4th RMA IC7Max3.. (FOURTH)

[-thc-(cZ)]

IC7Max3 died.. was out of warranty, so I paid $25 to get it fixed. ABIT sends a replacement. It posts! After that it shows the CPU has changed message you get with new builds. F1 to continue, DEL to setup. I hit DEL to setup.. screen shows a fullscreen checkerboard and the PC locks up. Reposts only after clearing BIOS. This time, instead of SETUP I try CONTINUE (F1).. screen goes blank with a dash blinking in the top left corner. That is all that one did.

2. ABIT sends the next board. It has VISIBLE damage by the CPU socket (the "paint" is missing, some green stuff around caps) Hey, it posts and boots! But is having a very wierd problem with not being able to assign resources properly. To install a device you had to disable another one. After that I did an OS wipe and reload, but it wouldn't install WinXP, giving diff. error messages at diff. phases of the setup durning the many installs I did..

3. ABIT sends "repaired/refurbished" board #3. It looks like a brand new one compared to the other ones. But it doesn't POST or beep.

4. I'll go to ABIT eRMA and do a #4

-I work in a computer repair shop.. I have brand new "known good" hardware. I test outside the case. I test with multiple CPUs/HDDs/PSUs/GFX/etc.
-All boards came poorly packed. Last time I did RMA with ABIT the product was still in production (I guess), so it only took them 2 boards, the 2nd one worked.
-Last two times, after filling out the eRMA form, including the "Defect Description" field, ABIT sends an email, saying they can't help me unless I provide problem description. This same email from ABIT includes the info I entered into the eRMA from, including the "Defect Description"

PLEASE ABIT WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET A WORKING BOARD?


Please note I didn't use a single bad word and I'm gonna :biggrin: cause that's all I can do at this point..

[Bootsy]

yea i am on my third RMA with my IC7 max 3. at this point i think they are just sending back crap boards since they dont make them anymore.

[-thc-(cZ)]

yup, the last one I got didn't even have a dirty OTES fan, but no post..

It sucks man, it goes into my music/IM PC

Let me know what your mobos did, and if/when you get a good one :confused:

[mr_knowitall15]

wow... Check out Abits Forums and see how many "_____ problem with Max3" threads there are under the Max series sub-forum. Also used to see a lot of "dead max3" threads. Glad mine is pretty good.

[-thc-(cZ)]

I posted there too..

http://forum.abit-usa.com/showthread.php?p=700422&posted=1#post700422

The Super Moderator told me they might be running out of suitable replacements.. now what?

[perry_78]

Well, maybe time to move to a different board? S abitem jsem mel vzdycky jen problemy.

[-thc-(cZ)]

Nazdar draku :)

:toast:

I am "moved on", running an Expert and Opty 175..

but this is my secondary gaming PC, when ppl come over they play on it, plus it plays music and runs IM programs.. I need it to work

[Jack]

I'm sorry to hear this man

I bought a MAX3 3 years back and i still use it daily, without any hassle :)
I never knew there were so many problems!
Anyway, have fun with the Opteron and hopefully Abit can give you something to compensate ya

[HiJon89]

P4C800-E is always an option, my personal favorite for some S478 action :D

[boshi]

P4C800-E is always an option, my personal favorite for some S478 action :D

Don't those use the same voltage for CPU and for northbridge or something though? I thought I remembered hearing something like that that made them unsuitable for use with prescotts.

[-thc-(cZ)]

they droop more than the abit did.. check the link to abit forums I posted, I'm not getting any help, they told me I'm a newb, so I had to explain myself in great detail and everyone shut up.. ABIT too :(

[hipro5]

PLEASE ABIT WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET A WORKING BOARD?


You HAVE to put heatsinks onto tiny Mos-Fets beside the big ones so as to be OK.........The tiny ones(drivers) are burned down mostly.......;)

[EZClock]

You might as well get a IC7 Max2, I hear they have beefier caps / mosfets.

[-thc-(cZ)]

hipro5 - :D

EZClock - my s478 OC'ing days are over, I just want it to run stock (did I just say stock?). And yea, I switched from Max3 to Max2 durning my quest for 4GHz.. It didn't help much-

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=56329&highlight=4GHz+s478

[-thc-(cZ)]

ABIT support sent this (1st my latest reply, RE emails, read from bottom)


yes i did that (about 6 different installs), no go, sorry.. I had the PC in our shop, five other very skilled people couldn't help.. the board was bad.. After that I took my 1xRAM stick, 1x3.4E CPU, 1x6800GT graphics card and a NO NAME 300W PSU, put it all in a Asus MICRO-ATX VIA chipset $30 dollar motherboard and it POSTs, loads Windows, works fine.. your motherboard (3rd one you sent) was BAD.. read thru my thread at your support forums please, I'm tired of explaining this..

http://forum.abit-usa.com/showthread.php?t=105029&page=3

please just tell me if you have anymore good IC7s or not

Take the boards I sent back, put the hardware I used in them and see for yourself.. I know you (ABIT Corp) just sold all your manufacturing and some of your best people left you, so I am not surprised by this.. but I still expect a little more..? Let me know when you send a good board, or if you are able to..


>From: "FAE2" <fae2@abit-usa.com>
>To: "-thc-" >Subject: Re: Verify 2nd RMA boards
>Date: Mon, 1 May 2006 15:27:38 -0700
>
>
>Dear Jan
>
> The third motherboard can't install windows XP that could be the
>hard drive had windows installed previously. Please try a clean installation
>by format hard drive with a minimum components such as a single piece of
>memory or different piece of memory modules, remove any additional pci cards
>and USB device if possible.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Thank you
>FAE
>Chao
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: -thc- >To: <chao@abit-usa.com>
>Sent: Monday, May 01, 2006 6:23 AM
>Subject: RE: Verify 2nd RMA boards
>
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > this is the config I need to run. It is pretty much maxing out the socket
> > 478 motherboards, but I ran it like that in both the Max3 and Max2 IC7s..
> >
> > P4 3.4E Prescott CPU
> > 2x512 Kingston HyperX KHX3200K2
> > PNY GeForce 6800GT
> > Antec True 430W
> > .. I also have a SI0680 IDE RAID PCI card and an Audigy 1 sound card. But
> > first I troubleshoot without those, as well as single channel only..
> >
> > Each board does something different - one doesn't POST or beep, one
>doesn't
> > enter BIOS or go past the POST screen, one wouldn't install WinXP.. I'm
>not
> > sure what is going on. I can take all my hardware I just listed and put it
> > on a MicroATX VIA chipset $30 motherboard and it boots right up.
> > Let me know what my options are, in case you don't have any more working
> > IC7Max3's..
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> >
> > >From: "chao" <chao@abit-usa.com>
> > >To: <-thc-> > >Subject: Verify 2nd RMA boards
> > >Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2006 16:31:46 -0700
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Dear Jan
> > >
> > >
> > > I am unable to reach you by phone due to the phone number has
>>>>been changed. According to our RMA Dept data base you have replaced
> > >motherboards, but problem persisted. Please reply with a detail specs of
> > >your system and describe the problem for us to troubleshoots.
> > >Thank you
> > >FAE
> > >Chao

[-thc-(cZ)]

YESYESYES,

so after 3 months, bunch of testing (that the ABIT ppl should have done), some complaining and a lot of wasted time.. ABIT sends board #4. It works as it's supposed to.

The moral of the story:

ABIT just downsized, selling of all of its manufacturing. Some of their best people left them (Oscar Wu) (I think his name is) (now works for DFI)..

So, please, don't buy ABIT anymore.. or at least don't try to get customer service from them.. when downsizing, Quality Assurance ppl are the first to go..

..and I used to love the Max3 so much, sad..

[-thc-(cZ)]

I wonder if Bootsy got a good one yet..

[Bootsy]

I am still waiting for my RMA!! :mad:

[-aDaM^]

abit is bad, just burn your crappy mobo and get a DFI :banana:

[Bootsy]

I would but this is for the wife since i upgraded to an FX60.

and you have the best avatar i have ever seen!!!:)

[Bootsy]

they finally shipped me another one! 7 day ground from california:mad:

[-thc-(cZ)]

Oh god, I feel for you.. I didn't even notice if mine took that long to ship, I got bored with it after the 2nd board and didn't feel like dealing with it..

Anyway ABIT changed their name to abit the other day and is off "for new brighter better future" or sum bs like that.. I hope they are, but I don't believe it for a single second..

Bootsy, I noticed it's more than a week since you posted - had a chance to test the board yet? No. 4, right?

Un-f-believable..

[Bootsy]

got my board it wont post!!! this just bullsh*t. I will be on th phone with abit today and keep you posted. i removed all components and tried them in my dfi 478 board and they booted right up. I hate abit now.I might as well justn buy the wife a new compter at this point.:mad:

[-thc-(cZ)]

This is unreal. Yea, that's what I thought too, just save myself the trouble and buy a new board.. but I already paid 2x$25 to fix a Max3 and an AI7, plus paid shipping like 4 times.. if I only knew.. Total. BS.

:bs: :sick:

[Lestat]

after the 2nd rma why are you even bothering with them

the max 3 is a crap board, like it or not its junk. it was never good and never will be, and there are only a small handfull of people who can say anything to the contrary.
i went thru three of them NONE of them would work. oh they would post, but they wouldnt even run stock. they were just total crap.

[Anjelous]

Man i feel for you guys, thats really terrible. Me Personally have nothing but great things to say about my ole MaX3 board, i used it HARD for 2 years, and sold it and its still going hard in my friends comp, my roomate bought one same time as me, and his is still going straong as well. Its weird hearing the trouble you guys have had with em, as for me its one of my fav boards, was the first board to get me to 4Ghz and beyond. Sorry to hear about your situation guys, and i really hope it gets sorted out.

[Ominous Gamer]

There comes a time when you have to wake up and learn that certain companies just suck.

Get a different board, then tell ABIT to go screw a dog.

[Lipservice]

I have an IC-7 [the Plain Jane version]. When I got it there were a lot of guys having the northbridge loops pop out. I put some epoxy around them and installed a SwifTech [I think that is the name] NB cooler. Been through several different CPU/Vid card upgrades and to be frank it has never given me any problems. Currently has a P4 3.4E@4ghz on it.