[Athlon64] RS480 troubles still, Hard drive?

[fenmcconnell]

I still haven't got my RS480 working properly yet.  I gave up on the built in NIC.  Here are my current problems.  Media player gets high CPU usage when playing a cd or streaming from the internet.  It makes the song pause/skip.  Windows CD player plays fine.  Half-Life2 took 4 hours to install then at least an hour to decode.  It plays aweful. 

I tried some test programs today.  One called Burnin, seemed to get no errors except read errors on the CD (i had a blank one in by mistake).  When I did the H?Tach hard drive test, I got a 1MB/s rather than 40+ for an ATA drive.  I am using and IDE drive with standard bios settings but SATA disabled. 

Also I noticed that the IRQ10 is used by both the X200 graphics and the AC97 audio.  When I disable the audio card things don't improve. 

Any suggestions?

[jimcpl]

Hi,

It sounds like the IDE channels are in PIO mode and not in DMA/UDMA mode.  I'm assuming that you're running some version of Windows?  Open the Device Manager, and check the the Advanced tab in the Primary IDE and Secondary IDE channel properties, and see if shows PIO or UDMA, then post back.  Also post with your system specs, including OS information.

Jim

[Apple renegade]

Did you install the mobo's drivers ?

[fenmcconnell]

I'm using Windows 2000 Pro with service pack 4. 

Windows reports PIO mode on my hard drive.  How can I change it?

These are the drivers that I installed: 
ati southbridge
ait video
realtec lan
realtec sound

That is everything on the MSI website except the raid drive, and I don't have a raid array.

Here is my system hardware:
MSI RS480M2-IL XPRESS200 RT
CPU AMD 64 |3000+ ATHLON 939P 90 RT
DDRAM PC3200 1GB KNGMX MPXD42D-2K
DVD-/+RW 16X BENQ DW1620
CASE ANTEC| MATX LS-968 ARIA 300W
Linksys USB wireless NIC

[roysan]

This was posted earlier and it appears to have helped in one case at least.

Danno wrote:

http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=79824.msg565083#msg565083

jonatj replied:

http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=79824.msg565255#msg565255

roysan

[fenmcconnell]

doesn't help, still stuck in PIO mode

[dannol48]

You need to look at the System Event Viewer log and see if you're taking errors on the drive to cause it to drop to PIO mode.

Danno

[fenmcconnell]

The only error in there was a mouse error.  This is a common error with windows when using a USB mouse rather than PS2 one. 

What should my IDE controller be?

[fenmcconnell]

could someone with a similar system post what their device manager shows for hardware (with "IDE controllers" and "system devices" expanded)?

Also what drivers were installed on your machine and in what order?

Thanks

[dannol48]

Under "IDE ATA ATAPI Controllers", I have "Primary IDE Channel", "Secondary IDE Channel", and "Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller" with all associated drivers from Microsoft.

My installation order is as follows:

1.  XP Pro with slipstreamed SP2

2.  Windows .Net Framework 1.1 + SP1 (for Catalyst Control Center) from backup CD (or MS download), as required by Catalyst Package Release Notes (see download page)

2.  AMD CnQ Athlon 64 Driver 1.1.0.18 package for XP from AMD download (plus manual change to Control Panel Power Options "Minimal Power Management" to enable CnQ)

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_182_871_9706,00.html

3.  ATI Catalyst 5.4 for Motherboard/IGP Driver Package (now 5.5 and am about to test) and those on MSI CD worked OK too

https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&folderID=27

4.  Realtek Sound Drivers package (current 5.10.0.5760)

And that's it, other than my wirless NIC and wireless Logitech keyboard/mouse drivers.  I then install all MS Critical Updates and my Samsung Monitor Driver from MS Windows Update.

Danno

[fenmcconnell]

thanks win2000 should be similiar except I didn't plan on using  Cool and Quiet.    I'll check out the NET framework too.

Thanks

[dannol48]

I should note that the .Net Framework 1.1  is only required for the Catalyst Control Center, and CCC is a separate download.  The impression at download is they are bundled, and aren't (as far as I can tell).  I installed and have been testing CCC as well as the Catalyst 5.5 driver set all afternoon. 

What can I say.....they work. 

Any specific reason you don't want to install CnQ?  I wouldn't want to run the processor HOT in an Aria case with a Raid array......not a good idea.      

Sorry, don't mean to be critical, but that one's got me cringing. 

Danno

Edit:  Sorry.....here's link to CCC.  http://www.ati.com/products/catalystcontrolcenter/

[jonatj]

@fenmcconnell

Just a follow up. I haven't had any trouble with my secondary drive switching back to PIO mode. What fix it was changing my drive cable (Mad Dog 18" round 2 connector cable) and deleting and letting Windows reinstall my Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller.

Evidently my problem was that Windows detected parity errors and kept lowering my transfer rate from UDMA Mode 6. It kept taking it a notch down each time and eventually I was at the lowest transfer mode of PIO. Just changing the cable didn't fix it because although the errors disappeared Windows doesn't work in reverse and speed up the transfer rate. So the only way to clear the problem was to remove the controller device and let Windows reinstall it.

I don't know if this is what you are experiencing at all. If you've already tried removing the Standard IDE Controller driver and have Windows redetect it, then you could also try a new 80 pin IDE cable, try a regular cable if you have a round one. Also, do you have another device on the same channel, i.e. DVD burner? Double check your jumper settings on the back of the HD too.

It may be silly but you could also try putting the HD on the secondary channel as Master.

If you've tried all of that, try reseting CMOS or at least put the default settings for IDE devices back to the defaults (except for SATA controller, leave that off).

I suspect that its hardware settings instead of software. So I'd pursue that angle first. Is the drive new or at least proven to work in other systems? You may want to pick up a second drive and install Windows on it to see what happens, maybe you can determine that the drive is bad and RMA it.

Sorry, didn't mean to ramble, its just I've go a lot of advice to share since my recent experience with the RS480M2.


-jonatj

[fenmcconnell]

The hard drive is new.  So is the DVD burner that is on the second IDE channel as master.   They ech have different cables and neither is running DMA.  So I think that either the bios or windows is preventing the DMA mode on each.

[dannol48]

Those drives would require 80-wire/40-pin ATA cables.  The older IDE standard cables only have 40 wires.  Beside the number of wires, ATA cables have color coded connectors:   Blue (to motherboard), Grey (to slave), Black (to master).

The drives should also appear in a table at post, just before the PCI Device listing.  For example my two drives appear in the table as "LBA, ATA 100, 160GB" and "DVD-RW, ATA 33".  That's an indication of how Bios has detected and set them.  Windows will only downspeed on the basis of errors or not having a driver.  You might need to delete and re-add the Controller to reset Windows and see if it downspeeds again.  If it does, the log should show why.  A conflicting driver might also cause a problem.  Again, I'm using what XP-SP2 installs.

Danno

[fenmcconnell]

I haven't been able to work on the computer any more since May 22, but I will this weekend. 

In the mean time:

I'm not sure what type of wires I'm using (80 or 40).  The DVD has a rounded bundle that came with the Aria case.  It has a blue end on connected to the motherboard.  The hard drive has the grey band cable.  This cable came with the hard drive and said (use this cable with this drive).  It has a blue end connected to the hard drive. 

I didn't see any device listing with ATA speed.  Windows 2000 has a "windows starting" label that is up when the usual PCI listing takes place during the boot.  I don't know how to hide that.  ESC doesn't work. 

[fenmcconnell]

Should i have quiet and cool enabled when I disabled fan control in the bias?

[jonatj]

@fenmcconnell


The CnQ setting is separate from the fan control. If fan control is off in the BIOS then the fans are on full speed, you'll need some other app to control the fan speed. The CnQ setting will just throttle the CPU (if its working).

This AMD page has the current Windows driver for the CPU and a great Demo program to show you your CPU's voltage, and usage.

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_182_871_9706,00.html

Check it out if you want to see CnQ work well.

-jonatj

[dannol48]

This cable came with the hard drive and said (use this cable with this drive).  It has a blue end connected to the hard drive.

That means the cable is incorrectly installed.  The blue connector goes to motherboard.  The black connector would go to the Master device/drive.  The grey connector would go the the Slave device/drive.

Danno

[fenmcconnell]

oops, I meant that the blue connector in on the motherboard from both DVD and hard drive.

[dannol48]

fenmcconnell,

Try using the Pause key to stop the post and see how the drives are listed in that table I previously mentioned.  What are they showing?

Danno

[m1mgd00]

fenmcconnell,

Try using the Pause key to stop the post and see how the drives are listed in that table I previously mentioned. What are they showing?

Danno

Danno, for future reference, which is the Pause key?  Thanks!

[dannol48]

Danno, for future reference, which is the Pause key?  Thanks!

Search the upper row, right end of your keyboard for key marked "Pause".

Danno

[jimcpl]

fenmcconnell,

On some keyboards, the "Pause" key has both words "Pause" and "Break".

Jim

[fenmcconnell]

I changed my hard drive controller in windows and now it just reboots after windows start-up, in safe mode too.   Looks like a fresh install is necessary. 

My bias post does show ATA100 for the hard drvie and AT33 on the DVD.

On the reinstall I'll follow danno48's installation order.  I have Windows 2000 Pro SP2 can SP4 be "slipstreamed"? 

[dannol48]

I have Windows 2000 Pro SP2 can SP4 be "slipstreamed"? 

Yes it can.

Danno

Edit:  BTW, you might download the latest Catalyst 5.5 motherboard/IGP drivers from ATI.

[fenmcconnell]

I managed to change the driver back without reinstalling windows.  I'm currently getting Quiet and Cool and Catalyst control center installed.  I still have my IDE in PIO mode, but I'm working on it.

[dannol48]

There is a note at the Catalyst download that Service Pack 4 for Win2K must be installed before the Catalyst motherboard/IGP drivers.

Danno

[fenmcconnell]

Hmm, I'll check that out.  I definitely did the Catalyst drivers before any Service packs or windows updates.

[fenmcconnell]

Should I have SMART selected for the hard drive in the bios?

[dannol48]

Should I have SMART selected for the hard drive in the bios?

Yes, if your drive supports SMART and most new drives do.   You can check for drive problems using Speedfan's ability to query SMART.

I definitely did the Catalyst drivers before any Service packs or windows updates.

Did you reinstall to correct that problem?

Danno

[fenmcconnell]

i updated the bios to 3.4 and reinstalled all drivers.  Still I'm in PIO mode.  I'm currently creating an install with Win2000 pro with SP4 slipstreamed.  I'm going to give up and try a complete hard drive wipe and reinstall.

[dannol48]

How did the SP4 Slipstream install go?  I was hoping that might be the fix, i.e. SP4 first then the ATI drivers.
Danno

[bassmadrigal]

Yes, if your drive supports SMART and most new drives do.   You can check for drive problems using Speedfan's ability to query SMART.

You don't need smart enabled to use the feature through speefan. All enabling SMART in the bios does is check for issues with the hard drive which does increase boot time.

Basically SMART data is always available and you can have the bios read it and determine if there is a problem by enabling it, or you can use another program within windows like speedfan to monitor it.

It might be a little different in Win2k but in XP go into your device manager under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers and open up Primary IDE Channel under the Advanced Settings tab make sure the transfer mode  is set to DMA if available.

Also in some bios's under the hard drive or the IDE properties there is an option to set DMA.

Good Luck
Jeremy

[fenmcconnell]

Slipsteam install complete.  I did everything in the same order that Dannol48 did.  Everything is still in PIO mode.  I don't get it.

[dannol48]

That's disappointing.....   

Which of the Catalyst motherboard/IGP sets did you install, the new 5.5?

Danno

Edit:  Got a suggestion.....   Given all the odd hardware problems and you're using Aria, inspect the I/O shield and see if any of the grounding prongs slipped inside any of the connectors (like 1394 or NIC) during install.  It's difficult to both slip the motherboard UNDER the PSU and get those connectors aligned and not have those grounding prongs do that during install.  It's one of the reasons I recommend removing the PSU on Aria during install.  Shorts on connectors cause alot of weird problems.....

[fenmcconnell]

yes, 5.5

I'll check out motherboard.  I thought that it was a real smooth fit/install.  I don't remember the prongs, but I'll check it out.

[fenmcconnell]

I took a look at the board.  There are bolts that hold it down and standoffs with clips.  All standoff clips look good.

I spoke with MSI today.  They suggested a couple things.  Installing drivers while in safe mode, changing bios to optimized settings, and replacing the IDE cable (they are sending the replacement, one replacement).  It looks like I'm going to have to RMA the board.  Besides the IDE/DMA problem they thought that if the 1394 port and NIC are giving error code 35 it must be a hardware failure. 

[fenmcconnell]

Thanks for the help everyone.  However it was a waste of time.  It was a hardware problem. 

I just got the board back from MSI.  Everything works now, the hard drive UDMA, the NIC, the 1394 port.  They gave me back the same board with a paper that only said an error code associated with their repair.  So, I don't know what they did.  My hard drive now runs with no CPU utilization at 60MB/s vs 1MB/s in PIO mode.  I had a Radeon R700pro waiting.  So after benchmarking the on board video I replaced it with the $100 video card.  Now I can run Half-life2 with max settings without pauses!  The sound seems good too, but for some reason I had to select 5.1.  4 speaker mode wouldn't work in HL2. 

[bassmadrigal]

That is great to hear With hlaf-life 2 have you changed the speakers in windows to 4-channel? I ran into the same issue and I just forgot to do that.

Good Luck
Jeremy