Epox 8RDA3+ lockup issues - advice needed

[Darkbirdy]

Ok, I finished my upgrade last night, and have been having constant lockup headaches ever since. The new system:

~Epox 8RDA3+ motherboard
~AthlonXP 2700+
~3x256MB Crucial PC3200 DDR RAM

Plus

~Enermax 350W Power supply
~Turtle Beach Santa Cruz soundcard
~ATI Radeon 9700 Pro
~3Com net card

Ok, the lowdown - I installed the new motherboard, processor, heatsink, RAM, all without incident. Everything went fine until I started actually running the setup.

It locked up part way into installing Windows, so I rebooted, reinstalled Windows (XP) again, it locked up a few minutes in. Note that at this point no drivers of any sort had been installed - Windows never got past copying setup files. I repeated this process several times, then went into the BIOS and set it to the Failsafe Defaults, after which it installed Windows without a hitch.

Once I got Windows up and running, I updated Windows, installed the Nforce 2.03 drivers, flashed the latest BIOS without a hitch. I installed all my hardware drivers, then quit and reset the BIOS to Optimized Defaults (166FSB).

Windows locked up within five minutes of starting. Everything I did resulted in a lockup within 1 - 15 minutes of running. The CPU never showed a temperature higher than 58 C, idling most of the time at around 53.

I went back into the BIOS, left everything on Optimized Defaults, except for the FSB, which I manuallly set to 133MHz. Everything ran well, though obviously I have lost quite a bit of power over what I should be getting. It still does lock up every few hours.

Basically, I can run on Optimized Defaults in the BIOS with the FSB decreased to 133, but as soon as I up it to the default 166, I get the regular lockups.

A few notes:

~It was locking up with no device drivers installed prior to Windows being fully installed, and with generic drivers (ie 'VGA Adaptor') after install, and with all the latest drivers for everything.

~It locks up with the case open and an extra powerful 120mm fan blowing on the CPU.

~I ran Memtest overnight on all three sticks of RAM, and again on each stick individually for a couple of hours each. There were no errors reported.

What is wrong with the thing? Any advice? Hints?

 

[MacaroneePenguin]

I would look thoroughly over your BIOS settings. What version did you update it to?

The key items you should look at is the multiplier, memory speed/timing and bus speed settings.

Your processor is a 2.167ghz processor (333mhz FSB). Your settings should be 166mhz with a mutliplier of 13 (166x13 = 2,158). Your memory can handle 400mhz FSB so the setting should be either 200 or 400 depending on the BIOS.

 

[Lacky]

I have the 8rda+ and these boards are very picky about what memory is used. Also SP1 should be installed before installing the 2.03's. Temp's look a bit high to me, my cpu usually runs about 10c above case temp with MBM5. Idle 39C to Load 45C on my 2100XP. You may need to bump the voltage a bit. Hope you get it straightened out.

 

[Darkbirdy]

My BIOS were updated with the latest from Epox, 06/19/2003.

With the Optimized Defaults, it is set to 166Mhz/x13, and that is when it locks up - only when I go with the same settings but drop the FSB to 133 does it run for more than fifteen minutes.

I did install SP1 before the 2.03 drivers - I installed windows with nothing but my vid card and net card running under 'generic' drivers, updated to SP1, then updated the mobo drivers.

 

[Motero]

Never heard of this, but maybe they sent you the wrong processor and when you set the fsb to 166, you're doing a pretty nice size oc from 133?

 

[MacaroneePenguin]

This might be a overheat problem.
Maybe you have a bad CPU cooler or the contact between the heatsink and CPU is bad.

What kind of cooler are you using?

 

[Darkbirdy]

I am using the OEM heatsink/fan. I know it isn't the best of heatsinks, though I did mount it with Arctic Silver instead of the thermal pad (and I have mounted a few heatsinks in the past, enough not to do it too poorly ).

I have been running the diagnostics manager in the background with a regular log, and have found that the CPU stays right around 54 degrees under load, and the lockups all occur without the temps rising.

If it helps, here is the last line from the log before it locked up the last time:

7/4/2003 12:34:41 PM - Power FAN:2636, Chassis FAN:7336, CPU FAN:4115, CPU Temp:53, System Temp:36, Vdd:1616, VCore:1648, Vdimm:2720, +5V:5053, +12V:12220, Vagp:1536, -5V:5401, Vbat:3184, 5VSB:4993, 1057340081

 

[mechBgon]

A couple of things:

1) Run your memory at the same speed as your CPU's frontside bus. This results in the best performance due to the low latency that's achieved with synchronous operation, even though the RAM is running below its rated speed.

2) If your memory voltage isn't at least at the 2.63V setting, do that too.

3) Confirm that the stepped end of your heatsink is at the top end of the CPU socket where the lever swivels. This would put the screwdriver-tip end of the heatsink clip facing the top of your case (assuming you have a tower case). Not likely the issue here, but worth confirming

4) Try without your sound card and NIC temporarily. I can't get the 8RDA3+'s manual to download yet, but you may want to look at the manual and see which PCI slots share IRQ's, most particularly if they share with the AGP slot! Also disable your onboard audio, MIDI and Gameport in the BIOS.

5)Confirm that (duh) you have your auxiliary power plug attached to the Radeon 9700 Pro and your four-pin auxiliary power plugged into the motherboard next to the main ATX cable.

Why are you using a 3Com NIC when the board comes with two onboard NICs, anyway? I'd disable any that you're not actually using, but using the nVidia one is my recommendation... it's not on the PCI bus, but rides the 800Mb/sec Hypertransport directly instead.

Welcome to the Forums, by the way

 

[Darkbirdy]

Ok, lemme poke around...

1. I will check this.
2. I will check this, too. This is the VDimm setting, correct?
3. The heatsink is on correctly - I double and triple checked it.
4. Hmm... Good point about the NIC - I have no idea why I bothered to install it. Habit, I suppose, as my last motherboard had a poor onboard NIC. I will remove it. I did, however, have lockups prior to installing the sound card - I didn't even stick it into the slot until I had Windows installed, updated, the Nforce drivers installed, and the BIOS flashed.
5. Both in place.

Thanks for all the continuing help, all!

 

[mechBgon]

That's VDIMM, yeah. Do look into those IRQ-sharing questions too. It shouldn't make a difference in theory, but you know how much regard Reality has for Theory Good luck!