The OFFICIAL MSI K8N Neo2-939 tips and tricks guide thread

[chester]

brechtvm.Too bad your still having probs,but i still think u have cables or power configured incorrect.You know that ide1 is furthest away from cpu,and u have to set ur jumpers on hd cd-master-slave.HD goes to IDE1 it's black not blue .I also think when u reset cmos u have to turn off computer.Then turn power supply back on.Not computer just power to motherboad.No fans spinning here ur not trying to post,just not unplugged.then reset ur cmos.If u don't use IDE theres a post in here bout where sata goes .Humor me please and check these easy things.Also try just 1 stick mem in dimm one closest to cpu.My board was refurb.No cables-No driver-no d bracket just-board.I think they forget to reset jumper when they test or repair them.

[brechtvm]

the problem can't be the ram ..
i tested
*twinmoss ram (512mb)
*corsair xms ram (512mb)
*MDT ram (value) (512mb)
*GEIL ram (256mb)

and always the same black screen..
when i removed a memory stick, i heard a funky beep

i think like this :

because i hear a beep code, the bios checksum can't be corrupt..

so the problem should be something else..

right ?

[xxbiker]

Try another powersupply
90% of all problems whith getting the neo 2 started is becuse of the powersupply
xxbiker

[brechtvm]

Try another powersupply
90% of all problems whith getting the neo 2 started is becuse of the powersupply
xxbiker

I tried my zalman 400W APS
and a no name 420W power supply

[sideeffect]

Try a new bios chip or hotflash the old one.

[brechtvm]

Try a new bios chip or hotflash the old one.

i guess i will RMA the motherboard,
that will be the easiest way
sunday, i have a A8V-Deluxe..
temporary motherboard with a Stable HTT of 300mhz

[Kingsob]

Are there any problems with the nVidia 5.11 drivers for the neo2 ?

My DFI nf3 crashs windows when I play with lan settings

[Draxx]

Just install the NF4 6.66 drivers (or latest ones) with the GART driver from the beta NF3 6.37's from www.guru3d.com

[Losphoron]

Happy new Year to all and long live neo2 platinium..LOL
The board is discontinued but here more and more ppl with this board apear very nice...I made a BIG change in my Rig and bought a new Connect3d x850pro VIVO and i hoped i can unlock it to a full PE but is not and replaced the Gecube 9550XT extreme edition (that crashes like hell) ...grrr
Now all work very good

[arnemetis]

hey everyone, bump to keep this great thread alive so i now have a swiftech apex extreme kit with a mcw55 block on my 6800gt. even with load temps in the low to mid 30's, i still cant get this damn memory controller to work at much over 240mhz currently using 1.8 mod with 1t fix by NFM and am wondering what currently is the best bios to use with a san diego 3700+ and some g.skill pc4400 tccd? even if i can manage to get 260mhz out of this 275mhz ram, it will be better than the 200mhz land im in now thanks a lot for the suggestions (btw cpu seems prime stable up to 2.81ghz)

[TMM]

@ pepelepe: try bios 1.8. all other bioses won't boot over 270-280~, but with any 1.8 bios i can boot all the way to 340htt 100% stable

@ arnemetis: Sounds like the mobo limit or CPU :/. On the 1.8 1T fix with my Opty i can get my memory to 270mhz 1:1 no problems. I can't say thats the limit though, as my ram is only rated for 250, heh. Try booting to windows @ 240, and tweaking some timings in A64 tweaker. Then see if you can get it up to speed with clockgen.
This may be helpful to some extent:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...ad.php?t=57317

[ChronoDog]

For the question about 4 memory sticks on the Neo2, it doesn't depend as much on the mobo, as it does on the CPU's memory controller. I managed to run 4 sticks of TCCD 512MB on my Venice @ 200mhz 2-3-2-10 2T, yet my old Winny wouldn't run them at ANY timings at all.

As for the best drivers, then for me the award goes to this neat package:
http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=1271

Completely stable overall, and no crashes/BSODs, pretty fast too

[arnemetis]

seems like cpu limit maybe ill try to pick up an pty at some point, i knew this cpu's mem controller was bunk, was really hoping a new bios had been released based on the new version that helped it out. my old 3200+ cbbid winchester could do 281mhz on the ram. downside to having onchip memory controller. maybe ill try to save up for a 165

[sodaboy581]

Well, I have one of these boards, got it sometime last year. About to use it now.

I'm a bit new to overclocking, really.

Going to stick a AMD Athlon X2 4200+ in it and attempt an overclock.

My case's cooling is all air cooling. 1 Panaflo 120mm quiet high airflow fan in the front for in-take, 1 Panaflo 120mm quiet high airflow fan in the back for exhaust, and 1 Panaflo 92mm quiet high airflow fan on the side for intake as well.

The processor is going to have an XP-90C heatsink on it, AS5 compound use inbetween. On top of the XP-90C is going to be another Panaflo 92mm quiet high airflow fan for cooling as well.

What I wondered, really, is if anyone has any experience overclocking a 4200+? What were some of the highest speeds you achieved?

Also, what do the 5 numbers mean in some of these peoples' results? Like for example 2-3-2-10-2T ?

Any tips about overclocking on this motherboard are appreciated as well.

So far I've nabbed down:

- Use SATA 3 and 4 when connecting hard drives.
- Sometimes, you may achieve better results using a lower multiplier but higher FSB.
- Sometimes, you may achieve better results by running memory at 200mhz as opposed to 400mhz. (I have DDR400 RAM)
- Sometimes, increasing CPU voltage can help.
- Disable Cool 'n Quiet
- Disable Fast Writes
- Use memory slots 1 & 2, the ones closest to the CPU.
- Disable aggressive timings.

Well, any input is appreciated!

Edit: Another thing I'd like to add is, I have Crucial DDR400 RAM as well. 2 single side PC3200 sticks. (512MB, DDR, 400, CL3 CT6464Z40B.8TC MT8VDDT6464AG-40C1 PC3200U-30331-A1) If there is a database I can look up that has optimal timings or what these RAM can time at when tweaked, that'd be cool too.

[a_pint_of_milk]

I have a problem with hard drive performance on this computer. My new computer takes AGES to load games such as cs:source and bf2. My old computer done it in literally half the time. My new rig is as follows:

Amd Athlon64 3200+ (OC'd to 2400Mhz)
Akasa Evo-33 Cooler
MSI K8N Neo2 (1.B Bios)
1Gb Corsair XMS3200C2PT (2-3-2-7) (OC'd)
Windows XP Pro SP2
Galaxy Geforce 6800GT OC
160GB Maxtor DiamondMax9 SATA (System is on here in SATA port 3)
160Gb Maxtor IDE (used for storing mp3s etc)
Xaser-III Tower

My old computer used the same tower, same hard-drives (although obviously reformatted before installing for the new system), same video card. The differences were it had a pentium 4 2.6c with 1gb of ram (2x256 OCZ PC4000 gold & 2x256 Geil PC4400 Ultra). That PC was overclocked to about 3200Mhz.

As I say, my old system would load these games in literally half the time. Hard drive performance has been bad ever since I got the new motherboard, ram and processor. It was bad as soon as the system was put together and is bad now (even after defrags). I am currently using the nforce3 5.11 chipset drivers.

Does anyone have a clue why the system drive would be running slowly?

[Zeus...]

Hi guys

Gone to the 'Asus' side with my main rig but set up my MSI K8N neo2 for my son - and having a bit off a problem getting it to boot - and it was working fine last time it was used?

it boots then I get-
Quote
keyboard error or no keyboard present
keyboard is locked out - unlock the key
CMOS checksum error -defaults loaded
Unquote

and there it hangs
cleared CMOS - same
pressed DEl to enter Bios - no go!
changed CPU same

I havent come across this one B4 any thoughts

TIA

[wrewing73]

Has anybody used the Arctic Cooling 64 Pro with this board?

[pepelepe]

@ TMM : Thank you for the idea. Presently, I use bios 1.36 by NFM which u can set maximum Vcore. Anyway, now I intend to flash my bios to a derivative of version 1.8.
Here
http://www.msi.sploitz.com/
and here
http://www.lejabeach.com/MSIK8N/k8nneo2.html
you may find many versions of official, beta and modded bios. Would you recommend a particular version of bios 1.8 (the official version for example) or all of 'em do the same?

Thanks again in advance.

[sodaboy581]

Well, nobody really answered my questions, but I've figured out the answer myself. Due to my RAM having TCL:3, TCD:3 , TRAS:8, TRP:3, and 2T timing. I've decided Crucial is a horrible RAM to OC with and I'm going Mushkin.

The question I pose for you now is, with my current memory (haven't received the Mushkin's yet), I notice memory voltage can only go up to 2.85V in the BIOS. (Using the latest official 1B BIOS) This might be a problem because the normal operating range of the Mushkins is anywhere between 2.6 and 2.8V, 2.85V as the max in the BIOS provides me with POOR overclocking abilities.

Is there a MSI BIOS that both supports the X2 processors and also lets me set a memory voltage higher than this?

Please, let me know!

[xxbiker]

Well, nobody really answered my questions, but I've figured out the answer myself. Due to my RAM having TCL:3, TCD:3 , TRAS:8, TRP:3, and 2T timing. I've decided Crucial is a horrible RAM to OC with and I'm going Mushkin.

The question I pose for you now is, with my current memory (haven't received the Mushkin's yet), I notice memory voltage can only go up to 2.85V in the BIOS. (Using the latest official 1B BIOS) This might be a problem because the normal operating range of the Mushkins is anywhere between 2.6 and 2.8V, 2.85V as the max in the BIOS provides me with POOR overclocking abilities.

Is there a MSI BIOS that both supports the X2 processors and also lets me set a memory voltage higher than this?

Please, let me know!

NO 2.85 is max voltage

[Draxx]

Use a OCZ DDR Booster

[Losphoron]

Has anybody used the Arctic Cooling 64 Pro with this board?

I have 64 Ultra TCL model...Is the best cooler i ever used and it silence my CPU heat very very well..I even overclocked my CPU from 1.8Ghz to 2.4Ghz only on air and i will push even further...I am very very happy with it and it's ONLY 15$ ... ATI Silencer here i come...

[AeroSquid]

Hi guys

Gone to the 'Asus' side with my main rig but set up my MSI K8N neo2 for my son - and having a bit off a problem getting it to boot - and it was working fine last time it was used?

it boots then I get-
Quote
keyboard error or no keyboard present
keyboard is locked out - unlock the key
CMOS checksum error -defaults loaded
Unquote

and there it hangs
cleared CMOS - same
pressed DEl to enter Bios - no go!
changed CPU same

I havent come across this one B4 any thoughts

TIA

have you tried using a ps2 kb? how about a usb one? clear cmos and remove the battery for 15 minutes or so and double check all your power cables.

[Zeus...]

have you tried using a ps2 kb? how about a usb one? clear cmos and remove the battery for 15 minutes or so and double check all your power cables.

Thanks for the reply

yes dung out my old PS2 keyboard same on USB one removed battery (even shorted the battery terminals to discharge the power -NO go

disconnect all cables (even took out the usb/1394 ones and sata ones) Cleared CMOS same - just hangs asking to press F1 or Del to enter bios but pressing the keys does nothing.

[sodaboy581]

Okay, I guess my last question... I also notice CPU voltage can only go up to 1.550 in the BIOS. Although, if you select over VID 10.0% it goes up to about 1.7V. Is this also the maximum voltage you can get out of CPU? Or are there other BIOSes that can go higher?

I'm eyeing the v1.A4 MOD BIOS by Sideeffect that says "known to have no cold boot issue and better CPU voltage". Just wondering if anyone's played with that one and know how high it can go.

I'm thinking that BIOS should probably properly support the X2 CPUs too, right? Well, let me know, thanks!