A7N8X FSB too slow?

[Setchell]

Hi All:
I'm a relative amateur so please forgive if this seems simplistic.

I am running an Asus A7N8X rev. 2 (booklet itself is "third edition", April
2003) with an
athlon XP2600+ cpu. The memory is PC3200 256mb ddr. However, my "Power
Pack" utility indicates the FSB is running at only 166MHz. I have not
flashed the bios since I loaded it, it rev 1005, 5/14/03; I've tried to mess
with the settings in the advanced chipset features, specifically, the CPU
external frequency and other settings, but winding up only in lockups.
Shouldn't my rig allow for a faster FSB? Any suggestions on what to do?

Thanks---

Joe
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Ed]

Hi All:
I'm a relative amateur so please forgive if this seems simplistic.

I am running an Asus A7N8X rev. 2 (booklet itself is "third edition", April
2003) with an
athlon XP2600+ cpu. The memory is PC3200 256mb ddr. However, my "Power
Pack" utility indicates the FSB is running at only 166MHz. I have not
flashed the bios since I loaded it, it rev 1005, 5/14/03; I've tried to mess
with the settings in the advanced chipset features, specifically, the CPU
external frequency and other settings, but winding up only in lockups.
Shouldn't my rig allow for a faster FSB? Any suggestions on what to do?

Thanks---

Joe
(e-mail address removed)

The FSB is equal to two times (x2) the field value in the BIOS.
166 x 2 = 333.

Ed

 

[P2B]

The FSB is equal to two times (x2) the field value in the BIOS.
166 x 2 = 333.

Ed

The manufacturers have certainly managed to create confusion with their
marketing droid nomenclature, haven't they

I much prefer the traditional definition of FSB, that being the bus
clock frequency - 166Mhz in this case. The fact that devices attached to
the bus transfer data twice per clock cycle doubles throughput, but the
FSB clock is still 166Mhz. FSB x bits/cycle should not equal FSB unless
b/c = 1 IMHO.

 

[Ben Pope]

The manufacturers have certainly managed to create confusion with their
marketing droid nomenclature, haven't they

I much prefer the traditional definition of FSB, that being the bus
clock frequency - 166Mhz in this case. The fact that devices attached to
the bus transfer data twice per clock cycle doubles throughput, but the
FSB clock is still 166Mhz. FSB x bits/cycle should not equal FSB unless
b/c = 1 IMHO.

Agreed.

166MHz DDR or DDR333 (notice the lack of units)

Ben

 

[KB]

What is "Power Pack" utility?

 

[Hinnerk van der Felde]

The manufacturers have certainly managed to create confusion with their
marketing droid nomenclature, haven't they

It's not the manufacturers fault as a whole. it's the old story between
sales and product engineers.

When I bought my A7V8X-E, I read on the package "supports 400 MHz FSB".
That's the sales version of the story.

After booting it the first time and ever since it says on the display "FSB
at 200 MHZ". That's the technicians version.

LOL

Hinnerk

 

[Ed]

The manufacturers have certainly managed to create confusion with their
marketing droid nomenclature, haven't they

I much prefer the traditional definition of FSB, that being the bus
clock frequency - 166Mhz in this case. The fact that devices attached to
the bus transfer data twice per clock cycle doubles throughput, but the
FSB clock is still 166Mhz. FSB x bits/cycle should not equal FSB unless
b/c = 1 IMHO.

Yep, but it's not like it happened yesterday, DDR PC Ram and DDR FSB
mobos for the x86 been out since what...1999? 98? Maybe the BIOS writers
should have just used the DDR specs also, if they did there would
probably be a million less posts in these groups! ;p

Ed

 

[Ben Pope]

Yep, but it's not like it happened yesterday, DDR PC Ram and DDR FSB
mobos for the x86 been out since what...1999? 98? Maybe the BIOS writers
should have just used the DDR specs also, if they did there would
probably be a million less posts in these groups! ;p

Yeah... or maybe the BIOS writers should stick the real story (200MHz is the
fastest FSB of an Athlon XP) and the marketing guys should stop talking
about things they don't understand (engineering units clearly being one of
them).

Ben