A7N8X-X Need Experts to review this configuration...

[Jay]

Thx for any help anyone can give. Here is the problem and setup.
I have an Athlon XP 3000+ (400 mhz)
2 512 dimms of 3200 (400 Mhz) memory. from OCsystems. This is a
matched pair of TRUE cas 2 .
I have been running at 400 mhz (single Channel) but I have been
getting alot of restarts throughtout the day.
I run a server and come home to find nothing downloaded or uploaded
cuz of the restarts. I have tried playing with the memory settings
and have had luck but not
quite good enough yet. this may be overkill but i'm looking for help
on every setting.

oh ya, Riva TNT2 64 pro agp graphics card. 1x Maxtor 80 gig and 1x
Maxtor 160 gig both 7200 8meg cache drives. with a Toshiba DVD burner.
PSU is a RaidMax 500w Dual fan.

Settings:
I'll put here What I have set Currently. Keep in mind I am running at
400mhz currently. With the settings you will see I can at least get
past the P.O.S.T.

CPU Ext Frequency 200mhz
CPU Freq. Multiple Setting MENU
CPU Freq. Multiple 10.5 x
System Performance User Defined
CPU Interface Optimal
Memory Freq. By SPD
Resulting Freq. 200mhz
Memory Timing User Defined
Sdram Active Precharge Delay 11
SDRAM Ras to CAS Delay 5
sdram RAS Precharge Delay 5
SDRAM CAS Latency 2.5t
FSB spread spectrum disabled
agp spread spectrum disabled
CPU Vcore Setting Menu
CPU Vcore 1.7 volts
Graphics Aperature 64M
AGP Freq. 66mhz
System Bios Cacheable Disabled
Video Ram Cacheable Disabled
DDR Reference Voltage 2.7 volts
AGP VDDQ Voltage 1.5 volts
AGP 8X support Disabled
AGP fast write capable Disabled


thats about it. I have read the manual front to back many times but
not much info is given about each setting. I am at current BIOS
revision.

 

[Ed]

Thx for any help anyone can give. Here is the problem and setup.
I have an Athlon XP 3000+ (400 mhz)
2 512 dimms of 3200 (400 Mhz) memory. from OCsystems. This is a
matched pair of TRUE cas 2 .
I have been running at 400 mhz (single Channel) but I have been
getting alot of restarts throughtout the day.
I run a server and come home to find nothing downloaded or uploaded
cuz of the restarts. I have tried playing with the memory settings
and have had luck but not
quite good enough yet. this may be overkill but i'm looking for help
on every setting.

oh ya, Riva TNT2 64 pro agp graphics card. 1x Maxtor 80 gig and 1x
Maxtor 160 gig both 7200 8meg cache drives. with a Toshiba DVD burner.
PSU is a RaidMax 500w Dual fan.

Settings:
I'll put here What I have set Currently. Keep in mind I am running at
400mhz currently. With the settings you will see I can at least get
past the P.O.S.T.

CPU Ext Frequency 200mhz
CPU Freq. Multiple Setting MENU
CPU Freq. Multiple 10.5 x
System Performance User Defined
CPU Interface Optimal
Memory Freq. By SPD
Resulting Freq. 200mhz
Memory Timing User Defined
Sdram Active Precharge Delay 11
SDRAM Ras to CAS Delay 5
sdram RAS Precharge Delay 5
SDRAM CAS Latency 2.5t
FSB spread spectrum disabled
agp spread spectrum disabled
CPU Vcore Setting Menu
CPU Vcore 1.7 volts
Graphics Aperature 64M
AGP Freq. 66mhz
System Bios Cacheable Disabled
Video Ram Cacheable Disabled
DDR Reference Voltage 2.7 volts
AGP VDDQ Voltage 1.5 volts
AGP 8X support Disabled
AGP fast write capable Disabled


thats about it. I have read the manual front to back many times but
not much info is given about each setting. I am at current BIOS
revision.

Changes I would try.....
Memory Freq. - Change to 100% (run ram in sync of FSB (200MHz)

Memory Timing User Defined
I just set these to whatever the ram is spec'd at and use memtest86
and prime95 to test the settings, should only need to increase the
latency here if you are getting ram errors.

CPU Vcore 1.7 volts
Bartons use 1.65V, a little more shouldn't hurt but really shouldn't
be needed at default CPU speed.

DDR Reference Voltage 2.7 volts
No need to raise DDR DIMM unless you over clock the ram,
check the specs of the ram, most don't need but 2.6V

and make sure there is enough airflow to prevent mobo/CPU/Video over
heating.

Cheers,
Ed

 

[Tim]

You seem to have very conservative settings...

Step 1. Run memtest86 for at least 2 full cycles - pref 5 or more full
cycles.
If that is OK, then
Setp 2. Disable auto reboot while you are in the office for a while.
Start, Control Panel, System, Advanced, Startup & Recovery Settings.
Note the top few lines of the BSOD - if you get BSOD and report back or do
some research on that.


- Tim

 

[DaveW]

Check the motherboard's Manual and see if that brand of RAM is stable with
that motherboard. Unfortunately not all brands of RAM work in all
motherboards.

 

[dino]

could it be due to running such an old video card on newer m/b?....however
the last time I had random rebooting was due to a weak PSU...changed the PSU
and nothing else and was fine...might not be your issue but was definitely
mine....also...I thought XP3000 socket A's were 333 mhz..so you are OC'ing
the FSB and reducing multiplier to compensate...I am running a Barton 2500
at 200 x 11 on an Asus A7N8X-DX..with OCZ PC3200EL ram and have no issue..if
you are using OCZ I will post the settings their techs gave me.

 

[Ed]

could it be due to running such an old video card on newer m/b?....however
the last time I had random rebooting was due to a weak PSU...changed the PSU
and nothing else and was fine...might not be your issue but was definitely
mine....also...I thought XP3000 socket A's were 333 mhz..so you are OC'ing
the FSB and reducing multiplier to compensate...I am running a Barton 2500
at 200 x 11 on an Asus A7N8X-DX..with OCZ PC3200EL ram and have no issue..if
you are using OCZ I will post the settings their techs gave me.

post the settings

Thx
Ed

 

[Jay]

Ed, thx for the reply. I have plenty of cooling on my mobo. I know
its not a heat issue. I downloaded memtest86 and ran it for a few
hours but i'm not sure how to interpret the results. I am running
WinXP so when trying to format a floppy it only gives me the Fat
filesystem to choose from. So, I cant read a disk in Explorer. I
format a floppy and then cant write the files to floppy because it
says i have to format it, so I do then it says it again and again. I
went to a dos shell and tried formt a: /fs:NTFS but no luck either. I
did get the memtest86 running but i'm not sure if its running right
and cant review any sort of log. Is there an easier memtest? I"m
running v3.00

 

[Jay]

Thx Tim, I did try memtest86 but couldnt get an NTFS filesys on my
floppy. I did boot into it eventually and ran 7 cycles with no
problems.

 

[Jay]

Dino, Thx for the reply. I am running the athlon Xp 3000+ The + is
the 400 mhz version of the cpu. But, plz post the settings, now you
have me curious.

 

[@ndrew]

Dino, Thx for the reply. I am running the athlon Xp 3000+ The + is
the 400 mhz version of the cpu. But, plz post the settings, now you
have me curious.

This is your problem in my view the old video cards require 3.3 volts
from memory ... new card for you I am afraid .. will solve your probs
.... http://www.ertyu.org/~steven_nikkel/agpcompatibility.html

this link may help explain it.

regards

@ndrew

 

[dino]

they are nothing special...but this is straight from OCZ tech support:
CPU Frequency 200
CPU Multiplier Menu
CPU Freq Multiplier 9.5 (but I run at 11 stable)
System Perf. User Defined
CPU Interface Optimal
Mem Freq. 100%
Mem Timimngs User Defined
SDRAM Active Precharge Delay:6
SDRAM RAS to CAS dalay:3
SDRAM RAS Precharge Dealay:2
SDRAM CAS LAT. :2T

CPU Vcore Setting : Menu
CPU VCORE: 1.70v
DDR Reference Voltage: 2.6

now that is supposedly for my A7N8X-Deluxe and OCZ RAM..I have run mem
timings with no issues at 2-2-2-5

 

[dino]

if you run memtest and it does not show anything you are alright...if it
shows ANY errors you have weak or faulty RAM. I just got one stick back in
the mail from OCZ this week. Memtest is an industry standard testing program
and most companies (if they have good warranty and integrity) will replace
it if that program shows any errors.