Epox 4PCA3+ problem

[Trooper_GR]

Hi all,

I just got my new rev 1.2 m/b and I installed the promie on it. However when I power it on I go in the bios and I see 81 Degrees celcius at the CPU and at the same time the promie is showing -40 at the display.

I havent installed windows yet so I dont know if its working ok and of course havent tried any o/c yet.

I just want to know if this is a bios bug or if I made something stupid with the installation of the promie, being my first time I installed it on my own...

Thanks!

[Jupiler]

Think it's a small board problem.
I had the same thing with the 4PEA+ in the beginning. After some time and reboots, it showed the temp correctly.
So I guess it's just a bios bug.

[Shane5578]

forget the bios reading.

use software like motherboard monitor or winbond doctor.

it should read fine

[twiztdskatr]

how the hell did you guys get this board?

[Jupiler]

Originally posted by twiztdskatr
how the hell did you guys get this board?

Don't know, but the first boards have been available for about 1 1/2 - 2 months now. But several revisions came out in that short period, and that's something I don't like at all.

[Alexandrus]

And there's one more revision on the way too, rev. 2.0 :(
I hate that as well, very much.

As for the BIOS readings, ignore them, they don't matter.

[twiztdskatr]

look at the nf7 tho, 4 revisions later, its a good board :)

[Trooper_GR]

Its a new rev that just came out (1.2).

Anyway, after installing windows, I installed mbm and I am seeing negative temps , so thats good :D

I have trouble ocing the 2.8C that I got, but I hope it will be solved. So far I have got to 3.5 and not stable there either...

[Alexandrus]

I have another problem with my 4PCA3+ rev. 1.2.
Here it goes. Until yesterday I had a SATA HDD, but it was not mine so I had to give it away.
So today I disabled SATA and installed my DM+9 160GB. Tried to install Win98SE and WinXP, but none worked.
After all the files are copied on the HDD, at the first boot, it will simply freeze, no HDD activity no nothing.
So I switched the HDD to the HPT controller and it works OK, but what the heck is wrong with the IDE ports ? My CDRW works, my HDD works as long as I boot only DOS/Command Prompt mode, but it won't boot at all if I try to boot Windows.
Any ideas ? Is the board damaged ?

[MCWB]

That's strange Alexandrus! I thought one of my PATA ports was dead on my 4PCA3+ too, until I RTFM and disabled SATA completely in the BIOS, then both PATA ports worked fine. :) It sounds like you've disabled SATA though, so I don't see how this will help you! :(

[Alexandrus]

And how do you disable SATA completely ?
I have tried all combinations really, none seems to work.
Plus, if the IDE was dead, I couldn't even run Command Prompt, now could I ?
Seems like the IDE ports refuse to work in ATA100 mode or something, because the CDRW drive works just fine on IDE2, but it's only ATA33.

[TechTones]

You know,

I have had several Epox boards. The only board that was any good was the 8K3A+ That board was great but took 4 boards to get it.

I think Epox quality is horrible. Very bad quality. The only thing Epox offers is very high voltages but in place you get unstabilty and problems. They use the cheapest components they can.

I won't name the motherboard company, but one head of marketing there told me Epox is cheapest company he knows.
They will do anything to cut corners more then anyone else.
He also told me he knows the head of Epox and he is the biggest
:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana: you ever want to meet.

I won't buy Epox anymore. They might know a little something about making AMD boards and those still suck, but with Intel, don't touch their stuff.

I tried their Rambus board, and it was such a peice of crap. The Rdram modules got so HOT, they couldn't be overclocked much.
But the same sticks on the Asus P4T533R Rambus yielded great results. They just don't have the know how at Epox to make a quality board.

If you do have an Epox board that works, you got lucky plain and simple.

[Shane5578]

might explain why epox has a small cult following. lol

it doesn't matter about brand, as long as it has the performance edge against other boards or features you want.

if its broke rma

[Major]

TechTones you don't have any opinions when it comes to hardware companies do you ? hehe

o·pin·ion ( P ) Pronunciation Key (-pnyn)
n.
A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof: “The world is not run by thought, nor by imagination, but by opinion” (Elizabeth Drew).
A judgment based on special knowledge and given by an expert: a medical opinion.
A judgment or estimation of the merit of a person or thing: has a low opinion of braggarts.
The prevailing view: public opinion.
Law. A formal statement by a court or other adjudicative body of the legal reasons and principles for the conclusions of the court.

[TechTones]

Well

I'm talking from personal experience not based on other people's.
hell my first two Epox RDA+ went bad within 2 weeks or each other.

I have also heard this from other people too. Some people get lucky and get a good Epox board so they speak highly of it. But most people that run ito problems with Epox find them very emotionally aggravating ones.

I contacted Epox support once. They finally got in touch with me 4 months later. Yes you heard right. 4 months later. They then promised to send me a new bios for the RDA+. Guess what? never ever came.

And to top that all off, you have put off with the jerks over at AOAforums to get help.