**Official ABIT IX38 QuadGT Review/Overclock/Guide Thread**

[zfactor]

anyone have results of oc'ing a quad qx6800 on here??

[RAYRAY]

Hi Guys,

Based on this review :
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/200...ix38_quadgt/10
I need further comment from users here on the above.

I am new to Abit motherboard.
I am keen on the ABIT IX38 QuadGT but was wondering whether this board is reliable and stable with the latest BIOS.

Things I am worried are :
1) Lost BIOS setting after pulling Power Plug
2) Too hot PWM
3) More FSB setting

Any ABIT users can comment. Thanks

[Ace-a-Rue]

yep
Intel E8400 Wolfdale Living Review verdict sofar, cpu looks promising, board is @*!! and the claim it's 45nm ready

Edit:
got to here 495x9 Despite this board. using shipping bios 11. really perverse after 2 months of bios development, you get a new cpu & the shipping bios works. Feel like i've entered the twighlight zone.

SS, how long does it take for the registration email to get to me for clink.org/forums?

glad my bios flashing guide helped!...amazing how some switches (possibly the the "WB" switch) can cure many problems.

[Supershanks]

SS, how long does it take for the registration email to get to me for clink.org/forums?

must be a disturbance in the force between you & us afterr the original issues you had seeing the site. Sorry will pass it on to dave m8

Yep i was gobsmacked when i realised that was the only thing different. What is the WB switch ??

its Geil DDR2 800mhz 5-5-5-15 , I overclock it to 1000mhz (1:1.25 divider) &

I have a problem with stabbility at memory on 1:1 25 Any one know how to fix this issue?

at same timings but memory performance drop to 4000MB/s! , memtest86 does fine... what gives?

Depends what bios your using, there are issues with 1:1.25 straps in earlier bios , only really fixced in BTA 12.08 & Official 12.

Things I am worried are :
1) Lost BIOS setting after pulling Power Plug
2) Too hot PWM
3) More FSB setting

1) = No issues
2) Using a fan it's fine
6) Don't understand the question Than what ??

luck

[mark0326]

I am keen on the ABIT IX38 QuadGT but was wondering whether this board is reliable and stable with the latest BIOS.

Before anyone can help, we need to know what other components you will be using with it. i.e. some power supplies are problematic.
It also depends on how you will use your rig, stock / overclocked?

[vanovich]

the new x38 biose helps a bit in rebooting after a bad oc . thanks abit .

[klataa]

Depends what bios your using, there are issues with 1:1.25 straps in earlier bios , only really fixced in BTA 12.08 & Official 12.

Im using official 12 bios. And its still not working after setting 1.1.25 up and reboting i hear a long beeep and i have to reboot and change these settings.

[Johnny Bravo]

Jap it's definitely a high load problem.
Both my IX38 died after at least 1 week of continuous folding operation.
Since I already had the exact same setup folding for month with the P965 QuadGT I'm once again pretty sure the mobo is to blame.

-Q6600 G0, running at 450x8 (drawing 107A@1,32V)
-Enermax Liberty 500

Jcool I need to get all BIOS settings from you in regards to your setup as the guys in abit have been running their setup flat out with no buzzing noises or failures so far

[RAYRAY]

Before anyone can help, we need to know what other components you will be using with it. i.e. some power supplies are problematic.
It also depends on how you will use your rig, stock / overclocked?

Sorry.

Intended setup

Q6600 (Intend to overclock from stock 2.4 GHz to 3.0 GHz)
4 x 1GB Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR2-1066
2 x Gecube 3870
150 WD raptor
Seasonic S12+ 650W PSU

any comment from ABIT User? Will the Motherboard give me any stability and BIOS issues I mentioned earlier.
Thanks

[jcool]

Jcool I need to get all BIOS settings from you in regards to your setup as the guys in abit have been running their setup flat out with no buzzing noises or failures so far

Yeah, and there won't be any buzzing until the moment it starts to die.
Just tell them to run QMC (Quantum Monte Carlo, it's a BOINC project) constantly for >1 week with a CPU drawing over 100A (Quad@3,6ghz or higher) and the board's sure to go down...
You can see the voltages I was using initially here - I even lowered ICH Voltage to 1,25 and MCH to 1,35 after a few days and it worked... for a few more days

Clock settings were 450x8, 4x1G Mem running 1:1,2 divider, PCIe clock 102. Memtimings 5-5-5-15-30-3-3-3-10-2T.
CPU features everything on except EIST. Anything I forgot?

[Johnny Bravo]

cheers voltages were the main thing they were looking for

[Ace-a-Rue]

must be a disturbance in the force between you & us afterr the original issues you had seeing the site. Sorry will pass it on to dave m8

Yep i was gobsmacked when i realised that was the only thing different. What is the WB switch ??


luck

the "WB" switch writes to the 'boot block'...from my understanding, that carries your voltages and memory strap information.

still no activation message.

[jcool]

cheers voltages were the main thing they were looking for

Thanks for forwarding the info. I sure hope they'll get this sorted out with a new revision or whatever, the way it looks now I'm gonna kill a lot more mobos until then

[redmodel]

Hey, I don't know if this has been mentioned, but I was looking at this thread

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=173287

he compares the q6600 to the q9450 at 3.6ghz on ix38... Aside from it being better, Take a looke at the PWM Amperage. On the q9450, it only takes up 60A, and the q6600 does the regular 100A+ (on load)

I wonder if it can be corrected in the bios, or if it's a the Kentfield CPUs, because my e2160 at 3.25ghz only does 35A at load.

[Ace-a-Rue]

Hey, I don't know if this has been mentioned, but I was looking at this thread

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=173287

he compares the q6600 to the q9450 at 3.6ghz on ix38... Aside from it being better, Take a looke at the PWM Amperage. On the q9450, it only takes up 60A, and the q6600 does the regular 100A+ (on load)

i rather see the vcore's equalled and then run a bench to see the amp draw comparison.

[AMDfreak]

Hey, I don't know if this has been mentioned, but I was looking at this thread

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=173287

he compares the q6600 to the q9450 at 3.6ghz on ix38... Aside from it being better, Take a looke at the PWM Amperage. On the q9450, it only takes up 60A, and the q6600 does the regular 100A+ (on load)

I wonder if it can be corrected in the bios, or if it's a the Kentfield CPUs, because my e2160 at 3.25ghz only does 35A at load.

@Johnny_Bravo

Could you ask the Abit guys to make sure they're testing with a Q6600 (or other 65nm quad)?

@everyone else

Any of you guys with 45nm quads have any buzzing on the PWM's?

[RAYRAY]

Sorry.

Intended setup

Q6600 (Intend to overclock from stock 2.4 GHz to 3.0 GHz)
4 x 1GB Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR2-1066
2 x Gecube 3870
150 WD raptor
Seasonic S12+ 650W PSU

any comment from ABIT User? Will the Motherboard give me any stability and BIOS issues I mentioned earlier.
Thanks

Hi Guys,
Thank you for no answer. I will move on with others

[jcool]

I don't think you'll encounter any problems with your intended setup.

[Beastage]

Hi Guys,

Looks fine, just dont go with crossfire 3870 go with one 3870X2

[Beastage]

Hey, I don't know if this has been mentioned, but I was looking at this thread

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=173287

he compares the q6600 to the q9450 at 3.6ghz on ix38... Aside from it being better, Take a looke at the PWM Amperage. On the q9450, it only takes up 60A, and the q6600 does the regular 100A+ (on load)

I wonder if it can be corrected in the bios, or if it's a the Kentfield CPUs, because my e2160 at 3.25ghz only does 35A at load.

Doesn't that make sense? the Q6600 should need more power than a Q9450

[redmodel]

i rather see the vcore's equalled and then run a bench to see the amp draw comparison.

From what I notice, everybody here has been been getting 100+ Amps when overclocking their Q6600 past 3.5ghz, no matter what the Vcore, oh how low of a VID the CPU has.

Yeah, I know the voltage is not the same. But at a .06v difference of voltage settings, it shouldn't be a 40% of a difference.

Doesn't that make sense? the Q6600 should need more power than a Q9450

Yeah, from the looks of it, the q6600 seems like it is using too much.

I thik folding will be safe to do with the q9450... when it's only a 60A load.

[jcool]

Yeah, only that you will try to run the Q9450 at 4Ghz+ - and voila you're back on 100 Amps
Will be funny to see how many days my next one will hold when I put the Q6600 under SS running >4Ghz

[ante_ante]

Theese days Abit sucks on delivering bios updates. Anyone know if it´s coming any new soon? E8400 and Final 12 bios wasn´t that good. Problems with multi, always stuck on that ½ multi no matter what.

[Ace-a-Rue]

From what I notice, everybody here has been been getting 100+ Amps when overclocking their Q6600 past 3.5ghz, no matter what the Vcore, oh how low of a VID the CPU has.

Yeah, I know the voltage is not the same. But at a .06v difference of voltage settings, it shouldn't be a 40% of a difference.



Yeah, from the looks of it, the q6600 seems like it is using too much.

I thik folding will be safe to do with the q9450... when it's only a 60A load.

you are talking about Prime 95 loading of all four cores...idle is going to be down in the 18-25A as max....most users won't be folding or running Prime 95 24/7.

the Q6600 is a 65nm processor...it's going to use more over a 45nm processor.

[Ace-a-Rue]

any chance of it wiggling or moving ever so slightly to touch the other circuits on either side of the digital chips?

You could tie a rope onto the PWM freezer and play cowboy with the mobo and it still wouldn't move an inch so noooo way

i ask a harmless question and i get a sarcastic answer with the rolleyes!

you killed two boards and you are probably going to do in a third board...i would say you are not a master of finesse with motherboards.

AND...you ignored a recommendation from blind_ripper to add additional cooling and check the block pressure.

i won't give you the rolleyes back because you already know that you gave it to yourself for your poor showing with two dead motherboards.