The Conroe865PE thread... for AGP users... stock and mod

[Harlock]

Hey guys, new records!!!!

12449 points in 3Dmarks2006

 

[rtwjunkie]

Man, that's outstanding. I guess you've shown that with this motherboard, ther'es still some life in AGP and DDR1 !!

 

[Harlock]

@rtwjunkie

And this is not the end ..........

I manage to go over .........

 

[rtwjunkie]

New 865PE Q

Sorry to dredge up an old thread....is anyone still using this board? I've decided to break this board out again after a year in retirement, as I'd like to use it to build a Windows Home Server(WHS). It'll have an e-2160? 2.0Ghz CPU, and 2 GB(2x1) of Mushkin XP-4000 (DDR 500). I'll be running the bus at 200, as it's an 800Mhz CPU. Yeah, I know I'll be underclocking the RAM, but I know it is rock-solid on this board from prior use, and it'll allow me to get the lowest latency possible, which may get important to a server running add-in apps made for WHS.

My question is, has anyone run all 4 memory modules on this board? I'd like to get another additional 2GB to put in here, to cut down on any possible lag my WHS might have. With the memory being underclocked, I shouldn't have any trouble with finding the extra voltage necessary to the VDIMM and NB that you would normally need, should I?

 

[revin]

Well sadly my Conroe865PE died last month
Back on the AI7 3.4EE P4, but atleast have the HIS3850

 

[revin]

Sorry to dredge up an old thread....is anyone still using this board? I've decided to break this board out again after a year in retirement, as I'd like to use it to build a Windows Home Server(WHS). It'll have an e-2160? 2.0Ghz CPU, and 2 GB(2x1) of Mushkin XP-4000 (DDR 500). I'll be running the bus at 200, as it's an 800Mhz CPU. Yeah, I know I'll be underclocking the RAM, but I know it is rock-solid on this board from prior use, and it'll allow me to get the lowest latency possible, which may get important to a server running add-in apps made for WHS.

My question is, has anyone run all 4 memory modules on this board? I'd like to get another additional 2GB to put in here, to cut down on any possible lag my WHS might have. With the memory being underclocked, I shouldn't have any trouble with finding the extra voltage necessary to the VDIMM and NB that you would normally need, should I?

My board came from Australia in a bubble bag, and was quit damaged when I got it, bent caps, broke parallel port ect, and it ran like a dream with my current 4x512 OCZ ELPT Rev2 at 2.2.2.5 with the voltages set to "High" for CPU/Ram per lemonadesoda.

I have also tried running OCZELPT500's 2x1GB, and CorsairC2PT's 2x1GB, timing was set manual at 3.3.2.6, and although I had "slightly" faster load times on some apps, the performance dip was more noticeable "to me".

So as for me 4 sticks was never any issue even "mixed sets" for the almost 2 yrs of use, and if I recall l/s also used all 4 slots on his.

 

[TRWOV]

sorry for the necropost but does anyone have the modded bios backed up somewhere or installed? I've read about 200 forum pages on hardwareluxx, 3dcenter, Pctreiber and countless others but every one links back to the pctreiber downloads pages... which aren't online anymore.

I made an account on 3dcenter where AMC's original post is but since his last post was more than 8 months ago I don't hold much hope into him replying to my PM.

Thank you in advance.

 

[sneekypeet]

Do the pair of files in the OP not work anymore?

 

[Athlon2K15]

theres two bios files on the OP

 

[TRWOV]

those are for the 1.7 and 1.71 bios, not the ones modded for 1:1 and 5:4 dividers.

 

[b1gt1m]

ConRoe Blues

Hiya, Im new on here, I joined after finding this topic as you do... Well, I gotta a big headache, maybe you can help/advise me? I've just completed a system build which consists of : intel Q6600 SLACR (G0) CPU - ASRock Conroe865PE MB - 2 x Kingston KTM-M50/1Gb RAM Modules - Sapphire HD3850 AGP Gfx Card - Creative Labs Audigy Sound Card - PowerCool GT 700w PSU with dual 12v rails rated at 22A each! PHEW! Now when I turn on the system with both RAM in dual channel config I get a blank screen, when i put them in single channel mode the POST appears and I can get into the bios, change things, etc. Also, when I try to boot off the HDD, I get BSOD's so try to boot off Windows DVD an run setup but same again or just reboots. I tried running with 1 stick of RAM in there but same symptoms... any ideas as Im fresh out!! Bear in mind that Ive completely stripped an rebuilt this system 3 times today an im getting a bit desperate... The BIOS is P1.70. and its showing correct RAM speeds, size etc and the CPU is showing correct type, model, speed, etc.

Thanx in advance

 

[hat]

Two things I could think of:

1. Try clearing the CMOS (I usually just take the battery out)

2. Make sure your memory is set to run at the manufacturer's advertised settings. I haven't found anything other than that it's supposed to run at 2.6v and it's 200MHz (400 DDR). The timings are probably 3-3-3-9, just guessing though.

 

[TRWOV]

There's a jumper between the AGP port and the CPU socket. Set it to 2-3 (test) and try again.

 

[Completely Bonkers]

@b1gt1m. Try pulling the AGP card and using a PCI card. I used to have a Conroe865PE and loved it... then it got unstable... then failed to POST. It was the AGP slot (or Northbridge). I switched everything over - CPU, GPU, DDR to the 775i65G which still works even today.

+++++++++++++

Somthing for TRWOV

 

[TRWOV]

@b1gt1m. Try pulling the AGP card and using a PCI card. I used to have a Conroe865PE and loved it... then it got unstable... then failed to POST. It was the AGP slot (or Northbridge). I switched everything over - CPU, GPU, DDR to the 775i65G which still works even today.

+++++++++++++

Somthing for TRWOV

I already have it. What I've been looking for is the modded 1:1 RAM bios (when a 1066MHz CPU is used the RAM runs at 3:2) There's countless references to it but the forum post where it was hosted is no longer available and every link I've found goes to it

 

[b1gt1m]

ConRow

@TRWOV I've tried on both the 800 and 1066 settings, both do the same i've left it at 'TEST/1066' as the CPU HTT is 1066 anyway. @Completely Bonkers I'm hoping its not that as I've just paid for the board and it seems to be fine... just this problem with BSOD and Boot problems i.e. Windows failed to boot because winsetup.exe is corrupt or missing... which it AIN T! I tried booting off a CD version of windows - that is to say windows is installed on the cd itself... loads into memory.... that failed which DEFINATELY points to a memory or memory controller problem - could it be the CPU - it's a Q6600-G0 and the ConRoe865PE is only certified to run with a Q6600-B3... Man alive a hope not!

 

[b1gt1m]

Bios

Just thinking on, it has got the standard BIOS P1.70 in there, could it be that I need to install that 1.72 bios upd? Would it work?

 

[hat]

Since you said it doesn't work at all in dual channel and halfass works in single channel I'm thinking it could be a memory controller issue (board) most likely... checking your RAM settings is a longshot, but worth a try.

 

[Jstn7477]

I have a 4CoreDual-VSTA that has one bad DDR slot (has 2 DDR2 and 2 DDR slots) and it would post but Windows would not load with 2 DDR sticks. Board problems are entirely possible considering the refurbished ASRock samples I have obtained 6 months ago are 5+ years old.

 

[TRWOV]

Just thinking on, it has got the standard BIOS P1.70 in there, could it be that I need to install that 1.72 bios upd? Would it work?

G0s work fine with 1.70. 1.72 just includes the microcode update (bugfixes for the CPU). I ran 1.70 with a Q6700 G0 for about 1 year with no problems.

Looks like the memory controller is shot although you might try with giving the slots a cleaning (use a toothbrush and some canned air). I had an issue with the first RAM slot on a 939A8X-M and cleaning it solved the issue.

 

[b1gt1m]

Hiya, hmmm ok well I'll try cleaning out the DIMM slots, updating the BIOS to 1.72 and
I'll slow down the memory timing to 3,3,3,9 - could someone please post a picture of
What it looks like Im not to sure on the memory timings as I've never done that before.
Im goin away for a few days today but should be back on Friday so I'll get back to you then.

Thanx in advance, friends.

 

[TRWOV]

just leave the timmings at Auto, the bios is pretty aggresive with timmings anyway. It clocks my mushkins to 2.5-2-2-5 automatically.

You could also try to apply new thermal paste to the northbridge heatsink or even putting a small 40mm fan over it. Remember that the stock 865PE runs at 800Mhz, with the Q6600 it's running at 1066Mhz.

 

[m1dg3t]

3/3/3/9 is not an actual timing option, 3/3/3/8 is. Most standard ddr400 RAM was specced @ 200Mhz 3/4/4/8. If that matters to anyone?

From what i recall of the p4 (865) days NB cooling played a big part in stability/clocking and 99% of the time a salvaged 40mm fan attached to the Nb hsf did wonders

TRWOV: IIRC those Mushkins are rated for ddr500 @ 3/2/3/8? If so then you should be able to even get them to 2/2/2/5

 

[TRWOV]

2-2-2-5 wasn't IBT Max stable in my case. IBT std did fine though

 

[b1gt1m]

Hiya guys, I'm back now an charged up! Soooo, I did all things I said I was gonna do, Cleaned up the NB Heatsink - it had all this pink hard crap on it so I cleaned it off both the chip and the cooler with Isopropynol then let it dry, lovely an shiny now, put some thermal compound on the chip then fixed the heatsink back into place. Drop out the battery to reset the bios, put the battery back in then attempted a bootup, it booted and I flashed the BIOS to 1.72 and used 3 3 3 8 timings in the RAM settings. Still the same problem, I searched for a divider for the RAM (1:1/3:2) it wasnt there. So, I rebooted the system once I'd set up the BIOS time, date, etc and still will not boot into windows. I put in W7 DVD in the drive and tried to get it to boot off that but still shows errors... I think I need to slow down the RAM but dunno how... my thinking tells me that the stock FSB is 800 then the RAM is 200 so then if the FSB is 1066 then the RAM must be 266!!! Thats FAR to fast for ordinary RAM (Kingston KTM-M50-1G) that I'm using so any ideas, please help as I know I'm soooo close to getting this done!