Intel D975XBX (Bad Axe)

[Sandog]

I have Vista Ultimate 64bit installed and it is running fine so far. I have an issue with NVidia though. My display looks and works fine but the base score is the lowest possible for the video card. Upon refreshing the score after loading NVidia drivers, Vista runs some graphics tests which end up crashing Vista to a reboot and seeing DiskManager run (not enjoyable).


People complain about SLI driver support but hey, there is even lousy support for single-top model NVidia cards to.

Sandog

[stmckin]

did you try the new Nvidia x64 Vista beta version 100.64 ?
Windows Vista 64-bit

[Sandog]

Originally Posted by stmckin

did you try the new Nvidia x64 Vista beta version 100.64 ?
Windows Vista 64-bit

Yes Sir, that is what I installed last night along with all the other latest drivers from Logitech and Intel (all the 64bit drivers I could DL). I also did something new which Vista provides. I let the Vista installation process collect the latest installation files (download) while it was installing. I felt it might be better to have the installation run with the latest software than to have to download later. It worked fine. I tell you Vista has some good drivers/programs. It obsoleted my Fuji FinePix camera software that was filled with spam and useless programs and even works better. Funny this, my Logitech G7 worked great but yet I installed the Logitech driver package (a whopping 50MB) for a silly mouse. It actually installed 12MB of mouse software What a joke (not). Also the SigMatel driver package has the most basic, useless, dull-looking control app. in the system tray I have ever witnessed. I sure hope Intel comes out with adding Sonic Focus back in the SigMatel audio package and where in the world did IDCC go? I sure hope that sticks around. Intel updated their Desktop Utilities program but I like using IDCC which tells much of the same stuff and does more. Plus it looks cool.

On a side note, Vista flies. I had more delays just posting in ABXZ with XP than I do with Vista. The net flies. The Desktop is smooth as silk and is fast to. I love it.

Sandog

[Supa-Fly]

Hey there Sandog, does your 8800 get so hot you can barely touch it.
How did your games run. Ever had an issue where you happily playing
your games and WHAM game freezes, no dislpay, black screen. Its
happening on all my games. Ive just formatted and reloaded my x64.
Latest drivers everything
I think my card is over heating. Anyone here has the same problem with
8800GTS???

[Alfazone]

Originally Posted by Sandog

Also the SigMatel driver package has the most basic, useless, dull-looking control app. in the system tray I have ever witnessed. I sure hope Intel comes out with adding Sonic Focus back in the SigMatel audio package and where in the world did IDCC go? I sure hope that sticks around. Intel updated their Desktop Utilities program but I like using IDCC which tells much of the same stuff and does more. Plus it looks cool.


Sandog

Could you try to use standby with the Sigmatel drivers installed, I get a bsod when resuming with the drivers loaded.

[Sandog]

In answer to both questions I am not sure if my 8800GTS is getting hot or not. I doubt it. I did install a game and the resolution looks like 640x480 when the game says 1024x768. Did not play it at all so don't know if it crashes. The S3 state enabled by whats now called 'Sleep' mode works for the computer but the monitor does not come out of 'Sleep' mode. Again it looks like NVidia's fault. NVidia is not playing well with Vista/64 as can be seen in my base score on the card which is 1 (lowest possible). You would think of all companies ready for Vista 64/32bit, NVidia would be one that was ready with a decent driver for a video card, sheesh. I feel sorry for people with NVidia chipset boards that's for sure and I'm darn positive I will never buy one. I might be going back to 32bit soon. I don't thing 64bit plays well with games that are already out and I'm not waiting for 64bit game updates as well 64bit drivers.

Sandog

[Supa-Fly]

Thanks for the response Sandog,

And...

...I have resolved my own issues with the freezing to black screen problem.
Here is what I did. Read some threads on other forums, and I came a cross
a guy who obviously know some programing and some code, which was had
the same problems. He did dome debuging of his own, and found that the
8800's programming code would sometime get stuck in a loop. He said that
since this was the case no driver would sort it out since it was a hardware
programming thing. Now I dont know squat about hardware programming
things, but I do know a bit about "BIOS's" ... so just like a spark of
static, I was on MKVTECH.com trying my luck for some "BIOS's". I didnt find
a compatible bios for my 8800 but I did find a tool that can edit your 8800GTS's
bios and save it to a file which you can use to flash your 8800GTS with.
SO thats what I did, I dumps my bios, made some mods to its flashed it
and TADA NO MORE FREEZES. Infact I went one step further.
I went onto XFX's website to see what they stable overclocks with the 8800
is and used those setting in my flash. Ive been testing this bios for hours now.
3D Mark 03' 05' 06', Quake III,IV, Battlefield II,2142, and a few other games
and utilities, including NVidia's own Ntune. Everythning came back with flying
colors.

If any one wants a copy of this file here it is.
But please remember that you have to know what you are doing when flashing
anything, and if you mess up, you could void your warranty. This file has only
been tested by myself (Not an expert) on the 8800GTS 320Meg.
Inside the RAR file you will fine the folloing:

My custom bios - 8800GTS.rom
NVflash Util - nvflash.exe

This a a dos based command utils, that will work in XP 32bit and 64 Bit.
Not sure about vista, havent tried.
Enjoy

[TQ]

Originally Posted by stmckin

did you try the new Nvidia x64 Vista beta version 100.64 ?
Windows Vista 64-bit

There's an even newer one: 100.65...
32 bit: The Guru of 3D Download Section
64 bit: The Guru of 3D Download Section

[TQ]

Hey you boys, I have an overclock question:
If I were to O/C my 6600 to the level of a 6800, that is from 2.4 to 2.93, what settings in the BIOS would I change to achieve this? And in what numerical values?
I'd like to run some benches to compare stock to 6800 settings, but frankly don't know how to get from here to there.
Can you make some suggestions?
I'm virtually certain this can be done on stock voltage settings and would prefer to keep it so, if possible.

[Sandog]

Originally Posted by TQ

Hey you boys, I have an overclock question:
If I were to O/C my 6600 to the level of a 6800, that is from 2.4 to 2.93, what settings in the BIOS would I change to achieve this? And in what numerical values?
I'd like to run some benches to compare stock to 6800 settings, but frankly don't know how to get from here to there.
Can you make some suggestions?
I'm virtually certain this can be done on stock voltage settings and would prefer to keep it so, if possible.

Hey TQ,

You would have to reach a FSB speed of 325MHz to hit 2.93MHz clock on your 6600. A good path to OC is to max your memory timings out say 15-5-5-5 and then keep increasing your FSB until it remains stable to OC your CPU and see how successful you are. Then slowly back down on memory settings to a stable point also and there you have it.

Adjust your FSB in BIOS:
+10% FSB = 266MHz(default) x 1.10 = 293FSB
293FSB x mult. of 9(default) = 2.64MHz.
325FSB x mult. of 9(default) = 2.93MHz(X6800)

By the way I am back to Vista 32bit.

Sandog

[TQ]

Cool, Dawg...thanks.
I'm of a mind to see about how much performance difference there is between my E6600 and a 6800.

[LiteBeer]

Originally Posted by Sandog

Hey TQ,

You would have to reach a FSB speed of 325MHz to hit 2.93MHz clock on your 6600. A good path to OC is to max your memory timings out say 15-5-5-5 and then keep increasing your FSB until it remains stable to OC your CPU and see how successful you are. Then slowly back down on memory settings to a stable point also and there you have it.

Adjust your FSB in BIOS:
+10% FSB = 266MHz(default) x 1.10 = 293FSB
293FSB x mult. of 9(default) = 2.64MHz.
325FSB x mult. of 9(default) = 2.93MHz(X6800)

By the way I am back to Vista 32bit.

Sandog

Thanks to gtj at xtremesystems forums I am running 3.1 on 6600 with cool temps.
Here is what he said:

"Boot into maintenance mode using the jumper and make sure that C1E and the Watchdog are disabled.

On the processor page, leave the voltages at stock and set the FSB at 345. That should give you 3.1GHz.

On the Memory page, set the reference frequency to 266 and the Memory frequency to 667. Set the timings to 5-5-5-15 and the voltage to 2.08.

This should boot fine but if it isn't stable, try increasing the cpu voltage slightly.

Once you're stable here, you can try experimenting with other settings. Try changing only 1 parameter at a time and keep a log of what you've tried."

I have the 2x 1G OCZ DDR2-800 Plat R2 memory and Tuniq Tower. He gave me the settings to run at 3.4 but I thought I was going to have to call the fire dept. Something wrong with my thermal paste.

Keep in mind that he has the same memory as me. YMMV. BTW I also turned off EIST. 3.1 is fast enuf for me

[Sandog]

Originally Posted by TQ

Cool, Dawg...thanks.
I'm of a mind to see about how much performance difference there is between my E6600 and a 6800.

IMO when you buy middle range CPU's there's a good chance it will do the next speed level well. These C2D's all seem to OC nicely and if you go up one speed grade or maybe two at default voltage I do not see the worry. Have fun TQ!

Sandog

[TQ]

Thanks...now if I could only find a tutorial that explains the options within Default Configuration Override menu I'd be thrilled.

[Daddyrabbit]

Originally Posted by Sandog

IMO when you buy middle range CPU's there's a good chance it will do the next speed level well. These C2D's all seem to OC nicely and if you go up one speed grade or maybe two at default voltage I do not see the worry. Have fun TQ!

Sandog

Running my E6600 @ 3.1G with no problems other than heat, swapped the stock cooler with a Thermaltake Big Typhoon (Radio Shack carrys TT gear now and, sadly, is the best computer parts place within 2 hours of my location, even had a TT "Big water" water cooling kit) and that problem evaporated. My everyday loads (gaming for 2-3hrs solid) now hover at 50c (in a warm room) and even with TAT at 100% on both cores the temps are a full 10-12c less (although still a bit high @ 61-66c but I can't forsee me ever, in normal usage, stressing both cores that much).

Stock voltages, all I did was set the memory to DDR2 667 with default reference freq and upped the FSB.