Intel D875PBZLK

[Ralf Hutter]

Originally posted by David Rolfe
Hi Realdieu,

Sorry to hear you are still not happy with your new Intel board... has anyone else experienced similar similar problems?

I am hoping to use a Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop combo with my board, so will obviously be trying it out in DOS mode first, as it is a completely new build.

(Just need the monitor now to finally complete my system... hopefully it will arrive tomorrow!)

-David-

Not me.

The only problems I had with mine was finding RAM that would work, but that seems to be an issue with almost all 875/865 boards. I also had trouble getting BIOS P08 to work right but a little CMOS-clearing and careful flashing procedures did the trick for me. All is running very fast and rock-solid in the Hutter Computer Labs right now.

[Sandog]

Hi Realdieu,

Sorry you've had such a terrible time with your Intel board. I haven't read up on all your problems or the hardware you have but mine hasn't been giving me any problems. I'm still using burn in mode and have fast mem timings (5-2-3-2). No reboot issues or mouse issues with mine. I just got PO9 when it came out and have even installed the latest Intel Appl. Accel. 3.5. It went over v3.0 with no problems so I'm keeping it installed.

Odd that a wireless mouse would be causing you problems. Other than the mouse to receiver being wireless the receiver to PS/2 port or USB should be the same as a normal mouse.

Well If it weren't for the Intel board I would definately be getting the ASUS P4C800 Deluxe.

Good luck.

[realdieu]

Update:

The keyboard issue is fine now. However, I still have that maddening lockup issue. The ONLY thing I can think of is the LSI RAID controller...

[David Rolfe]

Originally posted by realdieu
Update:

The keyboard issue is fine now. However, I still have that maddening lockup issue. The ONLY thing I can think of is the LSI RAID controller...

Hi Realdieu,

When you say that the keyboard issue is fine now, does that mean that you can use the F2 key to enter the Intel BIOS setup using a wireless keyboard?

If so do please tell me your secret, as that is my problem at the moment!

I know I could always dig out a hard wired keyboard, but it would be nice not to have to do this!

Thanks,

-David-

[David Rolfe]

Hi,

Just solved the problem myself... my Microsoft Wireless keyboard has a separate 'F Lock' key. which you have to press at the same time as the F2 key to get into the BIOS setup!

It does sometimes pay to RTFM !

-David-

PS First thing for me to do... upgrade the BIOS from Version P05 to P09, and away we (hopefully) go!

[Ronin_abx]

You can also press the Delete key, rather than F2, to enter the BIOS.

[David Rolfe]

Hi,

As this thread is about the D875PBZ, could someone please clarify the prefered memory settings for me... I am sure this has been covered before, but I can't seem to find anything since they re-organised the forums!

I am setting up a brand new system, using a 3 Gb P4 C (800 FSB) and a matched pair of Kingston HyperX PC3200 512Mb mobules (1 Gb total). I have updated the BIOS to P09, and we are up and running.

However before I start to format drives and install Windows XP, I understand that the memory settings are best 'slackened off' somewhat, as I have already experienced a few lock-ups!

Now the order which Intel list them on the BIOS setup screen is:

SDRAM RAS Act. to Pre.
SDRAM CAS# Latency
SDRAM RAS# to CAS# delay
SDRAM RAS Precharge

Following what I have read, I have set these to 6, 2.0, 3, 3 (following the above order).

Should these values be OK to start with, or would anyone recommend an initial change, before I get stuck in?

And finally, what is the 'normal' way to list these please?

Thanks,

-David-

PS Any sugestions gratefully received!

[Sandog]

I've still got the cold boot issue. I'm going to make a 3 wire header and run it outside my case. That way I don't have to open up the case all the time to switch jumpers to get bios back on screen.

[specmike]

Sandog, I have not kept up that much with this thread lately. That is surprising that you are resorting to a outside CMOS jumper on an Intel board, that sux even. Have you isolated this to hardware or software yet, bios? Any word from Intel?

Mike

[Sandog]

Well I don't seem to have the problem unless I am in Burn-In-Mode +4%. I was hoping BIOS update PO9 would fix the problem. Apparently it hasn't. I want to run +4% because I mostly game. This fix will make it easier to reset my computer when it locks up which it will do.

I paid 25$ to Intel tech. support to get this board running in the beginning. I botched a BIOS update. I am not paying anymore to talk to those people. This is the best board I ever had and I intend to keep it for the time being. I might decide to just run it at default FSB or wait and buy the new Grantsdale when it arrives next year if this problem doesn't get fixed.

[specmike]

I wonder if Intel makes it more difficult to recover from a "burn in" related crash as opposed to stock settings? They may do that to subtly discourage people from using the "burn in" mode as an overclock option. Prolly just me being paranoid.........but they really are watching me

GOTTA LOG OFF NOW!!! I've been online more than 61.2 minutes and that means they can find me now!

[Ralf Hutter]

Originally posted by Sandog

I paid 25$ to Intel tech. support to get this board running in the beginning. I botched a BIOS update. I am not paying anymore to talk to those people.

Intel's MoBo tech support sucks big time. A few years back I had an 815EP board that was giving me trouble and I found out that I'd have to pay to get tech support on it even though I'm an IPD. I remember screaming and cursing that I'd never buy another Intel board again, but of course I've bought a few dozen more, at least and have never had a problem until I got my 875PBZ. I wanted some input on my P08 reboot issue but I'll be damned if I'm going to pay so I tried their IPD email support. Hah, what a joke. After trading one email per day (I guess that's their limit) all they ended up telling me was to reinstall the OS (for a BIOS problem!) or to use RAM that is on their compatibility list. Thanks to the help I got from Asusboards I got it running fine.

Dang, now that I'm all steamed up maybe I'll fire off an email to Intel about this.

/Ralf cackles, runs over to his email appliance and started pounding away on the keys............

[TQ]

Originally posted by realdieu
Update!
Intel BIOS 9 does NOT play friendly with my configuration. I still cannot boot into WinXP without depressing the reset button.

I had a similar issue. Near exact, in fact.
I was getting spontaneous reboots under a variety of circumstances and thought it must be a memory timing issue.
So I set my memory timings to 6-2-3-3 to stabilize the system. (note that SPD for my board and my Mushkin Hi-Perf Black Level II is read as 6-2-2-2)
At the 6-2-3-3 settings my reboots were gone but I couldn't get Windows to cold boot or restart without hitting the reset button.
When I set everything in the BIOS to defaults (6-2-2-2) my system cold boots and restarts normally, but the instability is back, just not quite as bad.
I'm currently with BIOS 9, but I have observed the unasked for reboots with both BIOS 8 and 9.

And as much as I like digging the prow on realdieu's new steamer I miss the G-Man icon.

[realdieu]

Yes, that was my bloody problem. The "F Lock" key. Who in the hell ever needed to depress a special key in order to use the function keys on any keyboard? However, the damn cold boot issue is still driving me mad. Because of this, the D875PBZ must go away. I have no intention of tossing a $800.00 RAID controller in lieu of a $150.00 motherboard. This is an 875P problem. In fact, I must use an LSI "boot disk" in order to enter into the LSI Controller settings during bootup. According to LSI, the 875P chipset doesn't play well with INT19. These problems never appeared with any other motherboard AMD or Intel... My next stop, is Asus' P4C800-E...

Originally posted by David Rolfe
Hi,

Just solved the problem myself... my Microsoft Wireless keyboard has a separate 'F Lock' key. which you have to press at the same time as the F2 key to get into the BIOS setup!

It does sometimes pay to RTFM !

-David-

PS First thing for me to do... upgrade the BIOS from Version P05 to P09, and away we (hopefully) go!

[Ralf Hutter]

Originally posted by TQ
I had a similar issue. Near exact, in fact.
I was getting spontaneous reboots under a variety of circumstances and thought it must be a memory timing issue.
So I set my memory timings to 6-2-3-3 to stabilize the system. (note that SPD for my board and my Mushkin Hi-Perf Black Level II is read as 6-2-2-2)
At the 6-2-3-3 settings my reboots were gone but I couldn't get Windows to cold boot or restart without hitting the reset button.
When I set everything in the BIOS to defaults (6-2-2-2) my system cold boots and restarts normally, but the instability is back, just not quite as bad.

If you read the Mushkin DDR Qualification page (I can't directly link to it because Mushkin's links don't work like real links) they'll tell you that even though the RAM is rated at 2-2-2-6 by SPD you can not run it faster than 2-3-3-6 with any DDR400 RAM they've ever tried.

Here, I stole this from Mushkins' site for you:



So that explains at least part of your problem: You shouldn't try and run your RAM faster than 2-3-3-6. In fact I've seen plenty of posts here and at OCforums that say you really can't run any 875/865 board faster than 2-3-2-x