Intel D975XBX (Bad Axe)

[Sandog]

The update is probably for core revisions. The BA2 won't support CPU's over 1066 FSB.

Here are the supported processors.

Intel® Desktop Processors and Desktop Boards Compatibility Tool - Search Results Page

[TQ]

Anyone have problems getting IDCC working? I've used two different versions - 2.2.0004 and 2.2.0005 - but while they work at first after a few attempts at configuring some settings they refuse to start, giving me the "unexpected error occurred during initialization" error message.

[TQ]

Also, any suggestions on getting a decent overclock out of my E6600 on the Bad Axe II?
I moved my Mushkin XP2-6400 over to the workstation yesterday thinking I could easily get a 300Mhz O/C (2.7Mhz from 2.4Mhz) on the workstation as I had done on the game machine. Turns out that the BIOS for the Bad Axe II is very different from BAI in that it's no longer a "percentage" adjustment (I had been running at 15%+ FSB of 1228Mhz) and when I tried something similar on the BAII it choked.
I did achieve a 2.7 O/C by lowering the memory speed to 533Mhz but that seems counterproductive.
Currently I'm back at default everything but since I have this snappy Mushkin from my gamer now in my workstation I'd be interested in getting a few hundred Mhz's on my clock rate.
I'm still puzzled as to why I couldn't achieve a similar O/C on the BAII as the one I had on the BAI.
I know there's something I'm missing...

[ATINUT]

Originally Posted by Sandog

The update is probably for core revisions. The BA2 won't support CPU's over 1066 FSB.

Here are the supported processors.

Intel® Desktop Processors and Desktop Boards Compatibility Tool - Search Results Page

Why thankyou. I could drop a Q6800 on to my board, but sadly I don't see a need to yet.

[Sandog]

Originally Posted by TQ

Also, any suggestions on getting a decent overclock out of my E6600 on the Bad Axe II?
I moved my Mushkin XP2-6400 over to the workstation yesterday thinking I could easily get a 300Mhz O/C (2.7Mhz from 2.4Mhz) on the workstation as I had done on the game machine. Turns out that the BIOS for the Bad Axe II is very different from BAI in that it's no longer a "percentage" adjustment (I had been running at 15%+ FSB of 1228Mhz) and when I tried something similar on the BAII it choked.
I did achieve a 2.7 O/C by lowering the memory speed to 533Mhz but that seems counterproductive.
Currently I'm back at default everything but since I have this snappy Mushkin from my gamer now in my workstation I'd be interested in getting a few hundred Mhz's on my clock rate.
I'm still puzzled as to why I couldn't achieve a similar O/C on the BAII as the one I had on the BAI.
I know there's something I'm missing...

The latest BIOS update fixes the IDCC start problem.

Try setting your CPU FSB to 333 and in memory the strap setting to 333, this loosens you NB latency settings and gives you a 1:1 FSB to memory ratio. Set your memory to 533MHz and you should get 667, your CPU will be at 3GHz. Adjust your RAM timings and voltages. You might need some extra voltage on the NB and the RAM. Good luck.

[Sandog]

I'm going to wait for reviews of the Intel P45 to come out and the Asus boards. I won't be getting a hotter X38/X48 board when the P45 is available. I do know I am going to be getting the ATI R770XT video card soon.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by Sandog

The latest BIOS update fixes the IDCC start problem.

Trouble is, I'm running the latest BIOS. That would be 2831, right?

Originally Posted by Sandog

Try setting your CPU FSB to 333 and in memory the strap setting to 333, this loosens your NB latency settings and gives you a 1:1 FSB to memory ratio. Set your memory to 533MHz and you should get 667, your CPU will be at 3GHz. Adjust your RAM timings and voltages. You might need some extra voltage on the NB and the RAM. Good luck.

The "strap" setting is the same thing as "reference" setting, isn't it?
My big question is how does one know that setting the CPU FSB to 333Mhz, the strap setting to 333Mhz and the memory to 533Mhz gets you 667Mhz?
How do you arrive at this answer? What formula do you employ? And how does one know what constitutes the FSB to memory ratio?
Frankly, these numbers make my head spin and I need something akin to overclocking for dummies to explain it all to me.

[TQ]

Heh...I googled "overclocking for dummies" and got quite a few hits.

[ATINUT]

I updated to the latest bios to fixe a couple of issues with the SATA controller, and for the improved Vista 64 compatibility. I'm not going to update to any future bioses for my board, unless I'm having a specific problem that a new bios can fix.

[TQ]

Here's something I just noticed: in the BIOS my CPU (E6600) multiplier is stated as x9. CPU-Z reports it as x6. Yet just now as I was reading an article on extremetech.com I saw CPU-Z briefly flash to x9, then back to x6.

What's up with that?

[Dandruff]

It's the C1E function. Load your CPU with some heavy stuff and CPU-Z will show you the max. multiplier ...

[TQ]

Thanks...

[ATINUT]

I went back to using the onboard 7.1 HD Audio with Dolby Surround sound, paired with my Logitech X-540 5.1 speaker set, audio actually sounds better than on my HT Omega Claro soundcard, once it's properly setup and configured for 5.1 or 7.1 sound.

[TQ]

Interesting that there are no Vista audio drivers for the Bad Axe 1. I'm downstreaming my BA1 to my nephew today and was digging around on Intel's website for Vista64 drivers.
Nothing.
Glad I've got an old Audigy 2 ZS lying around. He'll have to make do with that.

[ATINUT]

Vista has the chipset drivers and network drivers built in, that much I know. Don't know if there are Vista drivers for the sound on the Bad Axe 1.

There however are plenty of updated drivers if you are willing to put XP on that machine for your Nephew.

Download Search Results