Intel D975XBX (Bad Axe)

[JimTram]

Bambi's spouse!

Originally Posted by TQ

Doesn't look like we'll starve this winter...

[GWillakers]

Buddy G, Marrt, Supafly:

Marrt since you traced your long boot to a USB device, I would reccommend to you all to go into the BIOS ...Boot Tab... and disable USB Boot.

The BIOS has to configure all bootable devices, so you are best off disabling the "Booting" from devices you know you won't boot from.

Also consider disabling booting form Optical , Removable, Network.

Buddy G... It really does sound like your system is having problems detecting the parameters of your disk.

In IDU... are the Smart parameters showing any problems?

Normally I tell the PATA owners, to make sure they set their disk drive detection on AUTO{if they move drives around}, or set the parameters manually {to eliminate drive configuration}. But it seems that SATA doesn't allow setting them manually.

I was gonna tell you to compare your relavent settings with Marrt since, he seemed to be experiencing similar problems.... but....

[TQ]

Originally Posted by JimTram

Bambi's spouse!

Nah. It was her grandfather. He was over five years old.

[Supa-Fly]

Geez TQ, thats a big buck!

Are you and Mrs. TQ gonna eat that or are you gonna sell it...
...and get some upgrades. Hee Hee Hee

[Buddy.G]

Originally Posted by GWillakers

Buddy G... It really does sound like your system is having problems detecting the parameters of your disk.

In IDU... are the Smart parameters showing any problems?

Yep, I think it has to be something to do with the onboard controller not liking SATA II's set as "SATA as IDE". Either that or perhaps just my board has a defect with the controller.

I have tried 2 different identical Seagates and a WD of the same size and spec's and the hang still occurs. I've used the Intel cables, A. C. Ryan cables, Belkin and a generic. All same result.

IDU shows no issues with the S.M.A.R.T. parameters of any of the 3 drives. Still haven't tried the reinstall using the AHCI or Raid settings. That's about all that's left to try.

[Buddy.G]

Has anyone had success with the Scythe Infinity or Ninja Rev 2 using the Bad Axe AND one of the Lian Li V1000, V1100 or V1200 series cases?

My temps are okay but I am not liking the RPM's I have to run to keep this weird upside down ATX MB case under control. Sounds like a darned wind tunnel.

[Supa-Fly]

Originally Posted by Buddy.G

Has anyone had success with the Scythe Infinity or Ninja Rev 2 using the Bad Axe AND one of the Lian Li V1000, V1100 or V1200 series cases?

My temps are okay but I am not liking the RPM's I have to run to keep this weird upside down ATX MB case under control. Sounds like a darned wind tunnel.

Why not consider a Cooler Master AquaGate Mini, its a cheap liquid cooler
already filled and sealed, very quiet when fan is low, and if your not going
to OC then you dont need to run it higher than lowest. On my E6600 stock
my temps are 29c Idle and 37c Load.

[JimTram]

OK - that makes it better.

Originally Posted by TQ

Nah. It was her grandfather. He was over five years old.

[GWillakers]

Originally Posted by Buddy.G

That's about all that's left to try.

No there are Lots of things left to try...

The bright side is you have multiple types of drives tested.
This should pretty much rule out a idiosyncrasy with a particular drive.

I would avoid the AHCI and Raid situations for now....
This would complicate the situation...where you need to simplify.

Try to run with a single drive in your system.

0) Do you have any PATA in the system?
0.5) Do you have any floppy drives?
It use to be that a miscabled floppy could show up as a problem
in a PATA HD. {don't know about SATA}
1) Where are you plugging the drive in... black or blue ports?
2) If black... does the BIOS show it in Port 0?
Thats where I would put my system/boot drive
{you could try moving the one drive to a different port}
3) If you are using the silicon ports (blue} do you have any cards in a PCI slot? {possible interrupt conflict } {you might want to move the PCI card to the other slot.}

4) go into control panel---> admin tools ---> computer management
===> disk management
see if it reports all your disks as healthy
{concern here is if you have dynamic disks, and one or more has been
taken away... it will look for the missing disk and flag the error}


5) BIOS ... Drive configuration...
Use automatic mode Enabled?
ATA/IDE mode Enhanced?
Configure sata as IDE?
Smart Enabled?
Hard disk pre-delay {mine is set a 0, but you might consider a higher val

Bios .... Boot configuration
{you only want the minimum boot devices enabled ie the Hard drive}
{and you want your boot drive listed first among your drives}

[TQ]

Originally Posted by Supa-Fly

Geez TQ, thats a big buck!

Are you and Mrs. TQ gonna eat that or are you gonna sell it...
...and get some upgrades. Hee Hee Hee

Wellll....we were going to eat it, but the nVidia 8800-series is about to hit the streets...

[Buddy.G]

Originally Posted by Supa-Fly

Why not consider a Cooler Master AquaGate Mini, its a cheap liquid cooler already filled and sealed, very quiet when fan is low, and if your not going to OC then you dont need to run it higher than lowest.

I had forgotten about the sealed liquid units. I had a less than pleasant experience earlier this year with a "boutique" built system and a liquid cooling setup but it wasn't the CM AquaGate. I see the AquaGate has come into the price range of most of the better air coolers now. I know a couple of other folks using the AquaGate as well. If I can't get any feedback on the air towers like the Ninja with my setup, I'll give it a go.

[Buddy.G]

Originally Posted by GWillakers

Try to run with a single drive in your system.

Doing that now until I can sort this out.

0) Do you have any PATA in the system?
0.5) Do you have any floppy drives?

Running dual Samsung SH182 DVD-RW's and a Mitsumi floppy but none are boot enabled at present - HD only for now.

1) Where are you plugging the drive in... black or blue ports?
2) If black... does the BIOS show it in Port 0?
3) If you are using the silicon ports (blue} do you have any cards in a PCI slot? {possible interrupt conflict } {you might want to move the PCI card to the other slot.}

Running only in the SATA II black ports and with a single drive, am using port 0 as is reported by the bios. I've tried port 1 with as well with all the cable and drive swapping but same results. Have no current use for the Sil Img raid ports.

4) go into control panel---> admin tools ---> computer management
===> disk management
see if it reports all your disks as healthy
{concern here is if you have dynamic disks, and one or more has been
taken away... it will look for the missing disk and flag the error}

No issues with Disk Management reporting anything but "Healthy". All 3 HD's used have reported the same. No other drives, dynamic or otherwise in use.

5) BIOS ... Drive configuration...
Use automatic mode Enabled?
ATA/IDE mode Enhanced?
Configure sata as IDE?
Smart Enabled?
Hard disk pre-delay {mine is set a 0, but you might consider a higher val

Bios .... Boot configuration
{you only want the minimum boot devices enabled ie the Hard drive}
{and you want your boot drive listed first among your drives}

Auto enabled, ATA/IDE is Auto, SATA as IDE, S.M.A.R.T. enabled and functioning. Have tinkered with the HD pre-delay but the "hang" occurs before that is invoked. I.E. You can see the 30 seconds of solid disk light/access and then when the drive is "sensed", any delay set in bios appears to take place along with the boot tests, etc. (The screen is blank during the "hang"/disk light/access period)

I may be off base but I still am leaning to a possible board issue in a surface mounted controller chip. I had rather be wrong but if not, maybe I can justify a BA II!

[Cnemie]

Hello again:

I popped for one of the new Zalman 9700 cpu fans for my E6600/D975XBX system. (It is basically the same unit as the 9500 with a larger diameter fan.)

I was concerned over the relatively high idling temps (48-50 degrees C) with the stock cooler. I noticed when I removed the stock cooler that the contact area was good....flat with a contact patch covering the entire area. The new cooler is an immediate improvement with temp drops close to 20 percent. (Idling around 38-40 C) I believe the directional flow and volume of the new cooler helps it dissipate heat much better. The stock cooler radiates heat inside the case, but the Zalman pushes it straight toward the rear exhaust fans.. much more efficient.

I am pleased with the results.

[GWillakers]

BuddyG:

Ok I know by now (might be getting tired of this problem,
and I don't want to stand in your way of RMA'ing the board if you choose.

But if you are still up to it, I believe there are a few more things to consider.

1) Pull the data cables from the board-end for the floppy and Pata drives.
{eliminate as many variables as possible}

2) Even though your problem is before the OS loads,
What does device mananger say about...
{expand} IDE ATA/ATAPI controller
{dbl click} all Primary and Secondary IDE channels
advanced settings
current transfer modes ?

3) Your modular P/S is pretty nice...
Three 12 v rails each supporting 18 A
You aren't by any chance overloading the rail to the drive?
Splitting the cable?
Just in case there is a fault with the PS... try a different cable,
one that is plugged into another modular port of the P/S.

4) Last but certainly not least, you might want to go to BIOS and...
A) Load the custom defaults...
{test with these}

B) Load Optimal defaults {test and adjust settings afterward}
I believe this may sometimes fix a setting you might not have access
to in your normal BIOS screens. It's worked for me a couple of times,
when I just could not track down a problem.

5) In your previous response you said your "ATA/IDE was set as Enabled"
I think you meant "Enhanced" correct?


P.S. Good luck.

[Sandog]

New audio driver. There are four different downloads for each OS. I am not sure if AC97 support means the Intel front panel 3.5" port adapter. Anyone
have a comment on this?

http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scri...4&submit=Go%21

I DL'd the third driver for IAS.