A8N-E and BIOS updates

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dangfx

Gawd
Joined
May 2, 2001
Messages
707
Hello everyone!

I am using the below config, and I still have lockups kinda often. The only thing that I can think of left to do is update the bios. Have you guys noticed any increased stability after upgrading your A8N-E bios?

and can i go back to the 1005 bios if i upgrade to a higher bios?

<<SPECS>>
Asus A8N-E revision 2, bios 1005, nvidia 6.65 chipset drivers
AMD X2 4400+
2GB (1GB stick x 2) Corsair Value Select VS1GB400C3 (in first and third DIMM slots, A1 and B1)
BFG 7800GTX PCI-E (78.03 drivers from nvidia)
Antec TruePower 550 EPS12V SSI Server-rated PSU
Maxtor DiamondMax 10 SATA 200gb (on 1st SATA channel)
Creative 52x CD-ROM (IDE Primary master)
Plextor 716AL DVD/CD burner (IDE, Secondary master)
Plextor 16/10/40A CD burner (IDE, Secondary slave)
Floppy drive
2 case fans + 1 CPU fan (AMD retail box HSF)
Windows XP Pro, SP2 (have also tried it with XP x64 Edition for a bit)
Arctic Silver 5

-everything is running at stock speeds, no overclocking.
-I have left the 1005 bios, as that seems to be the most stable which people say.
-Windows is completely updated (w/ SP2).
-I have not installed the nvidia IDE drivers.
-temps according to the bios are between 35-39 degrees (celcius). Highest i've ever seen it was 46, under load for a long time, but it hardly ever gets there.
-everything on auto in the bios except for ram which i bumped up to 2.75v.
-ran memtest86+ for about 2 hours, found no erros
-ran the diagnostic util for my Maxtor hdd, found no errors
 
Switch it out for the a8n-sli non deluxe, it's about the same price and doesn't have that issue. I think the only way you can fix your issue is to RMA that board. The a8n-e rev 2 has serious issues.
 
well, this is my second A8N-E (the first had a non-working ethernet port)... I'd rather see if i can get it workin right.

Are there any other suggestions?
 
I've heard that the Marvell LAN port causes stability issues on the Asus boards. Go ino the bios and disable that second ethernet port.
 
rootdown said:
I've heard that the Marvell LAN port causes stability issues on the Asus boards. Go ino the bios and disable that second ethernet port.
Click to expand...


What 2nd ethernet por?. My new A8N-E certainly does not have two ethernet ports.

And to answer your question about flashing BIOSs, today I have gone from 1008, to 1007, 1006, 1005 and finally back to 1004 which is what came with the motherboard. All to get 1.65 vcore back. Since my 3200+ does not want to run at 2.5GHz with even 1.65 volts pushed into it I flashed it back to 1008 and lowered it down to 2.4GHz.
 
dangfx said:
CentronMe,
is your A8N-E running stable? what are your bios settings?
Click to expand...

Currently sitting at 2454MHz with 1.525 vcore selected in BIOS. Ran Prime95 all night, pretty stable IMO. BIOS 1008 BTW.
 
My comp is still not stable :(

I did a disk check -- no errors/bad sectors.

CentronMe,
how did you get the voltage to 1.525? The highest setting i can see it like 1.4something. :confused:

(i'm using 1008 bios now)


PS- I am getting more MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION bsod errors now. don't know if this is the same problem....... i still havn't found any explanation on how to fix MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION bsod's.
 
Newer BIOSs limit the voltage. The X2 is maxed at 1.45 if I remember correctly.

Try 1004, it let me have up to 1.65v.
 
Hey dangfx. I'm sorry to hear you are still having issues with your MB.
Here is a link to Microsoft's Knowledge Base article on "MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION":
Link

MORE INFORMATION
A machine check exception occurs when Windows XP and your hardware platform cannot recover from a hardware error so that the system can continue to run successfully and reliably. More specific diagnosis of machine check exceptions is difficult, and there is no general solution. Contact your hardware manufacturer or a computer hardware technician for help with troubleshooting this issue.

Machine check exceptions are frequently caused by one of the following conditions:
• You are running the processor or mainboard beyond its specifications. For example, you are overclocking the processor or bus. We recommend that you run your hardware at the manufacturer-rated speeds.
• Noisy power, overstressed power strips, outmatched power supplies and failing power supplies can destabilize your computer. Make sure that you have a stable, reliable power supply to your computer.
• Extreme thermal conditions caused by the failure of cooling devices such as fans may damage your computer. Make sure that your cooling devices are all working.
• You have damaged memory or memory that is not the correct type for your computer. If you recently changed the memory configuration, revert to the previous configuration to determine what is wrong. Make sure that you are using the correct memory for your computer.
Click to expand...

I'll try to dig up some more info that might help.
 
heh, i first saw that link like a month ago.

I'll try to dig up some more info that might help.
Click to expand...
heh, good luck... you'll find lots of info, but doubt of any that actually "helps."
 
I was having this exact same problem with my a8n-e....

My system would crash pretty often giving me the machine_check_exception error.

I replaced my HDD cables for my hard drives and CD drives with brand new ones. And haven't had a problem since.

Just FYI. Hope that helps someone.
 
One thing i noticed is the bios your running may be not correct for your cpu..I am going to in the next week or so upgrade mine to an 4200x2 and im running 1006 which has been perfect with my 3200.i noticed on the bios updates that i have to update my bios to 1008 or higher to use an x2..I was surprised to see you running an x2 with 1005 bios...
My system is a 3200 with a gig of xms 3200c2 and its been o/clocked for a year now running 2550 mhz 1 to 1 with the ram and at 3,3,3,7 and 1T timings..No voltage increase at all. cpu@1.36v and ram @2.65v. This has been a great board for me and i never had the 1T timing issue at all..I know the 1008 bios is also very stable as my neighbor has had his running for 1 year also on that bios..I did notice though that to run the x2 on my machine i needed the 1008 or higher..I wish i didnt cause thr 1006 has been rock solid and i hate to mess up a good thing..Im going to go with an x2 and 2 gigs of gskill ram till next year before i do a major upgrade...200.00 dollars is a lot cheaper than going to am2 and not have something alot better than what i have now..This has been a wonderful setup and i really dont want to let it go and also im not a gamer as i use my xbox 360 for that..I just like a screaming fast machine..
So read the bios notes on the asus website and see if you see the bios upgrade for x2's...read 1006 and see if it tells you to upgrade for x2....
Maybe its possible that is your problem..Another thought is try 1 stick and see if it makes a difference if the bios dosent fix it..ive had ram pass memtest and change out ram and by gosh its never done it again...just a thought.
I just checked the asus site and I would need to update my bios if i were using the 3800x2's with bios 1006.....
 
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