About to install Epox 8k7a

[Spur31]

Is there any Tips or hints I should know about????
What are the best drivers for this board?
4in1
DirectX8

I will be installing Win ME
IBM 40 gb Deskstar 60gxp
1.2 Tbird
Video- ATI rage pro or Prophet2 MX have both.

I haven't used an AMD 760 board yet
It's not going to be my computer and I just want to know if there are any bugs or things that need to be worked out before I let my Dad take it home.
I don't want to have to go there everyday to fix somthing

 

[Tacoman667]

Well, I just recieved mine about 2 hours ago and that's how long it took me to certify that I recieved a DOA. This damn thing will not post at all, I get an FF code on the ISA readout but nothing. I tried everything from taking out everything but the bare essentials to tying the thing to a kite and trying to discover electricity all over again. I love getting DOA's, makes me feel all giddy inside.

 

[hooziewhatsit]

I believe the latest 4 in 1 drivers are v4.32, and I think you want dx8.0a, or something, just make sure it has the "a" in it. Just make sure you have the newest drivers, and you should be fine. The best way to find bugs is to play with it for a while before you send it off.

Tacoman, sorry to hear about that... you might try putting it together outside the case, I've read a couple posts where the mobo was shorting on the case and failing to post.... if it is DOA, it won't hurt anything. Just my $.02

good luck guys

 

[Valid]

You probably have a drivers CD with it. Don't forget to install the drivers on that CD! I've also installed the latest VIA 4-in-1's, but I can't remember what the revision number is. Previous post sounds about right though.

 

[Tacoman667]

Ya, thx for the words of encouragement. Umm, don't I need a benh case or an open case like that on www.plycon.com to do a desk setup? I don't have one so that would be pretty hard for me to just lay it on the desk with all the little nicknacks possibly getting screwed up from laying on the desk.

 

[Spur31]

Thanks Guys,
It's up and Running now,
I get lockups while gaming so I need to fool with it for awhile. It may be a driver problem. It's not heat.
It's staying under 45c. I'll keep trying and see what happens.

 

[hooziewhatsit]

Tacoman, I would think that it would be fine to put it on anything that doesn't conduct electricity, like cardboard, or something similar.

 

[Spur31]

Have any of you tried the onboard sound?
Could that be causing my lockups and reboots?
They only happen when I'm gaming, and it's driving me crazy. I have been trying so many things I'm forgetting what I'm doing.

 

[Valid]

I installed an SBLive! X-Gamer 5.1 so I disabled the sound through the BIOS as soon as I turned it on. Currently I get a strange "feedback-ish" noise when I turn the comp on. This is from the speakers. I have a feeling it may be due to the fact that I am borrowing a Compaq monitor with those speakers on the sides. Still looking into it though. Haven't had the lockups you mention though.

 

[Tacoman667]

I've got that same sound card installed now in a new 8K7A I picked up locally today. I did that so I wouldn't have to wait for the replacement next week, I wanted away from that KT7A. I disabled the onboard sound and AC'97. I also installed the drivers on the CD and off the EPOX.com site. I don't get any feedback whatsoever. Also, did you install the playcenter and everything for the SBLive? I installed JUST the windows drivers so that may be your problem too.

 

[Spur31]

I Just ran Stability Test for 15 min with no lockups at all
Then I tried Q3 demo for 3min and BAM. lock
tried it again and it rebooted after 2min.
It has to be sound or video. Was using onboard sound.
and a Prophet 2 mx.

Here is everything:
Epox 8k7a
Ibm 40g 60gxp
128stick Mushskin ddr (maybe it's memory?)
128stick crucial
Prophet 2 mx.
AMD 1.2g266

I have not even tried to overclock yet, not till I get this solved.
If it was memory would that cause lockups when running stress tests?
I will try to change Video card, sound card, and memory. Ahhh*%!*

 

[Tacoman667]

Yeah, memory can cause crazy errors and not even error in a stress test on the CPU. Have you disabled the onboard sound completely(the AC'97 and the Onboard Legacy Sound)? Once you do that leave the SBLive out of the slots and try running Q3 again and see if this does it.

 

[Spur31]

I never Installed a sound card yet.
Tried Disableing the on board sound, that was not it.
Im starting to think it's Video or memory now.
I tried an old ATI 8 mb Video card and the monitor never came on. I will try different memory. and another
video card and see what happens. I have been messing with it all day and still no luck.

 

[Insthink]

I didnt have a good experience with this board... yet
Right now im running on a bad 8k7a mobo, the second DDR slot doesnt work, so im waiting for my replacement 8k7a to arrive before shiping back mine.

Anyways, the mobo looks strong, i have yet to look into overclocking and discover about that DDR voltage thingy, it looks promising tho

 

[Spur31]

That's what I'll do today, Try different memory, try each slot, try swapping video cards, and I am running Win ME, I may even try Win 98 to see if that helps.

Thank you all for the Input, It's been a big help..
even though I still don't know what's wrong

 

[Spur31]

Well after all that it turns out that just going from
AGP 4x back down to 2x stopped the lockups. Now if I only new why, that would be something...
I really thought this card could handle it. Guess not.

 

[Paul -The Mad Hatter]

did you install the agp miniport drivers which came w/ the cd? they're not the ones in the via 4-1. I think that should get rid of the lock-ups.

 

[ozzy0627]

Valid (Jul 07, 2001 04:01 p.m.):
I installed an SBLive! X-Gamer 5.1 so I disabled the sound through the BIOS as soon as I turned it on. Currently I get a strange "feedback-ish" noise when I turn the comp on. This is from the speakers. I have a feeling it may be due to the fact that I am borrowing a Compaq monitor with those speakers on the sides. Still looking into it though. Haven't had the lockups you mention though.

I just installed my board about a week ago
epox 8k7a mobo
256 DDR corsair ram
27 GB maxtor HD
Geforce 256
Netgear nic
soundblaster LIVE! Value

When i booted i disabled on board audio. reintsalled windows.. and all the normal BS. Now I have NO audio just static coming out of my card. So i moved it to another PCI slot and i have audio if i pull the connector part ways out. GRRR...... I would return the damn thing but i dont want to take everything back out and wait another week for it.