DDR333 & P4X333 chipset question

[lorlabnew]

Hello,

I built a PC with ECS P4VXASD+ V5.0; I'm using two sticks of Corsair VS256MB333 .

I got all jumpers set correctly to run DDR ; anyway, when setting up the desired speed (166 memory frequency, the other only option is 133) in BIOS, it will let me select whatever settings I wish (I tried all possible settings I believe), but will not reflect it in the Windows... I seem to be running always at 133 ... benchmarking only around 1745MB/s in Sandra2003Std. memory bandwidth test. Also, it's recognizing the chipset as P4X266A, not P4X333... I tried other utils like WCPUID 3.1, AIDA 3.1 - they all see it as the P4X266/266A....

info from Sandra:

System Chipset
Model : VIA Technologies Inc VT8753 Apollo P4X266 System Controller
Bus(es) : ISA AGP USB SMBus/i2c
Front Side Bus Speed : 4x 133MHz (532MHz data rate)
Max FSB Speed / Max Memory Speed : 4x 100MHz / 2x 133MHz

Logical/Chipset Memory Banks
Bank 0 Setting : 256MB DDR-SDRAM 2.0-3-3CL 2CMD
Bank 2 Setting : 256MB DDR-SDRAM 2.0-3-3CL 2CMD
Bank Interleave : 4-way
Memory Bus Speed : 2x 133MHz (266MHz data rate)
Max. Memory Bandwidth : 2128MB/s (estimated)
Logical/Chipset Memory Banks
Bank 0 Setting : 256MB DDR-SDRAM 7-1-1-1R 4-1-1-1W 2.0-3-3CL 2CMD
Bank 2 Setting : 256MB DDR-SDRAM 7-1-1-1R 4-1-1-1W 2.0-3-3CL 2CMD
Bank Interleave : 4-way
Speed : 2x 133MHz (266MHz data rate)
Multiplier : 1/1x
Power Down Mode : No
Fixed Hole Present : No

Memory Module(s)
Memory Module 1 : Corsair VS256MB333 256MB 8x(32Mx8) DDR-SDRAM PC2700U-2533-700 (CL2.5 upto 167MHz) (CL2 upto 133MHz)
Memory Module 2 : Corsair VS256MB333 256MB 8x(32Mx8) DDR-SDRAM PC2700U-2533-700 (CL2.5 upto 167MHz) (CL2 upto 133MHz)

CPU is P4 2.4B (533) 133fsb - recognized correctly, as well as all the RAM during the POST. I e-mailed ECS today, but it may take a while to get response (if ever). The board runs very smooth and I like it except this glitch. Could this be simply a BIOS bug, fixable in the next BIOS release?

Anyone could advise? Thx.

Sorry for longer post.

dave

 

[Lecho]

I am wondering if it is really a P4X333 board you have. I didn't think any P4X333 boards were ever made, but I was browsing ECS's site when I saw that they had some boards that claimed they had the P4X333 chipset. The best way to check would be to take of the northbridge heatsink and look at what is printed on the northbridge itself. I am guessing that this "P4X333" is just a P4X266A with a BIOS that allows a 166MHz memory setting, even if improperly enabled. ECS says that your board has a VT8233A south bridge which is the same that the P4X266/A uses while the P4X333/400 would have the VT8235. Another thing I want you to check is to see if there is any mention of AGP 8X in the BIOS or manual. While you probably don't have an AGP 8X graphics card, the P4X333 has AGP 8X support while the P4X266/A does not. If it really is a P4X333, it is also possible that Sandra is improperly detecting it because it doesnt know what a P4X333 is.

 

[lorlabnew]

Originally posted by: Lecho
I am wondering if it is really a P4X333 board you have. I didn't think any P4X333 boards were ever made, but I was browsing ECS's site when I saw that they had some boards that claimed they had the P4X333 chipset. The best way to check would be to take of the northbridge heatsink and look at what is printed on the northbridge itself. I am guessing that this "P4X333" is just a P4X266A with a BIOS that allows a 166MHz memory setting, even if improperly enabled. ECS says that your board has a VT8233A south bridge which is the same that the P4X266/A uses while the P4X333/400 would have the VT8235. Another thing I want you to check is to see if there is any mention of AGP 8X in the BIOS or manual. While you probably don't have an AGP 8X graphics card, the P4X333 has AGP 8X support while the P4X266/A does not. If it really is a P4X333, it is also possible that Sandra is improperly detecting it because it doesnt know what a P4X333 is.

Thanks for reply, Lecho.

I had the same suspicion about the board - that under that cheapstyle, gold colored elitegroup heatsink is hiding P4X266/A , but didn't find enough of courage to rip of the heatsink and look under...

On the other hand, the southbridge on the board is VT8235 (or at least is it printed on); is it possible to combine P4X266A & VT8235? Linux lspci -v identified on several occasions VT8233A as well as windows utils did, like that there would be both present. Then, when I compiled 2.4.20 kernel with VT8235 support built-in (in despair, since my DMA didn't work with 2.4.18 or 2.4.19), udma133 started to work OK .

There is no mention about AGP 8x; also the website says PC2100 max, but my printed manual (Version 5.0a, same as board) says on page 2 : "supports DDR up to 333MHz (enhanced) memory bus". As I said, I could select 166 in BIOS, but if wouldn't do a thing. I emailed ECS, but no response, it's been a week or so...

ECS is supposed to produce 2 boards (as in the manual again): one has P4X333 with VT8235 -supports 533MHZ FSB, UDMA133 and DDR333, and has onboard LAN and USB 2.0; second board has P4X333 with VT8233A(CE), supports 533MHZ FSB, UDMA133 and DDR333, but no LAN or USB 2.0

Board looks like some kind of hybride; but my model has LAN, USB 2.0, UDMA133 and VT8235 visible chip.... it think I'll look under that heatsink soon, curious. How would I best attach it back ?

dave

 

[Lecho]

It would be possible to match P4X333 and the VT8233A because I think they both have the same V-link interconnect so then would be compatible. On ECS's site they list three boards with the P4X333. The P4VXAD+ with VT8235 and then your board (P4VXASD2+) and the P4VXASD2. Both of these boards have the VT8233A, so I am guessing you have the P4VXAD+. VT8235 supports USB 2.0 natively so you have it on your board, and I am guessing the P4VXASD2+ has USB 2.0 like it says on the site through a third party controller. It does say that your board supports DDR333, but the wierd thing about the P4VXASD2/+ is that it has two SDR slots and two DDR slots. I don't know why they would have that on a P4X333 board, so maybe it is just a mistake on their website. It is also really strange that it says "P4X333A". I don't know whats up with that, but maybe they ment to say "P4X266A". I doubt even ECS knows what is going on with this one... but I guess that doesn't surprise me. I imagine if it is a P4X333 ECS could have easily rescinded the AGP 8X support because I think that VIA has had trouble with the AGP 8X on the P4X333/400.

About that heatsink, I once removed one of those heatsinks from an old i815E board. What I did was just lightly pry it off with a steak knife. It came off fairly easily after I slid the knife between the heatsink and chip. I'm sure it is attatched using some kind of cheap adhesive pad which is probably not thermally conductive anyway so once you get it off, just glue it back on with some super glue or something. In fact, the NB will probably run cool enough without it, but I would try to reattatch it anyway.

 

[Vette73]

There was NEVER a P4X333. I t was canned and renamed the P4X400. What you have is a updated P4X266a. The p4x266 did 100mhz FSB, P4X266a does 133mhz FSB, and the P4X400 should be able to do 166 Mhz FSB depending on who made the board and what clock gen. they used.

Not the best overcloking chip out there, but should be stable and great bang for your buck.
See if there is a new Bios, but I don't think it will do 166Mhz FSB


UPDATE.

Just went to Via site and yes there was NEVER a P4X333. There are a P4X266, P4M266, P4X266a, P4X400, and a P4X266E(this is a updated P4X266a, so this is the chipset you may have, Esp. is your southbridge is 8235)

And from ECS's site it does look like they are calling the P4X266E a P4X333 chipset??? If the chip says P4X266E, and NOT P4X333 they are going to have some lawyers on their back soon.

 

[lorlabnew]

I found the link on ViaTechnologies site regarding P4X333 here, pretty hidden, won't come up on any regular search on the VIA website; the P4X266A is here ...

 

[Lecho]

Like I said, I didn't think that any P4X333 boards were ever made. But lorla's board has a 166MHz memory option so thats what makes me think it might be P4X333/400. Did you take the heatsink off to see what the actual NB chip says?

 

[lorlabnew]

Don't have the heatsink down yet (still waiting for the explanation from Elitegroup - emailed them last week) ... I think I'll take it off some day this week if they won't reply (I think they will not, unless I'd bother them daily); I'll tell you what I found ... also, need to buy some superglue to attach it back, what is a good brand for this material combination? ...
(will I really need to glue it ? - I noticed before that the sink didn't heat much anyway)

dave

 

[Lecho]

It probably will be ok without it...