AMD 2200 T-bred Unlock UPDATE !!!

prsinger

My experience with ABIT is you never get back the same MB, at least with my two RMA’s that was the case. When listing problems with the MB include every complaint, ABIT techs test the board for every problem you list before returning a product. You may or may not necessarily get back the same version, but your complaints should be covered. If per say, one doesn’t mention the board having an XP2200+ issue, the board returned to you would not necessarily have been tested for that issue. It would be a good move to list your configuration as completely as possible so you don’t have to do another RMA. RMA’ing your board to ABIT you can be assured you will not have a loose battery retention clip with the board you get back.

I finally got mine from Abit today. It actually booted with my re-locked T-bred!

deerhunter,

What serial # did your board have on it? This board looks like a brand new one KX73RTHE001179.

I am stuck with air for now, I am running @1921 166 X 11.5 with 1 gig Atlas 2700ddr 2 X 512. My temps are 45c on the CPU under load and 34c in the case, in the desert. This is the first time I have used an unlocked CPU, so I am a little timid to push it to hard. How warm are the T-breds safe to run?

i also have an abit kx7-333r and a locked 2200xp cpu . It won't start with it in it. Are you saying the only way to fix the problem is to unlock it? Or could i just put in an old cpu, update the bios, and it should be fine?

on abit's site there is a new bios for the mother board it says.

kx79k.exe Bios Issue Date: 2002/06/10
BIOS ID: 9K
Support new 0.13micron process AthlonXP CPU-Throughbred.
HPT 372 BIOS Version 2.31. The RAID function is for KX7-333R only. This BIOS version is also for non RAID boards and HPT BIOS will be automatically disabled while RAID controller chip not detected.
BIOS Compile Date: 6/05/2002

do you think if i put in the cpu from my old computer (thunderbird 750), and use it to get the comp running and update the bios, that once the bios is updated the new cpu should work?

Some of the earlier KX7 MB will not support the XP2200+ CPU. You will need to do an RMA to ABIT for a hardware fix to support the T-bred. The BIOS upgrade will not work. You can however close the #5 L3 (thanks Deerhunter) Bridge and use a lower multiplier to save yourself the hassle of an RMA. I would update the BIOS before doing the RMA, but it may or may not help. I hope that's alll your MB needs, it didn't work for me.

how exaclty would i do an rma to abit?

http://www.abitusa-rma.com/

Click on RMA Status
END User
Request RMA
I Accept
Fill out form;
Submit

They will e-mail they reveived and give you notice you will receive another e-mail with the RMA #.

on the rma when is says defect phenomenon, do i just write it will not boot up with an amd 2200 xp cpu?

Write "does not support the AMD XP2200+ CPU"

about how long did it take to get you board back? this is for anyone who rma'ed it.

Mine took 14 days from sent to received.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Keeper
You can however close the #5 L2 Bridge and use a lower multiplier to save yourself the hassle of an RMA.

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I think you mean L3 bridge!:stick:

You are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO right, I will edit that ASAP.

Thanks for catching that before someone didn't.

Which cooling solution for these 2200+ oc ?

tested today by me n majormav, and can confirm this method works. tested using TB2200+ and Epox 8KHA+ (of all the boards to use!!)

toggling 13x above and 13x bwelow can be done easily as long aws a skilled solderer does the mod... just need a 2 way toggle switch and solder each wire to either side of the L3 bridge in question. For XP2100 some VERY fine wire (majormav knows the stuff, it's what he used for his kx7 vmods) and the same switch and attach the wire to the two pins on the base of the cpu. I s'pose I could throw a kit together, but as of monday we'll be selling preunlocked 2100 & 2200 chips thru our site for all those interested.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Marci
toggling 13x above and 13x bwelow can be done easily as long aws a skilled solderer does the mod... just need a 2 way toggle switch and solder each wire to either side of the L3 bridge in question.

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Hi Marci,
Toggling the L3 mod sounds great, but could you also try just one wire soldered from backside of mobo Socket A pin = AJ27. Then run the wire thru a switch to a grounded 100 ohm resistor...switch or jumper mounted on external case. Does the same as soldering around the L3 dots, but seems it should be easier...only 1 solder op to an existing lump of solder already on the socket. Should also work on XP2100's as well since their L10 bridges are also set in default HI mode/ ie 13X, and its signal bus also connects to the same AJ27 pin/socket. Switch open = HI Multiplier range 13X and up, switch closed = 5X thru 12.5X range.

In fact this mod could best be done before any new mobo is installed, then just set switch to suit "any" cpu that's installed...low XP, XP2100 or Tbred 2200.
Check it out with majormav????
John C.
http://www.beachlink.com/candjac/index.htm Palomino article has pic of backside of cpu to locate AJ27

Hi candjac,

Your suggestion sounds great, and I'll be watching to see what the other experts think. A simple switch mounted on the back of the case would be real convenient, while maintaining your CPU warranty!

I looked at the link, and found the pic I think is the one you referred to, but I didn't know enough about the layout to figure out which of the highlighted pins is AJ27. I couldn't interpret how the grid layout was labled. It doesn't seem to be a simple "X,Y" = "AJ,27" matrix, if you know what I mean. Can you help identify AJ27 in the photo? Thanks!

Paul

Quote:

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Originally posted by prsinger
Hi candjac,

Your suggestion sounds great, and I'll be watching to see what the other experts think. A simple switch mounted on the back of the case would be real convenient, while maintaining your CPU warranty!

I looked at the link, and found the pic I think is the one you referred to, but I didn't know enough about the layout to figure out which of the highlighted pins is AJ27. I couldn't interpret how the grid layout was labled. It doesn't seem to be a simple "X,Y" = "AJ,27" matrix, if you know what I mean. Can you help identify AJ27 in the photo? Thanks! Paul

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Hi Paul,
Grid socket/pin grid is "alpha" from A thru AN Bottom to Top, and "numeric" from 1 thru 37 Left to Right. You can see "occassional" guidance letters and numbers in white along borders that reflect that alpha-numeric grid. Note that I, O, and AI rows are omitted/do not exist (probably cause I and O look too much like numbers one and zero). Also note that rows AA, AB, AC etc follow row Z.
Column 27 is prominently labeled, (as are 1 and 37), and so socket/pin AJ27 is in the 5th row down from the top (AN, AM, AL, AK, AJ), or the third "green" socket/pin from the top.

Note also that pins are are "staggered", ie, row Y has pins 1, 3, 5, 7. while next row Z has pins 2, 4, 6, 8.
Think that should it clear enough to locate "any socket/pin".

Check out the Tbred article as well, it has Tbred's circuit diagrams for Multiplier signals. So you can confirm that this "switched AJ27 wire to ground thru resistor" mod does exactly the same as closing the 5th L3 bridge, or soldering a switch to the L3 bridge's "dots".

Of course the L1s must be closed for this to work, but that is no problem since most if not all oc'ers normally close the L1s else they couldn't Manipulate the Multiplier from mobo/bios.
John C.

quick question,

Lets, say the processor is not unlocked, how much can the xp2200+ be overclocked too without having to unlock it? what multipler and frequency should one use?

If so, what should I set the multiplier and frequencys too, to get good performance, I have a coolermaster cpu fan, and an additional 3 fans in the case, would I need more?

i rmaed my kx7 to abit a while ago , the rma status page said they got it august 6, anyone have any idea how long it will take till I get a motherboard back from them? How long does it usually take and is there someone i can email to find out how far along it is in the rma queue?

Babblin Joe,

Mine took about 3 weeks. The only link I could find on the Abit site just told when it was recieved and when it was shipped. That was under the RMA status link. I was happy with the replacement..not the same board, but in perfect shape.

Just a few questions i noticed that i might be able to help with.

The pencil trick is at the moment, not working on my t-bred, i've since got some electrolube to try that but due to waterblock is a hassel so am waiting as i need to take it all apart this week for other reasons.

As for how hot can they run. Well my waterblock is screwed and defo not making great contact, big scratch down the middle of contact area, and at the mo my epox is reading from on board diode a temp of 60C. i think the diff between socket thermistor and real readings have increased due to the smaller area and etc,etc. I've hit 75C at full stability at around 2.15Ghz, 2.1v on this board.

I had no probs at those temps.

So you guys should have some leway with your temps but remember that its jsut the insocket thermistor, some people think the diff between that and the real temp is up to as much as 15-20C now. So watch out.

This monday/tuesday i'm realpping waterblock, unlocking chip, reformatting, new bios testing and some other enhancing watercooling stuff. I will post exactly how high i can get this chip, at what voltage and how hot it will run stable at. Also have a digidoc coming this week so will set it up to read at the same position as socket thermistor, and glue one to chip. Then i can tell you the diff between the readings.

Question for Abit KG7 and probably others from Abit

Last year I bought this KG7 board together with a Duron 800 (@ 7*133 at this time). It was the cheapest processor I could find at that time. Already back then, I had in mind to wait for the last socket A processor to come out to do an upgrade.
From what I've been reading, this will be the XP2100+
Though xp2200,2400 and 2600 are still SocketA, they will not work on this (and many boards) without a fix from Abit. I wanted to wait for the xp2600+ since the xp2700+ will be on 166Mhz bus speed.
I'm not a FSB overclocker so I don't like the L3 #5 mod on the chip as it will give me only acces to 12.5X multiplier (beiing only 1666.666Mhz).
I've read the pages from Candjac (very interesting indeed)

So far for the story. Now here's my question

As I don't like to send the board back (it will probably take 2 months out here to get it back), I was wondering if there's additional info on the L1 bridges.
My perception is that when you close the L1 bridges, you get acces to the multiplier and Vcore settings in the BIOS.
When you do a bad job on these L1 bridges, (f.i. one not properly connected), you get acces to some, not all multipliers.
So I figure out the following:
If you close all but one L1 bridges, you could get the bios to reset the 0.5x/1x/2x and 4x selection but the bios would leave the 8x untouched. This way I figured it could be possible to control in fact the above 13x mulipliers.

Could this by any chance be possible ??

many thanks to all suggestions

Well, finally got my t-bred unlocked, going well. The electrolube is working fine now and have 12.5 and below. Time for some benching methinks.