New KT7 BIOS 3Rb02 released on 4 July 2001

[AMDGuy]

New BIOS released for Abit KT7 series. No info on Abit's site yet, but it can be found http://www.viahardware.com/faq/kt7/downloads/BIOS/kt7_3r02.zip

Just FYI. Only notes are "Serveral new features".

I'll likely try it out tonight. I'm still on WW.

 

[SickBoy]

No doubt... if there are any obvious/impressive differences, let us know.

SickBoy

 

[AMDGuy]

[oc]SickBoy (Jul 05, 2001 12:30 p.m.):
No doubt... if there are any obvious/impressive differences, let us know.

SickBoy

A couple of small improvements such as setting for 1.4gig chips.

Boot was much faster, about double what my boot time was with the WW.

BAD NEWS, my idle temps went up 12C. I tried the WPC Credit fix, but for some reason my settings wouldn't take. Needless to say I went back to WW.

This seemed like a pretty good BIOS except for the heat issue. You'd think they'd go ahead and set the 52 register to 6E instead of 6C from the factory!

 

[SickBoy]

that's doe... I thought register 52 was supposed to read "EB" though..... ???

SickBoy

 

[AMDGuy]

[oc]SickBoy (Jul 05, 2001 09:46 p.m.):
that's doe... I thought register 52 was supposed to read "EB" though..... ???

SickBoy

I have never seen "EB" in any of mine. My WW has "EC" and idles around 30C. This new BIOS had 6C or something in it, and it idled at 43C. I tried to change bit 7 of register 52 to a "1" and it would never take. I'm not sure why.

Check it out and see what kind of results you get.

 

[Tacoman667]

I have water cooling and I still dont go over 25C at load. I think that the temp change it just with certain chipset revisions. I have the newer revision since I bought it only 3 months ago.

 

[AMDGuy]

Tacoman667 (Jul 06, 2001 07:59 a.m.):
I have water cooling and I still dont go over 25C at load. I think that the temp change it just with certain chipset revisions. I have the newer revision since I bought it only 3 months ago.

That temp seems awfully low even for water. How are you determining temp? In Socket Thermistor? Unless your room temp is below 20C and your case temp is about the same, I don't see how you can have a 25C max load die temp unless your running a pelt. I'd get one of those crazypc.com digital themometers to see what the die temp actually is. Hoot did a write up on this a while back. I implemented it and it's great.

I think this temp difference with different BIOS has to do with a hlt instruction being sent to the chip. Some BIOS revisions use it, some don't. You'd think Abit would put it in all of them. Makes no sense to me.

 

[Tacoman667]

AMDGuy (Jul 06, 2001 08:39 a.m.):

Tacoman667 (Jul 06, 2001 07:59 a.m.):
I have water cooling and I still dont go over 25C at load. I think that the temp change it just with certain chipset revisions. I have the newer revision since I bought it only 3 months ago.

That temp seems awfully low even for water. How are you determining temp? In Socket Thermistor? Unless your room temp is below 20C and your case temp is about the same, I don't see how you can have a 25C max load die temp unless your running a pelt. I'd get one of those crazypc.com digital themometers to see what the die temp actually is. Hoot did a write up on this a while back. I implemented it and it's great.

I think this temp difference with different BIOS has to do with a hlt instruction being sent to the chip. Some BIOS revisions use it, some don't. You'd think Abit would put it in all of them. Makes no sense to me.

I run my room temp at 20-21C and my idle stays at 22-23C. I have a YS-Tech 120mm 131cfm fan blowing into my cube and one sucking out for maximum airflow through the radiator. My case temps never get over 22C, EVER. That's why my temps are so low with straight water and antifreeze.

 

[AMDGuy]

Tacoman667 (Jul 06, 2001 11:56 a.m.):

AMDGuy (Jul 06, 2001 08:39 a.m.):

Tacoman667 (Jul 06, 2001 07:59 a.m.):
I have water cooling and I still dont go over 25C at load. I think that the temp change it just with certain chipset revisions. I have the newer revision since I bought it only 3 months ago.

That temp seems awfully low even for water. How are you determining temp? In Socket Thermistor? Unless your room temp is below 20C and your case temp is about the same, I don't see how you can have a 25C max load die temp unless your running a pelt. I'd get one of those crazypc.com digital themometers to see what the die temp actually is. Hoot did a write up on this a while back. I implemented it and it's great.

I think this temp difference with different BIOS has to do with a hlt instruction being sent to the chip. Some BIOS revisions use it, some don't. You'd think Abit would put it in all of them. Makes no sense to me.

I run my room temp at 20-21C and my idle stays at 22-23C. I have a YS-Tech 120mm 131cfm fan blowing into my cube and one sucking out for maximum airflow through the radiator. My case temps never get over 22C, EVER. That's why my temps are so low with straight water and antifreeze.

Wow. Have to put on the sweater to sit in that room!

 

[Tacoman667]

21C is only darn 71F. It's not that cold here at all. I love the cold anyways. Hehe.

 

[hooziewhatsit]

AMDGuy, do you have a link to where they talk about that register setting? I've been looking for it but can't find it.

Thanks,

 

[Duan de la Duron]

Don't know about the rest of the register settings. But with WPCREDIT, you're supposed to change register 52 to value EB.

I know it dropped my idle temps about 10 deg C

 

[hooziewhatsit]

ok, cool, thanks

 

[AMDGuy]

Maestro (Jul 07, 2001 12:58 a.m.):
Ok Here is the skinny on the new Bios for me. The boot time is quick very quick. My idle temp went up during bootup and I did the registry 52 to "EB" and it works fine for me. I have been running the computer very stably for 2 days non stop running Q3 and Seti in the back ground. I was a die hard WW bios fan but atm I like this one better. They fixed the report of multiplier settings for 1.4 ghz it seems and also you do not get a break down on post of how your Clock speed like it will say.. 1000 mhz but will no longer include 7X133 or whatever at the end. I was able to get another 4 mhz on the FSB with this bios revision and it runs stable. Overall I am happy with this revision. The temp on startup gets a bit high but they eluded to that in the info with the zip file. So overall I am happy with it and will stick with it.

Maestro

Help me out here. Why won't my register 52 change take? I used WCPREDIT and changed register 52 to have the data "11101011" Which shows an "EB" in HEX. I then click on "SET" and I get a dialog box that says "Data was changed. Does it setup a new register" to which I click on "YES". After clicking on "YES" it just goes back to the previous setting of "EC". Am I doing something wrong here??

Thanks,

 

[AMDGuy]

hooziewhatsit (Jul 06, 2001 09:49 p.m.):
AMDGuy, do you have a link to where they talk about that register setting? I've been looking for it but can't find it.

Thanks,

You can find the info on setting registers here: http://www.athlonoc.com/tweakvia2.php

 

[Tacoman667]

AMDGuy, have you put in the kt133 plug? If you haven't, you need to do that before it lets you change anything.

 

[AMDGuy]

Tacoman667 (Jul 07, 2001 10:37 a.m.):
AMDGuy, have you put in the kt133 plug? If you haven't, you need to do that before it lets you change anything.

I have the KT133A chipset. What is this KT133 Plug? The site I got the info on changing registers didn't say anything about that.

 

[AMDGuy]

Maestro (Jul 07, 2001 12:14 p.m.):
Ok I might understand why it might not have taken. AMDGuy. When you bring up WPCREDIT and try and set the value "EB" in Register "52" for some reason it does not take you are correct. But I will attempt to explain how I made it work for me..

I am already assuming you installed the program INSTDD or Install Device Drivers. What I did is use WPCRSET and add the registry values that way. For some reason it does not show in the WPCREDIT but it does work when I bring up ViaHM.

Only little bit of difference in my case I noticed that my idle temp is about 4 to 6 degrees fahrenheit above System Temp. with the registry mode to EB with the beta bios. As with WW bios it was 1 or 2 degress fahrenheit above system temp.with the EB mod to the registry..

I am going to stay on this and give further input as I can.. I am going to mess with the registry more and see if there is something I am missing here. There is a medium chance I might go back to WW not sure though.

Here are a few pics for everyone to see might help some might not but worth posting none the less... Of the INSTDD and WPCRSET and WPCREDIT...

Maestro

Ok. Now I'm really lost. What is INSTDD? The only two programs I thought were required is WPCREDIT and WPCRSET?

HELP!

 

[AMDGuy]

Maestro (Jul 07, 2001 12:57 p.m.):
The INSTDD bring up the program in picture 1 and 2 and 3 bring up and sets up WPCRSET. I tried WPCREDIT and it did not always work so I would suggest this as a alternative. I downloaded the whole thing from your link. You will need to download the following files :wpcre12a.exe ***wpcrs120.exe*** and 11060391.pcr the highlighted part is what I messed with and showed all the pics of. And that exe has the INSTDD I mention to you.. Hope this helps just a bit. Let me know your questions and I will try and help... From what I think you are saying you did not download wpcrs120.exe just wpcredit and the pcr file.


Maestro

Ok. I'm with ya now. WPCREDIT is supposed to let you "TEST" settings to see how they'll effect the system. WPCRSET applies the settings once you determine they work. For some reason I can't change settings with WPCREDIT.

Tacoman667 said something about a KT133 plug being required for settings to be changed. Hopefully he'll respond and let us know what this plug is and how it works.

 

[Tacoman667]

Use this link:

KT133 Plug file from VIAHardware.com

Make sure you unzip this file into the same directory as WPCREDIT and open the program. Then click on file/open prc. Then select the prc that unzipped from the file. When it says the vendor id is different, it's ok, just click ok and it will use it. Then you should be able to change and of the registers. If you still can't, try saving the register into a file in your WPCREDIT folder and try again. It should do it then for sure. Let me know how you do.