Getting 200 mhz FSB with an A7N8X rev2.0

[Michal[mt]]

Hi All
Surelly it should be the n-th post about this argument and it surelly could be a bit boring but I could not find the information I am asking for anywhere.
I changed my nice A7V8X mb to get this nice one: an A7N8X rev 2.0.
Like I have seen somewhere my rev. board does not need the VDD mod. in manner to be stable @ 200mhz...infact it is so.
Now I am running my cpu pretty stable @ 2400 mhz(200*12) using 1.675 voltage and all my games and bench seems to work without problems.
However the matter is that if I switch on my system initially it doesn t boot...it boots only after being entered in the bios using the safe mode and after saved my setting as well and restarted it.
At a first look could it be a voltage issue?
Maybe I am not so clear...so I repeat myself saying that currently my system is running at 200*12 and all seem to be ok but in manner to achieve this frequency I started my system in the safe mode(100*11.5) and then restarted it after saved all the settings just as I wanted.
Oblivious my memories are pc3200 rated.
So I whant to ask you if there is anything possible to "by-pass" this little startup issue.
Thanks.

 

[hangten]

Have you tried changing the BIOS ? if not try a uber with enhanced SATA where to find it

 

[Michal[mt]]

Yep, I have flashed my eprom with the latest 1005 one.
About Uber bios's...I have heared about em but sostancially what they do? Are those bios versions modded in manner to achieve some better results/performance or compatibility?
Thanks.

 

[Michal[mt]]

ok...the SATA fixed bios versions should not solve my issue, I guess.
However my mb does not have any SATA controller.

 

[hangten]

Sorry my bad thought you had the deluxe model. I did the volt mod on my chip from day one and its like yours 1800+DLTC3 week0307 and can run at 2.4ghz but i did the volt mod and encountered no such issue in cold boot. At first the BIOS would not save the setting and i changed it and that solved that as well as the battery. On my rev1.04 it was a deluxe also but i did have the cold boot proplem until i did the vcore mod (2100+ DUTC3 AUIHB) but that chip loved high voltage and would reach the same 2.4ghz as my 1800+. Then i had a rev1.04 with blue looking caps and it did 200fsb without any mods but still the cold boot issue was also there until the vcore mod. I used the uber because of i heard by people experiance that they were getting file curropition with there SATA RAID so thats why i used that running two segates sata drives. Currently i stuck with my deluxe rev2.0 and sold the others with there wonder chips as well.
I would try the vcore mod and its not really hard HERE YOU GO

 

[Michal[mt]]

Finally I discovered which was the matter...huh!
This nice mb, ehm, the A7N8X bios code does not allow the system booting at a higher freq. multiplier than the default ratio. It is possible to "by-pass" this restriction by booting only in safe mode and by choosing the multiplier only after have used this procedure.
So it is impossible to do a "cold-boot" with the multiplier of the day
...I was going to forget...the same thing happens when the FSB reach a value higher than 200 mhz.
It seems Asustek has added somewhat like a void-warranty feature in the A7N8X bios.

 

[Jarhead7236]

just curious about the multi restriction as i have a basic A7N8X-X that boots up fine running 11 X 200..using BIOS 1005, though. are you running your memory in sync with FSB? what about ram voltage? have you tried upping it more? IMO, if you have problems booting, then it's not really stable....

 

[Michal[mt]]

Jarhead...you got a 1700+ right? Your default multiplier value is 11x if I am not getting wrong...so if you rise it of only 0.5x higher you will probabily notice the same problem.
For instance why don t you set your cpu to 166*11.5x?
Let me know...

 

[huneycutt]

Right under our noses.

http://www.maximumoc.com/guides/a7n8x_modding.html

The stock battery doesn't put out as much voltage as it is suppose to and screws up the BIOS. Change to a new Energizer and your BIOS problems are solved. Or so they say . . . . .

 

[Michal[mt]]

Hi huneycutt,
I think it is not a battery related issue...
The article's author talks about some bios "faults" in saving particular data configurations...and it makes an overview about the 1.04 revision(mine is 2.0).
On my part I have not discovered these faults yet...my bios never demonstrated an abnormal behavior but I can tell you that going higher than 200 mhz or increasing the mult. value higher than the default one always makes the cold-boot do not work.
However I have changed my battery bios with another new one(not an energyzer one however) and the result was pretty the same.
If you can tell me that using an energyzer battery will solve the multiplier issue I will go out and take it...but I doubt it.
Thanks.

 

[huneycutt]

Mine was/is the 1.04 so guess that's why the problem. I sent ASUS an e mail for an RMA yesterday but no reply as yet. Fortunate to have this Soltek to take up the ASUS down time slack . . . .

 

[hangten]

Well I'm going to play with my muliplier to see if i can get the same symptoms. Mine is a Deluxe so perhaps its limited ony to your type of board? I will also use bois to set my voltage and not my knob(vcore) as its what sets my voltage currently. I do think your chip is one of the best i have heard about. Heres my specs so you think im not full of it. my pc

 

[Michal[mt]]

Hi hangten...it will be nice in letting me know if your multiplier goes up out of the default value.
About my cpu...thanks for the compliment...it is my 3rd 1800+ and I have choosen it well from the experience I acquired from both the two I had before
However I am planning to use a earlier bios version and see what happens...

 

[Michal[mt]]

About the A7N8X multiplier there is something very interesting just here:
http://www.lostcircuits.com/motherboard/asus_a7n8x/10.shtml
The author gives an answer to what I was looking for...

 

[glock19owner]

"Unfortunately, the "unlocking" trick does not work with the A7N8X, meaning that one is stuck either with the multiplier of the CPU or has to manually unlock it."

Theres something wrong with that quote...my 1700 was unlocked up to 12.5 on both a 1.04 and 2.0 version of the a7n8x deluxe...without any mods...

 

[huneycutt]

Hell'ava deal.

FYI: AMD downgraded a whole lot of the 26 & 2700 Athalons to 2100's and they have the Thunderbird B core. I ordered two from newegg because $75.00 is one low price for that CPU considering its capabilities. I run my 2100 at 2700, 1933 MHz, and it doesn't break a sweat. Soltek SL-75MRN-L, set the fsb to 166 and away you go like Athalon XP 2700+ and you paid for a 2100.

There's no guarantee you'll get a downgrade but if you order the retail boxed version you stand a better chance of getting a downgrade. Mine were both downgraded 2600's. Think I'm going to order another for a spare because for $75.00 it's a hard deal to beat on a fine CPU, plus when you buy the boxed version you get the AMD three year warranty. Throw newegg an extra five bucks and they warranty it for the first year and the second day air shipping is free.

Go read the reviews

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProdu...ory=1028&catalog=343&DEPA=1&sortby=14&order=1

 

[glock19owner]

if you are going on the last 5 number codes saying like 2800 or something to that effect...that rumor about that being the CPU it was downgraded from has been just that a rumor...

 

[huneycutt]

Rumor? I don't think so . . .

http://lowyat.isentral.com/guides/athlonxp/

The numbers on both of my CPU's verify WITHOUT A DOUBT they are both 2600's with the B core and I bought them from newegg as a 2100.

I'm an old geezer and at my age I agree with you 100%, I never reply on hearsay/rumors. Therefore, I participte in a number of forums, some high tech. I can tell you with out hesitation that by using the above link we have verified the numbers on our CPU's and the 2100's we ordered are downgraded 26 & 2700's. Some of my friends got 2600's, some 2700's. Roll the dice . . . . If the numbers are not correct then AMD is fraudently putting wrong numbers on their CPU's, and I seriously doubt they would do that, or, the above link is just a bunch of hooie.

If you can, please do as I did, provide me with a link contracdicting what I posted.
Like the man said, "Always keep an open mind because we ain't never to old to learn . . . . "

 

[Michal[mt]]

Personally I think that the most interesting statement should be:
"What about the A7N8X? There is a lot of things we can say, most of all, the A7N8X Deluxe is probably the best Socket A board we have reviewed so far, despite the non-working multiplier adjustments. But maybe that can still be fixed. "

 

[Mustanley]

My rev. 2 board happens to be a deluxe, but I can select multipliers up to 12.5 without issue. I've been running for weeks at 11.5x200, and the stock multiplier is 11 for the 2500+.