First NFORCE Build

L

lw3d

Gawd
Joined
Aug 20, 2004
Messages
577
I finally have all my parts. I would really appreciate some guidance on this build. I want to get ready for the final part that will be arriving tomorrow. I have allready made the TMod bios cd a couple weeks ago.

I plan to OC but I am not sure if I should do it before or after the OS is installed

I will be using
Opteron 165 Reatil With Retail Heatsink
DFI Ultra - d
Enermax Liberty 500
2 GB GSkill UCCC
Leadtech 6800 GT
WD Sata2 250 GB KS
XP SP2
Stacker STC101

The first thing I would like to know is which bios I should use and when should I load it ... right away, after OS, etc ...

I would also like to know a general build step by step

I would like to know if I have to install Sata2 drivers, VGA drivers, and chipset drivers when XP asks for them ... if so, which ones - please tell me I do not have to follow this guide - http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=51140&st=0&p=356029&#entry356029

Should I enter bios setting right away, if so, which ones ... for the memory

Any other information you feel I should know PLEASE do not hesitate to menton

Thanks :)
 
What I do:

1. Flash BIOS. Not always necessary, but for my DFI board I needed 623 or later for use with my dual core chip. Note: the BIOS that ships with the board will allow you to boot with the 165, it just may not recognize both cores. The BIOS flashing CDs at www.dfi-street.com are incredibly useful, as you'll soon find out.

2. Manually set voltages and timings in BIOS. I also turn off any unused crap as well, floppy, serial, stuff like that. Where can you find your RAM timings? Take the initiative to visit www.dfi-street.com and do a search, find out the exact timings others are successfully using.

3. Install XP, updates, then drivers.

That's about it. Not as hard as folks make it out to be. I don't bother rebooting after every driver install, have simply never found it necessary.

I use the latest nForce4 and Dets; but do not install cool and quiet, IDE drivers, or the nForce4 firewall crap. SP2 has the necessary SATA drivers. For construction plans, simply follow the guide that came with your mobo and CPU, hey are actually quite user friendly. Some folks go to great pains to avoid 'static shock' when handling the various components, I simply lay everything out on a big piece of cardboard and make sure to keep part of a hand/wrist/arm touching a metal part of the case when I'm installing hardware. Hasn't failed me yet :D

Leave yourself plenty of time so you don't feel rushed. Take the time to carefuly route all your wires/cables and tuck away any used/loose ends. I usually route as much as I can behind the motherboard (fan wires usually) or behind the drive cages.
 
presuming you know proper assembly of the actual hardware, it should be piece of cake ;)

my generall setup guide, once all hardware is in place..

1. yes, bios update, definitly. i normally do this from a floppy, but only because i don't have a cd burner ;)

2. before you go to set up windows.. memtest! hell, the program is on the bios, all you gotta do is enable it and run it. just checks to make sure things semi-good before you get to work on installing windows.

3. once windows is installed, i typically do this:
install chipset drivers without DW ide or the stupid firewall
reboot
install video card drivers
reboot
install whatever else you need, programs, printer, whatnot

4. overclock

5. kill windows install by accident, go back to step 1 ;)
 
(cf)Eclipse said:
5. kill windows install by accident, go back to step 1 ;)
Click to expand...

HeHe :)

Someone scared me and told me I need to nLite the Sata drivers in and then on the nLite site there is a link for people who get constant reboots after windows install which leads to
this guide - I am glad I do not have to do that

I guess WindowsXpSP2 has the Sata2 drivers allready or thats what I am assuming after reading your guys responses

Thanks :)
 
I have the 704-BTA bios and it works fine for me. I used the 6/23 and it wasn't that much different than the 704. There is a newer one out with FX-60 support, but I never flashed to it since I don't have an FX-60 :cool: .
 
homersapien said:
What I do:

do not install cool and quiet, IDE drivers, or the nForce4 firewall crap
Click to expand...

I second this. Do not, I repeat DO NOT, install the firewall. Even when it seems to be working its crap. I corrupted everything I downloaded, and it is a pain to uninstall.
 
Are there any drivers on the cd the board came with I should install ?
 
the chipset drivers. When you install teh chipset drivers, you'll get option to install just the chipset drivers or to also install the other drivers and the firewall. Just say no.
 
kirbyrj said:
I have the 704-BTA bios and it works fine for me. I used the 6/23 and it wasn't that much different than the 704. There is a newer one out with FX-60 support, but I never flashed to it since I don't have an FX-60 :cool: .
Click to expand...
i like the 11-14 bios. it has served me well ;)
 
Question - The MB pamflet says on 2.1 that if the heatsink already has thermal paste peel the strip off ... I am using a retail heatsink and I do not see thermal paste but I see a thin layer of grey material

Do I peel this off?
I have AS5 to put on the cpu but I have not yet
 
You're asking me :) I do not know ...
There are no instruction with the retail 165

Anyone with a retail 165 know?
 
its just an aluminum pad. scrape that crap off, pull the pad off and put some as5 on it.
 
I took the Enermax Liberty 500 out the box and pluged it in not connected to anything ... turn the swith to on and nothing, no fan, no sound

Is this a dead psu
 
murderer. now you have to wrap it in a sleeping bag and drop it in the nearest river.

no, its not dead. the psu isnt going to turn on without being plugged into the motherboard and being turned on via the motherboards pw sw, or unless you jumper the 20/24pin plug.
 
hah dont know why y'all nvidia firewall isn't working works great fast and efficent for me and its a damn good firewall. i had a couple of drivers that were bad that i rolled back to old ones till a new one came out and it worked under both
 
I got everything out on a piece of wood. I put one stick of ram [ orange slot closest to edge ], 6800 GT, cpu, hetsink, ps2 keyboard.

I boot up, and I get all the ay to verifying DMI pool and then disk failure which I know is because I have no HD. So am I good to go?

Bt the way, i did the above with the 4 pin molex in and not connected and got the same thing. So do i need that connected or not?

A question on my video card. I first did this on the top white DVI connector. I used a DVI to Vga then to monitor. When I did this on the top DVI connector I get nothing but on the bottom DVI connector it works [ the above ]. Is my top DVI connector broken or is it used only as a SECOND device?
 
Where the bleep is memtest hiding in the bios, I cannot find it anywhere in the bios

Are these temps to high, these temps are just searching through the bios looking for memtest

according to the bios

cpu core 41 C
PWM 49 C
chipset 51 C
 
I just went to do memtest and it appears I have some sort of a problem with the heatsink fan. After a few seconds the fan stops and rotates in 1 / 4 quarter turns per revolution

It does not happen all the time. This is the second time it has done it in about 10 power up ( looking for memtest )

By the way, the temps I posted above were with the fan spinning. I am sure about that

What should I do?
 
Anyone ...

memtest is running on both sticks now ...

but I have no idea whay ocassionaly the cpu fan stops a few seconds after boot up?. I am not sure what the computer does at this time because I try to immediatelly turn it off

Should I use the Nforce Sata2 or the Silicon Sata2 inputs first?
 
Out on the work bench I got Xp installed on the WD 250 KS Sata2 drive with out problems eventhough I am not sure if it is working at sata 1, 2, or ide speeds. Anyways, I got a new Ultra -d and my 165 was detected correctly but I wanted to change the bios to one of the optimized ones I have heard about

I did this all without the boards floppy and molex power connected but I will plug them in when I OC

Both sticks past memtest all the way up to 100%. When I came back it was on *5 so it must have started the second time around. I stoped it though

Anyone want to suggest a bios from TMODs cd to use when OC? Is there anything I have to do after the bios flash and before I go back in to windows?

Should I OC out on the workbench or waite till I get the stuff up in the case?

Now I have to hunt for the settings in the bios ...
 
Starting To Tweak
These are the settings I am going to start off with

I enabled the .03v if not 3.2v switch and when I rebooted back to the bios I still can only move the Dram voltage by .10

Its on 2.6 so I have 2.7, 2.8, etcc ... any ideas?

DRAM FREQUENCY SET: 200 (1:1)
COMMAND PER CLOCK: ENABLE (1T)
CAS: 3
TRCD: 4
TRAS: 8
TRP: 4
TRC: 7
TRFC: 13~18
TRRD: 2
TER: 2
TWTR: 1~2
TRWT: 2~3
TREF: 3684
TWCL: 1
DRAM BANK INTERLEAVE: ENABLE

DQS SKEW CONTROL: AUTO
DQS SKEW VALUE: 0
DRAM DRIVE STRENGTH: 7 (OR BEST VALUE FOR YOUR SYSTEM)
DARM DATE DRIVE STRENGTH: 1 (OR BEST VALUE FOR YOUR SYSTEM)
MAX ASYNC LATENCY: 7~8NS
DARM RESPONSE: NORMAL
READ PREAMBLE TIME: 5NS
IDLECYCLE LIMIT: 256
DYNAMIC COUNTER: ENABLE
R/W QUEUE BYPASS:16
BYPASS MAX: 7
32 BYTE GRANULARITY: DISABLE
 
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