A64 3400+ setup?!

[o27]

Hi how does this setup look to you guys? I´ve never had an AMD before so I´m not 100% sure if this is the right combination:

A64 3400+
Chaintech ZNF3-150 - can´t figure which is THE best mobo right now!!?
512/1gb Mushkin Black Level 2
ATI 9800XT
2xWD Raptors - maybe a promise sata raid pci controller due to issues with nf3?

Cooling: schwitching my vapo PE for water!
Dangerden RBX A64
Z-chipset AMD
Double heathercore from a Pegeout 309

Will this be a ok setup for quiet 24/7 operations what should I expect of oc?
And is there any other mobo I should look at?

[s e t h]

get seagate ide drives if you don't want your pci bus to limit you overclock. otherwise get a 33/66mhz raid controller. i run a raptor and it gives me grief at about 222fsb with an unlocked pci bus

[Jrocket]

Get the shuttle motherboard! Much better then the chaintech!

[NaHeMiA]

shuttle an50r is the best

vapo sux b@ll$ get rid of it

[o27]

already got rid of the vapo! whats the pros for shuttle instead of the chaintech? i´ve read al the reviews and followed the threads here but can´t seem to find the differences?

[StormPC]

Stay away from NF3 for now. If you can't wait until the NF3 250 Pro comes out you are much better off with an ASUS K8V.

Also, SATA has a problem on all A64 and FX-51 boards, regardless of whether or not they have a locking buss. The reason has something to do with SATA's running at so near their potential and the overclocked HT. When you run an overclocked FSB it speeds up the HT as well which scrambles data on SATA drives. PATA and normal ATA do not have this problem.

I like to run 2 WD600JB's or 2 WD800JB's RAID 0. They are faster than a single Raptor and provide about 400-450% of the storage on a 36GB Raptor.

:toast:

[TheDude]

The Chaintech is the best board right now imo IF you get a good one. I RMAed mine because it was too picky about which ram it would boot with and got a Shuttle. The Shuttle is more reliable and easier to work with and hits some high FSBs but the chaintech beats it in bandwidth at lower FSBs. All of these boards are flaky right now as someone said. My shuttle and 3400 in a Mach II with an XT9800 and a gig of Corsair makes for a very nice gaming rig. That's all I wanted. ;)

[o27]

Hmm so far it seems as i would be able to hit around 2600-2700mhz with this watercooling. that´s around 265-245fsb. Would that still make the nf3 the winning chipset?
Must admit that i have thought about the k8v deluxe as well, but i seriously doubt that my org. ATI 9800xt will tage up to 245fsb without any pci/agp lock!
also it seems that belove 250fsb it doesn´t make any diff if i go go with either 2x256mb og 2x512mb of ram. The ram will be mush level 2 bh-5´s and what i have seen these should be perfect for the chaintech?!

[TheDude]

these should be perfect for the chaintech?!

I would imagine they would be. I do not own that memory and my mobo was no doubt defective in some way.

[o27]

Hope so ´cause i´m getting it all shipped from the states to Denmarkd - that´s a hell of way to RMA the mobo:slobber: anyway it seems that a lot of guys - including bowman - claims that znf3-150 and mushkin works superb together, that´s enough for me;)
So i´m 99,5% on sticking with the znf3-150 and 512/1024mb of the bl2 ram.
Is antec still the best psu for amd´s? ´cause i have a fullymodded Enermax 550w atm. and wondering if i need to go to antec?
Also how about the sata discs? I´ve been told that below 250fsb the sata´s are ok - any experience in this?

[TheDude]

I didn't run sata disks on that rig...going to go to 2 x 100gb WD 8mb cached 7200rpm drives in a raid 0 stripe on the Shuttle soon. I would try the PSU that you have before buying one.;)

[o27]

yeah will do that. So now i´m all down to wheter to go sata or pata or keep my scsi discs!:rolleyes:

[o27]

btw if i decide to settle with 512mb should i go 2x256mb or one stick of 512mb? would there be any diff?

[soccrstar]

Originally posted by StormPC
Stay away from NF3 for now. If you can't wait until the NF3 250 Pro comes out you are much better off with an ASUS K8V.

is nvidia done making that chipset? motherboard makers makin boards for it?

when are boards due to be released?

[st0nedpenguin]

rro, sorry for taking this off topic, but do have a link or anything for the mods for that PSU, if I'm reading it right, it's the same one I have, and a bit more juice would be nice. :D

[o27]

np - here but it´s in danish but some good pics! otherwise just mail or pm Riska - he´s the one that done my psu and wrote that guide; http://www.burn-it.dk/index.php

[Soulburner]

Originally posted by NaHeMiA
vapo sux b@ll$ get rid of it
What do you have against the Vapo?

Some people have their reasons for buying either the Vapo or the Prometiea, each one has its advantages.

[st0nedpenguin]

Originally posted by rro
np - here but it´s in danish but some good pics! otherwise just mail or pm Riska - he´s the one that done my psu and wrote that guide; http://www.burn-it.dk/index.php

Aha, cheers mate! :D

Do you have an e-mail addy for Riska?

The guide looks great, but my Danish is, well, non-existant. :D

[StormPC]

Originally posted by soccrstar
is nvidia done making that chipset? motherboard makers makin boards for it?

when are boards due to be released?

I've heard rumors but nothing definite. I'll post here if I find out for sure.:toast:

[xgman]

Originally posted by StormPC
Stay away from NF3 for now. If you can't wait until the NF3 250 Pro comes out you are much better off with an ASUS K8V.

Also, SATA has a problem on all A64 and FX-51 boards, regardless of whether or not they have a locking buss. The reason has something to do with SATA's running at so near their potential and the overclocked HT. When you run an overclocked FSB it speeds up the HT as well which scrambles data on SATA drives. PATA and normal ATA do not have this problem.

I like to run 2 WD600JB's or 2 WD800JB's RAID 0. They are faster than a single Raptor and provide about 400-450% of the storage on a 36GB Raptor.

:toast:
Doesn't a pci sata card get around this?

[o27]

hope so in case the onboard sata controllers can handle it!
The email for riska should be on the upper right corner of the guide - just click on the link saying "Riska":D otherwise you can pm him, he´s in here all the time!

[st0nedpenguin]

/me runs off to get his eyes checked...

Cheers again. :D

[o27]

yeah better do dat :banana:

[soccrstar]

hmm

i bought this controller

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=16-102-016&catalog=11&manufactory=BROWSE&depa=1

since i kn0 pci isn't locked

is it good?

[StormPC]

Originally posted by xgman
Doesn't a pci sata card get around this?

Absolutely not. The data from the HDD still has to run across the HT. It's not a matter of busses being locked or not. Also, plugging a card into a PCI slot on a board without PCI locking and thinking that would help doesn't make much sense, though I know many have claimed that to be a solution. Just goes to show you that not everything you read is true, or even sensible.

If you are overclocking substantially on your FSB and you have an AMD64 of any kind then you need to run something other than SATA. If you don't run your FSB over 210 or so you should be ok. Personally, I run SATA (WD Raptors) only on my non-OC'd A64 and only RAID 0. The overall operating speed is better on my non-OC'd A64 than on any other computer I use.

[o27]

well all the reviews i´ve read so far and from what i can read in here it seems that the chaintech for sure has an agp/pci lock that actually works!

[StormPC]

Originally posted by rro
well all the reviews i´ve read so far and from what i can read in here it seems that the chaintech for sure has an agp/pci lock that actually works!

That's fine and it may even be true, however the problem is NOT RELATED TO THE PCI BUSS. It's the HyperTransport/SATA interface. Overclocking the FSB causes the SATA drive to run too far out of spec.

Go ahead and try it, but don't be too alarmed when your data gets scrambled. A format and a reinstall is all you need to fix it.

PATA RAID 0 is an economically sound and very fast option. SCSI is faster and not so economical. SATA is fine as long as you don't overclock. That's all I have to say on the subject.;)

[o27]

k then i might just stick to my 2x15k scsi´s on the Adaptec 2100s

[StormPC]

Yeah, keep those Cheetahs!:toast:

[TheDude]

I also have a PCI bus analyzer and my chaintech would NOT lock.:(

BTW: I would keep those 15k Cheetahs!;)

[o27]

hmm that´s bad - isn´t there any nf3 with pci/agp lock that actually works then?!

[sky]

Originally posted by TheDude
I also have a PCI bus analyzer and my chaintech would NOT lock.:(

BTW: I would keep those 15k Cheetahs!;)

what about the shuttle? it's supposed to have a lock - a working lock. did you test that aswell and if so, enlighten us (me) :D

btw what about the gigabyte board? iirc it should have been up there with the chaintech regarding bandwidth and all that. but i guess it has no pci/agp lock either.


ok here's another bunch of questions:
is it better to use one big stick - say 1x512m 3500 lvl2 or two sticks like a dualchan kit 2x256 3500 lvl2 with current nf3 boards? what's the difference in performance/clockability with those 2 setups i listed. i'm thinking 2 sticks, especially with socket 939 on the horizon.

[TheDude]

I haven't installed it on the shuttle yet, but will post it. I'm sure Bowman knows the answer to this. He has all 3 of these boards.;)

[o27]

then he should stop by:toast:

[o27]

hmm seems like it´s only the pci bus the nf3 can´t lock - right? so the agp locks just fine?
If thats the case i should be fine as long as i go with regular ide hdds or keep my chetaahs right?

[TheDude]

Originally posted by rro
hmm seems like it´s only the pci bus the nf3 can´t lock - right? so the agp locks just fine?
If thats the case i should be fine as long as i go with regular ide hdds or keep my chetaahs right?

Sounds good to me. I don't think the Via KT800 will lock either one. I hope the 250 comes out soon and takes care of some problems the 150 has. There is a lot of potenial there. My rig has a real snappy feel to it when gaming. ;)
I'm very tempted to get the SiS755 because it has AGP and PCI locks, I hear.

[some_young_guy]

Originally posted by TheDude
Sounds good to me. I don't think the Via KT800 will lock either one. I hope the 250 comes out soon and takes care of some problems the 150 has. There is a lot of potenial there. My rig has a real snappy feel to it when gaming. ;)
I'm very tempted to get the SiS755 because it has AGP and PCI locks, I hear.

My Asus K8V K8T800 will definitely not lock agp or pci.

Yes, the sis 755 has working pci/agp locks, but from the few boards that are out with this chipset, they are limited to max 232 fsb, and have very little voltage options. The manufacturers that make them so far are asrock, ecs, and jetway.

[2fast4u]

Originally posted by rro
The ram will be mush level 2 bh-5´s and what i have seen these should be perfect for the chaintech?!

It was the best for me and Bowman said it worked best for him also with this board.

[o27]

so it seems I´m going for the shuttle an50r and a Koutech ata133 dual channel raid controller from www.neutronexpress.com
would this be better than the chanitech mobo? have to order tonight and i just cant seem to figure out wheter to go for the shuttle or the chaintech???

[TheDude]

Originally posted by rro
so it seems I´m going for the shuttle an50r and a Koutech ata133 dual channel raid controller from www.neutronexpress.com
would this be better than the chanitech mobo? have to order tonight and i just cant seem to figure out wheter to go for the shuttle or the chaintech???

What is going to be the primary use for this board? Is it a gaming rig? Is benchmarking more important to you? If so what kind of benching...3DMark? Do you have a complete list of ALL the components? One component could negate any differences the board might make. ;)

[o27]

My main aim is the fastest possible overall 24/7 stable gaming rig - offcourse benching 3dm is also a lot of fun:D
Other than the motherboard everything else should be in place - I´m ordering everything tonight when ive decided on the mobo. so here´s the complete list execept the mobo.
A64 3400+
1 GB Mushkin Black Level 2
Mobo:
Chaintech znf3-150 OR
Shuttle AN50R
Org. ATI 9800XT
Enermax 550w psu fulley modded - 3.3v=3,47v 5v=5,54v 12v=12,07v
Koutech "IOFLEX-PIR133" ATA133 Dual channel Raid controller - www.neutronexpress.com to solve probs with the pci bus overclocks.
2x120gb Maxtor DiamondMax +9 8mb - in raid0 on the controller

Cooling:
DD RBX for A64
Swiftech MCW50-T 80w pelt for gfx
2x Eheim 1048 for single loops on cpu and gfx
20 feet of Tygon tubing
Double heathercore for cpu loop
Black ice extreme single for gfx loop

Hmm guess that´s it!
So for the fastet overall performance i need to decide for the mobo!!!!

[TheDude]

Looking at it strictly from a PERFORMANCE perspective...I would go with the Chaintech.
The shuttle would probably be more stable and have less problems over all, but the Chaintech will give you better performance over all. Keep in mind that none of these boards are very refined right now and you will have to work at clocking them and getting high stable performance from them. ;)
Good luck which ever way you decide to go, it looks like a killer setup. :thumbsup:

[o27]

ok - you have any idea if they have come up with a fix for some of the bugs in the chaintech? couldn´t help notice you´ve swapped it to a shuttle?

[TheDude]

My board (chaintech) was bad from the start....it did not like any memory that I tried and eventually would not boot on anything. When I RMAed it...I switched to the Shuttle just to give it a try. If my Shuttle dies today (shudder) I would probably get the Gigibyte just so I could check it out also. I only put so much stock in what others tell me. I like to try them for myself and then make up my own mind whenever possible. ;)
I haven't used the newest chaintech bios, so I would start there if you decide on Chaintech. See if you can find the 9/18 bios for it too. Mickey M is going to post it if he ever finds it. I came very close to ordering another Chaintech to replace the RMAed one.

[o27]

hehehe lol yeah but seems like aged ago he started looking!;-) ok i´ll try giving the chaitech a chance and if it´s no good then theres hopefully not so long to nf250 comes and i´ve heard something about the first of the nf250 boards will support current a64´s?
When there seems to be that little diff between the boards i prefer the looks!! of the chaintech - lol

[TheDude]

I haven't read much about the 250s yet.
I really liked the Chaintech, mine was messed up from the start. I'm not trying to convince you either way, just sharing what happened with me and how I feel about it. I am just looking for a good gaming board...hopefully this Shuttle with the 3400 and the XT9800 will do it. ;)

[o27]

hmm after hearing about all the problems with the chaintech i´ve decide to get another mobo.
The mobo´s i can get instead are: Asus k8v deluxe, Aopen ak86-l and NF3 is Gigabyte k8n pro.
Remember i´m og watercooling and a 9800xt and are striving for around 26-2700mhz so which of these 3 should i choose?!
please help!!!

[`schr0et]

Watch your rails on your PS.

A lot of issues going on with fluctuating rails which are killing A64 CPUS left and right.

Here's my original post on what I did and what happened as a result of it and how to avoid it cheers m8! :toast:



It seems those of us with Vmods have very stable Power Supplies that don't have fluctuating voltages going thru our lines.

Many of our Power Supplies are of very high quality: PC Power & Cooling for example.

Before I even started the VDimm mod on my board, I checked my 12v, 5v, and 3,3V lines. Because my Asus Probe was reading my 12v and 5v lines very low.

Just to make sure I checked the 12v and 5v thru the molex, both came out rock stable 12v was @ 12.08V, and 5v was @ 5,04v.

My 3,3 line was perfect also coming in @ 3,31V (measured thru mosfet)

When my VDDR was in "auto" my VDimm line never fluctated, always stayed very stable @ 3,17 Vdimm. It was only when I set it to 2,6 Vdimm that my volts started going out of control, upwards 3,78 VDimm which eventually killed the onboard controller on my CPU.

It seems that while the Motherboard can handle the volt spikings for a longer period of time being showing signs of wearing down, the CPU cannot because of mem controller being inside the CPU (which of course we all know ). So the only solution to this problem as of right now, as MickeyMouse stated, is to always leave your VDDR @ "auto" NEVER EVER CHANGE IT! If you need to change your Vdimm volts ALWAYS change it thru your Volt Mod and not through your Bios.

Everything else will be peachy!


__________________

[o27]

dunno yet. I live in Denmark and have ordered all my stuff in usa, so it´s coming in a week or two. But i´ve ordered the Fortron 530w ps - there´s just been a thread about here in the forum.
It looks that with my wc setup i´m looking at 2600-2700mhz from the 3400+ max. That will equal around 235-245 fsb and divided by 3 it will be a little less than 80mhz so my 9800xt should be ok and it seems that hitting 230-240 with the K8V deluxe should be pretty ok. then i´ll just have to hope that my gig of bl2´s can go along with 240 1:1
Doesn´t that sound fair enough?