Lockup Last Straw :(

[fmharr]

I have about had it with my current mobo (ABIT A64 KV8 Pro w/VIA Chipset)

I have had a consistant problem with BTV locking up with this mobo and since moving to the 6xxx series the lockups have been hard.

This is the mobo that I am considering:

Foxconn K8S755A-6EKRS Socket 754 SiS 755 ATX AMD Motherboard

This would allow me to use my current CPU, Memory and AGP Video card.

~$39 at NewEgg.com

Supported CPU
CPU Socket Type Socket 754
CPU Type Athlon 64/Sempron
FSB 800MHz Hyper Transport (1600MT/s)
Chipsets
North Bridge SiS 755
South Bridge SiS 964
Memory
Number of DDR Slots 3x 184pin DDR
DDR Standard DDR 400 (PC 3200)
Maximum Memory Supported 3GB
Expansion Slots
AGP Slots 1x AGP 4X/8X
PCI Express x16 None
PCI Slots 5
Storage Devices
PATA 2 x ATA100 up to 4 Devices
SATA 1.5 Gb/s 4
SATA RAID RAID 0/1
Additional RAID Controller Sil 3112
Onboard Video
Onboard Video No
Onboard Audio
Audio Chipset Realtek ALC655
Audio Channels 6 Channels
Onboard LAN
LAN Chipset Realtek 8110S
Max LAN Speed 10/100/1000Mbps
Rear Panel Ports
PS/2 2
COM 1
LPT 1
USB 4x USB 2.0
IEEE 1394 1x 1394a
Audio Ports 3 Ports
Onboard USB
Onboard USB 4x USB 2.0
Onboard 1394
Onboard 1394 1x 1394a
Physical Spec
Form Factor ATX
Dimensions 12.0" x 8.8"
Features
Power Pin 20 Pin

Anybody have this or any info on it with BTV?

Mike

[frantid]

Mike,

On your abit what are you running for Hypertransport? I used to get a lot of lockups, I had to lower it from 1000 to 800. Just a thought.

I don't know about the foxconn, any bad reviews on newegg?

[fmharr]

Originally Posted by frantid

Mike,

On your abit what are you running for Hypertransport? I used to get a lot of lockups, I had to lower it from 1000 to 800. Just a thought.

I don't know about the foxconn, any bad reviews on newegg?

It is at the default.

There are no reviews listed on NewEgg.

I will check the Hypertransport setting tonight and adjust it down for test.
Crashes are much more frequent when using the nVidia PureVideo decoder and even worse in 3D vers Overlay.

My system is most stable when using the Snapstream decoder in Overlay mode. But it still locks up, just not as often.

I had just as many lockups with my old FX5600 card, but they were not fatal requiring a reboot. I have tried 2 different 6800's (XT & GS) and both require reset after crashes.

All crashes occur during playback or LiveTV, never have crashes at any other times.


Mike

[fmharr]

Originally Posted by frantid

Mike,

On your abit what are you running for Hypertransport? I used to get a lot of lockups, I had to lower it from 1000 to 800. Just a thought.

When yours crashed, was it only during playback/LiveTV or did you have crashes other times?

Mike

[frantid]

Mine crashed only during playback, especially if I fast forwarded or resized the window. Everything else was fine.

hypertransport worked for me, it's supposed to control the cpu to agp bus.

good luck.

edit: I mainly use purevideo.

[Bigbird999]

fm
This sounds like some sort of memory/hardware issue to me. What speed is your memory? If it isn't ddr 400 (pc3200) you might have to lower the HTT. Also you might try Memtest just to make sure your memory is OK.

FWIW, I have an Asus A8V (via chipset) mobo in my main, all purpose, PC. X2 3800 overclocked by 30% (257 MHz) Sapphire X1600 vid card to dual analog tuners and Sapphire theatre 550 pro tuner. I run both BTV Link and ATI MMC on it, often watching 2 football games (one in Link on the primary monitor and one in MMC on the secondary in overlay. Never had a lockup or freeze.

I set my HTT to 800 due to the overclock on the fsb, because my memory (2x512 sticks of cheap ddr 400) would not handle a 30% overclock. Also In the bios there is an AGP/PCI lock to keep the bus at 33/66MHz. Otherwise it overclocks the PCI bus 30% as well. I set this to lock rather than auto.


When I upgraded my rig with this new mobo and cpu, Iran it on my old installation of 2k but it was not very stable. So I reformatted to do a fresh install of 2K but I couldn't, because the default dirivers for my vid card were not on my 2K install disc and I had no video to see what I was doing. So I had to bite the bullet and install XP Pro. Also, all the latest ATI drivers were for XP only.

The point is, my via chipset is stable (at least on XP) and with BTV 3.74, so you might want to check your memory AGP lock and HTT settings B4 you scrap the Abit.

BB

Edit Just noticed that the new one is only $39 so maybe it is more trouble than its worth to try and solve the Abit problem.

[karhill]

Originally Posted by fmharr

This is the mobo that I am considering:

Foxconn K8S755A-6EKRS Socket 754 SiS 755 ATX AMD Motherboard

This would allow me to use my current CPU, Memory and AGP Video card.

~$39 at NewEgg.com

If you are currently having motherboard problems you may want to upgrade to something other than a $39 Foxconn. Sometimes you get what you pay for. Maybe it's a great motherboard, but foxconn is not always top-rated, it's got a SiS chipset (which some have complained about), and it's a cheap unit, built for price, not quality.

[fmharr]

Originally Posted by Bigbird999

fm
This sounds like some sort of memory/hardware issue to me. What speed is your memory? If it isn't ddr 400 (pc3200) you might have to lower the HTT. Also you might try Memtest just to make sure your memory is OK.

FWIW, I have an Asus A8V (via chipset) mobo in my main, all purpose, PC. X2 3800 overclocked by 30% (257 MHz) Sapphire X1600 vid card to dual analog tuners and Sapphire theatre 550 pro tuner. I run both BTV Link and ATI MMC on it, often watching 2 football games (one in Link on the primary monitor and one in MMC on the secondary in overlay. Never had a lockup or freeze.

I set my HTT to 800 due to the overclock on the fsb, because my memory (2x512 sticks of cheap ddr 400) would not handle a 30% overclock. Also In the bios there is an AGP/PCI lock to keep the bus at 33/66MHz. Otherwise it overclocks the PCI bus 30% as well. I set this to lock rather than auto.


When I upgraded my rig with this new mobo and cpu, Iran it on my old installation of 2k but it was not very stable. So I reformatted to do a fresh install of 2K but I couldn't, because the default dirivers for my vid card were not on my 2K install disc and I had no video to see what I was doing. So I had to bite the bullet and install XP Pro. Also, all the latest ATI drivers were for XP only.

The point is, my via chipset is stable (at least on XP) and with BTV 3.74, so you might want to check your memory AGP lock and HTT settings B4 you scrap the Abit.

BB

Edit Just noticed that the new one is only $39 so maybe it is more trouble than its worth to try and solve the Abit problem.

My memory is top dollar ddr 40 PC-3200!

I have never had a problem installing Win2000 on an ATI video card equiped mobo. I used an ATI 9800 Pro in my system until it bit the dust.

I do not over clock on any of my computers, not needed for just video.

I have had nothing but problems with this ABIT (top dollar at the time) since I purchaced it. I have never had any problems out of my (2) el-cheapo eMachines which run state of the art 3D games without any problems what-so-ever.

I have seen and heard many horrow stories about VIA chipset mobo's on this forum and other places as well.

I am trying different setting (CMOS) to see if anything helps.

Mike

[fmharr]

After the Last Straw burst into flames

I have replaced my 1st generation Abit mobo (VIA Chipset) with a brand new ABIT mobo (nVidia Chipset)!

It was a direct replacement for the old mobo, kept the cpu and memory.

Been running for 2 days sofar with no problems (knock-on-wood)!

The board that I am using is:

ABIT NF8-V2 Socket 754 NVIDIA nForce3 250 ATX AMD Motherboard

I also installed WinXP Pro (had Win2K on old mobo) after a complete reformat of boot drive.

This drive did not require SATA drivers to be installed during windows install. The old mobo required drivers to be installed during windows install or it could not see the SATA drives. This also prevented Ghost from seeing the drives when I tried to restore a backup image

So far all is good with good stability and smooth playback in all modes.

Mike

[Bilar Crais]

Good for you.

Certain Via based Mobos are guaranteed hell for HTPCs.

[oklahomazeke]

I had lock up problems for two moths.....did multiple installs, driver loads

finally changed 3d overlay setting and blammo, no more lock ups

[gjunky]

Originally Posted by Bilar Crais

Certain Via based Mobos are guaranteed hell for HTPCs.

Agreed, I had nothing but trouble on one of my machines with a VIA chipset and will never purchase a via chipset motherboard again.

-gjunky

[fmharr]

I have had nothing but problems with my old ABIT VIA motherboard since day one.

In the end it was locking up 2-3 times a night and I was getting cruppted videos left and right.

I might have been able to clear some of it up by reformating and installing a fresh os/drivers, but I had had enough.

The old mobo was the most stable when running in Snapstream decoder using Overlay. But, in the end I was having no luck in any mode.

So far so good with this mobo

Mike

[fmharr]

It is getting hard to find a mobo with:

1. nVidia chipset
2. 754 cpu socket
3. AGP slot
4. 5 PCI slots

Mike

[fmharr]

Originally Posted by fmharr

I have had nothing but problems with my old ABIT VIA motherboard since day one.

In the end it was locking up 2-3 times a night and I was getting cruppted videos left and right.

I might have been able to clear some of it up by reformating and installing a fresh os/drivers, but I had had enough.

The old mobo was the most stable when running in Snapstream decoder using Overlay. But, in the end I was having no luck in any mode.

So far so good with this mobo

11 days without a single problem or freeze/reboot/crash



Mike