Any abit AB9 QuadGT users?

I'm looking for another MOBO to play with while my MSI P6N Platinum gets sent off on a RMA (which will be 3+ weeks from NewEgg if it goes like my last RMA with them). And I have seen the QuadGT recommended to someone in another post, so I came over to this thread and have also been trying to weed my way through the thread at XS.

I had an Asus P5b Dlx that just quit posting after 2 weeks..... and I was thinking about going back to that model of board, even though it had several issues (errors on bootup that required bios flash, JMicron IDE drive issues with them disappearing, etc.)

You guys all sound pretty positive about this board...... Any known major issues (even minor ones that I should be aware of walking into this?) :confused: I don't currently have a RAID setup, but may put on another drive and mirror them later.

As I could not get my E6400 L2 up to above 8x 380FSB stable on the MSI board, I'm really interested to see what another board gets out of this chip or if it's not the board that's the issue.......
 
Hey 3degree, nice to see you! No, there are no known (or suspected, that I've heard) issues with the board or Bios. The only known 'issue' with this boardis the floppy connector placement. :p I'm using a Thermaltake Armor full tower with the floppy connector reaching from the top bay and it still reaches the floppy connector, so it doesn't present a problem.
 
3degree said:
Any known major issues (even minor ones that I should be aware of walking into this?)
Click to expand...
Once you get off the original shipping BIOS (which is actually perfectly usable depending upon hardware config/usage) it's pretty well sorted & pretty forgiving.

Don't use the version of uGuru on the system CD (it'll overvolt the RAM on a QuadGT) but get the latest 3.103 from the ftp.

get the revised manual from the ftp too as the original hardcopy has the BIOS section pretty much missing :rolleyes:

Some people have complained about hissing from the power area but it's only a relatively few & tbh most modern mobos seem to have some people complaining about caps/inductor noise - I certainly don't think that it's any worse in that regard than any other main competitor & probably better than most.
 
BUFF said:
Once you get off the original shipping BIOS (which is actually perfectly usable depending upon hardware config/usage) it's pretty well sorted & pretty forgiving...
Don't use the version of uGuru on the system CD (it'll overvolt the RAM on a QuadGT) but get the latest 3.103 from the ftp...
get the revised manual from the ftp too...
Click to expand...

For All Your Bios Needs:
ftp://ftp.abit.com.tw/pub/download/

Latest uGuru:
ftp://ftp.abit.com.tw/pub/download/utilities/uguru/3.103/uguru_v3103.zip

Latest Manual:
ftp://ftp.abit.com.tw/pub/download/manual/english/ab9-quadgt.zip

Happy to know you're going to play a bit (a bit = Abit, get it? Ha-ha-ha. Eh... hello?)
 
Thanks, Buff. Thanks, Pepsiennis.

I've got a P180B case and so I don't think the floppy connector placement should be too much of an issue..... But then the 8pin power connector may be a stretch around my Tuniq Tower....

No issues with memory??? I have Corsair 6400's C4.

The only issue I may have is that I don't see a header for a COM port on the board...?

How's the sound on the card? On the Asus board, I ended up buying a cheap Creative Audigy card. On the MSI, it worked pretty well without the add on card.

When I get the board in (I was thinking of ordering today- and better do it quick as it is the last day for the rebate at the Egg....), can I bother you guys again for some hints on the OC settings. I've seen that the same things apply on all the INTEL boards where you have to turn off the C1E and EIST speedstepping options, but it looks like there a couple of other settings that are very different from the MSI.

Thanks again.
 
3degree said:
Thanks, Buff. Thanks, Pepsiennis.

I've got a P180B case and so I don't think the floppy connector placement should be too much of an issue..... But then the 8pin power connector may be a stretch around my Tuniq Tower....

No issues with memory??? I have Corsair 6400's C4...

How's the sound on the card? On the Asus board, I ended up buying a cheap Creative Audigy card. On the MSI, it worked pretty well without the add on card...
Click to expand...

I personally find the onboard sound surprisingly good. I took out my X-Fi and ran the onboard sound for a few weeks, just to give it a whirl.

As for the 8-pin connector, I have a snaking suggestion. Depending on your 8-pin line, if you're coming from a bottom mounted PSU and don't have a PCI card (audio?) installed, it might fit under the notch of your video card, back by the bracket on the underside, then it's a straight sprint to the 8-pin connection on the board. I know, I'm loopy.

Though day to day I run my Patriot pc2-8500, I tried out my Corsair Dominator pc2-8500 for a week and it had no troubles at all. It's a smokin' feeling to know that if one pair of top-notch DDR2-1066 dies, there's another pair of top-notch DDR2-1066 that'll be running in 2 minutes. Smoke rings, baby! :cool:
 
I've run Corsair 6400C4s in mine OK.

There is no Com port - abit have always been 1 of the forerunners in doing away with legacy ports on their high-end mobos.
If you need a Com port & don't want to run a PCI card then have a look at the Gigabyte P965s. I had a DS4 before which was OK but the QuadGT is better.
 
I just noticed that in the [H], V-H, and Nordic Hardware reviews, Abit shipped them a board with the original 1.0 Bios. I can't help but think WTF?!? And wonder why?
 
We don't know when the board were shipped for review - it seems that often reviews are done some time before they are actually published.
That certainly would rule out the 1.3 BIOS in many cases.

& of course it depends when those boards were actually manufactured & shipped as to what was on them.
If abit are just taking retail stock & sending it out without checking/updating BIOS (to obviate any charges of sending out cherry picked mobos for review) ...?
You would have expected the reviewers to check for updates though (although 1.0 works perfectly well depending upon hardware setup/usage).
 
BUFF said:
We don't know when the board were shipped for review - it seems that often reviews are done some time before they are actually published.
That certainly would rule out the 1.3 BIOS in many cases.

& of course it depends when those boards were actually manufactured & shipped as to what was on them.
If abit are just taking retail stock & sending it out without checking/updating BIOS (to obviate any charges of sending out cherry picked mobos for review) ...?
You would have expected the reviewers to check for updates though (although 1.0 works perfectly well depending upon hardware setup/usage).
Click to expand...

Good points, Buff. Indeed a good review should take at least a few weeks. I wish it were possible for reviewers to go to the extra effort of testing the board as received and again with latest updates. But, obviously very few do this as it's impractical. I did notice in the Nordic review they complained of uGuru's vdimm readings, though I didn't catch if they were using the cd version or the latest. Regardless, it's great to see the QuadGT and Abit receiving well deserved laurels.
 
fattybear said:
Does anyone know if the blue LEDs can be turned off?
Click to expand...

Hey Fattybear! Yes, they can be easily turned off in the Bios. I set them to 'Always On', which gives a nice backlit blue, but if you really want them off, just dive into the Bios and kill those Evil Blue Meanies.
 
Pepsiennis said:
Hey Fattybear! Yes, they can be easily turned off in the Bios. I set them to 'Always On', which gives a nice backlit blue, but if you really want them off, just dive into the Bios and kill those Evil Blue Meanies.
Click to expand...

Ok, thanks...its not too big a deal since the case I'm looking at for my new system doesn't have a window, but if the LEDs bleed through the front fan grill that might be annoying.
 
Well, the $40 rebate was extended at NewEgg, and now they dropped the price another $10 from the $20 they had off the previous price before...... So I'm glad I waited and did not pull the trigger........

I notice that NewEgg only has a 30 day warranty on this... and then ya gotta go through Abit! [The MSI and Asus were both a year through the Egg].

I just know my luck as of late...... (and its not been good--having to return a non posting P5B Dlx and now needing to RMA a MSI P6n Platinum) Have any of you guys had to go through Abit for a board replacement or RMA? How were they? (hopefully more responsive than they were in getting the bios updates by the rants for months over in the thread at XS???)
 
Puzzled... Help me...

The Spex:
QuadGT
E6400 2.13 GHz
Corsair 2x1GB 8500C5D with Fan
Antec Neo Power 550W
3 x 320GB Sata
1 x DVDRW Sata
XFX 7600GT 620/1640

Settings:
CPU: 1066 Strap 425MHz FSB x 8x Multiplier | 1.4850v (Reporting 1.46-1.47)
RAM: 533 Strap! 1:1 425MHz | 2.275v (Reporting 2.24-2.25) Timings: 5-5-5-15-2T
DDRVTT: 1.13v
CPUVTT: 1.4v
MCH: 1.43v
ICHIO: 1.6v
ICH: 1.17v

Orthos Fail in 30 Min. Why??

Thanks in advance
 
Others could advise you better than I, but it sounds like temps.
* How's your CPU, System, and PWM temps, and what are you doing to cool them?

* If your temps at load aren't topping out in those three areas, after that I'd say your MCH voltage looks a little low to me (which would of course just add to the sauna).

* Oh, and what Bios are you using?

* XP or Vista (32 or 64)?

* Are you in Raid, and are the latest Intel drivers installed?
 
3degree said:
Well, the $40 rebate was extended at NewEgg, and now they dropped the price another $10 from the $20 they had off the previous price before...... So I'm glad I waited and did not pull the trigger........

I notice that NewEgg only has a 30 day warranty on this... and then ya gotta go through Abit! [The MSI and Asus were both a year through the Egg].

I just know my luck as of late...... (and its not been good--having to return a non posting P5B Dlx and now needing to RMA a MSI P6n Platinum) Have any of you guys had to go through Abit for a board replacement or RMA? How were they? (hopefully more responsive than they were in getting the bios updates by the rants for months over in the thread at XS???)
Click to expand...

I see it's down to $129 + $6 shipping at the 'egg. That's a great price on this board. At this point, I'm waiting to see what the G33 boards do in mATX. I hear they are good clockers. But if I needed a board right this second, I wouldn't hesitate getting this board for my own personal machine.
 
Pepsiennis said:
Others could advise you better than I, but it sounds like temps.
* How's your CPU, System, and PWM temps, and what are you doing to cool them?

* If your temps at load aren't topping out in those three areas, after that I'd say your MCH voltage looks a little low to me (which would of course just add to the sauna).

* Oh, and what Bios are you using?

* XP or Vista (32 or 64)?

* Are you in Raid, and are the latest Intel drivers installed?
Click to expand...


My temps are fine, i have Arctic silver on all chipsets and PWM, fant on NB, RAM and water cooling on CPU...

CPU high is 60.

I'm using BIOS 13B. I'll try adjusting MCH.

thanks!
 
Just reporting back my experiences with my new QuadGT. Updated it to the latest BIOS. So far it's worked great, and that's even using a Windows installation from my previous motherboard. Anyways, the good stuff- so far running my E6420 at 3.0Ghz (8x375). That's with the stock heatsink/fan and at stock voltage. And with SpeedStep on. The memory is running at a 1:1 ratio. The only thing I have changed in the BIOS is FSB and Memory ratio. It idles at about 35*C and tops out at about 57*C with two instances of Prime95 running, along with the game Oblivion. I have the mobo sitting next to me. The only other fan going is the one on the Nvidia 8800GTS. This is the most quiet box I've ever used. Quite impressed so far. Also, the latest version of PCWizard2007 is compatible with the Abit uGuru monitoring chip and it will display all temps and voltages.
 
Well, when I can lay my hands on a Penryn later this year and (if I) need a board to accomodate them, my eye will definitely fall on Abit first. I'm actually looking forward to hearing about the IP35 Pro, especially from reviewers who also reviewed the QuadGT.
 
13,360 in 3DMark06.

Dang, Blacklash... the tip of your ePenis must be chafed from scraping along the floor after that score! :D Good show w/ the QuadGT!
 
JucyTEC said:
its Load, yea it is a bit hot... i have the radiator fan turned down to 2000 RPM, if i put it to 5000 it stays a lot cooler, and also get pretty LOUD... i like to sleep at night...:)
Click to expand...

And the other info? Or did you get it sorted out?
 
Pepsiennis said:
And the other info? Or did you get it sorted out?
Click to expand...

Sorry, how rude of me...

Ok, so with the..E6400 2.13GHz, and 2GB Corsair 8500C5DF...

CPU @ 1066Strap @ 425MHz @ 8x @ 3400 MHz @ 1.5050 (Reporting 1.48v)
DDR @ 1:1 @ 425MHz @ 2.275v (Reporting 2.22v)

Orthos for 8 Hours, restarting with 430 MHz later on today...

I think Upping the MCH did do the trick, I also think I need some FANS the air Flow on this case is Crap. I need some 120 mm Fans in this sucker. Thanks for your help!

My goal is still to reach 450MHz. at 3.6 GHz... I might try 5-6-6-18 and bump it up some more... More helpful suggestions would be Greatly Appreciated.
 
Hey Jucy! Glad to hear you broke through!

As for reaching 450, I try to find my CPU's sweet spot first, using really relaxed RAM timings, then when that's accomplished it's a lot easier to see what your RAM options are and tighten your timings, so I agree with your 5-6-6-18.

I just noticed you're using that Gigabyte watercooling. Yeah, you'll want more fans to replace the lost link in the 'relay' of air moving in, then out, of the case (over the NB and PWM especially).

Is your Gigabyte WC the Galaxy1 or Galaxy 2, and what do you think of it? Finding any watercooling setups where I live is rare, and I ran across the Gigabyte Galaxy 1 kit this week, so would greatly appreciate your thoughts as to its performance. Thanks! Darned glad to know you're enjoying the board.

P.S. Your Corsair Dominator 8500's are rated for 2.2v @ 1066, so watch you don't over volt them without meaning to. If you mean to, well... he-he-he! :cool:
 
Pepsiennis said:
Hey Jucy! Glad to hear you broke through!

As for reaching 450, I try to find my CPU's sweet spot first, using really relaxed RAM timings, then when that's accomplished it's a lot easier to see what your RAM options are and tighten your timings, so I agree with your 5-6-6-18.

I just noticed you're using that Gigabyte watercooling. Yeah, you'll want more fans to replace the lost link in the 'relay' of air moving in, then out, of the case (over the NB and PWM especially).

Is your Gigabyte WC the Galaxy1 or Galaxy 2, and what do you think of it? Finding any watercooling setups where I live is rare, and I ran across the Gigabyte Galaxy 1 kit this week, so would greatly appreciate your thoughts as to its performance. Thanks! Darned glad to know you're enjoying the board.

P.S. Your Corsair Dominator 8500's are rated for 2.2v @ 1066, so watch you don't over volt them without meaning to. If you mean to, well... he-he-he! :cool:
Click to expand...

Alrighty... well I have a Fan on NB as well as the PWM... but the case airflow is no good... 2.275 on the ram is blowing off a lot of heat after adding the corsair's airflow fans... adding a 2 x 120 mm fan to swop out hot air...from front of the case to the back.

Water Cooling... I realized after buying this kit... Buying separate parts from different vendors usually work out best, (frozenCPU and DangerDen, and CoolerGuys...) as I am seeing some crappy temperature readings from Galaxy II. my Aztec water Pump and german Ehiem radiator gets 15C degrees cooler i'm used to seeing load temperature of 52 at most... this rig does tops at 65. Makes me wonder if the pump is not functioning. I've seen aircooling run load at 65, tho problably not at 1.5050 volts.
 
Yeah, I'll give it a pass then. Thanks! That's right, you have the fan to keep the Dominator's cool, that'll work just great!
 
i just recently acquired this motherboard with a E6600 & 2gb g.skill HZ memory. to bad though the E6600 is a later week/code (L707A) and isn't that great of an overclocker like the rest of them. i'm still considering if i should keep this one or not, but i think that if i can get this thing running stable 24/7 at 3.2GHz i'll be happy enough. anyone got a template for something for me to start off with? i've only been able to oc an amd opty 165, and some of these overvolt options i'm not aware of such as the CPU VTT, and the ICHIO. so with everything that i've been trying i haven't been able to get anything really stable enough with orthos and it makes me wonder what exactly is incorrect.

and what do you guys all use to check the vcore? coretemp is always at 1.35v for me no matter if i'm changing the vcore or not, speedfan's vcore seems incorrect, cpu-z's vcore is incorrect as it's always showing 1.2xx .. is uGuru the only correct one?
 
Sorry Jasyn, little busy this weekend. I've got just the mildest of OC's going
3.2 @ 356x9, Memory 2:3 = 1068 5-5-5-9-2T (w/ PC2-8500 in my sig)

In Bios:

Vcore 1.2975V
MCH1.25V 1.35V
ICHIO 1.5V 1.55V
CPUVTT 1.30V
ICH 1.05V 1.10V

Now, I started higher than this and once I booted stable, I began zeroing in on the lowest stable voltages. Those are what I ended up with. Though they seem mighty low to me (after my Striker Extreme experience) even for a measly 356 fsb, they pass Orthos and OCCT without a problem, and I never get any instability, so, OK, they stay.

Those options from the photo are under Advanced Bios Options>CPU Options (the first menu option, if memory serves). You'll want to Disable all of them if you're overclocking. As for checking Vcore, the uGuru program (find latest at : ftp://ftp.abit.com.tw/pub/download/utilities/uguru/3.104/uguru_v3104.zip ) is actually pretty good about that, as it is reading off a dedicated chip on the motherboard. Or for a more accurate read, try Speedfan, though it just gets my temps right but gives me a political speech (seems important but is actually just gibberish) when it comes to voltages.

Hope this helps and let us know how it's going with your new 'toy'. ;)
 
Pepsiennis said:
Sorry Jasyn, little busy this weekend. I've got just the mildest of OC's going
3.2 @ 356x9, Memory 2:3 = 1068 5-5-5-9-2T (w/ PC2-8500 in my sig)

In Bios:

Vcore 1.2975V
MCH1.25V 1.35V
ICHIO 1.5V 1.55V
CPUVTT 1.30V
ICH 1.05V 1.10V

Now, I started higher than this and once I booted stable, I began zeroing in on the lowest stable voltages. Those are what I ended up with. Though they seem mighty low to me (after my Striker Extreme experience) even for a measly 356 fsb, they pass Orthos and OCCT without a problem, and I never get any instability, so, OK, they stay.

Those options from the photo are under Advanced Bios Options>CPU Options (the first menu option, if memory serves). You'll want to Disable all of them if you're overclocking. As for checking Vcore, the uGuru program (find latest at : ftp://ftp.abit.com.tw/pub/download/utilities/uguru/3.104/uguru_v3104.zip ) is actually pretty good about that, as it is reading off a dedicated chip on the motherboard. Or for a more accurate read, try Speedfan, though it just gets my temps right but gives me a political speech (seems important but is actually just gibberish) when it comes to voltages.

Hope this helps and let us know how it's going with your new 'toy'. ;)
Click to expand...

i'll give that a shot. voltage question .. say i need 1.5v-1.55v just to run it stable at 3.2GHz .. is that way to much? i kno it may be a possibility because i don't have that great of a week/code in my chip.
 
Picked up this board, should be here Wednesday. I got it from Mwave for $160 w/ a $30 rebate. Roughly same price as the egg, but less money upfront and smaller rebate.
 
If this continues where the QuadGT leaves off, then I am getting one the first second it's available. Who am I kidding? I'm getting one regardless, then reporting back to all of you! TheInq has a preview blurb of the IP35 Pro. Check out that NB cooler on the Silent (Hall&) Otes.

YoNeX, welcome! glad to hear you're joining the team!

Jasyn, yeah, 1.5 or 1.55 sounds unnecessary to just hit 3.2. If you need that much you should return that processor fast for another. It won't come to that, don't worry. For a 24/7 overclock, I always think of the chipset voltages as a sling or a hammock: if they are secure then the CPU should nestle into your frequency without excessive voltages. It's only for the 'suicide shots' (as someone earlier in this thread put it so perfectly to describe an attempt at a really high clock) that you will really need to start pushing above 1.5.
 
Pepsiennis said:
If this continues where the QuadGT leaves off, then I am getting one the first second it's available. Who am I kidding? I'm getting one regardless, then reporting back to all of you!
Click to expand...
hehe, it's a sickness ...
P.S. I'm probably going to do it too ...:eek:
 
Just received my Newegg order and hopefully have up and running this week. Has been a few years since my last build for my kids.
I'm a little worried about my E6600 as I don't see a lot of these oc'ed ( L702 C582) and I'm not into high oc'ing but like to dabble.

mb: Abit AB9 QGT
cpu: e6600 (L702)
H/S: AC Freezer7 pro
Video: xfx 8600 gts
Ram: Corsair Dominator 8500 w/fan
HD: 2x Seagate 7200.10 320G

I haven't oc'ed since the early years with NF-7 and glad Abit seems to finally have their act together.

Any thoughts on how I should initially start up with timings, etc
Appreciate any help with setting this board up or links to search!
 
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