Abit FP-IN9 short review

[couppi]

I decided to put together my FP-IN9 today and see how it overclocks. The board seems to be well built, but it's held back by a buggy BIOS. For $135, I'm not too impressed.

The Package:




I would have taken more pics, but my camera ran out of memory.

The accessories include an SLI bridge, 4 SATA cables, 1 IDE and 1 floppy cable, a manual, driver CDs, a rear IO panel guard, a strange metal object that fits in the PCI slots of a case, and a thank-you note from fatality for giving him money. The manual is one of the thickest I've ever seen for a mobo, giving detailed information about each and every BIOS option.

Overclocking:

This is where things get messy. The fatality-red background of the BIOS was distracting and confusing at the same time. I wish Abit had stuck with the standard blue. The overclocking options include all the usual nForce 6 settings, such as "Linked", "Unlinked", and other various memory dividers.

"Unlinked" mode causes random crashes in Windows.

Voltage options are extensive:
CPU Voltage: up to 1.6125v
DDR2 Voltage: up to 2.5v, with 2.63v unlockable with Modbin
NB DDR2 REF Voltage: -4% to +2%
CPU VTT Voltage: 1.2v to 1.65v
NB Voltage: 1.2v to 1.58v
MCP51 (the board's southbridge) Core AUX Voltage: 1.5v to 1.97v (must be unlocked with Modbin)
MCP51 Voltage: 1.5v to 1.97v (must be unlocked with Modbin)

Abit's software is reported a vdroop of .03v. I don't have a multimeter right now to measure the exact vdroop.

Max FSB: 387.5mhz

To get to 387.5mhz, I had to crank up all the motherboard's voltages to their max values, and it still wasn't even close to stable. The max orthos-stable FSB is 375mhz. I'm a little shocked that a 650i board can't even break 400mhz. A few possible explanations:

1. No FSB strap. After measuring the latencies of a few different FSB speeds, I couldn't find any FSB strap. Unfinished BIOS?

2. NB Voltage doesn't work or it undervolts a large amount. Either way, this board desperately needs a NB voltage mod. I have no measuring points to test the actual voltage, but my P5N-E's northbridge heatsink almost burns me at 1.56v, while my FP-IN9's northbridge heatsink is barely warm at 1.58v.

Abit definately needs to start releasing new BIOSes for this board. The current version is the initial release from December. A new BIOS is rumored to be released within the next two weeks. I think I'll be playing the wait-and-see game with this board instead of selling it.

[The Nemesis]

Wow. the Fatal1TY F-I90HD m-ATX seems more impressive with its 367FSB orthos stable FSB. What the heck is going on with Abit!

[Chosen.]

Are people still buying Abit boards? It seems that their R&D department keeps releasing new motherboards, but their BIOS programmers appear to be all fired and replaced with a monkey, a piece of paper and crayons

No, but seriously, I am so disappointed by Abit. I got their last 2 MAX boards and they suffer from the same bugs. Like, not only they don't care to fix them, they propagate them in their new motherboards.
I bet the first person who will put a QX on this board, will also realise that the multiplier adjustment doesn't change all 4 cores, like AW9D-MAX, AB9 Pro, IN9-32 MAX and Quad GT...

[jimborae]

yes this board is a pile of poo atm. Also the bottom pci slot doesn't work properly as well as all the other problems mentioned.

[Cordovader]

I´m testing this board also.

It does 400x9 orthos stable at 1,50v-1,58v for VTT an NB respectively.
Max i tested (with a E6600) was 450x8 but windows freezed while passing spi 1m.

With my memos (Cellshock 1000 C4) i can do up to 640mhz 5-5-5-15 1m (2,5v), 600mhz 5-5-5-15 32m (2,4v) and 500 4-3-3-4 32m (2,4v also).

The pci slots work fine, at least the bottom one where i have my X-FI.

I have to test it further but it´s clear that a new improved bios is needed.

[geof]

so couppi, P5N-E SLI is a better board for the moment ? maybe a new bios can help the Abit users...

[GAR]

Abit has been goin downhill for a while now.

[The Nemesis]

Abit has been goin downhill for a while now.

I would have to agree, I bought the AW9D-MAX, IN9 32-MAX, & IT-90HD. All had bios issues (immature bios in two cases). None seem to live up to the hype, and all have had little bios updates & support compared to Asus. The m-ATX board has been very satisifying but it took an edited bios. That's three strikes for me.

[JoeBar]

I was in the P5N-E-Sli and FP-IN9 dilemma last week but glad i went with Asus. P5N-E is a very nice board plus it's cheaper than Abit.

BTW every Abit user out there waits for a bios.

[trans am]

Now why couldn't you have posted this last week. Mine is coming tomorrow.
Another c2d board down the drain.
I swore 2 years ago I would never buy another Abit board as long as I lived.
Is there and Abit rep on xs that can get us a newer bios?

[couppi]

1T support seems to be broken, and this board doesn't like CAS4. The first bank of ram slots simply don't work either.

Hopefully it's just a faulty board. I'm going to give Abit the benefit of the doubt and RMA this board.

[trans am]

1T support seems to be broken, and this board doesn't like CAS4. The first bank of ram slots simply don't work either.

Hopefully it's just a faulty board. I'm going to give Abit the benefit of the doubt and RMA this board.

I'll let you know how mine compares. I can't believe it. faulty ram slots and cas4 doesn't work?

[RickyG512]

i have this board and so far no problems with pci slot and all that u mentioned, my overclock is:
E6600

425x8 = 3.4ghz 1.52v
vvt-1.4 ish
nb-1.4 ish

ram- 4-4-4-12 1T 850 2.2v in red slots

only 15 mins prime stable for some reason with wat eva volts i use, but same CPU gave me 13 hours prime stable at same speed 3.4ghz and voltage on P5B vanilla

abput 62 degrees C load

[couppi]

I'll let you know how mine compares. I can't believe it. faulty ram slots and cas4 doesn't work?

CAS4 works on my board, but it is very unstable at any voltage or frequency. This board definately needs to be rma'd.

i have this board and so far no problems with pci slot and all that u mentioned, my overclock is:
E6600

425x8 = 3.4ghz 1.52v
vvt-1.4 ish
nb-1.4 ish

ram- 4-4-4-12 1T 850 2.2v in red slots

Nice results. Is there any difference between 1T and 2T in, say, superpi?

[RickyG512]

not sure but there is in sisoft sandra 2007 memory bandwidth test and the winrar benchmark test between 2T and 1T

i think all P965 run at 2T coz my P5B vanilla has no option in the bios and cpuz says 2T

[Danger30Q]

I got my board yesterday and will post results once I get it set up.

I have a 6700 so I don't need anything higher than 390 FSB on air.

The one thing I like about the board is that they don't make you pay for worthless crap accessories that typically come with Asus board. All I want are SATA cables.

[clon22]

Are people still buying Abit boards? It seems that their R&D department keeps releasing new motherboards, but their BIOS programmers appear to be all fired and replaced with a monkey, a piece of paper and crayons

No, but seriously, I am so disappointed by Abit. I got their last 2 MAX boards and they suffer from the same bugs. Like, not only they don't care to fix them, they propagate them in their new motherboards.
I bet the first person who will put a QX on this board, will also realise that the multiplier adjustment doesn't change all 4 cores, like AW9D-MAX, AB9 Pro, IN9-32 MAX and Quad GT...

Yup...
They are always releasing impressive boards...
But their bios r always a let down...
And they dun seen to be bothered to improve them...
Waiting for a new bios revision takes mths somethimes...
I have bought the AW8D-Max, Aw9D-max, QuadGT, tested the AB9, and IN9-32xMax... but sad to say...
I still back to asus and gigabyte...
BUt i quite like the QuadGT...

[RickyG512]

MCP51 Voltage: 1.5v to 1.97v (must be unlocked with Modbin)

wat the hell is modbin

my E6600 will do 3.4ghz but its not stable with this board, only stable for like 15 minutse

will increasing soutbridge voltafe help with stabilty, ive never heard increasing soutbridge voltage help, ive only heard increasing north/cpu/fsb ones help

[wittekakker]

Seem like I have one off the less good boards too.

- MCH voltage: I was also thinking that MCH voltage didn't work. One of our local forums dudes told me his 680i runs very hot with high voltage, though it's really a joy to touch my MCH heatsink at 1,58V. My board also seem to stop around 380's MHz.

- 2T: 2T is forced at all time. 1T is possible to select, but after reboot you see that 1T is selceted, though the 'current setting' is still showing 2T.

- SLI: SLI doesn't seem to work properly. For example, when I run double G80GTS cards through 3D Mark 03 I always get single card score, where in 3D Mark 06 I get normal SLI scores.

This board has some cool options compared to my P5B deluxe, the red BIOS background color certainly is refreshing, I'm to finally have something else then blue, but color is more like a personnal choise in the end...

Abit dudes at Cebit where also have some play with this board, they seem to be able to pass FSB 450 with multiplier 6. They were using the same BIOS version as me.

One last question, did you guys test LDT setting? I'm heaving it at x3, guessing it has somehow the same function as I've been used to with the nForce4 chipset for AMD's.

[RickyG512]

i am defintly getting 1T as it says it on cpuz and everest

how did they get 450 FSB, did u see wat cooling they were using

i can get 425x8 3.4ghz and play games all day, havent tried higher thou but doesnt seem orthos stable at 425, althouh i know the cpu can handle as it orthos stable on P5B so it must the board

will soutbridge/ich voltage help ? how do i unlock using this modbin thing as posted in the first post, y do u call it "MCP51", isnt that the northbridge thou, is south and ich same thing, coz in P5B delux bios u have both voltage options

[wittekakker]

Modbin is BIOS mod software.

More info on CPU VTT voltage:


After changing CPU VTT voltage in BIOS, this is what I read at the point parked in green:

BIOS -> REAL
1.20 -> 1.30
1.24 -> 1.34
1.28 -> 1.38
1.31 -> 1.42
1.39 -> 1.51
1.43 -> 1.55
1.46 -> 1.59
1.50 -> 1.63
1.58 -> 1.71
1.65 -> 1.80

EDIT: Abit software isn't really reading this out, maybe just reads what's used in BIOS.

Use the software on your driver cd to read your BIOS file and BIOS date.
MY BIOS date: 26/01/2007

[wittekakker]

More info on MCH voltage:


Altering the MCH voltage setting through BIOS changes the voltage on point shown above. Again, real life does not match what is found in BIOS:

BIOS -> REAL
1.20 -> 1.37
1.24 -> 1.42
1.28 -> 1.46
1.31 -> 1.50
1.35 -> 1.55
1.43 -> 1.63
1.50 -> 1.71
1.58 -> 1.79

So, at the end there is something changing, though ABIT software is not to be trust as it might read BIOS value setting only. Is 650i really running that much colder?

[RickyG512]

Modbin is BIOS mod software.

yea but how do i do it to get extra option

i downloaded modbin and loaded the bios file but then wat do i do?

[wittekakker]

Wow easy with that software, it can lockup your board when doing the wrong things. I have not used it myself either, though I would start looking at biosmod.com for more info, or do some googling before trying anything out

[couppi]

will soutbridge/ich voltage help ? how do i unlock using this modbin thing as posted in the first post, y do u call it "MCP51", isnt that the northbridge thou, is south and ich same thing, coz in P5B delux bios u have both voltage options

Just flash this bios:

http://www.sharebigfile.com/file/118068/upload-zip.html