folder

ftp://ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUSCOM/BIOS/Socket_A/VIA_Chipset/Apollo_KT266A/

but there isn't a7N 266-vm

 

[sammy]

flip04
ftp://ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUSCOM/BIOS/Socket_A/NVIDIA_Chipset/nForce_220/A7N266-VM/1005vm.zip

good luck

 

[Rav]

Since I see this thread again I guess I'll post an update.

I finally got my SK-7 and 80mm fan, and now I've got this board running 168FSB with an XP1600+ AGOIA at 1766Mhz, with stock voltage. Memory running 1:1 with agressive settings (Kingmax 2700). Not bad, the 3dmark sucks, but oh well its pretty nice for a budget board that isn't even supposed to OC

BTW I have BIOS 1001. I'm afraid to flash it after some of the problems you guys had, it runs good so why bother?

-Rav

 

[Jon]

I ordered one of these to replace my dead AK31a. Wasn't planning on overclocking since it wasn't designed to by default, but the more I read these threads, the more my mind is changing.

Mod seems simple enough aside the evident problems with some BIOS versions being used with it. I'm getting the impression that flashing the BIOS before modifying the board is probably the safest route...also that the beta BIOS isn't too desirable considering I recall seeing at least two people who had a hosed ROM after flashing.

Anyone mind checking for me to see what voltage regulator this board uses? Mine should arrive tomorrow/today (Monday) and I'd like to see if a voltage mod would be possible for gaining a little Vcore. Bridging the XP1700 I have for 1.85V would be enough considering I don't think my chip is able to be unlocked anymore, but would be nice if I could make that happen and get the 1.7GHz out of it that I know it can do while getting as much FSB as possible. It just needs about 2V to do this when nearing 166MHz bus speeds.

 

[filip04]

i still need help... tried just a bout everything i could think of...

after taking out all the jumpers, my board won't even boot cuz "intrusion detected"... ah well, i put em back in.... although right now im running without the bsel's... i lost all hope, as even softfsb doesn't detect it.........

 

[Dalton]

Hi,
@Jon
the voltage reg. is that the chip left side of cpu socket ?

L6917BD
B991BD0210
ST Malaysia

The board gives +0,1V Vcore.
My CPU (bridge) says 1,75V, and Pcprobe and Sandra says 1,85V.
I change bridge to 1,5V, and now Pcprobe and Sandra says 1,6V.
So you can change bridge to 1,85V and it runs at 1,95V without vcore mod.

@FiL
better a non-OC working board, than a damaged one or?
Next time I wouldn't buy a budget board again. Ok save money, but the difference between working and put into trash is very small.

CU, Dalton.

 

[sammy]

Hi,
@Jon
the voltage reg. is that the chip left side of cpu socket ?

L6917BD
B991BD0210
ST Malaysia

The board gives +0,1V Vcore.
My CPU (bridge) says 1,75V, and Pcprobe and Sandra says 1,85V.
I change bridge to 1,5V, and now Pcprobe and Sandra says 1,6V.
So you can change bridge to 1,85V and it runs at 1,95V without vcore mod.

@fil
better a non-OC working board, than a damaged one or?
Next time I wouldn't buy a budget board again. Ok save money, but the difference between working and put into trash is very small.

CU, Dalton.

Hi Dalton,
My Bios shows vcore 1.8
and Pcprobe shows 1.84

Are you talking about the L1 bridges?
Meaning that if you close them to unlock the multiplier
that it gives and extra 0.1v on the vcore.

Or is there something else to set and get extra volts?
Thanks,
sammy

 

[Dalton]

Hi Sammy,

The L1 bridge only lock or unlock a CPU.
With the L3, L4 and L10 you can change the multiple at the CPU not at the Board.
I try to unlock my CPU,all L1 bridges closed, but at bios multiple change won't work.
So i changed L3, L4 bridges to multiple 7 at CPU and it works.
To change the CPU Vcore setting you have to change L11 bridge.

L11 l l : l l = 1,75V like palomino, or morgan
L11 l l l l l = 1,85V

and if you paint (windows defrogger kit) CPU to 1,85V Pcprobe show 1,95V.
Asus have sometimes greater differences at their settings.
FSB 133.34 is 134,xx because its faster at benchmarks and so on.
So i thing, they set vcore +0,1 to make the board more stable or it's only error in measurement.

Bye, Dalton.

 

[Rav]

BTW The stock vcore on mine shows up as 1.79. Enough to give me a 366 Mhz OC! Tempts me to put this CPU in my main rig and turn up the voltage...

Also, I made sure I had BIOS 1001 before I did the mod. It was fairly simple, I cut the bridge with a razor blade and twisted it apart a bit with some needle nosed pliers, then closed the other bridge with some conductive silver epoxy.

-Rav

 

[Jon]

Well, I just went ahead and closed the bridges on my XP and it gives me 1.9V at default so that will be more than enough for me to do what I want.

I also did the JEN mod...cut the wire and used some conductive grease to connect the 2-3 solder points. It now gives me the ability to up the FSB. I can change multipliers in the BIOS but no changes happen after reboot. This either doesn't work or my chip wasn't succesfully unlocked (I'd say it's the chip's fault regardless, as I mentioned I had trouble with it).

The board boots just fine at 150MHz though which is all I had hoped for so I'm relatively happy up to now. Still not finished installing Win2K so I don't know if it'll be stable there or not, but it should be fine.

Nice all-in-one board for $45 refurbished.

 

[BryanS]

I was able to do the mod on my rev 1.05 board. With BIOS 1005 from the USA ABUS site I got the ability to change the numbers it showed for FSB speed and that would alter the current speed once I rebooted. This BIOS is linked below, but I could not get it to test above standard speed in WCPUID
http://www.asus.com/support/downloa...=10&l3_id=16&m_id=4&f_name=105nvm.zip~zaqwedc

I also tested the 105nvm.003 beta that was linked to previously in this post and got the same results. I have not tried Beta 004 but I am getting sick of flashing my BIOS over and over. So far I have not killed my machine but I don't know how long my luck will last.

 

[BryanS]

All right, so I can't stand to pass up a challege, but I will sure hate when my only machine goes down from messing up the BIOS.... I tried what I thought was 004 beta. I got it from the german FTP site and the filename was 1005vm.bin That gave me the same results, ie it shows a new speed in the BIOS but WCPUID doesn't agree with that.

I did notice that when I start to turn up the FSB during the POST my hard drive is no longer found and I can't boot, but it seems to otherwise POST fine. I don't quite get what this might mean if the speed change in the BIOS is just a ghost.

What is everyone that has confirmed the speed in WCPUID done as far as BIOS and what board revision are they using? Mine is a 1.05 and came with 1.04 BIOS flashed from the factory.

I am running a 1700+ Tbred and I think I can't use Bios 1001 with this.... is that correct?

 

[BryanS]

I finally got it working.

I tried flashing everything I could find. Even though I was running a Tbred I tried 1.01. This gave me problems and I had to undo my JEN mod to get running again. With the mod undone I was able to boot fine and reflash to the Asus usa website hosted 1.05 version. I then redid the mod and this time it worked in the BIOS AND in WCPUID.

I am guessing that it had something to do with me not doing the mod perfectly. I was running this BIOS before and, though it would let me change the FSB in the BIOS it wasn't changing in WCPUID. I don't see why it would matter that I went to 1.01 and then 1.05. I am guessing that either I didn't completely sever the original connection and had the center point connected to both the left and right point, OR I had a poor connection between the center and right point. I had to have partially done the mod cuz before doing it and after undoing it to reboot after 1.01 it wouldn't let me into the FSB menu.

 

[Pjotr]

ah, there it is.... sry, im motheboard dumb... i never cared to look near the agp... i'll get my dad to solder it for me
THANX RAV!!!

noone answered my question still... does the bios beta 1005 from the german site make your bios german?

ASUS BIOSes are developed in Germany, they first show up on their ftp, then US and Taiwan.

So if I have an unlocked CPU, will 1005 allow multiplier changing? And does it support Tbred-B since I have one coming and wonder if I can get this board?

 

[Pjotr]

ASUS BIOSes are developed in Germany, they first show up on their ftp, then US and Taiwan.

So if I have an unlocked CPU, will 1005 allow multiplier changing? And does it support Tbred-B since I have one coming and wonder if I can get this board?

I've tried it after modding the jumper, I can change FSB, WCPUID reports correctly, but multiplier changes do not work. The CPU is fully unlocked. Can we get multipliers to work?

A7N266-VM rev 1.05, BIOS 1005 (came like this).

 

[Dalton]

Only way, change L3,L4, L10 on CPU.
Vcore L11.

 

[Pjotr]

Only way, change L3,L4, L10 on CPU.
Vcore L11.

Thanks, Another question:

The manual shows a Clear CMOS jumper right north of the IDE connectors, next to the battery. This is a rev 1.05 board. But on the board, there is no jumper there or anywhere nearby. I can't find any jumper labeled Clear CMOS either, does one exist?

 

[filip04]

its not a jumper, its two dots on the motherboard... connect them with a paperclip after you take out the battery... just where the jumper is, the two dots are... can't miss it

 

[Pjotr]

its not a jumper, its two dots on the motherboard... connect them with a paperclip after you take out the battery... just where the jumper is, the two dots are... can't miss it

Thanks. Actually I removed the battery for ten seconds and it worked. Odd. But now I know for next time.

 

[Seal]

I think im getting this board soon, can you just do a fsb overclock with it???