"Anthony" said:
This is what the ASUS customer service rep told me in an email I just
recieved..
" My name is ZYC, and I would be assisting you today.
You can use max to AMD ATHLON XP3200+@400mhz fsb . If you want to update to
3200+ ,you have to reduce memory speed to dual channel ddr333 mode ot keep
system stable."
Shit so why make a bios to allow 400 FSB and then need to slow down the
memory speed to keep stability? Any opinions? Should I just settle for a
3000 which is not 400 FSB and keep my DDR 400 at max speed or does setting
it at 333 and using the 3200 a better idea?
I think ZYC has given you the answer for an A7N8X-VM/400. That
board needs DDR333 to keep the build-in graphics core stable.
I'm not aware of any need to slow down memory on the other
full sized A7N8X family boards. The original Anandtech review
ran the Nforce2 at DDR400 no problem. Dual channel Nforce2 chipsets
have three address busses and two data busses, which gives those
boards pretty well the best buffered DIMM slots of any
Asus motherboard. If the manual says DDR400, then it will run
DDR400.
As for settings, running processor and memory synced is best.
That means FSB400 with DDR400 and FSB333 with DDR333.
You have two pieces of information to go on. The manual that came
with your motherboard, says PC3200 memory is supported. Then, on
the cpusupport web page, it says you can use a 3200+/FSB400
processor, if your board is at least revision 1.04 (which you've
got) and at least BIOS 1004 (yours is better, as it is 1008). It
sounds to me like you are all set.
If your board really is a A7N8X-VM or A7N8X-VM/400, then there can
be issues with ram speed. For those boards, one solution is to not
use the onboard graphics and use a video card like a FX5200 or better.
For the -VM, that allows DDR400 to be used. I don't think the VM/400
has the logic in its BIOS, to benefit from the use of a video card,
and I haven't seen any user reports of what happens when you try a
separate video card with the VM/400. Since the -VM boards have no
adjustments to speak of in the BIOS, there isn't much you can do to
them.
With the A7N8X, you can always adjust the clocks on it, to get
the new processor to work. You could buy a 2500+/FSB333 and try
overclocking the thing to FSB400 (many people do that, and get the
equivalent of a 3200+ in performance, at a 2500+ price). Or,
buy your 3200+/FSB400 and if it crashes, slowly turn down the FSB
until it works.
If you go to
http://www.cpudatabase.com/CPUdb and select Barton
2500+ from the AMD menu, you'll see entries like this. This
is a 2500+ running faster than a 3200+ (which is 2200MHz).
2400 1.90 AQXDA 0322 Asus A7N8X rev 1.04 watercooled
Mobile processors (AthlonXP-M in socket A package) are also
fun to overclock, but I don't know if there are any issues
with multiplier selection on your board or not. Again, you can
look at the cpudatabase web page, as mobile processors are also
listed there.
Finally, look over on nforcershq.com and read a few posts over
there. They have a search engine, and you could try A7N8X 3200+
as search terms, remembering to click the "find all terms" button,
so the terms are all found in the same message.
Even if you have trouble, if this is a legit 3200+, you can always
sell it. Or, even pick up another motherboard, if you have to. The
Abit NF7-S is highly regarded.
Paul
