Abit NF7-S First OC project

[Guest MrMudd]

Hello Gang,

 

Thought i would post in here on my first OC setup system.

 

Picked up an Abit NF7-S Motherboard, and i must say it is a very simple board for Overclocking. didnt realise this untill looking up a review on this board on the web, yes yes apparently i lucked out when i bought this board.

 

here is some links to its review.

http://www.hothardware.com/hh_files/Mother...abit_nf7s.shtml

http://www.lanaddict.com/review.php?ID=64

 

I also ordered an xp3200 Barton Chipset

 

Right now im running 1gig PC2700 333 MHZ DDR memory with a xp2400 chip from the previous system.

 

The video Card is a Gainward 8x agp GeForce 4 Ti 4200 128meg. With TV outs

 

and running an older 20 gig ata100 Drive

 

so far im reading articles and learning the do's and donts of Frying breakfast on this baby

 

The Bios will allow you to change multiplyers, voltage and front side bus. also the agp is an 8x and i can bump up its FSB up as well

 

I ran the 3d mark 2001 benchmark demo, and the system ran a 10981 score. I then went into the memory section and set it to a preset "aggressive" and it benchmarked at 11580. this is with running the xp2400 on stock setting of 133x15 @ 2ghz speed. I believe i have to used the xp overclocker kit to unlock this cpu.

 

i ran the amdcpuid program and the chips says its capable of 2.9GHz unlocked.

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated

[Beer 0]

I am in the process of upgrading to a very similiar system.

 

ABit NF-7S rev 1.2 (rev 2.0 is the latest board)

2.7 AMD

1 gig 3500 OCZ matched DDR RAM

Radeon 9800 Pro

 

I have been having trouble from the git go, and hope to get my machine back today. I had the two tone (european police siren) at boot, I then swapped the RAM for the higher quality OCZ RAM and managed to get the system set up (using a 2.4 AMD), I did not try a 2001 mark but did get a "Stock" 2003 3 D mark at 5550.

 

When I changed the 2.4 to the 2.7 the system refuses to post, tired of messing with it and swapping various components I took it to the shop. Hope to pick it up today, will post my progress, lets see what we can get outta these!

 

Cheers

Beer

[Guest MrMudd]

Just for GeeWiz i checked my board and it is the V2.0 board, 8)

 

Their is a new update for the bios released on 7-11-03. However I need to flash it from a 3.5 floppy.

So i will purchase a floppy drive today. i'm not a fan of floppy drives

 

I have been scanning through the forums today on www.abit-usa.com

 

I see the hell you are going through, apparently the 1.2 boards have been giving everyone issues.

 

I have had zero problems with this board so far, and for that im glad. especially with my blind shopping purchase on this board.

 

and im still awaiting forthe barton xp 3200 chip

 

I will have to see if i can find 3dmark 2003 demo.

[Beer 0]

Ya did good in getting the rev 2.0 (hehe with your luck you buy some lotto tickets!!!)

 

I got an email from ABIT about a Windows Based Bios Flash they are releasing last week called "Flash Menu" I got the impression it has been released, if it is anything like the ASUS bios update in windows, it may be worth the wait. Don't forget to reset the bios using the jumper after you flash it if you do the disk way.

 

From the email

Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C., July 14th, 2003  

   

Introducing ABIT's FlashMenu™

The Most Advanced One Click BIOS Update Solution  

   

Updating the BIOS on an ABIT motherboard just got even easier! With ABIT-Engineered FlashMenu™, users no longer have to update their BIOS through booting up a floppy disk. BIOS updates can be done automatically through Windows!

 

 

   

Why FlashMenu™?

 

Three years in the making, we feel this 1 click BIOS update from ABIT is the most stable windows-based BIOS flash available. Without worries from crashing, and with a quick 1 click BIOS update, ABIT users can quickly get back to doing what's important; using the computer.  

How does FlashMenu™ work? It's Easy!

 

1. One-Click Live Update: Just one-click and ABIT FlashMenu™ will download the newest BIOS file then program the firmware and save the old BIOS automatically.

 

2. Live Update Step by Step: Lets users select the BIOS they want to update and then save the old BIOS into a specified location.

 

 

   

 

FlashMenu™ supports the following models (as of 2003/07/04)    

 

AT7 BE7-G IC7-G / IC7 KD7 / KD7-RAID NF7 / NF7-S / NF7-M  

AT7-MAX2 BE7-S IS7 / IS7-E / IS7-G KD7-G NF7 / NF7-S V2.0  

BD7 / BD7-RAID BG7 IT7 KD7-S NV7-133R  

BD7-E BG-71 IT7-MAX2 KR7A / KR7A-RAID SA7  

BD7II / BD7II-RAID BG7E IT7-MAX2 V2.0 KR7A-133 / KR7A-133R SR7-8X  

BE7 / BE7-RAID BH7 KT7A v1.3 KX7-333 / KX7-333R    

 

   

   

 

About ABIT  

ABIT Computer Corporation designs and sells a complete family of award-winning main boards and multimedia products that support industry-leading technology and provide leading quality and performance for system integration of computer components supporting a broad range of PC applications, such as e-commerce, e-business, entertainment and education. Corporate headquarters are located in Taiwan.  

For more information, visit the Company's web site at http://www.abit-usa.com  

 

I picked up my two machines from the shop (spent two weeks in the shop and they did not even look at them), I got the one machine going using a spare 2.1 AMD (I guess I fried two CPUS when I did the swap ) so the wifes machine is now up and running (my old ASUS A7V8X). I am betting all I need is a CPU for the NF-7S, I hope to RMA the 2.7 AMD I bought for it.

 

Not sure what I am gonna do, I do not have quick access to buying AMD CPU's and I head to my ship for three weeks this Thursday...when I get it running I will post both 2001 3D mark and 2003 3D marks.

 

Since I fried two CPUs while working with that board the shop says (there guess as to my trouble without looking) to ensure the power supply is unplugged (I just switched the machine to off) and has had time to bleed off any stray voltages before you remove it (light on motherboard should go out), also be careful to only get the thermal paste on the silver rectangle heat sink in the center, and to use it sparingly (not to insult your ability, these are just the most common mistakes).

 

Cheers

Beer

[Preventer 0]

Hey BEER... ordered me a ABit NF7-S from newegg and got a REV 2.0. Picked up a stick of pc3500 kingston hyperX to go along with it. Will post some screenies when I get in from the ship. By the way how in the heck did you smoke 2 cpus?

[Beer 0]

I dont know (actually we successfully disabled all four machines running in the garage, hence no gain on the Micky Folding, by swapping cpus trying to figure out WTF was going on)... Are you on the rig? Since I am leaving thursday, I will likley just send you the gamer, I have had just about enough, and if I continue to have trouble the parts are gonna be just that parts and I will buy a running alienware, email me with your address, likely if I send it out Wednesday you will get it next mid week.

 

Cheers

Beer

[Guest MrMudd]

I got burned!

 

i used that windows flash program and it claimed it was a successfull bios update. So i shut down, short the cmos jumper for 3 min. reinstalled the jumper to operate position. and nothing worked.

 

I called Abit's tech support and played their little game. to no avail no pc speaker beep codes and no video. Bios chip was toast.

 

I had to order a new bios chip for 16 dollars plus the 24 dollars overnight shipping.

 

Tech support claimed i am responsible for the chip becasue and i quote " it is like a surgical procedure and sometimes they are not succesful"

 

Keep that in mind guys when useing that utility. :shock:

[+Fates 63]

Man I love my ASUS!!!!!

[Beer 0]

Sorry to have pointed you in that direction MrMudd...(I had no trouble at all using the ASUS Windows Bios flash software). You should be able to RMA the board to the vender you got it from? I still say "plug and play" is really "plug and curse like a sailor."

 

 

Cheers

Beer

[Guest MrMudd]

Now im ready to drop a B61 on ABIT!

 

it looks like my hard drive and my monitor is toast! i tried to hook them up to a spare duron 800 pc i had, and no luck, i get a system hang and no hard drive spin up.

 

I hope this is not a trend with their flash program

[Guest MrMudd]

http://forum.abit-usa.com/showthread.php?s...6677#post126677

 

Oh the drama!

 

I tell ya. i was impressed with the board untill i had to update the bios, and now their tech support is less than to be desired.

 

serios arrogant sobs...

[Beer 0]

I'll let ya know if my last remaining CPU a 2.1 gets fried when I try putting that in the 1.2 rev board...

 

Again, sorry to have pointed out the windows flash utility to you...

 

Spent the day setting up my wifes new HP 2.8 AMD ($800 @ Circuit City)...it worked outta the box. Just had to delete the crap they put on it for software.

 

Cheers

Beer

[Guest MrMudd]

No worries on the recomendation.

 

I was hopeing id have a better running machine with the updated bios.

[Preventer 0]

Windows Flash Utility says it all! I will never flash a bios thru windows. Asking for serious probs! Be wise and use AWDFLASH.EXE.

[Beer 0]

Introducing ABIT's FlashMenu™  

The Most Advanced One Click BIOS Update Solution  

 

Updating the BIOS on an ABIT motherboard just got even easier! With ABIT-Engineered FlashMenu™, users no longer have to update their BIOS through booting up a floppy disk. BIOS updates can be done automatically through Windows!  

 

Why FlashMenu™?  

 

Three years in the making, we feel this 1 click BIOS update from ABIT is the most stable windows-based BIOS flash available. Without worries from crashing, and with a quick 1 click BIOS update, ABIT users can quickly get back to doing what's important; using the computer.

 

 

Sounds easy and like a sure thing...especially after reading the boards at Abit and the disk flashing horror stories.

 

Cheers

Beer

[Guest MrMudd]

:D recieved my new bios chip today, put it in and she was up and running. with a ver 1.7 bios

 

I did have to reinstall windows on my hard drive, apparently Flash menu currupted the previous installation

 

well thats enough with that fiasco, new bios and i should be ready for the 400 FSB speeds for the new Bartons comeing out. 8)

 

I do love this motherboard, But despise the flashmenu program, apparently there is more people haveing the identical problem that i had popping out.

[Beer 0]

Good deal, glad to hear you are up and running, I ran outta time and was not able to get mine going before I joined the ship for three weeks, I am going to try to RMA the 2700 AMD, and hopefully will have the system going the first week I return mid August. Wife made out this time whome

 

My plan now is to RMA the 2.7 and put that in the ASUS, and pending your 3.2 scores, I may go with a 3.2 or a 3.0 in the ABIT :D

 

Cheers

Beer

[+Fates 63]

Mudd,

 

Post some 3DMark03 scores for us....would love to see how that rig rocks

 

<C>

Fates

[Guest MrMudd]

i downloaded 3dmark03, however when i installed DX9.0 i could not use any of my games, AVP2, strike fighters etc. Janes F18E etc. I had to revert back to a previous failsafe setup to get my 8.1 back.

 

my 3dmark01 se score is a 11586 also my motherboard is running my 333mhz ddr memory at 266, i guess this has something to do with my xp2400 locked at a 133x15 bus. I tried to up the FSB but no luck, total system hang. I'll update you guys on the scores when the xp3200 chip comes in to the local retailer i purchased from.

[+Fates 63]

Time to chuck that old Ge-Farce out da window!!!!

 

My ATI 9700 Pro AIW Rocks! And Beer might bet to enjoy his 9800 Pro one of these days....

 

 

Cheers!

 

fates

[BUFF 8]

How's it coming MrMudd?

 

Did the XP3200+ arrive & is it up & running (you might need to get PC3200 memory if your OCZ won't run 400FSB).

 

Btw, that XP2400 is unlocked (all T'bred B's are) - I have an XP2400+ running in an ASUS A7V266-E & an XP1700+ in, yes, an NF7-S V2.0 :) both @2.3Ghz .

[Beer 0]

I had to replace the Abit NF-7S with an Asus...the Abit kept locking up, it is in my garage and the room temp is 80-90 F during the summer...

I got tired of it locking up, and since I replaced it with the ASUS A7N8X- Deluxe with no troubles...

 

 

 

 

Cheers

Beer

[BUFF 8]

Sorry to hear that Beer, my ABIT has been great.

 

Just picked up a 9700 for half price today :D - currently its in the A7V266-E but will probably end up in the ABIT.