Testing / comparing : Intel D975XBX2 / Asus P5B DX ***56K WARNING***

[down8]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835124019

And relatively cheap, too.

I run a GeminII on my X3210, w/minor OC. OK temps, but not awesome.

-bZj

[LoneWolf]

Now that some of the Yorkfield QX processors have been tried, and don't work, I'm a little bummed, but not too much, since I can't afford them.

I do wonder however, if a budget chip like the Q9300 might be a little more feasible. Probably not, since the architecture is the same (aside from possible voltage differences and other minor stuff), but I'd love to see someone give it a try and report back. If it could be done, that's probably the final CPU I'd use in my XBX2, and I have no need to overclock.

[Blacklash]

The Thermalright Ultra Extreme 120 mounts fine on the BX2. Put two solid fans on it, one pushing air in and one pulling air out, and you're in business for keeping a Q6600 G-0 fairly cool on air with a solid overclock.

I could never get better than 390 x 9 on the BX2 though. Moving the same chip over to P35 and I was doing 3.80GHz. I could do higher and I'd have to use more voltage and move to water cooling. Haven't felt like bothering with it.

I've booted 4.0GHz for brief benches and air cooling can't hack that speed long term plus the 1.62v needed for it.

http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=328251

http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/therm...r-p-16580.html

[pushook]

Hi, I have a little problem with my CF system on the bad axe 2 with E6600. I can´t overclock any more with one card or two cards inside on Air cooling.

With my watercoolsystem and my 8800 GTX I had no problems to get 3.6 GHZ with this board.

Also the 3Dmark06 score is verybad on this board. Only 10.000 with CF enabled @ stock CPU.. I think the CPU is holding back.

The same problem I had with a Q6600 inside this board. Couldn´t overclock.

Bios update was no succsess. very strange for me.

Any one out there who can help me out?????

PSU is a 650 Watt OCZ.

greets

[Gunnz Akimbo]

Im writing this on a PS3 with keyboard (heh)

Anyway, having some 8GB RAM troubles installig Vista64.

Its KHX6400D2K2/4G x2 packets.

I have bios setting at defaults for CPU and RAM.

It gets to the second installation part with the black screen and message saying "please wait a moment while preparing to run windows for the first time"

It will the just reset during that part and thats it, dead after that.

First i will try wiping bios.

[Gunnz Akimbo]

Caught the problem.

Jeeeeeez...

Bought a new 150G Raptor, the damn drive has errors, it wont install windows onto it, just keeps clicking repetitively.

Installing onto my old raptor.

[Touchstone]

Hi all,

After many stable months my BX2 has stopped booting. No BIOS screen, BIOS error codes, no beeps, nowt. The case and CPU fan spin up, then the graphics card fan spins up to full speed, and the HDD and CD-ROM access lights show up and alternate a few times, then nothing.

I haven't added or removed any devices, and my temperatures (used to) run pretty cool. I've tried removing all USB devices and the first SATA drives one by one, but no joy.

I've now reset the BIOS by removing the battery for an hour, and it still does the same thing, so next I'll probably try a BIOS Recovery then going back to CPU+RAM+graphics only then adding the other parts back in.

Any advice as to the most likely dodgy component? Has anyone else had this experience?

Many thanks for any help/advice...

[Touchstone]

Update: the BIOS Recovery did nothing at all, didn't try to read the floppy.

One thing I have noticed: the CPU LED flashes briefly (less than a second) when I power the system up - is that normal? Can't say I've noticed it before...

Have I got a fried CPU? Might be an excuse to replace it with a Q6600... Or has my BX2 shuffled off its mortal coil?

Thanks again for any advice!

[Woland]

Update: the BIOS Recovery did nothing at all, didn't try to read the floppy.

One thing I have noticed: the CPU LED flashes briefly (less than a second) when I power the system up - is that normal? Can't say I've noticed it before...

Have I got a fried CPU? Might be an excuse to replace it with a Q6600... Or has my BX2 shuffled off its mortal coil?

Thanks again for any advice!

Might be the PSU.

[down8]

PSU, or a short. Though the short is unlikely, if you haven't even moved your case.

I'd start with the power supply.

-bZj

[Touchstone]

This is weird; I've tried the following:

BX2 with just CPU, RAM, graphics and current PSU: no boot
BX2 with just CPU, RAM, graphics and another PSU: no boot
CPU, RAM, graphics and another PSU in an Asus P5WDH: no boot

So it must be the CPU that's fried, mustn't it?

[theonlybabyface]

This is weird; I've tried the following:

BX2 with just CPU, RAM, graphics and current PSU: no boot
BX2 with just CPU, RAM, graphics and another PSU: no boot
CPU, RAM, graphics and another PSU in an Asus P5WDH: no boot

So it must be the CPU that's fried, mustn't it?

I've had that happen before. It was caused by a bad stick of ram...

[Touchstone]

Thanks for that - but if I booted the BX2 with no RAM, wouldn't it beep at me? And can the RAM suddenly go bad like that?

[down8]

I believe when I booted my BA2 with no RAM, while chasing a similar problem, it did beep. I want to say 3 times, but I may be mixing that up with the "no graphics card" beep.

No other CPU to test with?

-bZj

[theonlybabyface]

Thanks for that - but if I booted the BX2 with no RAM, wouldn't it beep at me? And can the RAM suddenly go bad like that?

The BX2 is THE ram eater. D9's anyways...it has eaten three sticks so far including another set last week running them at stock speeds. It seems as though slot #3 is the culprit so avoid if possible.

[Touchstone]

I believe when I booted my BA2 with no RAM, while chasing a similar problem, it did beep. I want to say 3 times, but I may be mixing that up with the "no graphics card" beep.

You're absolutely right, three long beeps means a memory error. Not an "I've blown a stick of your RAM" error, that won't cause the beeps, but it's 100% reliable for reporting "you've not got any RAM plugged in, you muppet".

I've had that happen before. It was caused by a bad stick of ram...

That makes two of us then! I've booted the BX2 with just the slot #1 stick and I'm back in business. With just the slot #3 stick, no boot, no beeps, no BIOS errors...

The BX2 is THE ram eater. D9's anyways...it has eaten three sticks so far including another set last week running them at stock speeds. It seems as though slot #3 is the culprit so avoid if possible.

I made the classic mistake of assuming the slot numbering was zero-based (20 years of C/C++ will do that to you). So I thought the fourth physical slot ("Channel B DIMM 1") was slot #3, and avoided that.

So - when I replace the RAM, can I use DIMM 1 in both channels, instead of DIMM 0, and still get true dual channel (interleaved) operation? This would mean I'd be using slots #2 and #4 instead of #1 and #3.

A big thank you to everyone who's helped me out here!

[Gunnz Akimbo]

I dont get it.

Even setting 1.45+ volts for CPU in bios, it still says 1.21 in windows using everest. Like it isnt taking affect.
Unless 1.45volts isnt enough for the Q6600 above 3ghz.

do i have to set 1.5v for something like 3.375Ghz with 375FSB.


Settings
1.4v FSB
1.6 MCH
1.96 RAM

no ram errors, done a memtest %100 run, something to do with cpu voltage.
so looks like 1.5v for the CPU setting?

[Gunnz Akimbo]

ok, did the power down cycle, thats what the problem was.

FSB @ 1.4v
MCH @ 1.6v

CPU vcore is still experimental.

Fussy bloody mobo this one is.

[Touchstone]

Hi all,

So, my replacement RAM arrives tomorrow, a 2x1GB pair.

Can I place them in slots #2 and #4 instead of #1 and #3? That's counting from the CPU down...

Thanks!

[Poodle]

The Thermalright Ultra Extreme 120 mounts fine on the BX2. Put two solid fans on it, one pushing air in and one pulling air out, and you're in business for keeping a Q6600 G-0 fairly cool on air with a solid overclock.

I could never get better than 390 x 9 on the BX2 though. Moving the same chip over to P35 and I was doing 3.80GHz. I could do higher and I'd have to use more voltage and move to water cooling. Haven't felt like bothering with it.

I've booted 4.0GHz for brief benches and air cooling can't hack that speed long term plus the 1.62v needed for it.

http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=328251

http://www.heatsinkfactory.com/therm...r-p-16580.html

Yeah the ultra is perfect for the bx2 and push pull config. I used an empty fan frame to reduce the turbulence noise of the pulling fan (never have anything close in front of fans, especially high rpm fans). This is a very coolex system that I gave to my brother a year ago. In Swedish but you will see how I after a while didn't like that the pulling fan was so close to the cooler and added the frame. What's nicest with this setup is that it's actually quite silent. Both fans in tandem gives a lot a static pressure and can thus move air through the cooler even at very low rpms. Also it made it possible to remove the back case fan and by that helping to reduce noise from escaping the case. The soft ducts also have some noise reducing effect and do not let any noise escape through the open top of the P180.

http://sweclockers.com/album/?id=583

[Gunnz Akimbo]

the true is good but,

A. Its tall and i cant install the lian li 120mm fan duct attachment.
B. The mobo heatsink gets bypassed. Have to mount an extra fan to blow air onto it.

[Touchstone]

Hi all,

So, my replacement RAM arrives tomorrow, a 2x1GB pair.

Can I place them in slots #2 and #4 instead of #1 and #3? That's counting from the CPU down...

Thanks!

OK, the new RAM is in slots #2 and #4, and Windows is reporting 2GB - how can I tell if they're running in interleaved mode? The BIOS is set to run them at 800MHz but CPU-Z is reporting them as running at 400MHz - is that normal? Sorry, but I'm a bit new to this...

Thanks for any advice...

[down8]

OK, the new RAM is in slots #2 and #4, and Windows is reporting 2GB - how can I tell if they're running in interleaved mode? The BIOS is set to run them at 800MHz but CPU-Z is reporting them as running at 400MHz - is that normal? Sorry, but I'm a bit new to this...

Thanks for any advice...

CPU-Z:
Memory
Channels #: Dual

-bZj

[Touchstone]

CPU-Z: Memory Channels #: Dual -bZj

Doh! Thanks...

[redphil]

I am trying to use the idcc, but it's not working.
During installation there's a failure notice: "SDB c:\windos\system32\\idccexe.sdb could'nt be opened".
If I try to start the application I get an "unexpectet error".
I am using the latest Bios.
Any ideas how I could the idcc to work properly?