Newer Is not always better! A tail of SMP and a BP6

[jaybird]

I have spent the last two months almost full time trying to up-grade my system (I am layed off so what the heck!).

I initially couldn't get my BP6 to respond to the PIII mods so I bought a Gigabyte dual 370 server board (stable but not very overclocker friendly).

I could get my 1100/256/100/1.75 Volt CPU's to go 1209 with ease on the Gigabyte board but that was the only thing that I didn't have trouble with!

For starters, my Matrox G400 32meg dual head drivers DID NOT like the VIA chip set at all. I would ALWAYS crash on shutdown! I figured out a work-a-round but didn't like it.

My Soundblaster Live Platinum would ALWAYS select the same IRQ in both 98SE and 2000 Pro (I have a dual-boot system) unless I disabled Plug-and-Play (almost impossible on this board) and manually forced the IRQ's. Again, crashes on shutdown and now, startup! Creative says that there board doesn't like the VIA chipset either!

I installed a SIIG multi-function PCI card because this board didn't have as many IDE channels as my BP6 (IDE, ATA100, RAID, Firewire and USB all on the same card).

I finally got everything running (sort of) and then the first board took a grap!

Sent it back and got a replacement. I then had problems getting it to boot at all. It would refuse to startup! I finally found out that:

1. AT and ATX form power supplies must see a minimun of a 5volt @ 1
amp load (fans on first!) before they will electronically swith on!

2. My 5 year old Sparkle 300 watt supply was only putting out 3.3 to 4.7
on the 5 volt side and only a MAX of 11.5 volts on the 12 volt side!

A new "generic" 300W supply from my local CompUSA fixed that!

I fought for over a week trying to get the "new" board running stable but with no luck so just for "grinns" I tried the old BP6 with the PIII's and the new powersupply and BINGO!

As we speak I have just completed installation of ALL hardware on the BP6, this includes:

1. 2, PIII 1100/100 CPU's
2. 2, modified NEO 370's
3. A ver. 1 BP6 with the capacitor mod, voltage regulator change-out
4. Modified FEP-32 heatsinks (still not good enough, if I try to overclock
my CPU's go over 115 deg. F and crap out on me), I need to modify
a pair of golden orb knock-offs that I bought from CompUSA. They
fit on the Gigabyte boad but because of the added height caused by
the NEO's the clips don't quite reach.

NOTE: Temp drop between FEP-32's and Golden-Orb's was from 105 at
idle to 87 deg f !!!!

5. I have 4 optical drives (2 on IDE-1 and 2 on IDE-2)
6. 2 harddrives (1 on IDE-3 and 1 on IDE-4) at ATA-66 on the Highpoint
controller with no problems.
7. I have 4 PCI cards installed, I ISA NIC and my G400.

And best of all, my BP6 BX chip set gets along with EVERYBODY'S drivers!

I now need to run a stress test in both 98SE and 2000 Pro to check for stability.

Stay tuned for the next chapter in "NEWER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER!"

Regards,

jaybird

[InactiveX]

Very good work!

[jaybird]

I now have the gorb "clones" installed on my BP6 and as predicted they have substantially reduced the temp of the cpu's. At idle I see 87 deg f., as opposed to 107 to 112 deg f with the FEP-32's. Here is a case of bigger is NOT better. The FEP-32's were, and I believe still are the best air-cooled heatsinks for the older Celeron cpu's, with them I have gone 605 with my 366's.

However, these "gorbs" really do the job on the smaller PIII core by concentrating the heat through their copper cores and copper fins.

I fashioned a "U" shapped extention (paper clip ) for the fixed side of the heatsink attaching clip and I took the longer adjustable attaching clip from the undersized heatsinks provided with the NEO's and installed them on the "gorbs'" (The combination of cpu and NEO is to thick to allow for the use of the standard attaching clips).

However, I still cannot over-clock in 2000 Pro. I can goto 108 MHz in 98SE.

This leads me to believe that the temp of the cpu's is nolonger a factor.

I am now in the process of installing a thermal probe at the BX chip set. I have already added a 486 cooling fan and Actic Silver to the heatsink.

I expect to see higher temps in smp that single. This may be my limiting factor in smp overclocking with the BX chip set.

If I am right, the next step is to install a small 40 watt peltier on the BX chip set. I hope to be able to post my BX temps later this evening (BTW, just for the record, I'm on cental US time).

Regards,

jaybird

[davd_bob]

just remember what Scotty said when Kirk wanted more power..
"Bu Kaaptan, the hol' blummin ship is goin ta blo'"

i wonder if that bad psu caused some of the gigabyte problems