New Asus User Has Questions!

[Jamie_Manic]

Ok, I have ordered a few bits n pieces and was wondering if you lot could
offer some advice! I have ordered -

Athlon 64 3000+ (Retail box with fan),
Asus K8V Deluxe,
2 x 512mb Crucial PC3200 RAM,
Ebuyer 550W PSU,

I'll be adding from my existing set-up -

Radeon 9700,
SB Audigy,
Speedstream 3060 ADSL modem,
Random Ethernet card,
Samsung CDR drive,
Toshiba DVD drive,
Floppy Disc drive,
Seagate Baracuda 40Gig HD UDMA100 (I think its 100 anyway),
Maxtor 80Gig HD UDMA133.

Now, first of all, having looked at the Asus site I see that the 3000+ is
supported by the latest BIOS, the 1004. Does this mean that I will have to
update the BIOS before I can do anything with my new CPU?

I have looked around on Google Groups and not seen many discussions of
problems with this board, considering the things I wish to add does anyone
see any potential difficulties? Has anyone got any info they have learned
they can pass on to help avoid any headaches??

Also, I have never had a board with so many USB ports before! I know some
are mounted on panels...where can you attach them to? My case is a bit old
and doesn't have space at the front, save for a 5 1/2" bay and a Floppy bay.

Finally, I had read you can overclock this processor to 2.2Ghz with the
retail fan alone and no extra cooling. Is this a.) correct. and b.) safe to
do with the K8V?? If so how do you do it?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Ben Pope]

Ok, I have ordered a few bits n pieces and was wondering if you lot could
offer some advice! I have ordered -

Athlon 64 3000+ (Retail box with fan),
Asus K8V Deluxe,
2 x 512mb Crucial PC3200 RAM,
Ebuyer 550W PSU,

I'll be adding from my existing set-up -

Radeon 9700,
SB Audigy,
Speedstream 3060 ADSL modem,
Random Ethernet card,
Samsung CDR drive,
Toshiba DVD drive,
Floppy Disc drive,
Seagate Baracuda 40Gig HD UDMA100 (I think its 100 anyway),
Maxtor 80Gig HD UDMA133.

Now, first of all, having looked at the Asus site I see that the 3000+ is
supported by the latest BIOS, the 1004. Does this mean that I will have to
update the BIOS before I can do anything with my new CPU?

No, it'll work, but it won't get the name of the cpu correct. You may have
ot do more configuration too, don;t know how the Athlon 64's work.

Also, I have never had a board with so many USB ports before! I know some
are mounted on panels...where can you attach them to? My case is a bit old
and doesn't have space at the front, save for a 5 1/2" bay and a Floppy
bay.

FrontX do a nice line of front panel connectors that would fit and look
nice. Not cheap though.

Finally, I had read you can overclock this processor to 2.2Ghz with the
retail fan alone and no extra cooling. Is this a.) correct. and b.) safe
to do with the K8V?? If so how do you do it?

These new chips use SOI which basically means they run a lot cooler. If you
can keep temperatures low (and you have an extremely good starting point),
there's no reason why you can't overvolt and overclock the bejesus out of it


Ben

 

[Andy Howley]

Do some research on ram timings, the cpu has the memory controller on it and
can do some strange things with timings, have a loook at mushkins site for
more detail.

SATA's a must because the integrated via sata is bloody quick and it
releives the ide channels for your optical drives.

Check your northbridge heatsink when you get it, asus seems to have been
scrimping on the old thermal compound/frag tape - mine was just sat bare on
the northbridge.

Once you have it stable it's a cracking board.

Andy

 

[Ben Pope]

Do some research on ram timings, the cpu has the memory controller on it
and can do some strange things with timings, have a loook at mushkins
site for more detail.

Why? I know plenty about RAM timings and the Athlon 64 memory architecture.

SATA's a must because the integrated via sata is bloody quick and it
releives the ide channels for your optical drives.

I have a WD Raptor, but I don't have a VIA chipset, I have an nForce 2.

Check your northbridge heatsink when you get it, asus seems to have been
scrimping on the old thermal compound/frag tape - mine was just sat bare
on the northbridge.

Pulled the heatsink off to read what the chip had written on it and replaced
with AS3.

Once you have it stable it's a cracking board.

Yes, my A7N8X Deluxe has been very good, thanks.

Ben

 

[Buggerlugs]

Ok, I have ordered a few bits n pieces and was wondering if you lot could
offer some advice! I have ordered -

Athlon 64 3000+ (Retail box with fan),
Asus K8V Deluxe,
2 x 512mb Crucial PC3200 RAM,
Ebuyer 550W PSU,
Snip<

Sounds a smashing machine, fingers crossed the PSU's any good though
coming from that source. Infact fingers crossed if any of it is coming
from that source...

 

[Jamie_Manic]

Sounds a smashing machine, fingers crossed the PSU's any good though
coming from that source. Infact fingers crossed if any of it is coming
from that source...

Hah...well, no, its coming from various places, but Ebuyer has always been
reliable in mine and my friends experiences. The PSU is only £10 so Im not
that bothered if it's rubbish, but it's gotta be better than my current 300W
supply and the reports say it's quiet enough.

 

[callsignviper]

Hah...well, no, its coming from various places, but Ebuyer has always been
reliable in mine and my friends experiences. The PSU is only £10 so Im not
that bothered if it's rubbish, but it's gotta be better than my current 300W
supply and the reports say it's quiet enough.

Hmmmmm.............I suspect if that power supply is "rubbish" and destroys
your motherboard, etc. if it fails you will be very "bothered."


IMO, powering an expensive system with a cheap power supply is just asking
for issues, problems, and trouble.


Good luck.


--
callsignviper


The truth is out there. You just have to look in the right places and ask
the right questions.

 

[Ben Pope]

Hah...well, no, its coming from various places, but Ebuyer has always been
reliable in mine and my friends experiences. The PSU is only £10 so Im not
that bothered if it's rubbish, but it's gotta be better than my current
300W supply and the reports say it's quiet enough.

£10!!!! How do they manage to make a PSU for tenner and sell it for profit?
It must be the worst piece of crap imaginable and you're willing to trust
the rest of your equipment with it?

It never ceases to amaze me what people will do to save a couple of quid.

Good luck.

Ben

 

[Jamie_Manic]

£10!!!! How do they manage to make a PSU for tenner and sell it for profit?
It must be the worst piece of crap imaginable and you're willing to trust
the rest of your equipment with it?

It never ceases to amaze me what people will do to save a couple of quid.

While I doubt there is any kind of risk with the Ebuyer PSUs (I think if
they were blowing up PCs they wouldn't be selling them! Plus the feedback
comments are generally positive) I have gone for a slightly more expensive
QTEC one in the end... http://users.fmg.uva.nl/rstoter/550watt/

 

[Ben Pope]

While I doubt there is any kind of risk with the Ebuyer PSUs (I think if
they were blowing up PCs they wouldn't be selling them! Plus the feedback
comments are generally positive) I have gone for a slightly more expensive
QTEC one in the end... http://users.fmg.uva.nl/rstoter/550watt/

If thats the Dual Fan Gold I can recommend it, I have one and the voltages
are always well within spec and very stable.

Ben