Help with ddr400 & K7VTA3 MB please.

  • Thread starter Thread starter azzure
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A

azzure

I bought a K7VTA3 MB and Athlon 2200+ Barebones set at FRYs. The
salesperson assured me that a ddr400 512 MB memory would work fine.
Once I got the MB box open and read the manual I could see that it says
only ddr 200, 266 and 333 can be used.

I've been unable to get the pci and via setups to load. No sound and no
modem. I have a Radeon 9000 video card, works great.

I know Via chipsets can be problematic.

Is my problem the DDR400? Can the DDR400 work with this MB?

Thanks for any help. I thought this kind of computer configuring junk
was in the past when I used to do this.

Would windows XP be the magic wand I need? I'm using 98 SE.

TIA

Mike
 
I bought a K7VTA3 MB and Athlon 2200+ Barebones set at FRYs. The
salesperson assured me that a ddr400 512 MB memory would work fine.
Once I got the MB box open and read the manual I could see that it says
only ddr 200, 266 and 333 can be used.
Click to expand...

That sounds wrong, how EXACTLY does it read?
In general, PC3200 memory, what you're calling DDR400, is backwards
compatible. Is this memory known good, and not a questionable
generic?
I've been unable to get the pci and via setups to load. No sound and no
modem. I have a Radeon 9000 video card, works great.
Click to expand...

This is too vague, what exactly do you mean?
I know Via chipsets can be problematic.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily, pretty easy if you ask me, but a crap board brings
along it's own problems regardless of what chipset is on it... if it
were a good board, would it have been so cheap? (the answer is no).

Is my problem the DDR400? Can the DDR400 work with this MB?
Click to expand...

The board could be picky about memory. Did you reset the CMOS and
check the bios settings, first trying the "SPD" or "auto" setting for
memory? Test the system for several hours with
http://www.memtest86.com

Thanks for any help. I thought this kind of computer configuring junk
was in the past when I used to do this.

Would windows XP be the magic wand I need? I'm using 98 SE.
Click to expand...

XP might do better, depends on exactly what the problem is.

We need more specifics. Via chipsets are usually pretty easy, as is
Win98SE. Supposedly the newest Via 4in1 4.50 is problematic though,
you might try an older version like 4.35-4.39 On the other hand,
that's an older KT266(A?) board, so one of ECS's first attempts at DDR
for Athlons. If you're fortunate it'll at least be a version 2.0
board or later.


Did you do a clean OS install or plug-n-play migrate an existing
install? One problem with reusing the current install can be
integrated audio, often '98 is temperamental about migrating from one
board to another when the new board uses sound with WDM drivers
instead of the old Win9x VXD drivers. In such cases a clean reinstall
of Win98SE may be necessary if you can't find some manual fix.

I've briefly searched for a fix in the past, and the only conclusion I
found was that if "Multimedia Properties" (in Control Panel) doesn't
show the audio device, and you can't manually choose a VXD driver
(often the driver defaults to the WDM version but using Device Manager
you can manually browse to the Win95/9x/98 VXD driver and get it
working)... otherwise a clean reinstall may be needed.

That motherboard is also from a period in time when ECS had more than
a few bugs to work out... try a newer BIOS, but if the board has
turquise and silver G-Luxon capacitors to the left of the CPU socket,
I'd sell it QUICK, before it dies, if you can't return it.

I guess what I'm trying to write is, with a good board these little
problems may be worth overcoming, but IMHO, that's a bad board to have
even if it is working right, for however long that might be. I would
seriously consider returning it and getting another board, even many
relatively cheap boards are going to be better, offer more features
and performance too.


Dave
 
kony said:
That sounds wrong, how EXACTLY does it read?
In general, PC3200 memory, what you're calling DDR400, is backwards
compatible. Is this memory known good, and not a questionable
generic?
Click to expand...

I've read PC3200 in some places on the net and DDR400 on other places.
It does not say pc3200 ANYWHERE ON THIS CORSAIR memory chip label. Nor
does it say pc3200 or pcanything anywhere in the manual.

Define questionable generic. Backwards compatible usually works the
other direction, I thought. Such as an ATA 100 HD can be used on a MoBo
that uses aa ATA 133 but not the reverse. Or so I've been told.
This is too vague, what exactly do you mean?
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter, just to let you know that there is something portion of
the system operating.
What exactly do you need to know.
Not necessarily, pretty easy if you ask me, but a crap board brings
along it's own problems regardless of what chipset is on it... if it
were a good board, would it have been so cheap? (the answer is no).
Click to expand...

You say crap but many reviews say cheap but very reliable. (At the
moment my money's on your opinion, though.
The board could be picky about memory. Did you reset the CMOS and
check the bios settings, first trying the "SPD" or "auto" setting for
memory? Test the system for several hours with
http://www.memtest86.com
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice; will do.
XP might do better, depends on exactly what the problem is.
Click to expand...

Good point.
We need more specifics. Via chipsets are usually pretty easy, as is
Win98SE. Supposedly the newest Via 4in1 4.50 is problematic though,
you might try an older version like 4.35-4.39 On the other hand,
that's an older KT266(A?) board, so one of ECS's first attempts at DDR
for Athlons. If you're fortunate it'll at least be a version 2.0
board or later.


Did you do a clean OS install or plug-n-play migrate an existing
install?
Click to expand...

Cleean OS install.

One problem with reusing the current install can be
integrated audio, often '98 is temperamental about migrating from one
board to another when the new board uses sound with WDM drivers
instead of the old Win9x VXD drivers. In such cases a clean reinstall
of Win98SE may be necessary if you can't find some manual fix.

I've briefly searched for a fix in the past, and the only conclusion I
found was that if "Multimedia Properties" (in Control Panel) doesn't
show the audio device, and you can't manually choose a VXD driver
(often the driver defaults to the WDM version but using Device Manager
you can manually browse to the Win95/9x/98 VXD driver and get it
working)... otherwise a clean reinstall may be needed.

That motherboard is also from a period in time when ECS had more than
a few bugs to work out... try a newer BIOS, but if the board has
turquise and silver G-Luxon capacitors to the left of the CPU socket,
I'd sell it QUICK, before it dies, if you can't return it.
Click to expand...

I don't see the specific colors but I suspect you are right.
I guess what I'm trying to write is, with a good board these little
problems may be worth overcoming, but IMHO, that's a bad board to have
even if it is working right, for however long that might be. I would
seriously consider returning it and getting another board, even many
relatively cheap boards are going to be better, offer more features
and performance too.


Dave
Click to expand...

Thanks Dave. It does support 333 FSB. Although I think it is an
earlier version as it only takes 2 DIMM instead of the three I see in
online reviews.

Odd that it doesn't mention pc3200 or 2700 or anything other than
DDR200, DDR266, and DDR333.

I guess I'll make the long (80 miles) trek back to FRY's and look into
another MoBo.

Your help is appreciated. As you asked for specifics I, too, would like
specifics.
Like: What specifics do you need to know?
And: what other cheap (let's say inexpensive) boards would be good to
consider?

I thank you for your knowledge.

Mike
 
BTW, my Power supply is 425.

I've read PC3200 in some places on the net and DDR400 on other places.
It does not say pc3200 ANYWHERE ON THIS CORSAIR memory chip label. Nor
does it say pc3200 or pcanything anywhere in the manual.

Define questionable generic. Backwards compatible usually works the
other direction, I thought. Such as an ATA 100 HD can be used on a MoBo
that uses aa ATA 133 but not the reverse. Or so I've been told.



Doesn't matter, just to let you know that there is something portion of
the system operating.
What exactly do you need to know.



You say crap but many reviews say cheap but very reliable. (At the
moment my money's on your opinion, though.



Thanks for the advice; will do.



Good point.



Clean OS install.

One problem with reusing the current install can be



I don't see the specific colors but I suspect you are right.



Thanks Dave. It does support 333 FSB. Although I think it is an
earlier version as it only takes 2 DIMM instead of the three I see in
online reviews.

Odd that it doesn't mention pc3200 or 2700 or anything other than
DDR200, DDR266, and DDR333.

I guess I'll make the long (80 miles) trek back to FRY's and look into
another MoBo.

Your help is appreciated. As you asked for specifics I, too, would like
specifics.
Like: What specifics do you need to know?
And: what other cheap (let's say inexpensive) boards would be good to
consider?

I thank you for your knowledge.

Mike
Click to expand...
 
I've read PC3200 in some places on the net and DDR400 on other places.
It does not say pc3200 ANYWHERE ON THIS CORSAIR memory chip label. Nor
does it say pc3200 or pcanything anywhere in the manual.
Click to expand...

The "PC" number rating avoids confusion that can arise from how
different people (and motherboard bios) report frequency. Too often
two different people will use MHz with or without it meaning DDR MHz.
You're right, I just wish there were consistency among everyone on
what a given speed is called.

Define questionable generic. Backwards compatible usually works the
other direction, I thought. Such as an ATA 100 HD can be used on a MoBo
that uses aa ATA 133 but not the reverse. Or so I've been told.
Click to expand...

Corsair isn't a questionable generic.
Doesn't matter, just to let you know that there is something portion of
the system operating.
What exactly do you need to know.
Click to expand...

"I've been unable to get the PCI and Via setups to load.".
What does that mean, exactly. What signs that the system isn't
working right. What does Device Manager show (if anything as a
problem). What evidence is leading you to the above conclusion, and
what steps have you taken to rectify the problem?
You say crap but many reviews say cheap but very reliable. (At the
moment my money's on your opinion, though.
Click to expand...

The thing is, they can't know how reliable it is, because they're
giving it one shot, usually with most popular hardware, and it may be
a hand-picked, pre-tested/retested board being sent for review,
perhaps even with BIOS settings changed from default. Reviews are
good to show pictures, tell about features, and even benchmarks IF
done properly, but "good", "reliable", etc, is an inappropriate
conclusion for a reviewer to make in the short time and limited use
leading to the review. Better to go to a user forum and read about
the issues, but some issues (like death from bad capacitors) or the
hope of bug fix(es) with a future BIOS, are a gamble till it's mature.


Thanks for the advice; will do.
Click to expand...

It's good to test any board with memtest86, even if it exhibits no
problems, even on a well-running board if memory is added or bios
memory settings changed.

Good point.
Click to expand...

Generally any board will work with 98SE as well as XP, it's just the
OS that later shows it's weakness in many uses, but sometimes audio
support is a problem.

Cleean OS install.
Click to expand...

Does Device Manger show the components you expected? Any signs of
problem there?
I don't see the specific colors but I suspect you are right.
Click to expand...

I still won't touch boards with G-Luxon caps (as primary regulation
filters) regardless of their coloring (they've changed colors again),
but the majority of the bad ones I've seen were the turquoise with
silver trim, and a few black w/gold trim.

That's not to suggest that G-Luxon caps definitely will be a problem,
at some point I'm sure they had to reformulate their parts, but then
again another similar low-end cap may not die so early, but still not
provide same useable lifespan as a better one like Rubycon, Nichicon,
Sanyo, a few other major brands.


Thanks Dave. It does support 333 FSB. Although I think it is an
earlier version as it only takes 2 DIMM instead of the three I see in
online reviews.

Odd that it doesn't mention pc3200 or 2700 or anything other than
DDR200, DDR266, and DDR333.
Click to expand...

Now I'm confused... K7VTA3 isn't a KT266A chipset board? That chipset
does not support DDR333/166MHz FSB. I didn't think it supported
166MHz memory bus either, which was basically the whole point of the
KT333 chipset.

I guess I'll make the long (80 miles) trek back to FRY's and look into
another MoBo.

Your help is appreciated. As you asked for specifics I, too, would like
specifics.
Like: What specifics do you need to know?
And: what other cheap (let's say inexpensive) boards would be good to
consider?
Click to expand...

Try to avoid off-brands, stick with Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, Abit.
nForce2 chipset is good, but with a single memory module the Via
KT400-600 boards are equally fast (with modern BIOS) and generally
cost a slight bit less.

I don't know what boards Frys carries, but I'd pick either nForce2 or
KT400 or 600, then look at the above 4 manufacturer's offerings.
http://www.amdmb.com has a forum with a LOT of info about most common
motherboards, you can get an in-depth look at issues and such there.


Dave
 
kony said:
I don't know what boards Frys carries, but I'd pick either nForce2 or
KT400 or 600, then look at the above 4 manufacturer's offerings.
http://www.amdmb.com has a forum with a LOT of info about most common
motherboards, you can get an in-depth look at issues and such there.


Dave
Click to expand...

Thanks for all your help! I'm back at it to see if it'll get going, but
I'll go to amdmb and look again. (been there before)

Mike
 
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