Problem with o/c XP2800+ on an NF7-S

Nick (13) · Oct 7, 2003

Hi
I've just put together the following box:

Abit NF-7S v2 with Bios 18
Athlon XP2800+ (T'Bred)
Akasu CPU fan (temps between 48-56 case closed)
2x 512Mb PC3200 (A-Data CL2.5)
Radeon 9700 Pro
550w PSU
(Also got an Audigy in there)

When running stock (166*13.5) everything works fine with scores such as 15,200 on 3d-mark2001 and just under 5000 on 3d-mark2003.

So then I turned my attention to 'tuning' the system. My first thought was that I wasn't using the memory fully given its DDR400.

So I re-configured to 11.5*200

Temperatures are virtually unchanged from running stock (not surprised given there's virtually no CPU speed increase).

Most benchmarks work fine (3d-mark2001, aquamark, gun-metal, final fantasy, pcmark2002, si-soft (incl in burn-test mode) all giving a surprisingly large performance increase (over 1200 increase in 3d-mark 2001 !).

However - 3d-mark2003 absolutely refuses to run and *always* crashes at exactly the same point. It is in CPUTest2 (the trolls lairs one) when the girl opens the door and the viewpoint changes to be her head highlighted with the white background. I've also noted that the system hangs occasionally at other times also (for instance once when running 3d-mark2001 that normally works perfectly in this configuration). Backing down to stock everything works fine again.

Out of interest I also tried raising the multiplier in 0.5 increments and even one step up at 12*200 then machine will post but Windows will not boot.

So to my question, am I doing something obvious wrong? Or am I going to have to leave this system stock? Should I try any other configurations with this set-up?

Finally one more question, are there any advantages to keeping the Audigy (1) over using the in-built Soundstorm? I've read reviews (for instance TomsHardware) that imply the SS uses less CPU that the Audigy!

Be gentle with me - never done this before!

Wayne Youngman · Oct 7, 2003

"Nick" wrote
<snip>

Finally one more question, are there any advantages to keeping the Audigy (1) over using the in-built Soundstorm? I've read reviews (for instance TomsHardware) that imply the SS uses less CPU that the Audigy!

Hi,
I use the SoundStorm audio and so far I am totally impressed!. I still have my original SB-LIVE! Platinum (+ Live-Drive II) but left it in my old machine. I see no reason to keep using even your Audigy (which is allot better than my SB-LIVE!). .

All I need to do now is work out how to connect *Digitally* my SoundStorm to my existing Cambridge DTT2500. I have been using my SB-LIVE! via Digital Din for the past 3-4 years and can now tell the difference between that and the regular analogue connection. Still even though I am using SoundStorm via analogue it still gets my thumbs up for being a very good audio solution. . .

Hope you get your main CPU crash problem sorted. .

John David Carter · Oct 7, 2003

"Nick" wrote:

Hi
I've just put together the following box:

Abit NF-7S v2 with Bios 18
Athlon XP2800+ (T'Bred)
Akasu CPU fan (temps between 48-56 case closed)
2x 512Mb PC3200 (A-Data CL2.5)
Radeon 9700 Pro
550w PSU
(Also got an Audigy in there)

When running stock (166*13.5) everything works fine with scores such as ... was that I wasn't using the memory fully given its DDR400.

So I re-configured to 11.5*200

Temperatures are virtually unchanged from running stock (not surprised given there's virtually no CPU speed increase).

Most benchmarks work fine (3d-mark2001, aquamark, gun-metal, final fantasy, pcmark2002, si-soft (incl in burn-test mode) all giving a surprisingly large performance increase (over 1200 increase in 3d-mark 2001 !).

However - 3d-mark2003 absolutely refuses to run and *always* crashes at exactly the same point. It is in CPUTest2 (the trolls lairs one) when the girl opens the door and the viewpoint changes to be her head highlighted with the white background. I've also noted that the system hangs occasionally at other times also (for instance once when running 3d-mark2001 that normally works perfectly in this configuration). Backing down to stock everything works fine again.

Out of interest I also tried raising the multiplier in 0.5 increments and even one step up at 12*200 then machine will post but Windows will not

boot.

So to my question, am I doing something obvious wrong? Or am I going to have to leave this system stock? Should I try any other configurations with this set-up?

Finally one more question, are there any advantages to keeping the Audigy (1) over using the in-built Soundstorm? I've read reviews (for instance TomsHardware) that imply the SS uses less CPU that the Audigy!

Be gentle with me - never done this before!

You say nothing about increasing the CPU voltage in the softmenu, quite necessary for overclocking. Some chips overclock better than others, and therefore require less voltage increase ( sometimes none for a mild overclock ). However, at 11.5x200 you *will* need to raise the CPU voltage... ( at 11.5x200 my Barton 2500+ required me to raise the CPU voltage from 1.65v to 1.85v - some say they only need 1.75-1.8v, but as I say milage may vary )

The SS is the *only* hardware DD encoder on a motherboard, and in my opinion the only solution for *true* digital output. I have an Audigy2 platinum, and while it's fidelity is superior the output to a true DD decoder/speaker system sucked eggs. The fact is, any other 6 channel sound card that outputs to a DD decoder is only actually sending 2 channel hrtf - i.e. Dolby surround...

And I have yet to find one that does *that* correctly! With a DD system the SS is *absolutely* superior in it's mixing of 2D and 3D-positional sounds...

In a standard 6 channel analog setup I would say that the Fidelity of the Audigy2 is better, but the SS is *still* imho superior for gaming...

In any event, the SS is essentially free with the nForce2 Ultra chipset, while something like the SB/gamer is how much more in addtion? If the performance were definitely superior for analog output, I would recommend the SB solution - it isn't. And for DD it *definitely* is lacking...

Neil (2) · Oct 7, 2003

You have a digital co-axial out on your abit no? use that connection and plug it into the black y part of your din cable then you will have digital from the onboard SS feeding into your 2500's, you can leave the other section not connected. I splitt that connection between 2 puters on my 2500's, one pluged into a platinum sound card the other using the co-axial digital out from the onboard on the abit. Both systems work in digital but obviously only one at a time. Am using the yamaha speaker setup now, but also remember you may have to enabled surround mod music or movie for the co-axial to work from the abit cant remeber for sure now you may have to try and see.

Neil

"Wayne Youngman" wrote:

"Nick" wrote
<snip>
Finally one more question, are there any advantages to keeping the

Audigy

(1) over using the in-built Soundstorm? I've read reviews (for instance
TomsHardware) that imply the SS uses less CPU that the Audigy!

Hi,
I use the SoundStorm audio and so far I am totally impressed!. I still have my original SB-LIVE! Platinum (+ Live-Drive II) but left it in my old machine. I see no reason to keep using even your Audigy (which is allot better than my SB-LIVE!). .

All I need to do now is work out how to connect *Digitally* my SoundStorm to my existing Cambridge DTT2500. I have been using my SB-LIVE! via Digital Din for the past 3-4 years and can now tell the difference between that and the regular analogue connection. Still even though I am using SoundStorm via analogue it still gets my thumbs up for being a very good audio solution. . .

Hope you get your main CPU crash problem sorted. .

--
Wayne ][

Barton (AQXEA) XP2500+ @ 2.2GHz (10x220) - 1.75vCore
CoolerMaster Aero 7 Lite - 3,200rpm
ABIT NF7-S (v2.0 - BIOS#14)
...

Neil (2) · Oct 7, 2003

Try uping the v-dimm on your mem and maybe even you v-core on cpu, also wouldnt hurt raising your voltage to your chipset also. Would recommend some decent cooling on your NB also compared to the stock HSF.

Neil

"Nick" wrote:

Hi
I've just put together the following box:

Abit NF-7S v2 with Bios 18
Athlon XP2800+ (T'Bred)
Akasu CPU fan (temps between 48-56 case closed)
2x 512Mb PC3200 (A-Data CL2.5)
Radeon 9700 Pro
550w PSU
(Also got an Audigy in there)

When running stock (166*13.5) everything works fine with scores such as ... was that I wasn't using the memory fully given its DDR400.

So I re-configured to 11.5*200

Temperatures are virtually unchanged from running stock (not surprised given there's virtually no CPU speed increase).

Most benchmarks work fine (3d-mark2001, aquamark, gun-metal, final fantasy, pcmark2002, si-soft (incl in burn-test mode) all giving a surprisingly large performance increase (over 1200 increase in 3d-mark 2001 !).

However - 3d-mark2003 absolutely refuses to run and *always* crashes at exactly the same point. It is in CPUTest2 (the trolls lairs one) when the girl opens the door and the viewpoint changes to be her head highlighted with the white background. I've also noted that the system hangs occasionally at other times also (for instance once when running 3d-mark2001 that normally works perfectly in this configuration). Backing down to stock everything works fine again.

Out of interest I also tried raising the multiplier in 0.5 increments and even one step up at 12*200 then machine will post but Windows will not

boot.

So to my question, am I doing something obvious wrong? Or am I going to have to leave this system stock? Should I try any other configurations with this set-up?

Finally one more question, are there any advantages to keeping the Audigy (1) over using the in-built Soundstorm? I've read reviews (for instance TomsHardware) that imply the SS uses less CPU that the Audigy!

Be gentle with me - never done this before!

Nick (13) · Oct 8, 2003

Well after all the good advice I upped the processor voltage one notch and changed the bios settings as found at the nforcehq site.

I also changed the cooler to a CoolerMaster Aero 7+ with their "Premium Compound" and the temps seem to have dropped from 48-56 at stock speed to 40-46 even with the above speed changes - nice drop

Everything seems to be running smoothly now, 3dmark2003 up by just over a hundred and 3dmark2001 up by over 1000.

I'm going to test my system without the Audigy for a while and see what I think of the SS. Luckily I've the DTT3500 speakers that have an optical spdif in - so I can wire them together easily and use the DD on the speakers. I gather from a site on the net that I may want to use analogue too for CD's etc as the DD on the SS clips above 17KHz.

Thanks for the help and advice.

Nick

"Nick" wrote:

Hi
I've just put together the following box:

Abit NF-7S v2 with Bios 18
Athlon XP2800+ (T'Bred)
Akasu CPU fan (temps between 48-56 case closed)
2x 512Mb PC3200 (A-Data CL2.5)
Radeon 9700 Pro
550w PSU
(Also got an Audigy in there)

When running stock (166*13.5) everything works fine with scores such as ... was that I wasn't using the memory fully given its DDR400.

So I re-configured to 11.5*200

Temperatures are virtually unchanged from running stock (not surprised given there's virtually no CPU speed increase).

Most benchmarks work fine (3d-mark2001, aquamark, gun-metal, final fantasy, pcmark2002, si-soft (incl in burn-test mode) all giving a surprisingly large performance increase (over 1200 increase in 3d-mark 2001 !).

However - 3d-mark2003 absolutely refuses to run and *always* crashes at exactly the same point. It is in CPUTest2 (the trolls lairs one) when the girl opens the door and the viewpoint changes to be her head highlighted with the white background. I've also noted that the system hangs occasionally at other times also (for instance once when running 3d-mark2001 that normally works perfectly in this configuration). Backing down to stock everything works fine again.

Out of interest I also tried raising the multiplier in 0.5 increments and even one step up at 12*200 then machine will post but Windows will not

boot.

So to my question, am I doing something obvious wrong? Or am I going to have to leave this system stock? Should I try any other configurations with this set-up?

Finally one more question, are there any advantages to keeping the Audigy (1) over using the in-built Soundstorm? I've read reviews (for instance TomsHardware) that imply the SS uses less CPU that the Audigy!

Be gentle with me - never done this before!

Wayne Youngman · Oct 8, 2003

"Neil" wrote

You have a digital co-axial out on your abit no? use that connection and plug it into the black y part of your din cable then you will have digital from the onboard SS feeding into your 2500's, you can leave the other section not connected. I splitt that connection between 2 puters on my 2500's, one pluged into a platinum sound card the other using the co-axial digital out from the onboard on the abit. Both systems work in digital but obviously only one at a time. Am using the yamaha speaker setup now, but also remember you may have to enabled surround mod music or movie for the co-axial to work from the abit cant remeber for sure now you may have to try and see.

Hi,

oops slightly dragging this thread off-topic but your the first person I heard offer a solution to hook up the NF7-S to my DTT2500 digitally. I am a bit confused about the various naming conventions for different audio input/outputs, but as far as I can make out the NF7-S has an *Optical* SP/DIF. I assumed I needed some audio amp/speaker combo that had an
*Optical* SP/DIF input. Am I right in thinking that the red laser light (optical) must be kept as light between input/outputs, or can you use some kind of converter (like coaxle?). .

Thanks,

Wayne ][